Jayne Henderson is a luthier based in Asheville, North Carolina, and one of the few women in the world who specializes in handcrafting custom ukuleles alongside guitars. A former aspiring brain surgeon turned environmental lawyer, Jayne’s journey into lutherie began as a practical solution to pay off student loans. She asked her father—legendary guitar maker Wayne Henderson—to build her a guitar she could sell. His response: “I’ll help you make one, but you have to do the work.”

She did. The guitar sold, the debt diminished, and a new passion was born.

Over the past decade, Jayne has built more than 150 instruments, earning a reputation for her extraordinary craftsmanship, environmentally conscious material choices, and soulful connection to each piece she creates. Her work has caught the attention of icons like Doc Watson and has been featured by NPR, Acoustic Guitar Magazine, and Blue Ridge PBS.

Jayne’s approach to building blends traditional Appalachian techniques learned from her father with modern sensibilities and sustainable practices. She often sources wood from her own backyard or rescues high-quality “scrap” pieces from other builders’ burn piles—transforming them into exceptional instruments with new life and purpose. From black walnut and North Carolina maple to salvaged koa and Kona coffee wood, Jayne believes each piece of wood has a story, a soul, and a song waiting to be heard.

Her ukuleles, which now account for about half of her output, are especially close to her heart—not only because she plays them herself, often with her young daughter Matilda, but also because they offer space for creative experimentation. From brass and copper inlays inspired by jewelry-making to delicate “tree of life” fingerboard designs, each instrument is deeply personal and artistically expressive.

Jayne builds exclusively to order, with a long list of clients who trust her to interpret their vision and translate it into wood, tone, and detail. “I meet a person, get a hint of their personality, and I see their instrument in my mind,” she says. “Everything I make has so much of me in it.”

She has created matching guitar-and-ukulele sets, instruments with kudzu vine inlays for goat farmers, and pieces that showcase the unique resonance of overlooked Appalachian hardwoods. Whether crafting a ukulele or a dreadnought, Jayne brings the same precision, passion, and playfulness to every step of the process.