Ren’s passion for instrument building began in high school shop class while building a banjo for his brother Robin. His journey in learning that there is a relationship between fine craftsmanship and achieving the best possible sound had begun. He continued honing these skills while working for the music store Westchester Music as a repairman and salesman in Los Angeles. 

At about this time, the American government gave Ren the opportunity to take a cruise around the South Pacific for a few years. Upon returning home to California, he established Ferguson Guitars and built many acoustic and electric guitars and banjos before answering a call to the mountains and valleys of Montana.

While working in Montana with some very talented craftsmen at Flatiron Mandolin, Ren was hired by Gibson Guitar to oversee the design and management of their acoustic guitar factory that was being established in Bozeman Montana.  Ren additionally served as the head of the Custom Acoustic Division and through his time with Gibson, he gained the recognition as one of the finest Master Luthiers in the world.

Ren eventually retired from Gibson and was hired by Fender to be their Chief Acoustic Engineer and Production Manager in New Hartford, Connecticut. After years of refining and developing those brands, his contract was sold along with the Guild Company to the Cordoba Music Group. As VP of R&D and Manufacturing his skills and knowledge were imperative to guiding the design of their newly acquired acoustic guitar factory that was intended to be built in Oxnard, California. He and his wife Renee moved to Oxnard along with son Timothy for three years, before returning to Montana in 2017. In 2019 Ren asked Timothy to move home to Montana to assist in resurrecting the Ferguson Guitars brand and develop it into what it is today: the Ren Ferguson Co. Today, Ren is spending the majority of his time working hands-on in the shop with Timothy and Virginia on each instrument and directly working with every customer he builds for.