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Jim Olson is a legend in the world of acoustic guitar making. The Minnesota-based luthier\\xa0is a cult favorite among guitar collectors around the world thanks to the instruments he\'s built for James Taylor (Taylor\'s Olson was once immortalized in cartoon form on a Simpson\\u2019s episode), Phil Keaggy and Leo Kottke. Due to their high demand, Olson\\u2019s new creations start at $15,000, a price that even he is a little embarrassed by. \\u201cI\\u2019m the Forrest Gump of guitarmaking,\\u201d Olson tells us. \\u201cI fell into here. I don\\u2019t think these things are any more special than anything else.\\u201d\\xa0

During this candid talk, Olson tells us about the first guitar he built (with help from the classic Irving Sloane book), how Keagy ordered the first cedar guitar and how an early (and failed) distribution deal for his dreadnoughts in the late \\u201870s resulted in his fanatical appreciation for tooling and build efficiency. \\u201cI\\u2019m sometimes more interested in making a new piece of tooling than a guitar,\\u201d he says. We also talk CNC machines, the creation of the Small Jumbo, tone woods, his fateful meeting with James Taylor and more.

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