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This guitar was built as a collaborative project between me and one of my students from my guitar class at Marc Adams School of Woodworking last year. We built 2 guitars (one is still in progress). He provided the materials and did all of the inlay. I made the parts and assembled the guitar. He calls this guitar "First Tracks" because it has a ski theme for his son (an avid skiier) and skiers always want to make the first tracks. The headstock inlay is a ski lift with the fingerboard as a view you would see while riding the ski lift. The rabbit at the bottom of the tree has made the first tracks around the sound hole. I took advantage of our first snow to shoot some photos (quickly I might add!) This was only his second inlay he has ever done - quite talented I think.

This is a OLF MJ (slightly modified). Claro Walnut back and sides, Sitka top

Thanks to Joe White for another superb flawless finish!

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John Ressler

Sweet!

How about a few more pictures of that inlay? - looks very interesting.

I saw this myself at the shop. Just a stunning instrument. Kudos!!

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

BEAUTIFUL!

Ditto on the inlays. It would be a real treat to see close ups of the finger board and headstock, so as to get a better understanding of the theme.

Thanks,

Mark

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A world without music would Bb.

Really nice, a great piece of work. As much a work of art as anything.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Stunning. Beautiful work. I love the little bunny.

Cheers,
Danny

Here are a few closer up of some of the inlay as requested. This is all I've got!

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John Ressler

Beautifull work John ! Love the Look !

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Awesome concept, and beautifully executed
The bunny tracks around the rosette look like they must have taken a while, especially keeping track of the reflective direction of the MOP pieces to get them to invert from the background.

Bet she sounds as good as she looks, too. Excellent job by both of you

Wow, that's absolutely lovely! I also *really* like your bridge!

I like the guitar it looks great, but you keep the snow please

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Brrrr...I can "feel" the lacquer straining against a stress crack!<g>

By the by, am I dyslexic...do the bunny prints look like they are backward (large rear paws) preceding the smaller front paws? We have bunnies around here, but no snow to check out their print patterns. Or did the bunny turn around after getting to his (her?) current position?

Anyhow, it's a great inlay and if it's only his second try, he's a star already!

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Hank Mauel

Hank: Not tracked many bunnies have we...???

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Not in the snow! The ol' jackrabbits around here just run through the dry hillsides. Used to take potshots at them, but then "civilization" moved in around us.<G>

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Hank Mauel

Great inlays - and your bunny tracks are accurate. When a rabbit hops it brings its back feet forward of its front feet.

One question though - I too like your bridge design and I see you've angled your bridge pin holes which would make for a consistent string break angle had the saddle been compensated yet I can't see any compensation angle on your saddle. Am I being fooled by the bridge design or did you choose not to have a compensated saddle?

Pat

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There are three kinds of people:

Those that make things happen,
those that watch things happen,
and those that wondered what happened.

"One question though - I too like your bridge design and I see you've angled your bridge pin holes which would make for a consistent string break angle had the saddle been compensated yet I can't see any compensation angle on your saddle. Am I being fooled by the bridge design or did you choose not to have a compensated saddle?"


It is an optical illusion. the pins are straight. The saddle isn't compensated because the intonation is spot on.

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John Ressler

John: Are you saying the pin holes and saddle are parallel and 90 degrees to the strings....???
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Sorry - I totally misunderstood the question

The saddle slot is angled for compensation - it is an optical illusion if it looks like it is not. (The saddle itself is not compensated)

The bridge was designed by the student - he drilled the holes to follow the back side of the bridge.
I would have had the holes closer to the saddle to give the strings a greater break angle.

Sorry for the confusion

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John Ressler

John: Got you now...!! Thanks.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!