Getting ready to photograph and ship out a couple guitars. I'm already starting up a new batch of instruments. Joining backs, bringing everything down thickness, bending sides and inlaying rosettes. I'm excited to use some of this really beautiful German spruce that has a fair amount of bearclaw figure in it. I also just got these new Alessi tuners in the mail yesterday. Very pretty!
Bridges and Finish Touch-up...
Two new guitars got bridges glued on today and yesterday. Doing some fussing and finish touch-up. Should be strung up by the end of the week!
Another one is on the way...
French Polishing and Other Random Stuff
Been plugging away at French polishing these two new guitars. Got a nice amber tint to them and I'm slowly building up body and finishing up the pore fill with pumice today.
In other news, I've got myself on a big Louis MacNeice kick recently. Not really normal for me, but I'm really enjoying it. I try to keep the non-guitar related stuff to a minimum on the blog, but sometimes it nice to share other things. This book Autumn Journal has a ton of great stuff in it and it's really fitting with my mood lately.
This isn't incredibly interesting, but, regarding his time in Spain, he references the tobacco that Romanillos also mentions in his book about Torres; another testimony that it wasn't entirely Tarrega's carelessness, but the quality of the tobacco that is to blame for all of the cigarette burns on his two guitars.
"...And we sat in trains all night
With the windows shut among civil guards and peasants
And tried to play piquet by a tiny light
And cursed the Spanish rain
And cursed their cigarettes which came to pieces..."
This is just pretty... and somewhat encouraging:
"...I wonder now whether anything is worth
The eyelid opening and the mind recalling.
And I think of Persephone gone down to dark,
No more a virgin, gone the garish meadow,
But why must she come back, why must the snowdrop
mark
That life goes on fore ever?
...Only the spider spinning out his reams
Of colourless thread says Only there are always
Interlopers, dreams,
Who let no dead dog lie nor death be final;
Suggesting, while he spins, that to-morrow will outweigh
To-night, that Becoming is a match for Being,
That to-morrow is also a day,
That I must leave my bed and face the music..."
Another One Ready For Finishing...
Ready For Frets and Finish...
These are somewhat out of process, but here are some photos of one of the new guitars just prior to being fretted and French polished.
Western Red Cedar and Lutz Spruce Concert Models
Been plugging away in the shop ever since I got back from vacation. Very excited for these two new guitars that are going to be coming up in a couple of months. The first has a great looking western red cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides. The second has an amazingly figured back and side set of Claro walnut and a beautiful Lutz sruce top.
Happy New Year!
Took the boat in from Vashon early yesterday morning and view of the Cascades and Olympics was beautiful. I also love it when they switch over to the old green boat even if it doesn't have coffee...
Spent yesterday gluing, planing, sawing and scraping. Got some back purfling and center strips laminated and cut up. Cleaned up this claro walnut back and started bracing it.
Moving On, More Walnut and Western Red Cedar
Getting more guitars on the bench. Dug out the last set of that flame claro walnut. I also started planing and bracing up a really nice looking piece of western red cedar for a different guitar. This stuff planes and smells sooooo good!
Done and Done(r)
Just strung up this new Claro walnut and European spruce guitar this morning. So far, it's sounding great and looking pretty good too! Balanced, warm and elegant tone with plenty of resonance and volume.
- European spruce top
- Flame Claro walnut back and sides
- Spanish cedar neck with elevated fingerboard
- Alessi tuners
- $5,000 (RESERVED)
New Tuners, New Guitar and More Stands
Got these Alessi tuners in the mail today. Handmade and hand engraved in Italy! Almost ready to put on this new guitar. Very excited to string this one up.
In other news, I'm making up a batch of these guitar stands for the holidayz. Free upgrade to priority mail shipping until the 17th of December. Then I'm going on vacation... Available for purchase on my Etsy store.
