I began making guitars in 2000, when master luthier Kenny Hill hired me as his first employee for his U.S. production shop. During the five years I worked there, I built more than a hundred classical guitars from start to finish, assisted Kenny in leading several workshops, and helped manage the growing team as the shop expanded.

 

In 2004, I teamed up with woodworker David Forsyth Schooler to form Howell & Forsyth Guitars, where I pursued my goal of designing and building steel-string instruments. As a performing musician, I was eager to merge my lutherie skills with my sensibilities as a guitarist. Combining traditional Spanish construction techniques with modern steel-string design, I developed our three flagship models. These instruments not only met my goals for tonal performance and responsiveness but exceeded them — finding enthusiastic players around the world.

 

A few years later, life took me to Southeast Asia, where I performed nightly as a solo artist, playing one of my own SF models. After two years abroad, a few twists and turns (and a run-in or two with the law) brought me back to the Bay Area, where I formed HowellDevine, a blues trio that quickly began filling venues throughout the area

 

Years later, I reconnected with my former partner Dave Schooler, who had been storing all of our original tools, jigs, and materials. He encouraged me to take them and continue building. Not long after, Dave tragically passed away. His loss prompted deep reflection — and ultimately renewed my commitment to the craft.

 

Today, after building more than 140 instruments over my career, my focus has shifted toward the repair, restoration, and preservation of fine guitars. While I still take on the occasional custom build, my work is now centered on giving new life to the instruments that already hold history in their wood and strings.