Like many (if not most) guitarists, Pat White is a devoted collector. When he sees a really cool guitar, especially one that needs repair, he can’t help himself. He has to have it.

But Pat doesn’t hang onto these beautiful objects forever. Once he brings them back to life, he often donates them to the Joy of Music School.

We have received a dozen restored guitars from Pat in the past two years, a haul that would be worth something like $9,000 if we’d had to buy them.

“Pat has made such a difference in our guitar program,” says JoMS Executive Director Frank Graffeo. “Our kids’ eyes just light up when they see his beautiful handiwork on these amazing guitars.”

Pat buys his instruments on eBay and repairs them in his Knoxville basement. He has 13 guitar stands. So when he gets to 13 guitars, he knows it’s “time to cull the herd” to make room for new ones. That time is now. “I’ve got four here that I’m about to bring over the School,” he says.

A former distribution manager for UPS, Pat took up guitar when he retired nine years go. The bug bit him hard. “I get so excited when I see a new guitar,” he explains. “There’s something about the inherent beauty of a guitar’s design. How it feels to hold it. How it sounds.”

Happily for our students, those are feelings Pat is determined to share.