Though unable to play, thanks to the enthusiasm and aid of a close friend and colleague, I've done some work building guitars. The official name being Luthiery, It's a wonderful blend of aesthetics, woodworking and precision. I've helped said friend in turn on his guitars, but I myself have worked on 2 seperate projects over the past couple of years.

My first foray was ambitious yet taught me an incredible amount, I'd set my heart on building a slim, ergonomic, lightweight semi-hollow electric guitar. To top it off I wanted it to have a stained wood finish, bolt-in neck and tremolo (AKA whammy bar). Sadly this project had to be sidelined due to other commitments and when I finally had time to return to it I'd lost access to the necessary workshop facilities due to lockdown restrictions.

My other project has been the complete revamp of a cheap Telecaster copy, with a 60s US Army style aesthetic. After careful disassembly, the body of the guitar was stripped of it's lacquer and burnt with a heat gun. I then used a mixture of paints, dyes, varnishes and abraisives to build upon that and make it look truly weathered. One of the pictures here shows it next to the case for my 1944 Mine Detector, and in person the similarity is remarkable! Like the sem-hollow, this has sadly had to be put on hold indefinitely due to lockdown and lack of access to facilities.