Bamboo flute, frogheels, patricians, etc.

THIS is a bad picture of a bamboo flute. So, I messed with the color and contrast. Now it looks iconic.

Rosewood headstock overlay.

Harmony Patrician project.

Frog heel banjo still underway.

Now that's some grain! Maple is amazing wood.

The headless picker

Here's a shot from Nancy P. of the headless picker. He occasionally stops building instruments and actually plays one.

He sometimes pretends to be Bill Frisell or Ry Cooder, and only performs in the dusty gittershop concert hall to an audience of mice.

He has been building bamboo flutes recently, and dern if they aren't a quicker build than a guitar or banjo. It's nice to complete an instrument in twenty or thirty minutes for a change.

Banjo Progress

This one has to be done by March 14th.


And wrapped up with a bow on it.

The blonde fretboard is piano maple. Maple headstock overlay is from the maple

tree in the front yard of my old homeplace. Black walnut neck w/ frog heel is from an

old shelf in my great uncle's basement. This thing has a history and it isn't even born yet,

which is a great start in life, I believe.

Oh, and if you want me to build you a banjo, just email me. They are cheaper than you think. I mean, all the wood is free at least...

MWB's gitter, ASC's gitter & FAV's banjo

MWB's GREAT BLUE HERON FRETBOARD INLAY & SHOT OF FRET SLOTTING OPERATION.

FAV'S HOPTOAD HEEL CARVING IN PROGRESS.

ASC'S COHIBA BOX TRI-CAN IN PROGRESS.

Another cig box neck is roughed out

From a maple beam from that old piano we took apart. This one is going out to a friend of mine who has helped me walk the valley. THANKS!

Black walnut headstock overlay with a strip of boxwood down the middle. V-neck with some nice flame on one side.

National Guitars call it a "Tri-cone". I call this one the "Tri-can" - it will have three resonators made from one Cafe Bustelo can and two smaller El Pato hot sauce cans.

This thing is going to be great. And, it is making itself...

Can you sympathize with me?

So, I'm sitting here at 3:40 a.m., and have been drawing this draft plan for hours. I'll be paying for this in a couple hours when I have to get up and work on the farm... oh well.

It's too late to fire up the saw, so drawing is the next best thing.

I have been thinking about the nyckelharpa, an incredible Swedish instrument. That's where I started from. I think this violin will really work well and sound great. The neck, head, bridge and tailpiece will all be traditional.

prototype WORKS!

the prototype is glued up and strung for a test run. Still not done done, but that will come now that I know the thing works. And it works GREAT. Low action, really cool sound and it looks just like I wanted it to. It plays perfectly all the way up te fretboard, and truly exceeded all of my expectations. Also pictured is the Tarleton guitar neck in its current state and a beautiful Ed Thomas painted box. The image of the guitar is on the back & Ed painted a sunburst on the front. Rock and roll will never die!