When approached by the George & Barbara Bush Foundation about a commission for two guitars for the 41@100 Celebration honoring the life of Former President George H.W. Bush, I knew the level of craftsmanship and dedication to those instruments needed to exceed all expectations. How can one possibly distill the entire life story of a man with as much rich history as President George H.W. Bush into wood and strings? To even begin comprehending it required extensive research, planning, and preparation before the first cuts were ever made. What would become of all that diligence is two unique and one-of-a-kind guitars capturing the spirit of America’s 41st President. 

At the request of the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, the first guitar was to be a 32 Series with focus on the 41@100 Celebration. The criteria was extensive and my biggest challenge to pull off, which would include a red, white, and blue color palette, the 41@100 logo, the George & Barbara Bush Foundation logo, the President’s name, and room for all the performing musicians to sign. To condense all these elements into the shape and size of a guitar while making everything appear clean was a task that required extensive planning on pencil and paper before anything was decided. However, the end result is a star-spangled tribute to President George H.W. Bush’s 100th Birthday celebration done in 5A flame maple, Genuine Mahogany, mother of pearl, and blue paua abalone. Specially assigned the serial number #41-100, this guitar will be on display until late February 2025 at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, TX, where it will be auctioned off during the George & Barbara Bush Presidential Salute. 

Alongside the 41&100 32 Series, the “4141” JDC Semi-Hollow is a fitting tribute to the also specially commissioned 4141 Union Pacific locomotive engine that would bring the President to his final resting place at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library, where now both he and the engine forever reside. Like the 4141 Union Pacific, the “4141” JDC Semi-Hollow is finished in the same colors as Air Force One, with a medium powder blue over the 5A maple top, robin egg blue on the back, and white and gold trim along the binding. The special designation of “4141” across the headstock along with the President’s signature along the fingerboard are inlayed in genuine mother of pearl.    

I’m humbled and honored to have been a part of the day honoring what would have been the 100th birthday of such an accomplished figure in American history and to have been able to share it alongside acclaimed country artists The Gatlin Brothers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Robert Earl Keene, and Lyle Lovett. To have the “4141” JDC Semi-Hollow hanging on permanent display within the Presidential Library is a blessing and I hope it serves as a lasting reminder to the legacy of President George H.W. Bush.