UN ABLE TO MAKE A G RUN--GUITAR SHOT --BEFORE AND AFTER SHOTS!

THE AFTER SHOTS, DUCK HAS MORE THAN ONE MEANING HERE
GUITAR SOUNDED VERY GOOD.


















Below are two channels cut out at the weak area of the neck, I re-enforce this with the ebony splints, as shown in photo

OWNER SHOT THIS GUITAR WITH A 45 CAL AUTOMATIC. AFTER EXCUTING A G RUN

AND UNABLE TO MAKE IT THE RIGHT WAY, HE TOOK HIS 45 PISTOL AND SHOT, BREAKING THE X BRACING IN THE TOP. IT ALL STARTED WHEN SO MUCH POWER WAS INDUCED IN THE G STRING THE HEAD STOCK SNAPPED, THUS LEADING TO THE DEMISE. MY CHALLENGE IF I SHOULD ACCEPT IT, IS TO RESTORE IT TO AS NEAR AS ORIGINAL AS I CAN..IT HAS A CEDAR TOP, AND MAHOGANY BACK AND SIDES.
OWNER SAID THE NEXT TIME HE WAS CONTACTING A BLUEGRASS PICKER, WHO'S NAME I WILL KEEP TO MYSELF-THAT ALSO SHOT A CHAIN SAW AND SHARE IN THE FRUSTRATION AND GRIEF OF MAKING THE ALL WELL KNOW G RUN IN MY LITTLE CABIN HOME..
I AM BUSY AND THANKS FOR LOOKING.

FREDDY

THE OLD POWDER MILL BLUEGRASS BAND

THE OLD POWDER MILL BLUE GRASS BAND AT SUMMER FEST, ASHLAND CITY,TN.
FREDDY MILER DOBRO
REV. PAUL GUPTON BANJO
ANN MITCHELL MANDOLIN
FRANKLIN WILKINSON BASS
DAVID BRADLEY GUITAR
SAM TRAVIS FIDDLE (MOVED TO TEXAS)

CUSTOM MADE RESONATOR FOR Darrell Stepp

I made this dobro, for Darrell Step in Zalma , Mo.
From curly maple, the bindings are curly maple, inlays are pearl.
this is a standard size resonator , fashioned from the d series dobro ..

shown here are the wood bindings of curly maple.

BABY MARTIN----NECK RESET

ABOVE IS A SHOT OF THE COMPLETED NECK RESET, AND REPAIR OF THE CRACKS IN THE BACK...IT HAD ONE ABOUT 8 INCHES IN LENGTH, AND ONE ABOUT 4 "...AS WELL AS A HOLE KNOCKED IN THE SIDE. ALSO YOU CAN SEE THE CLEATES IN THE BACK WHERE THE CRACK WAS REPAIRED....
THE SOUND WAS JUST WHAT YOU EXPECT ON A VINTAGE GUITAR,,VER DEEP MELLOW, AND PRONOUNCED....THE FRETS WERE RE-FINISHED AND THE NECK ANGLE RESET. THERE IS PLENTY OF ADJUSTMENT IN THE SADDLE NOW.
MY FRIEND CHARLES BURGER SAID HE WOULD SUGGEST LEAVING THE GUITAR FRET BOAD AS IS INSTEAD OF FILLING DINGS,,THE OWNER WANTS THIS TOO.
BELOW IS A CLOSE UP OF THE SADDLE WHICH IS MADE FROM DEER ANTLER, AND CAPED WITH A PEICE OF IVORY FROM AN OLD PIANO.. MIKE RAZER, THE OWNER SAID THIS WAS HIS GRANDFATHER, WHO PLAYED MUSIC AND WAS AN ENTERIANER. GUITAR ARRIVED IN MISSOURI, IN TIME FOR MIKE TO PLAY FOR HIS FATHER WHO WAS IN THE HOSPITAL NEAR DEATHS DOOR. MIKE PLAYED, AND SHOWED IT TO HIM. I AM BLESSED TO HEAR STORIES OF THIS TYPE AND THE PLEASURE MUSIC BRINGS TO THE SOUL. OH ! MIKE LEARNED TO PLAY IN ABOUT A MONTH...AMAZING


THE BRIDGE ABOVE HAD SEVERAL CRACKS, THE OWNER AN I DISCUSSED REPAIRING OR REPLACING...SINCE I DO NOT KNOW THE THE BOLTS IN THE BRIDGE OR ORGINAL OR NOT, WE DECIDED TO LEAVE AS IS AND REPAIR THE BRIDGE..

A NEW PICK GUARD WAS ADDED, EBONY PEGS, AND END PEG WAS ADDED..

A VERY NICE INSTRUMENT WITH A GREAT SOUND YOU COME TO EXPECT WITH A MARTIN VINTAGE.

TO RESET THE NECK ON MIKE RAZER'S BABY MARTIN..
THE PROPER FRET WAS REMOVED AND A SMALL HOLE DRILLED, AND A BASKET BALL NEEDLE INSERTED,,,STEAMED 15 MIN. FROM MY PRESSURE COOKER......THE FRET BOARD IS ROSE WOOD, AND HASBEEN PAINTED IN YEARS PAST....THERE WAS NO MORE ADJUSTEMENT IN THE SADDLE BRIDGE, MAKING IT NECESSARY TO RESET THE NECK... WATCH AS WE PROGRESS ALONG ON THESE REPAIRS MIKE....THERE ARE SOME CRACKS TO FIX, THE BRIDGE CAN BE SALAVED.... ONE BIG DING IN THE SIDE, AND ONE SMALL DING...

MY NEXT PROJECTS ARE F-5 STYLE MANDOLIN AND A CONCERT DULCIMER

THIS MANDOLIN FOR CHARLES, CHARLES I JUST FINISHED THE BACK AND THE TOP, AND INSTALLED KERFING , THE NEXT THING COMMING IS GLUING ON THE BACK, YOU CAN CHECK AND SEE MY PROGRESS AS I CONTUNIUE..


PHOTO NO 2
BELOW IS THE BEGINING OF ____ F 5 STYLE MANDOLIN, CURLY MAPLE, I START BY PICKING OUT THE WOOD FIRST.. AND THEN SELECTING THE TOOLS NEEDED TO DO THE JOB....A LOT OF ROUGHING IS DONE WITH A GOUGE, BT AS YOU SEE IN THE PHOTO, I USED THE SMALL THUMB PLANES THAT I MADE IN MY SHOP. THEY WILL DO MOST OF THE THICKNESSING. IN THE FINAL PHASE OF GRADUATED CARVING OF THE SOUND BOARDS, TOP AND BACK...THE PLANES ARE EASY AND FUND TO MAKE,, THE BLADES WERE A PAIN IN THE NECK TO SHARPEN, BUT ONCE FORMED AND SHARPEND, THEN HONING MOSTLY REQUIRED......,,,,,THE COPPER COLORED PLANE ON THE LEFT, IS MADE FROM PLUMBING PARTS, AND ELECTRICAL BUSS BAR FROM A FUSE...THE OTHER PLANES ARE MADE FROM BEACH,,,,CUT AT SIMPKINS MILL CHEAP HILL , TN 11 YEARS AGO,,,,HARDWOOD AND VERY GOOD FOR TOOLS,,,THE BLADES IN THE PLANES ARE MADE FROM, FILES, AND OLD

CHISEL

PHOTO NO 1

**************************************************************************************
**************************************************************************************
***************************************************************************************

DULCIMER PROJECT.
THE DULCIMER IS DESIGNED A LITTLE LIKE A VIOLIN, IT IS MADE OF SHORT PECIES, WITH CORNER BLOCKS, AND THE CORNER BLOCKS ARE RE-INFORCED WITH GAUZ...
I EXPERMITED WITH TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF KERFING, USING ON THE TOP, POPSICKLE STICKS, AND ON THE BACK TRADITION V CUT KERFING....THE CONCEPT OF MAKING AN INSTRUMENT OUT OF SCRAP RECYCLED WOOD, SHIPPING PALLETS OR OTHER SCRAP WOOD,,,WHICH ALL THIS IS.....THE TOP AND THE BACK WILL BE RED OAK , THAT CAME FROM MY GRANDFATHER S HOME PLACE IN LOWNDES, MISSOURI...WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1930 I SALVAGED A FEW PEICES OF THE LUMBER FLOORING IN THE ATIC, WHICH WAS COVERED FROM RAIN BY THE SHAKES MY GRAND FATHER SPLIT WITH A FROE.......SOME OF THE ROOF STILL IN TACK. I INTEND TO KEEP THIS IN THE FAMILY...AND SHARE....WITH OTHERS.....WATCH AS IT COMES TOGETHER AND IS A VERY GOOD PLAYABLE INSTRUMENT... NOTICE THE SPRING CLAMPS MADE FROM 1 1/2 PVC PLUMBING PIPE ,,WORKS GRET......THE WOOD TOP AND BACK AS ALL THE LUMBER FROM S.W. THURSTON'S HOME PLACE WAS CUT BY LOWEL FAULKNER, IN WILLIAMSVILLE, MO...IN 1929 OR 30...I WILL TRY TO PUT A PHOTO OF THE HOME PLACE ON ..BY THE WAY, THAT HOUSE STOOD TILL ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO.....IT WAS NEVER INSPECTED BY CODES,DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE, NO RUNNING WATER..NO FIRE DEPARTMENT, NO POLICE DEPARTMENT, NO BLUEPRINTS, NO ELECTRICTY AT THE TIME....OUTHOUSE OUT BACK, IT WAS 100 YARDS TOO NEAR IN THE SUMMER, AND 100 YARDS TO FAR IN THE WINTER...THIS WAS CALLED FREEDOM,THAT LIBERTY WE DO NOT SHARE MUCH OF TODAY....LOL.... OH! THERE WAS A GUN IN EVERY ROOM,,,NOT MUCH NEED FOR LAWENFORCEMENT....IN THOSE PARTS...

FINALLY FINISHED, SOME MORE INLAY DONE ON THE FRET BOARD

A COUPLE MORE COATS AND I WILL CURE THE FINISH AND BUFFED OUT....SET UP NEXT AND , THE BRIDGE INSERTS WILL BE EBONY ON MAPLE....AND A BONE NUT,AND OF AND QUARTMAN CONE, AND SPIDER BRIDGE, AND SOUND BAFFEL WILL BE INSTALLED......THEN WE ARE FINISHED. AFTER ALL THESE THINGS ARE SET UP.


SET UP TOOK ABOUT 4 HOURS.. SPIDER BIDGE LEVELED, MAPE AND EBONY CAPED BRIDGE INSERTS INSTALLED, AND A BONE NUT CAPED ON THE SIDES WITH ABLONE... AND DOVE MARKERS WERE INSTALLED AT EACH CORD POSITION...DOTS ARE INSTALLED ON HALF STEP POSITIONS...THIS SHOULD ALLOW GETTING AROUND THE FRET BOARD FASTER.

SOUND:
THE SOUND HAS A LOT OF BASS AND A WELL BALANCED TONE...

SIDE VIEW AFTER 8 COATS OF SEALER

REAR VIEW

VINTAGE MODEL VD---1 SILLS MODEL

SHOWN BETTER IN THIS SHOT THE TONER , IS APPLIED TO AN AGED LOOK

JOHN SILLS---VINTAGE MODEL

I NOT SURE WHY TWO PHOTO'S LOADED , HERE IS A PROGRESS REPORT 8 COATS OF CLEAR SEALER, AND VINTAGE TONER