John Ressler is a luthier and woodworking instructor based in Illinois. He has a wide variety of knowledge and skills on topics ranging from tree species to finishing.
John knows a little bit about all things trees and woodworking. He has extensive species knowledge, experience in felling and milling, furniture making, instrument building [and playing], woodworking instruction, and is a self-taught finisher.
Specialties
Instrument building instruction at Marc Adams School of Woodworking
Unique custom guitars and mandolins
The making of a luthier.
It all began on the family farm in North Lawrence Ohio. With a forest and woodshop around, John’s love of woodworking started at age five when he asked his dad if he could use the woodshop to build a ladder. “Don’t hurt yourself,” was the reply.
His teacher was intrigue and endless possibilities. Each project added a new skill with no big show. Even the family didn’t realize the skills he had built. He showed the design of a clock he was going to build. “Oh, you can’t build that,” came the response. This was just the motivation needed to challenge his skills. He did build the clock. To take it a step further, he built a grandmother clock for high school shop class.
Selecting tone wood guitar tops from Alaska Specialty Woods in Craig Alaska.