In 1973, I began building my first boat under the tutelage of a Native Kodiak Island craftsman launching what would become a career spanning nearly 35 years. The transition from traditional boatbuilding practice to lutherie was a natural one.  When work slowed in the boatyard I found new uses for the many offcuts of select Sitka spruce normally used for mast construction, not to mention surpluses of red cedar, Alaska yellow and on occasion Port Orford cedar. It wasn’t long before I was using my old boat planking plane to carve archtop guitar soundboards.

I carve the tops and backs by hand from the very beginning and carefully graduate their thickness, flexing the piece and tapping for tone. You can carve through, so much care is required.  I'm very pleased with the tone I get as well as sustain.  Pressure on the bridge is critical. Too much will result in dampening tone and sustain and responsiveness will be lost at the fretboard.