Ravencroft Guitars

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Wetaskiwin, AB
Ravencroft Guitars

Amateur luthier in Alberta.

12/24/2025

Hey folks, Cade here.

As you may have noticed, my activity on this page has dropped a lot. Truthfully, my guitar building has dropped a lot too. I finished my last guitar in August or September, and haven't built one since. I have none on the go, and no upcoming builds I'm committing to.

Part of this is for the confidence reasons I've outlined before. I've built 14 guitars, and each one has had issues. Some small. Some major. The last two I've made have had some pretty substantial issues, and I feel terrible about it. I should be getting better, and I feel like I'm not. Clearly I need to take some steps back and work on some fundamental skills before I spend the time and money on building a guitar.

I've also been pursuing other interests. I've been doing creative writing. I've been playing video games. Doing other small woodworking projects for the holidays.

The larger part is that my life has changed. My energy has gone into prepping for the arrival of my first child in March. With help from family, I have set up an entire nursery. I've returned to work after the summer holidays. I went on strike. I had to recover financially while also prepping for my wife to be off work. I'm also very realistic that when the baby arrives, I will not be in the garage. I will be spending every possible moment with them, savouring every second and supporting my wife as she recovers and as we both adjust to this new stage in our lives together.

Will I build a guitar again? Probably. But I don't know when. So I'm going on an indefinite hiatus. I'll still use this page to keep up with builders I admire, but I won't be posting much. If you want to keep up with my life outside of building, feel free to follow me - it's mostly books I'm reading at the moment.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the past 5.5 years of building. I appreciate you all, and hope you're still building when I return to the shop. I'll be sure to have lots of questions.

Be good to one another.

Cade
Ravencroft Guitars

11/01/2025

Well, it's that time of year again.

For those unaware, Movember is a month-long fundraising and awareness event that brings attention to men's health, both mental and physical. Men shave on October 31, and grow their moustaches for the entirety of the month of November, as a way of visually opening conversations around these issues that are largely kept in the shadows in our society.

I have partaken the last few years, and will be doing so again this year. Anyone who knows me knows that mental health is a very near and dear topic, and that I have had many of my own struggles with mental illness and mental health. If you ever want to know more, feel free to come talk to me. I am very open to conversation about it.

If you would like to donate to the cause, you can do so at the link below. But if you can't, you can help by starting a conversation about mental health with the men in your life. Ask them how they are doing, and really listen to them.

Now if you will excuse me, I have to look ridiculous for a month.

https://movember.com/m/14387279?mc=78

09/21/2025

Bidding has closed on the auction for the guitar I built. Ultimately sold for $1200, the most one of my guitars has ever gone for. So happy that something I made could go toward such a good cause and help others receive the care they need. Hopefully the new owner enjoys it.

09/04/2025

Taking on my first apprentice in March 💕

08/30/2025

Guitar for the Royal Alexandra Hospital is done. Hopefully it can help raise some money for a good cause.

08/28/2025

Just finished what is probably the best fret job I've ever done that didn't have teachers guiding me. Really putting into practice what I learned last year on my course. Felt like a good time to put the label on. Final wax is done, and assembly will begin tomorrow.

08/24/2025

Hell of a show by , , and tonight at . Three stellar Canadian bands putting on fantastic performances.

08/23/2025

I got this Veritas plane for Christmas and finally got a chance to use it the other day. Damn, what a difference a quality plane can make. Until now, I've been using vintage planes and a Stanley No. 4. Nothing against Stanley, but damn, Veritas is just a different breed. Comfortable to use and hold, slices through wood like butter, maintains an edge beautifully.

Hard to explain, but you can feel the difference a quality tool makes, even if it does the same job.

07/23/2025

Officially started the messiest build yet. Dissembled the keg, and decided to use the bottom for the body. I'll have to reinforce and thicken the body with another piece, but this should make a good top. Brushing off the charred bits, but leaving the black exterior.

I'm thinking a PRS shape, but haven't decided.

06/10/2025

Phase 2 of sorting out the garage is complete. Got the old workbench out of there. This bench was left by the previous owners. It weighed a ton, it was falling apart, and it was significantly too tall to be useful. So I dismantled it and took most of it to the dump. Repurposed an old shelf for some storage, and moved my bandsaw to a more permanent home. Now I just need to find homes for all the tools that have been displaced, do a thorough cleaning, and the shop should be complete.

06/02/2025

Ravencroft Guitars support all members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, during , as well as every other month of the year. Regardless of your gender identity, sexual preference, or choice of self expression, you are welcome, valid, and deserving of respect and love.

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Wetaskiwin, AB

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http://ravencroftguitars.wordpress.com/

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