Martin 000-17SM--Part 2

So Karen, our daughter, wonders why I need yet another guitar.  I told her, "Just because you have another child--you don't throw out the old one."  Donna and I have three children.  They have taken spouses.  They have given us seven grandchildren.  That makes 13 (lucky number) and we love them all.  I also love all of my guitars--they are all different as well.

Martin 000-17SM

How do you like my new addition?  John told me that Long & McQuade had one of these and if I was in that area, would I mind checking it out for him.  I walked in this morning and it was nowhere to be seen so I asked.  Alison checked and sure enough it was in the box in the basement.  She opened it up, tuned it up, gave it a few strums and handed it to me.  I ain't giving it back.

Sankey Guitars

Sankey Guitars will be present at the Ottawa Luthier's Showcase next month.  Come on out and you just might get to play this one--or one just like it.  See poster--my post yesterday.

Ottawa Guitar Show--Part One

The second annual Ottawa Guitar Show is set for Fathers Day, Sunday, June 16th. So, before you fire up your barbeque on Sunday, drop by Alcorn Music Studios and Gigspace (953 Gladstone) between 11am and 6pm and check out some of the best handbuilt guitars in the region. This year there will be 14 luthiers displaying their instruments, including Gerry Gruber of Xaver Guitars who built "A Guitar Called Jack".
In addition to the display tables, each luthier will do a short presentation on their guitars/musical instruments. Xaver Guitars' presentation is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. So come out and support your local luthiers and discover the beauty and incredible sound that only a hand-crafted instrument can provide.

Happiness is a new guitar

Happiness is a guitar

Bob has a lot of guitars

Not your average Takamine

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan

Who is that guy with Bob?

A Guitar Called Jack--Part 91

What more can I say about this great guitar, this being Part 91.  Grit Laskin came up with the idea of a side soundport, and most guitar builders are offering side soundports as an upgrade.  But wasn't it Willie Nelson who pioneered the extra soundhole in a guitar?

Ferlin Husky

This crazy guitar was indeed a Frank Gay build.  It is true that Gibson made a custom J-200 for Ferlin that was very much like this.  It may have been even "further out", than this guitar if you can believe that.  `Wings of a Dove` could be one of the great songs of all time.

Faron Young

Faron Young was another Nashville Star who owned a Frank Gay guitar.

Webb Pierce--Part 2

And he has a second one!  Kind of goes with his suit.

Webb Pierce

Frank Gay made this guitar for Webb Pierce.  Webb lived across the street from Ray Stevens.  Webb welcomed the fans from the tour busses--even invited them to check out his guitar shaped swimming pool and it drove Ray Stevens crazy.  Webb would always comment, "Well, he shouldn't ought to have moved across the street from a Super Star."

Carl Smith

Frank Gay was the first luthier I ever met.  I was a newsboy and I remember first seeing pictures of Frank's guitars in the Star Weekly.  When I first joined the military one of my fellow recruits had a Fender Jazzmaster which he sold in order to get Frank Gay to build him the guitar of his dreams.  Years later Frank did a "set-up" on my old SJ and I got to see his workshop (garage) and his guitars.  Still later I was picking with a friend from Calgary who plays a Frank Gay banjo.  He was telling me about his "custom" banjo and I told him that I knew the guy who built it.  I also must say that Frank was an excellent classical guitarist (classicly trained no less) and a really nice man.

A Guitar Called Jack--Part 90

Do I ever get tired of showing off this great guitar.  After 90 parts, it seems not.  From this angle you can see where the power chord plugs into the tail strap button.  The K&K Pure Mini pickup is the industry leading passive system that sounds incredible, with no battery to worry about dying half way through a performance.

Brad, Steven and Joe

If you wanna play in the band, then you've got to put on a hat.

Transblack SJ-200

My first choice in a J-200 would be blonde or natural.  After that you've just got to love Johnny Cash black.  Then I might go for cherry wine providing the sound was awsome.  I have played many J-200s, and the coolest sounding ever was maroon coloured.  It is the only J-200 I have ever seen fly off the shelf.  But I'll tell you, of late, the high priced guitars in this town have been selling so if you see one you really like--do not wait.

A Guitar Called Jack--Part 89

Just to give you a look at those tuners.  And the ebony back strapping over the walnut neck.  This guitar is decadent, at least two levels of decadence above mere decadent.

A Guitar Called Jack--Part 88

How about that for a headstock?  Those gold Gotoh 510 tuners are the Bomb.  If you've never experienced these tuners--they will blow your mind.  And that vanity mark...  Do you really have what it takes to put your name on your headstock??  With Xaver Guitars, you are completely and intricately involved with the entire process.  Gerry and I discussed every aspect of this guitar every step of the way.  I got to choose the inlays, the tuners, all of the tonewoods and materials right down to the pick guard and the bridge pins.  Yes, Jack is legitimately placed on the headstock of this wonderful, magical guitar.

ES 335 12 string

Putting 12 strings on one of these is just wrong.

Happy Mother's Day

One never knows who will get all dressed up for Mother's Day.

Tomorow is Mother's Day

Play your guitar for your Mom tomorrow--especially if she isn't with you.  If you don't already know her favourite tune--you have the rest of the day to get it down.

Xaver Guitars at the Cumberland Market

I never tire of playing Xaver guitars at the Cumberland Market.  Especially this great little Grand Concert.

Wingert headstalk

This headstock is a work of art, as is the entire guitar.  The fact that you get to make music with your artwork is such a bonus.

Wingert--Part 2

I just had to show the back of that beautiful Wingert guitar that I posted the day before yesterday.

Jammin' with Dave

Dave and I had a great jam yesterday.  The old J-200 is holding together and sounding good.

Wingert

Kathy Wingert built this guitar and her daughter did the inlay work.

Who built this guitar?

Was this guitar built by a lady luthier?  Or a gent?

Lady Luthiers

God love the ladies who build guitars.  Firstly, just because of gender, they had a really difficult time breaking into the guitar builders world.  But they came--and they conquered.  Lady luthiers just have that special touch, and are building some of the finest guitars that exist.  References?  How about Pat Metheny and Paul Simon just to start the list of credible players who are customers of lady luthiers.

Martin HD-35

Bill and I picked our first tunes together in 1961.  That's a lot of tunes over a lot of years.  I had a great session yesterday afternoon with this guitar while my J-200 was being repaired.  I picked it up this morning (the J-200), and as always was very happy with the work done at the Folklore Center.  Now the task is to see how long it will take to demolish a new set of Elixers.  Pick on!

J-200 Busted tuner

So after playing that cool OM-21 yesterday, I pulled out the trusty old J-200--which proved to be not so trusty after all.  I was tuning the A string back up from a G (you know how I love alternate tunings--NOT--but I do upon occasion give them a go) when the tuning machine came apart in my hand.  Bummer.  So the old (22 years old) J-200 is in the Folklore hospital--figured I may as well replace all of the tuners--and I will go and pick her up tomorrow morning.  For now I will just have to play the HD-35.  Life can sometimes be really hard.

Martin OM-21

Today I played a Martin OM-21 at Steve's Music Store.  Last week I looked at it and today I went back to give it a test drive.  Playing this guitar has made me a happy dude on this first day of May.  It is a beautiful sunny day in Ottawa--think I will go for a nice walk with my pal Willie Nelson.  For anyone who is not aware--Willie Nelson is a Miniature Schnauzer.