I had just graduated from high school and was playing guitar as half of a duet. My cousin Bob (thanks Bob!), who was my first and only guitar instructor, showed me the new guitar he had just gotten. It was built by a man in Chicago. What a concept! I thought guitars were built in big factories but here was a guy building them in a workshop on Lincoln Ave.

I worked construction that summer so had some decent cash-on-hand. I bought a 6-string from that same builder and my partner ordered one custom. That man in the shop on Lincoln Ave. was Bozo Podunavac.

Skip ahead a few years and I'm married, in college, and working retail in a small acoustic music shop. My boss does some beautiful inlay work so I get him to teach me the basics. Now I want to build a guitar like my Bozo.