Official Luthiers Forum!

Greetings and Happy New Year: I finally got my new shop finished (if they ever are!), vacuumed and fit for photos, so I'm making my first post. I have been following the forum faithfully for several years and finally applied to join you all. I've built five guitars in the past and currently have four new ones and a five string banjo underway.

I'm originally from Big Rapids, Michigan and graduated from Ferris State College, but then moved to the Washington DC area where I lived most of my adult life. I've been a math teacher (I can't believe it either!), did sales and marketing management for a DC area homebuilder for many years, and then started and managed my own foam insulation contracting business for 12 years until selling it in 2007. I recently retired to Williamsburg, Virginia. I must confess that I briefly considered going back to Michigan to build guitars and seeking to join the Michigan luthiers group, which I thought would be great fun, but when my Titebond froze up in early September and didn't thaw out until sometime the following June, I decided to head south instead.

I'm attaching a few pictures. I hope they come out OK. I'm a better guitar builder than computer operator, so here's hoping! If you can't open them, let me know and I'll try again.

Lastly, I want you all to know how much I appreciate the Forum and the way you encourage each other, share information, techniques, jigs, and lots of photos of your shops and finished guitars. I've been learning a lot from many of you already. I've also done business with four sponsors to date, including LMI, Stew-Mac, Andy DePaul and John Hall and have been delighted with the friendly service and quality products from all four. I look forward to my membership in the Forum and for the opportunity to make lots of new friends (and sawdust) with Forum members in the months and years to come.

Ken Grunst
Williamsburg, VA

Welcome out of the closet Ken. Nice looking place you got there.

Looks like Hesh has some "clean" competition

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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Hi Ken
Nice set up



I'm just building my sander now, just about to turn the drum! They are great pieces of kit!



You look like you are going to be busy lol I hope you don't mind me asking where did you get you're EIR sets from?

All the best
Dave

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To be someone must be a wonderful thing!

Hi Ken and welcome to the OLF my friend!!

You have a great looking shop and it's great to have you aboard!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Looks really great Ken .. in my next life, I plan to have a shop that big .. and clean

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Congratulations on you retirement.To be able to spend a retirement building guitars is a dream come true.Have fun!!
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Fantastic shop! I like the golf course outside. I also have a similar distraction adjoining my shop. Walking 9 holes is a perfect time to allow for glue joints to cure.

Welcome, Ken...AKA "Hesh on Steroids"!

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

JJ: Is that a good thing or a bad thing?


Dave: I bought the Indian Rosewood many years ago from Vikwood in Wisconsin. I believe they are still in business. If I remember correctly, I bought 50 sets at the time @ under $25/set, and it was beautiful wood. I should have bought more. I wish my stock market investments were doing as well. Still, at the speed I get guitars finished...I've got a "three lifetime supply" as it is! HA!


So does my spruce and rosewood, Filippo. I'm gluing all my top and back bracing in this winter at about 40% humidity. The spruce will be 1/4" wider by July, and I've noticed that the Parlor Guitar that I built swells to a 000 in the summer.

P.S. Thanks for the tip on the JPEG photos. I'll do that from now on. My camera is an 8 megapixel camera and each photo starts out at 11" x 17". I still haven't figured out how to get the pixel count down to 250KiB to upload in JPEG without the picture being tiny. Any hints are appreciated.

Thanks for the welcome, all.

Ken Grunst

Welcome Ken! Man, that is quite the setup you have! You'll be turning some fine guitars out of there, I'm sure! And don't let ol' Hesh fool ya...I suspect that he took his shop pictures before he ever cut anything, and now just changes the time on the wall clock with photoshop and re-posts! I'm sure it's as cluttered and dusty as my shop most of the time!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Hi Ken. Nice shop, I have zoot envy. Glad you're out of the closet.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"