Brandt Jewell jokes that he’s the black sheep of his family. Although his family members aren’t musical at all, he says he found himself drawn to guitar from an early age.
After hearing an iPod commercial featuring the U2 song “Vertigo,” Brandt decided he wanted to learn how to make the sounds he was hearing. Guitar lessons soon turned into a deeper interest in taking things apart and putting them back together. At his high school in Franklin, Tennessee, he soon developed a reputation as the guy who could help other musicians make their instruments sound better.
“If I couldn’t be a shredder, I was going to find a way to make myself valuable,” he says. “I was going to be the guy who could tinker with stuff.”
Post-college, Brandt found himself looking for a new career direction and found it through Guitar Craft Academy. He’s currently enrolled in our electric craft course and is working on a single-cutaway hollow-body guitar that brings together several elements from his favorite vintage axes.
“I took a bunch of elements of stuff I’ve seen over the years that was a little different and smashed them together,” he says.
Brandt Jewell’s passion for the guitar started at a young age, despite not coming from a musical family. His curiosity led him to take apart and fix instruments, making a name for himself among his peers. Even though his dream of being a shredder didn’t materialize, Brandt found a way to turn his passion into a career by enrolling in Guitar Craft Academy. Today, he’s building his own guitar, combining different elements from vintage models. Brandt’s story is a testament to how following your passion can lead to a fulfilling career.