n00bs 1979

1979? In high school when we used listen to Cheap Trick and to go the local music store dressed like this to try out electric guitars. I'm on the right, my friend Kevin on the left. I think he eventually turned out ok.

The next rosette

 This is the rosette on the guitar I'm building right now. It's a straight forward rosette, basic, tight colorful. Tease. Wait 'til this rosette gets carefully French polished. Those black bands will glow and I'll get some close in focused shots. 

But really shots like this are all about luthiers showing off those plane shavings! 

Blueship

 Made for a sculpture show last summer.  There is an art gallery in the building where I have my shop.  They asked all the people who have shops here to make a piece for a group show. 

We are located by the Port of Oakland, one of the biggest ports on the West Coast. Just down the street is the edge of the water. There are huge ships floating by all the time. My entry in the show was this little boat with glass vessels as cargo. It's about 14" long. 

I have a new- used digital camera and I tried to shoot guitars in process tonight, but I have yet to master the new camera so.......we look at small ships until then.  

Japanese antique silk wheel.

This is a silk gathering wheel from the 19th century. I saw it in a Japanese antique store about five years ago and bought it to put in my shop. To me it's beautiful and I draw a lot of inspiration by having it hanging around.

Maybe it just speaks to my worm work ethic character or there is some caterpillar to moth metaphor or some such wacky thing. Or perhaps I was a silk worm in a past life and this is like looking at the old job site. Actually that is cold comfort, forget that. I was never a worm despite what my old girlfriend said about me.

There was a basket on the left side mounted on that block and the caterpillars lived in there, eating Mulberry leaves until they were fat and full of silk. Then when they began to spin cocoons the silk was directed up onto the wheel by the silk gatherers and the caterpillars would spin and spin until the they were spent, and the wheel was full of raw silk thread. Some Sysiphean task.......

Flamenco Guitar from 2008

Since I'm supposed to be making flamenco guitars, I guess I should get going on talking about them. I found these pictures of a cedar top blanca I made in 2008.

I'm writing this blog for everyone, from jaded flamenco guitar mavens to those who don't know anything about guitars. So I will be talking in both general and specific terms to try to make an overall picture of what I'm doing that everyone can enjoy. For those of you new to looking at guitars or to flamenco guitars, "blanca" in the context of a guitar type means the guitar was made with blonde wood, usually Spanish Cypress. A "negra" means the wood is dark and usually means the guitar is rosewood. I'll get into the qualities of both types of wood over time, I'm building a flamenca negra right now and I will put up some photos soon.

This is a kick ass guitar, but like some of my guitars it was purchased and then I heard through grape vine, had to be sold because the owner had some difficult times. It's sad, but that happens. I hope someday I can make him another guitar.

Here are a few shots of the details. If you have any questions about why flamenco guitars are made this way ask away! I hope you enjoy.

Tom's oud part 4

The top photo is how the braces engage the sides of the oud in the inside. I fitted them to the sides carefully then glued them to the top and then the whole assembly was glued to the oud bowl.

There's Tom playing his oud in my shop after the restoration was finished. Tom was a student of the late great oudi and singer Hamza el Din. He's a really good oud player. Soon we'll get up a video of him playing the oud. Or some sound samples.

I would like to thank Richard Hankey AKA Dr. Oud, not only for writing the best book about oud construction known to man, but for his personal counsel in all matters oud. You can reach Dr. oud at : http://www.droud.com/ He has a great website oud lovers should check it out.

I have two more oud restorations slated to get underway soon. I'm going to document them as well.

Mad Clamp Disease

Mad Clamp Disease. This is a pretty bad case. May not be curable.