Electric guitar body made from Balsa wood. Everyone said it couldnt be done, so I had to make it happen. This guitar is now 20 years old and holding up perfectly. Average weight of Telecaster type guitar is about 6 pounds, My Balsa creation, only a little over 3 pounds. The resonance and voice of this guitar is second to none because of the Balsa. 

Since childhood, I have had a fascination with wood's inner beauty. The ability to work this renewable raw material into things of beauty is truly rewarding. As a musician the first experimentations with wood began with repairing and modifying guitars, then, restoring and refinishing hundreds of guitars. Ultimately, the desire to build my own came along. I've done things others said could not be done, and have designs and projects pending that will take the guitar community by surprise. Balancing "form following function" and "function following form" is the greatest challenge that never ceases to amaze me.

High Ranch home with lots of my work... Custom made oak carriage doors, hand oiled cedar siding, railing, real stone applied to lower level, soffit details, and custom built cedar arbor. 

About the craftsman...

My first refinish, completed long ago while in college, a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom. Inspired by the purple lining Gibson used for the case interiors at the time, I created a custom color finish.  

Montes Custom Works