Competition aids guitar dream

 

Brian O’Connor

Stephen Helgeson chisels down a cross brace on a guitar under construction. Helgeson plans to one day open a business dedicated to making up to 60 guitars per year. His idea was selected for the second round of the Path to Prosperity competition.

Stephen Helgeson works guitars with the casual intensity of a long-time craftsman. He built his first guitar in 1998, after years of working wood as a hobby and before that as a shipwright.

Now, Helgeson will build something a little different, but no less intricate. He’s currently at work on a business plan to make the transition from hobby to career, and hopes to one day open the doors on Tongass Guitars, an envisioned manufacturer of high-end acoustic guitars made from sustainably harvested local wood.

“Basically, this got started for a couple reasons,” he said. “Sitka spruce is one of the...



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