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 chew up before swallowing,
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 my very own internet real-estate
where I help folks build electric guitars
without losing their minds (or religion).
What I Actually Do Now
👉 I didn’t figure this out on my own —
I followed a step-by-step system that helped everything start to click.
If you’re curious how I actually learned this,
I break it down here.
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!
I love your passion for your craft! I have no doubt your dream will become a reality and you’ll trade that truck seat for a bench in your workshop and smile every day. Follow those dreams and live every day to the fullest doing what you love in life.
Thank you so much for the kind words… they truly mean a lot to me.
This has been a long road and a dream I’ve carried for quite a while,
so I’m taking it one day at a time and staying committed to the process.
Building something meaningful and doing work I care about is important to me,
and encouragement like yours really helps on the days when the work feels heavy.
I’m genuinely grateful for the support and excited to keep moving forward.
Thanks again!
~ Wayne
Wayne, so glad I found this site! I’m a couple years ahead of you in the next stage of life category and using music to reprogram my brain heading down the last stretch. I’ve taken up guitar and am much better at buying guitars than playing them 😎. As I started scouring the internet and pawn shops for my next purchase a light came on and I asked myself, why not build a guitar! It will be cheaper and keep me busy in the process. I have a definite build in mind and will be in touch with a few questions. After doing my due diligence I decided on a Solo kit which is how I found you ( will order through you). Take care, keep doing what you are doing, you’re making the world a better place!
Hey Roch,
I really appreciate you taking the time to write this —
that honestly means a lot.
You’re in a great spot right now.
Building your first guitar is one of those things that feels big at first,
but once you get into it,
it all starts to click.
And I’ll give you a heads up from experience…
if you’re anything like I was,
you’ll already be thinking about your next build before you even finish the first one.
If you’ve got a build in mind,
feel free to shoot your questions over —
I’m happy to help you think it through before you order anything.
And if you do decide to go with a Solo kit,
I appreciate you using my link —
it helps support the site and lets me keep putting more guides together.
Either way,
enjoy the process…
that first build is something you will never forget.
~ Wayne