About
I received my undergraduate degree in English in the 90’s and worked construction to pay the bills. It didn’t take long for me to realize that my work in carpentry was much more than a paycheck. I loved it! I loved being a carpenter - the physical labor, the art, the math, the relationships with my coworkers and the homeowners, the pride in the finished product – I loved all of it. Building was my calling and in 2005 I started my own construction company building custom homes. This allowed me to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of working with clients to build their custom family home. After a back injury and a couple of surgeries, that stage of my career came to a close. I needed to reinvent myself. With the support of my family, I went back to school as a 37 year old and received my nursing degree from Edgewood College.
At this point I had been playing guitar for about 20 years, for fun, self-taught, and singing when no one else was around. There was always a guitar nearby and some hanging on the wall as art. I was thriving in my new role as a pediatric nurse, but something was missing – it was building. I purchased a second hand book on building an acoustic guitar and read it over and over again, studying the pictures and thinking of how I could make my own tools and jigs and build myself an acoustic guitar. In 2018 I was ready. Almost 8 years after I purchased that book, I built my first jig and bought my first piece of tonewood. I have been hooked ever since! I built my shop, most of my own tools and jigs, my spray booth - and every step of the way - I kept studying and learning. I researched the woods I wanted to use - I even have a “wood guy” (as my kids call him) in Indiana who I found while traveling to my son’s baseball tournament. Today, I am proud to share with you Mac Allan Custom Guitars. Each guitar is thoughtfully designed – from the body shape, to the neck , to the wood inlays - and all custom made by hand in my home.
I hope you enjoy viewing Mac Allan Custom Guitars as much as I enjoy creating them.
