So... why guitars?

I don't know why I picked guitars, exactly. There are more lucrative ways to do woodworking, I think. Like cabinets. Everybody needs a place to put groceries... but not everybody needs a wood box that makes noise.

I've been playing music since the seventh grade (bass, mostly), but I'm not what any of you would call a good musician. I enjoy it, but I'm not really very good at it. I've only ever been in one band, and I've never been on stage... unless you count Orchestra classes in middle and high school.

I've always liked the way guitars look, though. They fascinate me. There's something about the way the sides of an acoustic guitar are shaped that seems mysterious to me. Going into a music store just to stare at the instruments is still one of my favorite things to do. I usually won't even attempt to try them out at the store. I'll admit that I've wanted to own almost every decent guitar I've ever seen.

Dad used to play one for my brothers and I at night before bed (though I seem to remember him slapping it like a drum more often than playing chords), and I think that's part of it. I also have what seems like a disproportionately large number of friends and family who play music, and the idea of being able to build an instrument for them appeals to me a lot. Maybe I still feel bad about throwing one of my brothers into that Stratocaster Dad used to have with the ridiculous spiderweb motif.

So, there you have it. A few of the reasons for my mad schemes to become the next Leo Fender or Orville Gibson. I have a lot of friends who play, but I have even more who want to see me succeed in my venture. I appreciate all the enthusiasm and advice you have given me so far, and this journal is as much for you as it is for me.