My name is Brian R. Irwin. I live in Corvallis Oregon and have been building guitars for about four years now. I build each guitar one at a time in my 10′ x 10′ shop. Each guitar is built in a “one – off” style, meaning, I use no molds or side bending jigs. The purpose for this is to create a one-of-a-kind guitar each time instead of just repeating the process over and over again.
Each instrument requires about 200 hours to build and takes about 5-6 weeks to complete. Each guitar is finished entirely via French Polish method. I use only hand tools for about 95% of the process. I employ a band saw to rough out material and a small router for binding the ledges of the guitar. Otherwise, I build the instrument in much the same way as they were built 150 years ago. for example, the sides are bent over a hot iron by hand instead of mechanically bent over a mold using heat blankets. This is one way I achieve a one-of-a-kind guitar. It often requires 8-10 hours to bend a pair of sides and fit them to an outline on a work board without forcing them into position.
Please visit my photo gallery and contact information page. Feel free to email me or better yet call. I will be glad to discuss any project you have in mind.