Where It Started

My love for music started long before I ever picked up a guitar.

I was in a revival service when the preacher asked all the youth who had any desire to play an instrument to come forward. He believed God wanted to give musical talent to the next generation. The church gathered around us and prayed.

My uncle Gordy played bass, and I always looked up to him. Not long after, I found a cheap bass guitar at a thrift store and started learning.

My mom made sure I got lessons at a local music shop, G-Strings & F-Holes, where my teacher Chad helped build the foundation I still stand on today.

From there, I joined the worship team, grew as a musician, and eventually picked up guitar…

And I was terrible at it.

But I stuck with it.

Learning Without Much

I didn’t grow up with access to expensive gear or professional work.

If something needed fixing — I figured it out.
If something didn’t feel right — I learned how to adjust it.

I started working on my own instruments because I had to.

Over time, that turned into something I genuinely love doing.

What This Is

Rankin Guitars isn’t a big company.

It’s not a full shop.

And it’s not a finished business.

It’s me — building custom guitars, learning, improving, and documenting the process along the way.

Right now, this site is simple:

A place to share what I’m working on.
A place to support the journey through merch.
And a place where this can grow into something more over time.

Why I’m Doing This

I work a full-time night shift job as an industrial technician.

I’m a husband.
I’m a dad.
And in between all of that — I build guitars.

Not because I have to…

But because I genuinely enjoy it.

This started as something fun.

And over time, I hope it grows into something that helps support my family and gives me more freedom to do what I love.

What I Believe About Guitars

I’ve learned that a great guitar isn’t always about the price tag.

It’s about how it feels in your hands.

How it plays.
How it looks.
And how it makes you want to pick it up again.

I love taking something simple and turning it into something that feels special.

That’s what excites me.

The Vision

This is just the beginning.

Right now, Rankin Guitars is centered around building custom guitars and sharing the process along the way. Every build is an opportunity to improve, refine my craft, and create something I’m proud to put my name on.

Alongside that, the merch supports what I’m building here and gives people a way to be part of it early on.

Over time, I plan to grow this into more — expanding into professional guitar work and a full collection of instruments that reflect the same attention to detail and passion behind every build.

But for now, the focus is simple:

Building great guitars.
Learning every step of the way.
And getting better with each one.

Thanks for being part of the journey.

This is just the beginning.