the girls

newest 2014 sinker redwood, claro walnut 000 14 fret

claro walnut sinker redwood top in the white

Tracy Cox, inlaydesignstudio.com

 

Tracy Cox

Ive met her before

Just a sweet little girl

Tracy Cox is one of the finest and most inventive Luthiers I have ever met! His Inlay is incredible and the detail is beyond compare!
He was given high praise from Matt Umanov who always tells Luthiers and "Boutique" builders to not come to him because he cant sell there guitars, he then walks up to Tracy and takes a few to bring back to his store and there sold very quickly!! that's high praise.
Tracy has great technique and his theory of sound is unparallelled and his attention to detail is sick.
He also is one of the nicest humans on this planet and maybe this galaxy.
I hope to be able to build something under his tutelage if he has time..
www.inlaydesignstudio.com    315 262 6377  Colton NY

Michihiro Matsuda prototype Electric guitar

Electrik like you've never seen before!

 Michiro Matsuda he blew me away last year with a Acoustic Guitar that he used gunpowder on the surface that he burned to get an amazing black burnt finish (still one of the coolest objects I have ever seen). His Traditional Japanese woodworking skills and his great sense of design help him create truly unique and player inspired pieces of playable art. This year he Shows up with a Ukele that is a bent board, no sound box that sounds sort of like a Uke. I love that he pushes the envelope on what an instrument is supposed to look like. The closest he comes is the Uke has 4 strings, i thought when i first saw it that it could be a violin, who knows what will he do next year.
The Electric i didn't do justice with pictures, there is just to much going on to actually show, he has layers of different woods in many shapes to create the body and his attention to detail is off the hook and always looks "Matsuda" His inlay his pick guard pure Matsuda. He always wins for me the most inventive out of the box and still playable.
He is so far above most builders and so respected. Go to his site and look at his harp guitar.
 www.matsudaguitars.com

Uke Matsuda style

2013 Woodstock luthiers extravaganza

Wow where to start, I am still reeling from the 2013 woodstock Luthiers convention!
Was incredible, My first thoughts are how different the show was to me this year then last years show was for me.
Last year I met some amazing people and decided to build a simple Acoustic guitar, which was big for me as I can build simple furniture and have worked in wood metal stone etc, an accomplished Jeweler, photographer, garden designer sculptor, bla bla etc etc (restless soul). That's when this Blog started!!! yes spare with words spare with posts, poorly written and a great source of accomplishment for me whether its read or not..
This year after creating my first acoustic and knowing the basic process of creating a simple guitar luthiers all looked different to me.
I had a stack of respect before and now my respect is 4000 times more and when meeting certain makers I saw them as God and Goddess like!!
Artists craftsmen designers visionaries. I mean John Montellione for example!! His name when mentioned to Luthiers and anyone in this field is legendary!
I am trying to say that these handful and I mean handfull worldwide Luthiers are in a special class of Artists. as there art besides being a beautiful well designed piece of visual art work must also play and sound in a way that master and simple guitar players would love to play and own.
Yes some guitars are for arts sake which is way amazing also, but the bottom line for me is how does it feel, sound and play......
Yes everyone has a certain sound style size etc that works for them what one player loves another might not and the bottom line is thats what makes this craft even more special.

Here are some moments of the show and i must say after the fact I wish i did more portraits and took more photos!! I am really bummed I didn't get more. I want to do more portraits of makers and players sort of re kindle my photo past, fuck i used to love doing portraits more then anything else, oh well that's all a note to self, yes you just heard me talking to myself, I am in a new phase of self discovery and being a part of creation is important to me as is being in a sense of child's awe. I was a child at the show as if everything was the first time for me it was exciting and i am still in love and sadness that it is over.

first picts of The Strawberry Blonde!!!

heaven

 first time playing the blonde!
i am one happy 4000 year old human person

mary is very happy