Pews in the news!

Posted By on September 25, 2012

I’m featured in an article and online video in the Bangor Daily news.  This is a guitar that I’m making for our church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, which burned down last year.  The body and neck are made of ash (like baseball bats and Telecasters), and the top is pine.  I’m hoping to have it ready in time for the annual fundraising auction on November 3.  It’s a long shot at this point, but I’m trying.

Here’s the link:

http://bangordailynews.com/2012/09/24/news/midcoast/pews-unscathed-in-fire-find-new-life-in-bath-luthiers-custom-guitar-to-benefit-church/

 

Neck heel carving

Posted By on August 11, 2011

Maple leaves and whirligigs on the heel of an L-26 I’m building.  I don’t do this sort of carving on every guitar (some folks like the neck to be smooth under the thumb), but I do love to challenge myself in new ways with this sort of thing.  This customer requested a maple leaf design, and left the rest up to me.  I hope he likes it!

In the second photo you can see something that looks sort of like a donut.  That’s the place where a strap button will be put.  I like to build that into the design, so the customer can have the strap button be in the right place without hurting the design.

Bass (player's) side, showing maple leaves.

Center/treble side showing maple whirligigs.

 

Bass side and center view, showing leaves and whirligigs together.

Red Beans & Rice’s new cd reviewed!

Posted By on April 21, 2011

Check out the write-up we got from Will Gottlieb of the Coastal Journal:  http://www.coastaljournal.com/website/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2472%3Amondays-meat-review&catid=41%3Areviews&Itemid=100060

If you want to follow his advice at the end of the article, here’s how: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/redbeansrice1

Cheers!

Spring come early

Posted By on March 3, 2011

Here’s a phone photo of the carving on the neck heel of a baritone ukulele I’m making for my wife.  It’s a dogwood pattern I developed, and I bleached the petals to show them off a little better.

Dogwoods in March

Think she’ll like it?  I hope so.

L-27 in Monkeypod sold

Posted By on February 8, 2011

Recently finished this guitar and delivered it to its new, happy owner.  This guitar is patterned after a Gibson L-1 from the late 1920s (like one that Robert Johnson is pictured with), and made with South American monkeypod for the back and sides and Sitka spruce for the top.   This is the guitar that goes with the hop-vine carved neck shown in a previous post.

I have another one of these in mahogany and red spruce underway – as yet unclaimed!

Hops and Vines

Posted By on December 6, 2010

Hop vine heel carving on an L-27


I have just recently finished a bit of heel-carving on a commissioned instrument I’m building. This is my Hop Vine pattern, designed after — you guessed it — my hop garden.

Pictures of progress

Posted By on September 14, 2010

Hey everybody-

This is my first attempt at posting pictures here. These are guitars I’m building right now.

-cr

It isn't a pagoda. L-27 top. I'll be adding the bridge plate next, then carving and voicing the braces after that.

L-27 body in ring mold, showing interior. Body wood is monkeypod.

L-27 body in (Molly?) ring mold, showing exterior. This one is spoken for already.

Guitar backs in mahogany, black acacia, and cocobolo, and the L-27 body.