Official Luthiers Forum!

I live in northern Michigan. But time has come to relocate to where my wife grew up. So it is down to "downriver" MI. I have a lot of stuff to move and my shop has some heavy equipment. I am not a young chicken any more so I am getting some help with the heavy stuff. Luckily I will be moving into a bigger shop of about 3 car garage size. I know a lot of you are from this area or nearby.

I would like to meet some of you if you are available in the next couple months. And if you don't know me, I make mostly electric guitars but some acoustic and violin family. I have orders waiting so I want to get a smooth transition as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Some things I could use some advice on are:

Electric issues. I will need some lagit power with 220 single phase.
Dust collection set up: I will have a cyclone but need to run ducting around.
Some basic infrastructure issues need to be addressed like proper insulation, heat and cooling and ventilation of the shop.
Safety issues related to spraying lacquer. I currently turn off the furnace when spraying, even i the dead of winter.

I have all these things now but have not felt comfortable with all things lately especially since I have heard of 2 shop fires which destroyed a whole career's worth of work.

If anyone here is a contractor or does electric or construction work I would love to talk to you. Or any one of you living near this area who has an interest in lutherie.

email me at kenmckayathotmail.com or call 231 seven zero nine 795zero.




Ken

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Ken

Downriver Detroit , like the trenton, wyandotte area? I do not live there but that is where my wife grew up.

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http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Yes John,
Rockwood.

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Ken

Very cool you will be only an hour from us. I live in Tecumseh now just west of where you will be.

Looking forward to finally meeting you Ken and you are always welcome to visit us in Ann Arbor too!

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Ann Arbor Guitars
World-Class Repair and Restoration
http://www.annarborguitars.com

Cool Hesh! I will look forward to meeting you. ]

Is that what my wife calls Irish Hills?

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Ken

Yes but not quite that far west. The Irish Hills and Michigan International Speedway are about 15 miles further west from Tecumseh. This is where I grew up, or... tried to.... I was born in your stomping grounds Traverse City.

There used to be a huge state mental hospital there in Traverse city and some of the docs and shrinks lived on the grounds of the mental hospital. My Dad was a shrink and I was born on..... the grounds of the mental hospital not in..... the grounds of the mental hospital. There is a difference ya know.... At least I hope that there was.....

Dave knows you and speaks very highly of you and your guitars and I've coveted your 335s for a long time now too!!! Welcome to the south side of the state my friend.

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Ann Arbor Guitars
World-Class Repair and Restoration
http://www.annarborguitars.com

Beauty Is Therapy... It was a great place Hesh! Many people with Mental illness would still be content, warm happy if the place still "housed" them.


Thanks, and say hi to Dave.

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Ken

Hey Hesh, you might get a kick out of this. I made a L00. I know you like them. Here is a photo. The photo is kind of artsy fartsy.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7WVlhkUTYmBd3BhamdkcGczdVU/view?usp=sharing

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Ken

Wow she's beautiful!!!!! And the artsy fartsy photo is very cool too! Love the burst as well. That's my kind of slouch on the couch guitar!

After you get settled in invite me out some time Ken and I'll leave my plastic at home for safety and the budget's sake...

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Ann Arbor Guitars
World-Class Repair and Restoration
http://www.annarborguitars.com

I am not far away in Windsor Ontario, would enjoy meeting you sometime.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

OK Hesh, no worries, I am not a high pressure salesy kind of guy. LOL I won't read your thoughts when you see my setups too. Knowing your work and you learned some from David.

See you sometime soon Fred. I have admired your work.

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Ken

We should definitely meet up. I've run a lot of ducting and wiring in my shop so I can at least give you a blind leading the blind type experience with that.

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http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com

Perfect Andy! I will contact you when I get down there.

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Ken