Meet Paul Bullock | Builder of Bespoke Electric Guitars

We had the good fortune of connecting with Paul Bullock and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Paul, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Inspiration is all around us if we are receptive to notice it and ready to receive it. For me, inspiration for a new guitar design can literally come from a sound, a song, a word, an image, even a dream. Since each new guitar that I build is completely unique I’m constantly in a state of active awareness to receive inspiration. This inspiration is ultimately revealed in the natural mother-of-pearl inlay designs in the fretboard or in the engravings of a visual images on the instrument. It is also found in the perfect combinations of some of the finest woodgrains on the planet and how they are enhanced with rich colors and stains to bring out the best look possible.

Sometime inspiration can come in the form of music: a great riff, a killer solo, a powerful melody, a guitar player with style, swagger, and attitude. Capturing these inspirational sounds through the guitar’s design could be in the selection of pickup type, electronics, and switching options, or with onboard electronic circuitry to push the guitar into new sonic boundaries with touchpad MIDI controllers, automatic pickup selectors, killswitches and infinite sustaining.

I started my musical journey as a budding pre-teen player with an unwavering desire for those same cool Les Pauls, Stratocasters and Telecasters that so many of my musical idols (Page, Hendrix, Van Halen, Frehley, Nielsen, …) wielded in the guitar magazines that I devoured each month.

I was blessed with a supportive family that not only encouraged my interest in playing guitar, but also one that gave me the confidence to believe that I could actually make whatever I did not have, or could not afford to purchase.

My dad and I made desks, cabinets, shelves and pretty much all the furniture in my bedroom. We were DIY before it was trendy. I enjoyed heading into the workshop (actually a garage with my own mini-bench and assortment of hand tools) to craft something that sort of resembled a guitar. It was enough of a guitar that I could jump around and pretend to look cool in my bedroom! This is when my two passions collided (guitars and building stuff) that set off a lifetime of purpose and direction.

As I reached the end of high school I made the choice to pursue degrees in the field of electrical engineering. This gave me a whole new vocabulary of how to create, this time using technology. My first endeavor was to design and build a pitch-to-MIDI converter. My guitar could now sound like a piano or a violin or any other sound generated by a keyboard.

This newfound vocabulary ultimately took me to the tech industry where I worked on fiber optic transmission system designs and various types of Ethernet equipment that made the internet work better and faster. Along the way it also afforded me with the skills to effectively communicate with people about products. I learned how to understand product requirements, to consistently execute and deliver with reliability quality, and to understand and appreciate the financial aspects of business.

Although I’ve been building guitars since my earliest teen years, I formally launched Bullock Guitars LLC in 2016 and transitioned to a full-time guitar builder in 2020. I am fortunate to make other people’ s dreams come true by combining my lifetime of craftsmanship, musicianship, technology, electronics, into Bullock Guitars.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Surprisingly, what sets me apart from the crowded space of builders is actually my technology background. That, and my ability to work very closely with each player to capture not only the feel and sound, but also their personal story into the artwork of the guitar. Music is the universal language, and many players have very personal connections with their instruments. Yet, most instruments look the same as those held by so many other people around the world. Playable artwork that becomes a family heirloom is my ultimate goal. And when I get it right, which happen more and more frequently these days, it is immensely rewarding for me and has a deep and profound impact with my customers.

I can only craft about ten guitars each year. My objective is to create something that not only feels and sounds like a really great guitar, but is also something that helps to tells the player’s story. I enjoy the process of ideating with the player and learning about what is important to them, not just the features, sounds and functionality, but also their background, interests and history. Things that are important to them. I often tell people, if you were going to get a tattoo (or if you have a tattoo) how can I capture that deep meaning into the artwork of the guitar (in the fretboard inlay or in the engraved etchings on the body). My goal is to create an instrument that unleashes them to play with joy and inspires them to bring out their musical voice.

In my quest to push the envelope on guitar designs I’ll often rely on my background in electronics and electrical engineering. It’s not unheard of to find a microcontroller (mini-computer) inside one of my guitars to allow the player control the lighting pattern infused in the fretboard or inside a beating heart bursting from a guitar’s body.

Ultimately I take my design inspiration from the world around me. My goal is to deliver the finest sonic artistry through interesting selections and combinations of materials. The instrument’s voice is designed around the performance styles of the player and the imagery tells a personal story through personalized inlays, engravings and artistry. Each custom built guitar is truly your story built into an instrument that will inspire you to sound and perform better than you ever dreamed. Learn more about me and the instruments that I create in the attached links.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Paul’s Musical Safari: I would start with a trip over to Josey Records or Good Records to search through the stacks of vinyl for a trip back to a time when artwork, liner notes, and packaging was almost as enjoyable as the music that emerged from the grooves.

Lunch would be up north in McKinney where I would either grab a burger and craft beer at The Local Yocal or sit on the McKinney downtown square at Rick’s Chophouse with a lunch martini and great people watching.

Now, even though I build guitars for a living now, a guitar safari is always a total blast. I love to peruse the many fine guitar shops around DFW just to soak up the musical vibe. I’d stop by the Guitar Sanctuary in McKinney and then make my way over to the Tone Shop in Addison to enjoy some of the finest instruments, amps and pedals around.

The perfect cap off to the evening would be to catch a live band at The Granada, Trees or The Factory. Or if it’s really the best kind of day, I would be giving a live show with my own band Higher Hill or with Infinite Journey at Lava Cantina, Grandscape or the Glass Cactus.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m forever grateful to my wife, Vanessa, for encouraging and assisting me with the unconventional transition from a stable and lucrative career in the high-tech world of fiber optics and networking equipment into the creative world of crafting bespoke electric guitars full-time (spoiler alert… not as lucrative, but immensely rewarding).

Of course, I wouldn’t be making any guitars now without the extremely early start into woodworking that my father, Arthur Bullock, provided. He made all of the tools in the workshop available for me and was happy to share his knowledge in woodworking and electronics that ultimately set off a lifetime of curiosity and learning.

Lastly, I’d like to give a shoutout to my many teachers and mentors over the years, whether they be from my art and shop classes in high school, guitar instructors, math and engineering professors in college, or mentors and leaders in the technical corporate world. I’m thankful to them for providing enlightenment, fostering and interest in learning new skills, and taking the more challenging (yet more rewarding) path less traveled.

Website:https://bullockguitars.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Bullockguitars
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bullock_guitars/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bullockguitars
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-bullock-b840755/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/HigherHill
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1UUSFy1uldHJt7QuaFcBHp

Original Music:

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/higher-hill/1583236433
DFW Based Journey Tribute Band that I play in.
https://www.infinitejourneyband.com/