A tool is just a tool, right? If it works who cares about the bling? In my last post, citing Bill Frisell’s mismatched Fender Jaguar, I made the argument that a tool doesn’t need to be boutique or look fancy to get the job done. It doesn’t even need matching paint! For anyone who drools…
I have always wanted to…
I have always wanted to make a guitar with a mismatched headstock like the one being played here by the incomparable Bill Frisell. There’s something about this devil-may-care combo that also strikes me as supremely pragmatic. This neck. This body. Do they sound good together? Sure, let’s go with it. Having been off of Instagram…
I know, I know…
I ruined it with relic road wear. I’m OK with that. 🙂 Seriously though, good relic work is a labor of love. Finish checking, arm wear, and edge chipping are the easy parts. Most people don’t pay attention to the details like the fact that real vintage guitars have a soft sheen to them…
I forgot to tell you…
In my whole “don’t touch it” speech I forgot to tell you that I do lightly level-sand the front and back of the guitar with 320 grit sandpaper after a few days on the rack. At this point the lacquer is hard enough that it doesn’t gum up on the sandpaper but still soft enough…
Don’t touch it
For me, the hardest part about building a guitar is the finish, and the hardest part about the finish is the waiting game that comes between the final coats of clear coat and level sanding. Tom Petty, you old prophet. The waiting is the hardest part. I shoot guitars exclusively in nitrocellulose lacquer. This is not…
It had to break.
“…keep your drag light. There’s plenty of line.” The old Marlin headed out to the nor’west like all the big ones go, and brother did he hook up. He started jumping in those long lopes and every splash would be like a speed boat in a sea. We went after him, keeping him on…
Take a breath
It’s hard being seven, six and four years old. At least it was the other day at our house. I don’t know what was in the water where we live last Saturday, but I can tell you what was in the air – cries of “THIS IS A DISASTER!” and “THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!!” mixed with…
I owe you (an explanation)
One of the primary difficulties we have as a species right now is that we have largely succumbed to the belief that we don’t owe each other anything. Consequently, one of the questions I carry around with me each day is “what do we owe to each other?” * So far, I’ve decided that in…
A moratorium on new tools
I’ve got a habit that carries over from my days as a musician. The scientific name for this disposition is “Gear Acquisition Syndrome” which is really just a nice way to say addiction to buying new stuff. The pattern is always predictable and it starts the same way: I see a new shiny thing. I…
My rule for life
Never wear sleeves you can’t roll up.
The Daily Skep 