formula," Galas says. "But to take it a little bit further, to bring new ideas and different construction methods to the task makes all the difference .... There's a fine line between building a really responsive, musically expressive guitar and building a guitar thatis going to implode under 160 pounds of string pressure."

Galas says his highest goal is to build guitars that have two kinds of "allure." By this he means a certain indefinable quality that can be seen from across the room - a guitar that speaks to you, before it's even been played. Once played, that instrument charms and begs to be played more.

Galas' technical proficiency allows him to meticulously craft these alluring guitars, but it is his appreciation for making music that

brings the whole creation to life... The finished guitars may be a reflection of his skills, but the instruments continue to take shape after leaving his hands. The evolution of a guitar, as he sees it, never stops.

"The thing I like most is watching people play them - good players play them," Galas says. "I like listening to the guitars open up and change after they're built. I think listening to skilled players with their new instruments is sort of like watching people learning to dance with one another. I feel like I contributed something to that dance, even though I'm not participating."