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HISTORY

I am a San Francisco native and began playing guitar at age 10. I was introduced to bluegrass music in college in the early 1970’s. When I went with my friend Dix Bruce to see the new David Grisman Quintet in San Francisco, I fell in love with the mandolin and had to have one. Not able to afford to buy, I set off to make one, borrowing measurements from the mandolins hanging in the window of The 5^th String next to Paul’s Saloon off of Lombard Street.

With just an electric drill, a couple small handsaws and a few chisels, I created my first mandolin, an A5 with exceptional tone and playability. For years I  played it in numerous bluegrass and folk bands. It still sounds and plays great today.

Several years ago, I moved north to Portland, Oregon and was swept-up once again in a Bluegrass tornado. Inspired by local musicians and a new desire to play a quality F style mandolin, I set up a woodshop to make  F5 mandolins following the Loar 1920's design. Before that first F was completed, plans were already being made for No.2 to include better woods, new tools and jigs and more intricate inlays. I also developed theories  on mandolin acoustics and how to achieve that bluegrass tone and desired chop with lots of volume. My first four mandolins were constructed using different woods and bracing ideas. By number 3, I had found the right formula of woods, bracing and tuning. All of my mandolins since are remarkably similar in tone and volume.

I have continued to develop new construction techniques and tools to perfect the details that differentiate quality custom mandolins. This is not my part-time endeavor or hobby. I left my engineering job in July, '02 to devote all energy to something I truly love doing,,,making and playing mandolins.