Introductions - a polite request

[Bruce McC]

Hi, I was born in Perth WA, a long time ago and moved to Canberra in '59 and have been here ever since.
Worked as a public servant for too long then took a package and for a "sea change" worked in several joinery shops.
Currently working part time at the "House on the Hill" but have tendered my resignation effective from November.
In 2008 I was inspired by Robin Johnston on ABC Radio National interviewing the Southern Luthiers group and set about
looking for somewhere to learn how to make guitars. By good fortune a local evening college was running a course and
the rest is history, I was hooked. Have finished four guitars and am close to finishing number five. Only been trying to play
since I finished number one.

[kiwigeo]

Well my request for a few members to introduce themselves has snowballed...not quite what I expected. Alot of members who have been around for some time have taken time to introduce themselves so I guess I should do the same.

Im 58 and live in the Adelaide Hills. Until recently I worked fulltime as a Geologist in the oil and gas game but a few months ago I decided that there where better places to be than a rickety old offshore oil rig so have moved into semi-retirement.

My building started in 2005 when I attended a guitar making course in Wellington, NZ run by Paddy Burgin and Dave Freeman. I came away from the course with an OM that didnt sound too bad so I decided to make a few more guitars. That year I happened to be building a new garage so a workshop got added to the project.

I'm on build no 10 (I think) at present and past builds include four classicals, four dreadnaughts (including a 12 string), a Renaissance Lute and a tenor uke. My building methods are influenced by many people....on my current build the influence is heavily weighed towards Gore and Gilet.

[Cookie man]

Hmm well I've joined about midway thru last year I think, does that count as recent?

My name's Jonathan, I'm 18, I live in Adelaide near the beach. I finished year 12 last year and currently am doing training at Tafe to become a chef or similar. My family moved to SA in 2007 and thats when I started learning guitar, stopped having lessons after three years (she couldn't teach me anything else) but i've kept going teaching myself bits and pieces, plus playing as a part of praise & worship team at church which has helped me improve the most (I think).

So far I've done next to nothing in terms of guitar building, mainly doing a lot of research (ie lurking on here reading old threads and drooling over the pics you guys post in the gallery) and keeping up to date with Rob O'Brien's videos on youtube. Hoping to start soon but have a few things to sort out before i go dropping cash on tools and wood. But eventually i would like to be able to build reasonable quality wooden instruments for friends, many of the kids that go to my Youth group are enthusiastic about playing music and i dream of playing with them using instruments that i make.

Gramps who lives next door has a humble workshop with a bandsaw + drill press and some other useful items, Im considering starting with a Cajon/box drum as my first project as its quite cheap, and see where i go after that.

This looks like a really helpful online community with a wicked sense of humour, i'll try not to be too much of an annoyance

Cheers fellas

[Felix Trebol]

Hey folks,

my name translates to "lucky clover". I am a painting student from Bavaria, Germany. The academy has very well equipped workshop and a laser lab, so I am making fair use of that by building instruments. I have done a kora and am now building a travel-sized weissenborn. Next stop ukulele.
I spent most of the last 4 years travelling (NZ, Mexico, US...) and did a fair share of busking and hitching along the road. NZ is a beautiful place. I'd love to go back there at some stage.

Yup, guess that´s all.

[Kim]

Well Gday Felix, nice to have you join us at the ANZLF.

Cheers

Kim

[lauburu]

Hi, I'm Miguel. Spanish mother hence the name. Started my interest in instrument making in the late 70's when I was at Teachers' College in an Early Music group (Renaissance and Mediaeval music). Some slight difficulty in sourcing instruments so had to make a few. Harp, bagpipe, psalteries, rebec, gemshorns .... They all worked so that was a plus. Kids arrived, 1920's bungalows to renovate so only able to scour the auction houses and collect bargains. Have a rather eclectic collection, some of which have been fixed/restored. Got back into making about 4 years ago. Made two OOO Martin style (Sitka + EIR) guitars, somewhat over-engineered (heavy) but sound amazingly good. Now permanently hooked. Moved to the ukulele after deciding it's more fun to be a competent uke player than a piss poor guitar player. Making ukuleles now and love it. Went to Allen's course in Cairns in July and had the best holiday ever. Love being a member of this forum.

[Dave]

Hi my names Dave and I joined back in 2008 when I saw a post by Kim on another forum
I'm 45 live in the UK and started out as a cabinet maker and have been working as an Secondary School ICT teacher for the last few years.

I've always wanted to build a guitar and have one sort of finished - sort of lol
I've always loved making things and I'm currently building two Taylor based models for my kids which I have to finish for Christmas - hopefully this one

I like the friendly and helpful atmosphere on the forum and have learned a lot from the many talented people who contribute here.

All the best
Dave

[Tod Gilding]

Felix , Miguel, Dave Welcome to the down under forum

[tippie53]

Hi
It had been a while since I came in but wanted to stop in. While I may be the owner of Blues Creek I am here to have fun just like the rest of you.

[Tod Gilding]

Good To see you here John.

Glad that you didn't try slippin in the back door

Welcome

[kiwigeo]

How are things going with you John? Welcome to the forum.

[Skip]

I assume it's still good form to introduce myself here; I'm Skip, 24 was born in Wollongong. Moved to UK for 2 years 2007-09 and been travelling Australia since I got back from there. Currently living in Brisbane whilst my partner does a tattoo apprenticeship and makes me jealous because she's got her dream job. I've played guitar since I was 6 and always had a customizer mind-set.

Current building experience is kind of low I've made 3 or 4 parts-casters, modified every guitar I own in one way or another, built a few Cajons from scratch which turned out quite good, wooden guitar racks and a stomp box that didn't go so good. Always end up repairing and working on friends guitars that I meet in my travels. Found this place through TDPRI forum, I am obsessed with Esquires and Telecasters own some nice MIJ examples, also became obsessed with a builder called 'Rob Armstrong' from Coventry whilst in the UK and ended up owning a pre-loved 7string of his for a while, and played quite a few more of his stuff; mandocello, doubleneck 12/6 dreadnaught and a few folk guitars.

Joined up here to learn and watch, hopefully make some friends and get inspiration.

[Tod Gilding]

Great to have you here Skip , Is Skip your real name or is that what they called you oversea's cause your an aussie ?

[Skip]

Awesome to be here although I can't see this helping my jobsearching productivity..

I worked (read as: became part of the furniture) in an amazing traditional ale house near Stoke-on-Trent and was of course dubbed 'Bruce' since that is supposed to be a real aussie name, it quickly became 'Skippy' after a week or two and so I shortened it to Skip and started 'owning it'.. Been going by that ever since, even my family know it IS my name now.

[Bruce McC]

Welcome aboard Bruce, howa ya goin Bruce? gettin any Bruce?


See ya Bruce

[Tod Gilding]

Come On Mate SKIP the Bruce Jokes will ya

[Kamusur]

Todd, John did try the backdoor but i nabbed him

Steve

[Tod Gilding]

I Know, I came across that.

[ScottC.]

Greetings, My name is Scott I am 54, born and raised in the Washington D.C. suburbs. My wife and I had a house built on 5 acres in Central Kentucky. about 8 years ago. So we could help out with her aging parents who live here.
I always go all in when I do something (sometimes that's good sometimes not!). I have played rock and blues guitar for about 40 years. Been in various covers bands for probably 20 years off and on. I studied violin, voila, cello, and standup bass in middle and high school. I studied classical guitar in college for a few years in the 80's and about 6 years ago picked it up again.. I bought a nice A. Picado cedar top classical 4 years ago to replace my student guitar, about 2 years ago I decided I also wanted a spruce top classical, rather than paying a bunch of money for one more guitar I figured I would learn how to build them.
After researching for a year I jumped in. I am working on my first guitar a steel string using a combination Gore and O'Brien techniques. This summer I had a lot going on so it slowed me down, but I am back now going full speed.
My build "wish list" includes spruce top classical, cedar top classical, redwood top classical, resonator guitar, several different wood steel string guitars and someday a 32 or 36 string harp.
I look forward to honing my building skills and combining others techniques to create my own line of instruments. This forum is a great source of info.

[hepikohetaniwha]

Hi all, my name’s Geoff and I’m based in Hamilton, NZ. I’ve made one little nylon string and I’m onto #2 and #3 now. I’ve been playing for a long time and have always mucked about with my guitars but only just decided to start learning to build this year, and I’m now seriously hooked... Bevan from http://captainukuleles.co.nz has helped me out a lot, and so has this forum. So thanks, everyone!

[MattW]

Hi I'm Matt, I live in Healesville Vic east of Melbourne- luckily close to a pile of wineries:)

I found this forum about 3 years ago around the time i started my first acoustic build, a blackwood/ceder OM. I post here every now and again but visit a lot for a regular dose of humorous sanity and to check out the amazing work done by the other members. I'm about half way through my build, just about ready to close the box, with the neck roughed out, but its slow going, I started it Feb 09 In the meantime I collect tools,wood, make side projects like a wooden frame bandsaw, and a couple of wooden planes etc, but it'll get done in a year or so....

Cheers

[Kim]

Gday great to have you with us

Don't sweat on the time taken Matt because it all belongs to you. Just enjoy what you do at your pace and remember that if it all fell into place with little effort and zero requirement for passion or challenge, then not a single member of this forum would be bothered with it.

Thanks for the intro mate.

Cheers

Kim

[MattW]

Thanks for the welcome Kim

[Geoff]

Hi Folks, newbie here. The name's Geoff and I'm from Canberra. I will be retiring in a few weeks and would like to build a few more guitars as retirement projects. With John Copley' able assistance I built a blackwood squareneck resonator guitar a few years ago and I have been waiting for retirement to continue. Looking at a blackwood weissenborn and a squareneck triolian as well as a lap steel. Found this forum and from what I have seen it looks like a great place for passing on and receiving good information.

Cheers All,
Geoff Sandland
Canberra

[ScottC.]

Hi Geoff, Did you build the resonator from scratch? What plan did you use? A resonator is on my "wish list"
Thanks, Scott C.

Hi Folks, newbie here. The name's Geoff and I'm from Canberra. I will be retiring in a few weeks and would like to build a few more guitars as retirement projects. With John Copley' able assistance I built a blackwood squareneck resonator guitar a few years ago and I have been waiting for retirement to continue. Looking at a blackwood weissenborn and a squareneck triolian as well as a lap steel. Found this forum and from what I have seen it looks like a great place for passing on and receiving good information.

Cheers All,
Geoff Sandland
Canberra