A Guitar for His Daughter: Doug McPherson on Building What You've Never Built Before

Doug McPherson has spent decades building fine furniture, from tables to chairs to desks to sideboards. The kind of work that anchors a room and gets passed down. A few years ago, he asked a cabinet-maker friend to teach him cabinetry, just to stretch into something new. More recently, he built two snare drums, sold one, and kept the other. He's always had that impulse: curiosity, challenge, and the pull toward something unfamiliar.

But there was one project on the list he hadn't touched yet.

"I've always wanted to build a guitar," Doug says. "It's been on my bucket list for years, and this felt like the right moment to finally take it on."

The guitar isn't a commission. It's not for sale. It's for his daughter — a gift he hopes will outlive him.

Why Now?

For a lot of makers, slower seasons bring a choice: chase work, or use the time for skill-building. Doug chose the latter.

"This one is for my daughter, which makes it special," he says. "I wanted to build something deeply meaningful, personal, and crafted by hand, from her dad."

He's quick to acknowledge the trade-off. "Experimenting with such a wide range of projects has probably not been good from a profitability standpoint. At least in the short term." he admits. "There are real efficiencies that come from narrowing your scope and deciding what you will and won't build. I've just always been willing to make that trade-off because I have so many interests and curiosities."

The Challenge

Guitar building is a different discipline than furniture. The tolerances are tighter. Some feedback hits you right away — the look, the feel — while other feedback makes you wait far too long, especially the part that matters most: the sound. Either way, there is nowhere to hide.

"The precision," Doug says, when asked about the hardest part. "There's no hiding in guitar building. Everything matters. It's pushed me to slow down, think carefully, become comfortable outside my comfort zone, and trust the process."

But the challenge is also the draw. "Every step has been a mix of curiosity, problem-solving, and discovery," he says. "Even the hard parts have been fun."

What It's Teaching Him

Doug doesn't talk about risk the way most people do. "Risk and I have an understanding," he says. "We're pretty comfortable with each other. Trying new things doesn't really feel like a risk to me — it's just how I'm hard-wired."

What the project has reinforced is something he learned a long time ago: patience pays off.

"That's an important lesson I learned a couple of decades ago. I still forget sometimes and slip into impatience or hurry, but it never ends up being efficient in the long run."

He works on the guitar in the margins — between commissions, in the early mornings or late evenings. "I'm not getting paid to make it," he says. "It's for my daughter. It's special. I want it to be an heirloom. So, when I think about time, I think about longevity. I want this guitar to outlive me."

The Bigger Point

There's a lesson in Doug's story that goes beyond guitars. It's about what happens when makers give themselves permission to try something new — even when the outcome is uncertain.

"The sky really is the limit," Doug says. "Generally speaking, I believe people underestimate what they're capable of, but so much becomes possible when you feed your passion and put in the work. This project has reminded me that with enough curiosity and effort, you can push far past the boundaries you thought you had."

And the guitar?

"I sure hope it sounds good," he laughs. "After all this work, and since I'm sharing the build online with whomever has interest, it would be nice if it both looks nice and carries a tune."

Doug McPherson is a fine furniture maker based in Saranac, MI. You can see his work on Maker Marketplace - perhaps soon including guitars:

McPherson Visions in Wood.

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