Official Luthiers Forum!

Friends,
Hi. It’s been quite a while since I last stopped by. It’s nice to see some familiar names, along with many new ones. Where have I been? Around, but not building. A nasty chisel injury and then the pandemic stole what mojo I had attained and lead me to step away from my workbench. Well, late last summer, one of my nieces asked if I would make a guitar for her young son, so I decided to pick up where I’d left off and see how things went. It felt strange at first, but I was pleased to find that the many lessons learned from my countless previous mistakes were not all completely forgotten.

Anyway, after a multi-year hiatus, I’ve managed to complete guitar #15. It’s a 12-fret version of a Martin single O, featuring red spruce over cherry. My rusty skills left a few warts that are visible up close, but the action is pretty good, and, well, it plays in tune. I think it will make for a nice surprise under the tree for my grandnephew.

Not sure how active I’ll be here or in my local building community but just thought I’d pop in to say hello, share a pic, and let you know that your work and camaraderie will never cease to inspire.

With thanks, warm regards, and merry season’s greetings,
George :-)

Welcome back George. It is fun isn't it?
There is a lot of stuff going on in that build. I'm sure he will be thrilled.
Once in a while we all need a little push.

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Why be normal?

Pretty!

Wow, lucky kidlet there thats for sure!!

Lovely! Glad you’re back at it George.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I remember you George. Glad to hear from you again. That’s a nice build. What finish did you use? What’s next?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Welcome back George and another great guitar AND picture from you.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Good to see you again George, that guitar looks great - keep it up please!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Nice George! Welcome back.


Steve

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Thanks for the warm reception. It is indeed a fun and rewarding hobby for me. This one has the same TruOil finish that I used on the last few that I made prior to stepping away. It’s very simple to apply, doesn’t stink up the house, and I'm satisfied with the results. Start date on my next is uncertain, but I imagine it will be an OM. I was just sorting through my modest wood stash the other day and it looks like I’m running a little low on tops and brace wood. Will have to give that some thought.

Thanks again,
George :-)

Very very cool, George.

Just realized that I neglected to include a pic showing the nicely figured cherry. I purchased this set a few years ago at a Seattle Luthiers Group meeting. (Thanks Jay!)

Best,
George :-)