Author Archives: steve
NOT attending a festival…
Since the spring of this year, I have been planning to attend the California International Guitar Festival. I’ve done only one festival (in Vancouver, BC – in July) in the last few years and was truly looking forward to it. … Continue reading
A note on a guitar, from a new owner.
I got this note from the owner of a new guitar Carina Nebula. … as for Carina Nebula, well I am thrilled by the name and the link to the James Webb telescope. The picture does indeed look like the … Continue reading
French Polished Shellac
“French Polish” is the finish most often found on hand-built classical guitars. French polish is a process, a combination of shellac and how it is applied to the guitar. It is not a product that you can buy at a … Continue reading
Carina Nebula – New Guitar
This is a guitar I built for Valerie in Vancouver. Dark cedar, dark East Indian rosewood. She studies with Stanton Jack in Vancouver. This guitar: It’s great in so many ways. Some new pictures of the Carina Nebula by the … Continue reading
On the bench – 640 Cedar
640 Cedar top (5 fan bar bracing I’ve been using on cedar for a few years).Movingui back and sides. Body is my “Bebe” style. Just a bit smaller my typical full size, but not as small as my Torres FE … Continue reading
Bolero (Arcas)
A simple hypnotic tune… Not easy to play flawlessly, but William Bajzek makes it look easy. Besides enjoying classical guitar (and playing celtic flute) William likes to build electronic stuff. I like to build wooden stuff (guitars) and this is … Continue reading
Left-handed complement?
I made a custom guitar for Jake Carlon in Pullman WA. Jake came to Blaine last summer to meet me and look at my shop and some of my woods. He expressed a couple of preferences then. First and most … Continue reading
The passing of Jose Luis Romanillos
I met Jose Romanillos in 1996 at a meeting of the Guild of American Luthiers in Tacoma. I was immediately intrigued with his approach to making guitars. In particular, the way he worked the top with a wooden plane, and … Continue reading
Blast from the past… 8 string guitar offered – used
I get emails from Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan. They have a guitar which I built a while ago. Here’s a screen dump of a part of the listing. You can find more information about the instrument at the link … Continue reading
Support your local guitar support
I regularly visit a guitar bulletin board: the Delcamp Classical Guitar forum . Another member of the forum, Amy Gaudia, has made a guitar support that is getting great reviews. It’s called Amy’s Handmade Guitar Support. (Click the link!) https://www.etsy.com/listing/729731575/amys-handmade-guitar-support … Continue reading