I have always sought out new hobbies, experiences, and opportunities to learn new skills or interact with people in exciting and novel ways.
Guitar Restoration and Luthiery
I have been building and restoring guitars since 2019 and have recently launched a luthiery business at www.jamraguitars.com.
I restored a 1965 Fender Mustang
I authenticated an original 1979 Fender Telecaster
I built a fully custom Gibson Les Paul
Arcade Game Restoration
Soul Calibur II Fighting Stick – I built this stick from scratch for the PS2. I plan to upgrade this to a wireless PS3/XBOX360 stick when I have some time (external/internal)
Street Fighter II CE Japanese Cabinet – When I got it, this cabinet had a Japanese Neo Geo board in it. I have subsequently restored the wiring to accomodate the Capcom kick harness and installed a Street Fighter II main board in it. (As a Neo Geo/As SFII)
Ms. Pac-Man Cabinet Plans – I edited and formatted these plans by Kyle Lindstrom in about 2003. They respect a fairly accurate recreation of the original cocktail formatted Ms. Pac-Man cabinet. (PDF)
Neo Geo MVS 4-25 v.2 Restoration – I restored this cabinet to near-original condition (I’d prefer an LCD to a CRT). I installed a 4 slot MVS board, Video converter and custom power supply into the cabinet. (Flickr Set)
Competitive Beard Growing
In 2002, along with some friends I founded a competitive beard club. The Great American Fierce Beard Organization (GAFBO) has grown to become one of the largest beard clubs in the Midwest with active members competing at the national level. We sponsor beard competitions and work with non-profit organizations to raise money for a variety of worthy causes.
Film Production
In the mid-1990s I was heavily involved in film and video production. I spent a summer school session at Cranbrook in Detroit and have won awards for short films I’ve worked on. I worked on several projects and taught introductory film classes with John Prusak. While I didn’t pursue film directly as a career, I have maintained a love of cinematography and editing. I served as the Technical Director of the East Lansing Children’s Film Festival from 2003 until it’s end.
Volunteer Work
Digital Game Museum – Board Member, Executive Director, Collections Manager
I am a board member at the Digital Game Museum and serve on the fundraising and IT committees. I am also one of the collections managers at the museum specializing in Arcade hardware and later console (Nintendo and up) systems. I work on collections oversight and help shape museum policy across the board. I also design exhibits and work with volunteers.
East Lansing Children’s Film Festival – Technical Director
I spent several years serving as the technical director for the East Lansing Children’s Film Festival. I used my experience in film and video production to manage projectionists and help integrate projection equipment with our rented space on the campus at Michigan State University. In addition, I served on the selection committee and helped select which films to show and which films would win various awards.