Ron Belanger has been a wood worker, both in carpentry and cabinet making for many years.

He has completed a host of woodworking projects that include:

• remodeling his homes
• making furniture
• crafting cabinets
• building a cedar strip canoe

His interest in guitar making began with the desire for a fine instrument for his own musical pursuits.

In 1998 with encouragement, advice and tips from friends like the master builder Grit Laskin, Ron began building his first guitar. His school was the workbench and his learning was supported by research both on the Internet (particularly the Musical Instrument Makers' Forum) and master works such as "Guitar Making: Tradition and Technology" by William Cumpiano and Jonathon Natelson.

However the best teachers are the instruments he constructs and the creativity and the feedback of the customers who play them.