Two string turtle shell and deer hide instrument

This one's not for sale, folks. It actually works! Picked or bowed, it makes a plucky little sound. Similar to the 'rebab' or spike fiddle of Northern Africa/ Mid East.

Old Piano Wood

I'm getting an old 1920s baby grand piano for free. No, folks, I don't play piano, but I do operate a screwdriver and a hacksaw. It's going to be dismantled and mined for some nice old guitar wood! Spruce, Ebony, Mahogany! Ivory on the keys - I hate that it came from a wonderful elephant, but I'll try to generate some good karma by building a new beautiful thing from it.

It's actually a nice piano, a Feurich, maybe worthy of restoration. A baby grand would be a pretty cool thing to have in the house. But not as cool as a bunch of guitars.

Glue on the gitter

So, I thought I'd have this prototype cigar box guitar ready for our Friday Night popcorn party, but alas, the day ran short on me...

BUT, it's looking good, and Clyde dog liked it too. Frets are on and level, and I'm using old school violin tuning pegs on it, just because that's what I had lying around on the workbench. May switch them out later.

OAHU is GONE

I'm kind of happy to report that the Oahu has found its new owner! It was hard to let that one go, but it couldn't stay here...

I set it up in its original lap steel configuration and it played very well. Nice old git.

THE TARLETON cigar box guitar

I must tell all you people, whoever you might be, that the work on the Tarleton's Oak cigar box guitar is underway. The neck is roughed out, and man, that is some hard old oak. It's a V-neck that will have a slotted headstock, like an old parlor guitar. Black Walnut Fretboard to be added... The body has F-holes and a wonderful Edward Thomas painting on the back. The subject matter shall remain a secret until the pics are posted.

I believe that I will also add the infamous Cafe Bustelo can resonator to this machine as well.

This is exciting for me! Ed is already bugging me about getting these machines finished and he has already started painting his second one. I've got a third box ready for him.

If Tarleton had been as tough as this old oak tree, he might have done better....

12/26/08

The neck is almost done. I'm expecting to pick up the boxes from Ed this coming week and hopefully have a guitar put together by next Friday. It's killing me to get this thing done!

I think Ed's got some more wood from some locally 'famous' trees. One really famous one.

NEW beautiful parlor guitar!

Stromberg-Voisinet Parlor Guitar
Model no. 49 Hawaiian

THIS thing is so cool. Pearloid fretboard! Hawaiian scene painted on the front. Marquetry all around the edges.

These are pre-restoration pics..... Needs a little work to get it going again.

COLLABORATION with artist Ed Thomas

REALLY great news. Charlottesville artist Edward Thomas and I are collaborating on some great cigar box guitars. Ed and I grew up together in Winchester, Virginia, and finally have reconnected on this project. We're both pretty excited about them & will post pictures as soon as they're available. We plan on putting them up for sale here and at the Consignment House on Charlottesville's downtown mall.

Ed just had a nice big featured article in the C'ville weekly. NICE for him to get some more attention, as he is among the greatest of our contemporary painters. He really is. No joke.

Ed also gave me some nice wood for making instruments - some nice wide Black Walnut, and of Charlottesville fame, some planks from what was called "Tarleton's Oak" for years.... where they thought Tarleton and his men camped out. Wherever Tarleton camped, it looks like some nice cigar box guitar neck wood.