Official Luthiers Forum!

I had a great day that included a visit from my pal Joe White and lunch with many of the area OLFers.

To start, Joe brought back my guitar today that he completed the poly finish on. This guitar took 21 days to finish - door to door, and I am absolutely thrilled beyond all expectations with the superb quality of Joe's work. Many, many thanks Joe I am honored to be your first customer, along with Burton, and completely blown away by your beautiful work.

I'll show pictures of this guitar in a minute. But first I put Joe through the drill here and listened as Joe played my guitars. Joe's personal favorite was this Koa/Carp OM that he went back to several times. Here are some shots also of Joe and the black Tiger and the BRW/Adi OM (my personal favorite).

Sorry the pics are out of order and I need to learn to use the new software.

Next we met Max Bishop, Jim Howell, Lance, and David and Ava Collins for lunch. I'll start another post since three pics seems to be the max.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

OK here is the gang at lunch.

Left to right is Lance, Joe, Jim, Hesh, David, Max and Ava (Ava is the cute one).

Here is Lance laughing at what a piece of crap my BRW guitar is but completely unaware that Billy is about to drive the truck in the back ground through the wall......

Here is Joe checking out Max's just completed and stunning coco Flamenco guitar that BTW went home with Joe to be finished. This guitar will go with Max to Spain this summer. Beautiful guitar Max!!!!!!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Here is my favorite picture of the day - David and Ava Collins.

Here we see the guys checking out Max's Flamenco.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Lance is checking out the poly finish that Joe did on my SJ - I think that he likes it.

Here is Max also checking out Joe's superb finishing work.

And here is my SJ back in the shop and after a few days of acclimating I will start the final assembly.

Many thanks to everyone today and a very special thanks to Jim Howell for picking up the check for us all!!!!!

And, of course, thanks to everyone here for looking!!!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Very cool Hesh. Thanks for sharing!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Cool! Thanks for the great gathering fellas, short as it was, it was fun!

by the way I bumped the attachments to 8.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

It was a really nice time. I have really enjoyed the opportunities to get to meet the real people behind the posts. It a great bunch of folks that hang out on this forum!

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Looks like a fun gathering. Joe your finish job looks terrific!

Of all the great guitar pics....Ava stole the show. David, great looking daughter....she looks like she can hold her own amongst all of the builders.

Wow Hesh,I wish I could have been there.looks like everyone had a great time,But where`s Sony.
SKIN

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Looks like a really fun day and almost like Christmas since you got your new guitar back from Joe.

You northern guys get to have all the fun!!

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Reguards,

Ken H

What, no Chinese food? I missed the lobsters. Looks like ya'll had a great day.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Looks like a great gathering...sorry I missed the meeting.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

All right! Looks like a great time. Max, your guitar looks great! Hesh, you beat me again by a couple days. I got my pics yesterday and I should see mine back here in Boston Wednesday or so. Here's a sneak peak of your old roomie.

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Burton
http://www.legeytinstruments.com
Brookline, MA.

Very cool report Hesh. Nice group of folks and encouraging report for Joe's new gig. Very tempting in fact.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Great show there in, as Hesh says, A2! Sometime I am going to have to get up that way! Great looking guitars! Great bunch of luthiers and one prospective luthier!

Cheers!

Steve W.
League City, TX
high of 72* F today

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

It was great to meet Joe White today. I was very impressed with his work on Hesh's new guitar. Can't wait to see mine when it gets back from Indiana. Joe said he would be sending me some progress photos shortly and I will be sure to show them on the Forum.

It was also a delight to meet Lance and little Ava Collins. Sneaky Jim Howell paid for lunch and escaped before anyone could thank him. Thanks, Jim.

Regards,

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

Great as usual to get together with the local luthiers. Ava offered some critique on the way home of the instruments, but this probably isn't the place to go over them.

It was nice to meet Joe, and also to find the rest of the clan becoming familiar faces. The instruments are looking excellent as usual, and I hope to see the partially completed ones as they are finished. Thanks again guys.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Burton...I happened to see your guitar when I was at Joe's last week. I was impressed by a lot of really cool aspects of your building style...double sides, solid linings and mitred purfs that were perfect in their execution. Very nice guitar indeed!!!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Looks like a great time! Wish I could of been there! Doesn't look like you guys got too jacked up on rice wine!

So, when do you have this bad boy of yours done so we can see it Hesh Buddy?


BTW!
Billy no hurt Lance! Lance Good!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Very cool that you guys took the time to get together - looks like fun!

That poly finish does look nice. I think I may have a couple of slices of Mahogany from the same slab, from Uncle Bob. Looks like you bound it in BRW - very classy looking axe!

Ava is the cutest luthier. Well, she's the only cute luthier in that bunch.

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Very nice get together Hesh. That guitar looks great. That flamenco is awesome too. My turn next week. Can't wait. Whats your ETA?

David: Ava is beautiful too.

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