That is Dylan Evenson, a 28-year-old man who lives in Collins. He has been playing the guitar since he was 12 years old, and has recently began venturing into the world of building custom guitars. The idea of building a guitar came to Dylan around a decade ago, but his adventure truly began a couple of years ago. He told SeehaferNews.com, “A little over two years ago, there was a busted up electric guitar in the apartment I was at. I took the neck off it and figured I turn it into something. I decided to make a little plywood acoustic body and installed the neck into that. It worked out pretty nicely, so I was set on the idea of ‘How can I make this better?’”
Dylan is only making acoustic guitars at this time but says he wants to venture into the electric realm as well, but that is for some time down the road. Some new tools are required, and a different set of skills would be needed to create a hard-bodied instrument.
When asked what his favorite wood to build with is, Evenson, answered without a second thought, that Curly Maple is his favorite. Dylan said that “The stuff always looks beautiful and as far as the sound goes I haven’t gotten anything better out of even the most pricey exotic woods.” That love of maple is reflected in his signature, which appears on every headstock he creates. He has his company logo, and a maple leaf inlaid into every single one.
We asked what his most outlandish request has been, he immediately recalled a very interesting request from a customer for a wood guitar strap. He explained that he made it by machining some wood slats, and connected them with strings. He said it turned out really nice.
Dylan spoke about what his dream in the industry would be, and he shined praise on a fellow custom guitar builder. He said that Bruce Petros out of Kaukauna “…does some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen in my life. If I can build a guitar half of that stature, I know I’m in a good place.” You can take a look at his work by going to PetrosGuitars.com.
If you would like to place an order for a custom guitar, go to https://www.facebook.com/EvensonCustomGuitars, and send him a message. Dylan’s guitars are typically priced between $800 and $ 1,500, depending on any additional requests. He also has photos of several of his custom builds for you to check out as well. One of the reviews on the page says “He was really open to input and trying things out to build the guitar just how I wanted it. Wonderful experience.”
