About Me

Guitars have always been present in my life, from my Dad playing them in the house to the dreadful high school bands I played in. I don't remember a time where there wasn't an instrument within arm’s reach.  

As I started to build guitars, I quickly realized that in order to build at the level I desired I would need to find mentors and educate myself as much as possible. I happened to reach out to legendary guitar builder, John Greven, who allowed me to come ask questions and observe his process. Witnessing first hand his expertise in guitar making, my eyes were opened to what an acoustic guitar is capable of. 

After completing an intensive 6 month guitar making course, I was offered an apprenticeship with Michael Greenfield in Montreal, Quebec. The dream apprenticeship.  

My wife and I sold everything we owned, packed up our two kids and moved to Montreal.  The apprenticeship was a bespoke guitar making master course.  The perfectionist nature of Greenfield Guitars perfectly suited my obsessive "always make it better" attitude and I really feel as though I landed in the right atmosphere for that. Best two years of my life.
We returned to Portland and I immediately got to work building out my shop and finalizing designs for the first Halland Guitars. During my time in Montreal, I began to develop many of my own theories on acoustic sound production and some of the inherent deficiencies in certain elements of the acoustic guitar. I like to think that I am applying the best of what I learned under the tutelage of Michael Greenfield, while steering the design and sound to what will be instantly recognizable as a Halland instrument.

I can't wait to make yours....