The Goat Man

There is a fellow named Frank who lives nearby. He likes to stop in the shop periodically to check on his guitar order and remind my dad that he is still patiently waiting by offering him fresh eggs, mason jars of honey, and goat's milk feta cheese from his farm. Frank is a goat farmer. Aside from the occasional bit of straw stuck to his boot or the shoulder of his fleece, you would have trouble telling Frank that is a goat farmer, as he is very knowledgeable about many things, most of them having nothing at all to do with goats.

When he first ordered a guitar from me, I didn't quite know what to make of him, but I gladly accepted the goat's milk feta and honey. He is obviously very smart and I was a little curious as to how this fellow, who prefers Arc'Teryx to Carhart, came to be a goat farmer in the rural North Carolina mountains in the first place. Turns out, he hasn't been a goat farmer for that long, as several years ago he was the president of the Chicago Transit Authority, he was besties with then Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daly, and his wife ran many political campaigns, even working with Hilary Clinton. Frank was even nice enough to ask Hilary to sign the picture of her shaking hands with my dad when he received a National Heritage Award and we all tromped up to Washington to rub elbows with the political elite. In all honesty, I was too short at the time to reach any elbows of note so I mostly just hung around the food table.

Anyway, this post is being written to tell you about the guitar I made for Frank. The neat thing about him, other than leaving a high-powered political position in Chicago in order to become a goat farmer in the mountains, is that he was very interested in having an instrument that I would enjoy building, and encouraged the use of sustainable materials and whatever else I might want to do. His guitar is the third of mine that has been constructed with oak, and I ended up using a beautifully curly piece that I got from my new friend Dean, who lives up in Haysi, VA. If you missed that post about Electric Hardwoods, go read it. You will learn about Dean.

The only downside to that set of wood is that it smelled a little....how do I put this delicately? Like turkey poop. How do I know what that smells like? Well, it just happens to be my dog harper's favorite poop to roll in, not that she is particularly picky, but she seems especially proud of herself when she trots over to me covered in streaks of the smelliest feces you can imagine. That's how I know. My dad and Herb speculate that the wood was reclaimed from the side of an outhouse or something, but from wherever it came, the stench in it's wake was pretty rough. Especially when it was sprayed with water, which happens during several steps in the guitar making process. I hoped fervently that the six or seven layers of catalyzed varnish I would eventually spray on it would quell the odor. Several folks pointed out that it was a fitting smell for a goat farmer as it didn't stray far from what feta cheese smells like. Frank claimed not to notice the smell much, so that was lucky. The smell did diminish as I worked down the wood and sealed its pores with wood filler and varnish, so crisis averted. Mostly.

It is always exciting to be asked to do new things; different sizes of guitars I have never done before, or an ambitious inlay, or a new type of wood. This guitar was just about the opposite of that 12 fred D I was working on alongside it, but it provided just as many new skills as the bigger guitar. Frank asked me for a left handed 00 guitar. I loved the small size (no dropping!), and was excited to learn the differences between making a left handed and right handed guitar. Turns out, there isn't much, except for the two bottom braces on the top of the guitar were opposite sides, and obviously the strings and the bridge were opposite as well. It ended up being easier than my dad predicted for me to remember and carry out such tasks, maybe because I am left handed and it made more sense to me, or perhaps because I am still so new at the building process that I haven't adopted a specific muscle memory for the craft. Either way, it was really fun. Bring on some more exciting builds like this one!

Tree headstock inlay. 

Frank testing her out! Also, Frank's niece Gretchen made the pickguard when she visited from Vermont! 

Showing off the back wood.

He asked for an acorn to be inlaid on the heel cap so everyone will know it is made of oak! 

Lovely match to the sides. Koa binding and end piece.

Koa rosette and binding. 

I can play just as many chords on this thing as a regular! Maybe I am ambidextrous. Or should be playing left handed... 

Hello again friends!

Hello again! After a bit of a break, I am back to tell you some more stories of the shop life here in Rugby. It has been such a busy spring, I have barely had time to brush my hair. (Well, let's face it, I still probably wouldn't do that even if I did have the time...) But thank you so much for being patient and still wanting to read what I have to say! I figured I should get back to it when one of my dad's friends asked if I was still updating my blog or her computer might be broken because she has not received an update notification recently. Woopsie. On the upside, I have gotten a lot of work done, finishing two new guitars and also two ukuleles. It is too bad I wasn't able to tell you immediately how much I enjoyed working on each of those instruments, and watching them come to life, but I will tell you a little bit now, starting with guitar #11:

Guitar number eleven is one of the very few dreadnaught sized guitars I think I will ever build. It is a sloped shoulder 12 fret style, and for goodness sake, did it want to jump on the floor any chance it got. My hands are not large enough to handle such a wide body and there were several times that I thought I had ruined weeks of hard work after it slipped from my fingers when I attempted to slide it into an empty slot in the shelf that holds unfinished guitar bodies. Once, I completely lost grip on the thing and it tumbled full forcedly into a basket of pointy clamps that sits on the floor next to the shelf. My dad's no-nonsense friend Don was there to witness that slip and in his typical gruff tone, said, "Well you've done it now, I guarantee you busted a whole in the side of that thing." After much scrutiny of every inch of that guitar body, I could not find so much as a ding in the surface. I suppose that is another great attribute to using oak. It sure is durable.

Even though it was too big for my little hands to deal with a lot of the time, I do love so much how this guitar turned out. I attempted my first sunburst top, which turned out to be a lot more difficult than I imagined it would be. My dad has always said I would probably be really good at spraying sunbursts because most of the art I made growing up included heavily shaded abstract images. I even used to change the gradient within the black lines of a coloring book page with a crayon or colored pencil.

Turns out, this is a kind of different skill set.  The spray gun that usually houses finish is filled instead with black stain, with a couple of drops of brown just for a little bit of depth I guess. Then you have to attempt to evenly spray a gradient into the top of the guitar, which, if you think about it is kind of like spray painting a pristine, clean white wall. Maybe Banksy would excel at such things, but I was definitely not super excited to go spraying black stain all over the top of my beautiful guitar body. Needless to say, there was little room for error and if you look closely, you can tell I am not an expert at this type of work just yet. My dad said that is good though because the old Martins aren't perfect either, and that is the look we are going for anyway. So I guess I will go ahead and mark this attempt as a success.

This guitar turned out so much more beautiful than I would have imagined. The deep colors of the shaded top paired with the saturated color the oak was stained was surprising. The wood that Mark, the owner sent for me to use was, if we are being honest, not the prettiest pearl in the bunch...I even asked him if he would mind if I used a different set of oak that I bought from the lumber yard in Asheville. It boasted big bold light colored stripes set in the darker wood that looked like those marking a Bengal tiger. Luckily I sanded that set a little too thin for such a large guitar and ended up using his wood after all. (Don't worry, my set will be used for a smaller body guitar or a ukulele) When I circled on the first few dips of stain, the wood transformed into the most figured, beautiful piece I had ever seen. My dad was equally amazed at the transformation, as no one saw that coming. The finished product ended up being significantly more exciting and fun than I anticipated, the dropping episodes aside.

I am so honored to have been asked to build a guitar for the fellow who ordered this instrument. He really knows what he is talking about when it comes to quality and sound, and when he came to pick up his finished guitar last week, he seemed pleased with the outcome. Sometimes it feels like I am sending something equivalent to a child or a beloved puppy off to an adopted family, hoping so hard that my baby guitar will be well cared for and loved as it should be in its new environment. It is always such a relief to know for certain that they will be, and in this case I am certain.

Wood straight out of the box from Seattle

Note: The light in the spray room makes the guitar look a lot more red than it really is,.

My dad testing her out.

I apologize for the quality of these last few pictures-I might have left my camera in Asheville and had to use my phone...

Ol' Sassy

There really doesn't seem to be a much better feeling than finishing a project. Writing a blog entry, meeting a deadline at work, or baking a beautiful cake are all cause for satisfied sighs and the slow lean-back in the easy chair with your hands laced behind your head. You know what I mean, right? Personally I have never found that position to be comfortable, but yet it comes to mind when considering a job well done. Kind of like saying 'ahh' after a swig of Coke. I don't do that either I guess, but hopefully you get the picture. But seriously, the first note I hear from one of my instruments is arguably the most satisfying moment of my day. After quite a bit of hard work, there is a tangible payoff. And today was no different. I might even argue that today was one of the best.

I waited (kind of) patiently all morning for my D'Addario titanium soprano uke strings to be delivered, and when they did finally arrive I might have scared the UPS man due to my unhinged excitement. Oh well, I think he is used to it at this point. As soon as I strung the first string and gingerly plucked it, I knew this one would be awesome. I strung the rest of the strings and tuned her up!

This ukulele in particular holds a special place in my heart for several reasons. First, it is to be a wedding gift for a very dear friend of mine, therefore I made sure to put some extra love into it. My friend Joe has been so good to me over the years, even letting me be his roommie one of the summers that I lived in Juneau, Alaska. I cherish those summer months more than most, and miss our nightly Snatch games way more than I should. Ok. Before you start thinking up weird definitions for what Snatch is, let me explain. Snatch is a word game similar to Scrabble; it uses the same tiles, just no board. I learned how to play it from one of my very favorite teachers during my undergraduate studies at NC State. He was one of the fellows who taught many of my outdoor education classes for a minor I was pursuing. He would pack this game when we went on climbing, rafting, and kayaking trips because it is an easily transportable, multi-player game that can be super duper fun if you like words and word games. Which I do. So, that last summer of undergrad, I taught the game to Joe and we eventually just left the Scrabble tiles poised face-down on the dining room table, ready for a game anytime we were. These games took place most every evening after dinner, sometimes turing into super competitive marathon-type tournaments. We even upped the challenge by eliminating three-letter words from being allowed during play. If you'd like more information about how to play this amazing game, or if you would like to play with me sometime let me know; Joe has left a void for which I have yet to find a suitable replacement.

The second reason I love this ukulele so much is that I did all of the work myself, which isn't new, but I also did not consult or have my work checked by more expert eyes along the way. Being of the type who strives very hard for perfection in my work (and also might enjoy being praised for doing things well),  it was difficult for me to trust my judgement and forge ahead without the reassurance that each step in the process was accurate and no mistakes were being made. When making a musical instrument the frustrating thing is that it is not certain whether the braces are cut just right, or the bridge is in exactly the right spot until you string it up. If you didn't deduce, that step happens at the end, therefore I feel there is some gambling involved unless you are 100% positive of your actions. That is why I was so excited to hear this ukulele sing. I wish you all could hear it. Perhaps I will be as brave as my amazing cousin Leah and sing you Over the Rainbow. But probably not as it would really be bad news for your ears and take away from the ukulele's far more pleasant melodies. Also, speaking of Leah, Monday is her bday, and I likely won't post again before then to remind you, so wish her a good one if you happen to know her! I will leave you with a couple of pictures of Ol' Sassy. More are on my Facebook page, EJ Henderson Guitars and Ukuleles so please 'like' me and check them out if you haven't already!!

Luthier Adventure!

I took a deep breath to suppress the feeling of motion sickness I felt as my dad, his friend and fellow luthier, Gerald, and I wound our way deep into coal country north of Abingdon, VA in search of Electric Hardwoods, the company that supplies maple for Gibson and several other larger guitar makers. Feeling a little ill, we finally pulled up to a collection of sheds, surrounded by the hugest pile of felled trees I have ever seen all rounded up in one place. We tripped over to the entrance, luckily my dad had been there and knew where it was, as there were several doors we could have chosen, and who knows, it could have ended up like a game show situation or something.

Dean greeted us at the door, complete with a huge, welcoming smile. After general introductions, we handled the most important business first. My dad had been to visit Dean a couple of weeks ago and, immediately after returning to his shop, trunk packed full of gorgeous curly maple, began making Dean a guitar from some of the most beautiful pieces Dean sent him home with that trip.

Curly maple back and sides, Appalachian spruce top, koa binding.

"Check this out!" Dean proclaimed as we walked into one of his rooms, filled with wood stacked floor-to-ceiling and a line of fans going full blast for drying it. He handed me a slab of wood the color of rust, more saturated in the sapwood, filled throughout with curly grains. He said it was sassafras wood. While Dean deals primarily in maple or spruce, when he encounters a tree he deems interesting or exciting, he will take it as well, mostly just to see how beautiful it is once he cuts it into boards. He then figures out about what to do with it. Luckily for me, he hasn't found too much so he kept adding planks to my 'To Go' pile. The sassafras was the first on that pile.

All of the wood from Dean's shop is SmartWood certified, which I think is pretty cool. The SmartWood certification, given by the Rainforest Alliance, ensures that sustainable forestry practices are set in place with each log that is harvested. Given Gibson's trouble with importing illegal materials, it is encouraging to know that they are taking extra strides to ensure their maple supply comes from well-managed forests. I also appreciate being able to make instruments from such materials, so it was really a treat to see what types of wood he had in his shop.

While we toured the buildings that made up Electric Hardwoods, I chatted with Dean's friend Tim. The neat thing I learned about Dean during my visit, is that I noticed many parallels in his and my dad's personalities. Generous and friendly, happy to entertain visitors, and LOVES beautiful wood. Tim told me that, like most folks living in the mountains full of coal in Southwest Virginia, Dean originally worked in the mines to provide for his family, but he had always loved trees and went out on his days off to look for exciting trees. He began harvesting some, and then traveled around to lumber yards purchasing, milling, and reselling the most beautiful boards. According to Tim, Dean's mom called up Gibson, many years ago now, and asked if they were in the market for some curly maple. At the time, they were and Electric Hardwoods began.

Sawdust pile...

With each room we visited, my dad chose curly maple boards for mandolin backs, spruce boards for guitar and mandolin tops as a trade for the guitar he had given Dean, and I perused the burn pile for materials for ukuleles and cutting boards. It gives me great pleasure to use scraps to make something useful and beautiful, so I stocked up while I had the chance. The company sets out the pieces of wood not suitable for an instrument in a pile on the side of the road. According to the employees, it disappears quickly; neighbors take it for fire wood, or what ever they want, really. Tim and Jesse, another employee, helped me load the back of Tim's truck full of the prettiest pieces in case anyone came along to snag them to stuff into their wood stoves.  Also, the sawdust produced by the mill is directed into a grey trailer, similar to those ominous looking classroom-buildings sometimes used by schools when they are renovating or have overcrowding issues.  Locals are invited to take as much sawdust as they want for their horse stalls, or other farm uses. It is endearing to see how much this little company provides for their community, where many organizations would use such opportunities to turn a profit.



The atmosphere within Dean's operation is so warm and friendly. All of the employees, of which there are maybe ten, seem to enjoy their job, and were all willing to step in and find more wood we might be interested in, clambering back in the stacks to present the best ones. Several young boys would dart around the outskirts of our wheeling and dealing, staying out of our way while still getting their work done. I was thinking that a couple of those guys looked a little bit young to not be getting an education, but Tim explained to me that Dean lets several neighbor boys come help after school. It is always exciting to me to meet someone so kind and generous with his time and efforts. We truly had a great time visiting his shop. I presume Gerald's car however, might have held a different sentiment, as we stuffed it's whole back end full of boards and then insisted it drive us back to civilization (which was a quite a ways down the curvy road if we are being honest).

My new pals Tim and Dean! (Side note, check out where Dean made my dad sign his guitar with a Sharpie)

Most of the crew: Josh, Jesse, Chris, Heath, and Dean. (And they said I wouldn't remember their names)

Finally, if you are even still reading, I am excited to report that I have the body of a ukulele together with the sassafras Dean sent home with me. I think it is the best wood I have ever worked with, as it smells delicious, in my opinion anyway; my dad complains that it makes the whole shop smell. I am pretty sure I wold prefer that sweet, herbal tea smell over catalyzed varnish any day. Check back tomorrow, I will add a picture. It is currently snowing and I don't want to skid out to the shop and take a picture for you just now. Sorry.

Slotheads

I feel like I am really running low on interesting things to tell you. As far as shop news, it is pretty much business as usual, no one has set anything on fire or exploded any guitar parts lately...

Oh! One neat thing, I strung up my first slot head guitar today! For the past month or so, I have been working on a guitar based on a Martin 0-17 for a fellow who lives in Arizona. Since the weather has been just perfect lately for constructing an instrument that will live in extra low humidity, I figured I might as well go ahead and do that. When I say perfect, I mean freezing cold, windy and grey. Just thought I would clear that up.  It has been a fun build as I really love small guitars, and learning to make a slot head peghead has been exciting. My dad poked around the cluttered shelves in his shop, pulling out various jigs and small machines that we eventually strapped to the peghead in order to cut even, clean slots. I was also excited to find another use for my amazing router that I am so oddly proud of.

Carving the grooves under the slots for the strings to pass through was less exciting and more nerve-wracking. It is difficult to carve two things exactly alike, and having those two things situated directly next to each other to make comparing easy was less fun than running my router against the foolproof jig. After quite some time of whittling, filing with a round file, and sanding I eventually got them straight enough to satisfy my somewhat compulsive urge for symmetry. Then came the next step of attempting to sand and finish the inside of the narrow slots.

Another fun discovery I made while working on my slot head headstock is that I am pretty good at finishing them. It turns out that having tiny fingers does come in handy for one thing ever, and that one thing is sanding the inside of slots more thoroughly than someone with regular sized fingers. So that is exciting to know.

Every guitar I make I feel an attachment to, but since this one provided a new challenge and excitement of a different body shape and fret scale I feel it is a little bit more special. (I think I say that about each one as I learn something with every project I take on, but still, this one is awesome.) It amazes me how strong and powerful that tiny guitar sounds. Everyone around here seems to think you need a huge, bassy D-size guitar to make a strong presence in a jam session or on stage, but I think if I saw someone playing this guitar (or another similar one, not tooting my own horn..much) I would not be able to take my eyes off of it. Kind of like in John Mayer's video for Shadow Days. Not my favorite song, but I could stare at that guitar all day. Maybe I will just make me one now that I have thee slothead down :-) Though extra work, I enjoy the challenge of cutting, shaping, and finishing this classic headstock design.

Just strung her up!