Artisan Masterfully Plays Unique Guitars Crafted by His Own Hands
In the quiet town of southern Wisconsin, a retired real estate agent named Terry Monroe has swapped his business suits for carpenter's overalls. After two-and-a-half years away from the corporate world, Monroe has found a new passion: building guitars.
Monroe, now 65, decided to learn how to build a guitar from scratch. He enlisted the help of his friend Steve Fisher to guide him through the basics. With a neighbor who supplies him with two-inch wood slabs, Monroe works diligently in his workshop, shaping, cutting, and sanding the dried wood. The region of the Southeastern United States is his muse, and he believes that what he does will keep him living past 100 years old.
Monroe's spare bedroom has been transformed into a personal rock and roll venue. Here, he assembles all the parts of the guitar, a process that sees him working both inside his house and up the stairs to the room upstairs where he still rocks out. The joy he finds in the sound of a guitar when it's all put together, assembled, and played is evident.
Monroe has been playing the guitar for over 50 years and enjoys various music genres, including Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, and Led Zeppelin. He has been a fixture in numerous bands in southern Wisconsin and now finds joy in seeing people in the crowd singing his songs during performances.
Terry Monroe's guitar-building journey is well-documented on his Facebook page, TnT Guitars. To date, he has built 13 guitars, each one a testament to his dedication and craftsmanship. While he hasn't sold any of the guitars he's made, the right offer might just change his mind.
Despite his quieter existence, playing afternoon and early evening gigs at wineries, Monroe still finds joy in the music he creates and the guitars he builds. His passion for music is as strong as ever, and his guitars are a testament to that.
