The first prototypes of my newest guitar design, the P-1, are finally complete. I'm really happy with the way they turned out. As prototypes, they definitely "did their job"... I learned what I want to do on this model, and what I don't. It's been a fun journey these past few months. Although I've gone through this countless times in the past...the designing, building the tooling and the protos, the disappointment and the joy...for some reason this one felt different. When I left Fender in late '98, I had no intention of ever going back to building guitars again. I thought that the "bad taste" in my mouth would taint my attitude forever, but I was wrong. This was the most fun I've had working on guitars in a very long time...what a gas! It feels like home.

I think a lot of people thought that my first entry back into the guitar front would be some wild, artsy, museum-grade wood to the nth degree kind of piece. Instead, the P-1 is a very understated, simple "root" instrument. I use the word "root" because I truly believe that's where I needed to start again. I needed to build a "real" guitar...not a "bling" axe...just a "real" guitar...one that went back to the basics of tone, function and design without being a stone-cold copy of a million other stone-cold copies out there. I also thought that it was critical to build it by myself. No necks and bodies supplied from off-shore, not a bunch of "off the shelf parts" bolted together to make "just another guitar". This is a hand-built guitar using my own two hands instead of someone else's. What a concept, eh?

I enjoy the process of building...the entire process, from the very beginning to the very end, and it takes time...lot's of time. There are a couple key reasons why I only want to make a very limited number of these guitars per year. One, I want to take my time and build them the way I think they should be built. That takes time. A lot of that time is spent between processes, to let the wood go where it wants to go, before I go to the next step. It stays where it's supposed to better that way. Two, I want to do my other "Functional Art" as well as guitars. I love designing beautiful pieces of furniture for people...it's equally as satisfying for me. I don't want to get bored with guitars again. I try to approach and live every day as dynamically as I can. If I want to experience something, I do my best to do it. Today a guitar, tomorrow a free-form cabinet, the next day... well, who knows. But you can bet it'll be a piece of art.

[More information about and photos of the P-1 prototypes are available in a press release.]