In 1970, when I was 19 and pursuing a degree in Architectural and Mechanical technology and design, I landed a day job as a helper for two German cabinetmakers who could make anything from museum-quality doll house furniture to entire beach houses in Montauk Point (they did both). The job became a three year apprenticeship in the old-world tradition. They taught me everything they knew about tools, wood, hardware, finishing and installation of fine built-in cabinetry. It wasn't until later that I realized the significance of what I had learned from these two master craftsmen. I later worked for several woodworking firms and gained additional experience and knowledge in modern manufacturing methods, but I would seldom see a level of craftsmanship and expertise experienced with my first job. I carried those values with me for my entire career which eventually led to management, and for more than 35 years I worked for some of the largest and most prestigious architectural woodworking firms in the industry.       

Gibson ES-335TDC, 1966

Egmond archtop, circa early 1960s

My relationship with guitars began at age 10. The first guitar I owned was 
a red plywood Egmond archtop which at some point I configured with a microphone from an old Radio Shack tape recorder and figured out how to connect it to an old GE tube radio for an amp. Over the years I have owned many guitars and was always experimenting with tweaking them to improve playability and sound quality. 

I was fortunate to be around many young talented guitar players and also fortunate to be exposed to many of the finest vintage guitars that are highly coveted and valuable today. My first real electric guitar was a cheap Japanese copy of a Gibson 335. I spent a lot of time messing with that guitar in an attempt to get it to play and sound better and learned a lot from it, mostly, how not to build one. Shortly after selling that guitar I bought a Pelham blue 1965 Gibson Melody Maker which later was traded-in for a new 1966 ES-335 that I still own. 

http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2011/11/custom-built-in-carroll-gardens.html

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