Hi, I’m Wayne — Sooner-or-later going to be a former truck driver, current guitar builder, and full-time master of making questionable life decisions that somehow seem to work out in the end. For 45 years, I crisscrossed this beautiful country behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, moving freight, drinking truck stop coffee thick enough to patch a roof, and pondering life’s big questions. Like: What if I just built a guitar instead of listening to “Hotel California” for the 4,000th time?
Well… here we are.
These days, I look forward to the day I can trade in the keys to my big rig for a workbench and swap diesel fumes for wood glue and solder smoke. It’s a lateral move, I know, but really — both involve long hours, strong hands, and a surprising amount of cussing.
From Long Hauls to Long Necks
When you drive for a living, you get good at two things: 1) thinking – (just ask me about the time a goat climbed into my cab in West Texas) and 2) collecting weird hobbies. Somewhere between mile marker 112 and “Where the hell am I?” I started dreaming about guitars — how they’re built, how they sound, and why some cost more than a used Harley. Eventually, I thought, I’ve got tools. I’m going to have time. What’s the worst that could happen?
(Never throw that question out into the universe!)
Fast forward past a few splinters, a mild soldering iron burn, and one accidentally glued finger, and now I run Guitar Crafts — a little corner of the internet where I help folks build electric guitars without losing their minds (or religion).
What I Actually Do Now
I build electric guitar kits, turn wood into something that makes noise, and write guides so others can do the same without catching fire or crying in their garage. It’s part craftsmanship, part therapy, and part excuse to buy way too many tools.
When I’m not sanding something that was already fine, I’m usually in the garden trying to keep plants alive or out traveling with a lot less cargo than I used to haul (but still just as many snacks). Sometimes I even plug in one of my builds and play a little — badly, but with passion.
This Ain’t Just a Hobby
Guitar Crafts isn’t just a “soon to be” retirement project — it’s my encore. I’ve lived a loud, dusty, gas-station-pizza-fueled life, and now I’m using everything I’ve learned (and a few things I probably forgot) to build guitars and connect with other folks who love making stuff with their own two hands.
I’m here to share the laughs, the lessons, and the occasional “Oops, that’s gonna hurt” moments. Whether you’re a total beginner or someone who just likes the smell of mahogany, I hope you’ll stick around, build something awesome, and maybe even send me a picture of it so I can pretend I had something to do with it.
Less 18 wheels, more 6 strings.
Let’s go…
~ Wayne
Love it Wayne!! Wish u the best on all ur endeavors!! I’m glad u aren’t wasting your talent and sharing it with others!! Kudos.
Thank-you, Judy, that means a lot!