RANDOLPH, Neb. – A carpenter in Randolph is making one-of-a-kind pieces of work.
Jesse Thomas has been creating unique guitars for over six years.
“There’s no rules to these things,” Thomas said. “I really take pride in the ones I build simply because each one is a learning experience.”
Thomas says he makes guitars out of anything from exit signs and cigar boxes to license plates and skateboards.
Thomas’s full-time job is as a self-employed carpenter, but his business, Hummingbird Guitars, is his passion.
“It’s kind of a hardcore hobby,” Thomas said. “Of course it’d be my dream to do it full time.”
In 2019, his guitars were featured at the National Blue Museum in St. Louis. Though the publicity is nice, Thomas says he just enjoys doing what he loves.
“I wouldn’t be ashamed of going down in history as ‘that was that guy that made all those weird guitars’,” Thomas said.
Thomas’s next stop is in Norfolk. The “Strings and Things: A Hand-crafted Musical Experience” will be on display at the Elkhorn Valley Museum starting June 5. There will be over 50 instruments on display for 12 weeks.
For more information on Hummingbird Guitars click HERE.
