Building Blog

 

June 2010

Progress continues on the archtop.  Box was closed today.  A very manly undertaking to say the least.

HOME GUITARS TESTIMONIALS AVAILABILITY WORKSHOP JIGS AND TOOLS BUILDING BLOGKennedy_Guitars.htmlGuitars.htmlTestimonials.htmlAvailability.htmlWorkshop.htmlJigs_and_Tools.htmlBuilding_Blog.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6

Two fine gentlemen from Nebraska, Bob Fricke and Jeff Gerhart stopped by to pick up their OMs.  Jeff has a Indian Rosewood/Sitka and Bob a Koa/Sitka.  Bob supplied the Koa.

My friend Dan Mahar who currently has two of my instruments and soon to have a third was busy with Billy Dean opening for Kenny Rogers in Dublin.  They plan to do a video documented pub tour afterwards.  You can view some of his videos at: 


                            http://www.youtube.com/user/danmaharofficial


                           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii-HeV20TMA


                          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADOTIIQjNKQ

Dan has an acoustic/electric resonator in finish right now.  It will be Gibson cherry and should look great

Kevin Klimek, ( http://klimekguitarman.embarqspace.com/ ) a friend and fellow musician who has a great one man act stopped over with an old archtop with no name.  It had been in his family.  This thing sounded GREAT!  It was light as a feather with laminated top and back.  Really rough looking, probably a Sears mail order special but I couldn’t put it down.

I also recently fixed up a basket case Alverez  5014 from the 70’s.  Quite honestly I thought it should go in the trash  with a severly bulged/sunken top, lifted bridge, horrible neck set, bad frets, loose braces, etc.  My friend Marty Reynolds at The Podium has tackled many of these beaters and made great instruments out of them so I gave it a try.

I X-rayed the neck and it was a dovetail but the cavity seemed to be filled with something.  Yes it was epoxy!

After a ton of work (and a bridge doctor) I strung this thing up and just about had to have my jaw re-set.   It blew me away.  Here’s a sound clip with the Alverez on both rhythm and lead with flat EQ.  It sounds and plays as good as any sub $1000 new guitar out there.  Don’t write these old babies off!

Just got back from a great week with this crew.  Wish they were closer.  Also wish I could bottle some of that energy!!

We’ve got four high school kids in town that have formed an amazing jam band.  listen to them here.

Strung up the archtop in the white.  Sounds great.  The boys at The Podium have played it and liked it.  Off to finish.  I’m very happy with this guitar.  Check out the sound clip below.  Straight into a condenser with no effects

July 24