Nyles has loved woodworking since he was a child. He was always tinkering with, taking apart, and building things. He remembers using a hammer and nail at a very young age.
He always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. He picked up the electric guitar as a teenager, but (at that time) did not have success at learning how to play. He took a long break, but the desire to learn never left.
It wasn’t until his late twenties when he picked up the guitar once again, this time an acoustic guitar. He dedicated two months to playing, and in the end, accumulated some pretty tough callouses, which made his guitar playing easier and enjoyable.
One day, a neighbor asked, “Why not build a guitar?” That question was the spark that lit the flame towards his interest in Luthiery (guitar building and repair.) His first build was a Fender Telecaster-style guitar. Through trial and error, this was his “crash-course” into Luthiery. This guitar is still used today by the Arizona recording music artist “the Kaleidoscope Kid”.
He is really proud of his second build, which was a tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s famous 1967 Monterey Pop Festival Stratocaster. (The one that Hendrix smashed, and then lit on fire.) Nyles even did the design and stone inlay work as well. This was an intricate and lengthy project, and Nyles soon realized that he loved to always have projects to work on, and guitars on his workbench. He had listed this guitar for sale locally, and although he did not get a buyer, he did gain his potential first client for a guitar repair and set-up. After a successful job done (and a happy client), Nyles realized he was meant to be a Luthier.
Nyles went on to pursue his training at the Galloup School of Guitar Building and Repair. In this industry-recognized, 320-hour intensive training, he learned (just to name a few): fret work, set-up and maintenance, repairs, and even hand-building an acoustic guitar from scratch. He graduated in 2019 and in 2020 he received his Nevada State Business License and also opened up his workshop to serve the Reno area. Nyles has helped clients both locally and out-of-state with their guitar needs. He loves to help people and be of service to others. He believes that music is therapeutic and can help bring people together in a positive way.