A Franklin Township man melded two of his interests, music and woodworking, into a new hobby: Guitar building.

While doing work at his full-time business, Kitchens and More, Jim Markley noticed something interesting at local musician Mike Stanley’s home.

“I went downstairs and saw all the guitars and string instruments that he had made,” Markley said.

“He got me started and has always been there when I have questions.”

Markley, who also gets tips from online videos, recently finished two electric guitars and is now working on a hollow-bodied bass.

“The first guitar was modeled after a Les Paul, so we call it a James Paul. The second was after a Stratocaster, so I named it after my buddy Tim Perry. We call it a Strappercaster,” Markley said.

“Both of those were made from the 200-plus-year-old maple tree that fell on our property on Indian Hill in 2012.”

Markley has been both woodworking and playing music for decades.

“Like my father before me and his uncles before him I’ve always worked with wood,” Markley said.

Markley has also been playing music with several different people and bands since the 1970s, yet ironically, he wasn’t strapping on an electric guitar.

He played mostly keyboards and horns.

Markley got the wood for the bass he’s currently working on from a property in Trachsville that he owned. It is made from a gemel tree, which is Latin for pair.

The wood is actually from two trees growing inside each other and has made a very interesting grain pattern.

“I think I’ll call it a JEM GEMEL BASS, for my initials and the trees,” Markley said.

Markley guesses that each instrument has about 30-40 man hours into it. The “James Paul” and “Strappercaster” have made it out to some shows to see what working musicians think of them and have received good reviews.

“I really have to thank all my musician friends for playing them and trying them out. Tim Perry and Maury Rutch from the Shellshocked Churchills, Stevie from The Dr. Cheeko band, Dave Sass from SydFX, and Damian Walck who even had his buddy who works at Martin Guitar set up the first guitar,” Markley said.

“Like anyone who is successful, I’m blessed to have the support of a lot of good, very talented people.”