One would think with this very cool property being marketed sooooo cheaply, that any realtor would be able to sell it, after all, it practically sells itself. However the case is that realtors work hard at getting listings, and don't do anything else except wail for someone to show up with a buyer. Well, instead of being able to spend my time doing what I should be doing, that is making fine guitars, I'm having to market this property myself. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of energy. It is mind numbing work. I however chose NOT to be a realtor. Those folks who did choose to be that obviously did so to avoid having to work for a living. I know of only two realtors that worked at their trade, both sucessful and happy, one is dead, the other a multimillionare. The rich one actually united buyer with seller, or seller with buyer, regardless of the particular property being on the market. He would indentify the need, and then find the logical participants. That is now what I'm having to do, and I hate it. Someday, I shall again use my mind and hands for something I like to do, but not until this property is sold.Edwin

The latest guitar is all put together. The new, improved way of neck attachment and bridge attachment allows the guitar to be fully assembled and played and adjusted, making the guitar complete and finished in each and every way except the Finish. I'll say hear (Yes, I know the spelling is incorrect in this context) and now this guitar sounds and plays fabulously!!!! It is the easiest guitar for me to play ever. And the resonance seemingly goes on forever. All in all, its VERY COOL!!!! I will not be doing anything more on guitars, or anything else for that matter except for anything related to selling the church we are living in. After 3 real estate agents, all with empty, meaningless promises, the only way to get the job done is to do it myself. $30,000 commission is apparently not enough for an agent to put forth any effort at all. I hate being in sales. I am bored with the whole process. That of course is why I attempted to hire it done, but the blog from now on until sold will not be about cool guitars.

How often do you blow your nut? No, not that! Blowing ones nut is when after so carefully filing the grooves for the strings on the bone nut, that is filing each string groove with a special rounded file that fit the string exactly, that just before its done, at the almost there, but just a little more stage you stroke the file one two many times. One stroke (no, not that kind of stroke) is all it takes to go too far and now the string sits too low and buzzes when played. All that's left to do at that point is throw the damned nut away and start over. Blowing the nut is commonplace for me, and is frustrating. One would think I would eventually get competent at the seemingly simple job of filing a nut, but so far I get in much practice. Someone once said "He who works with his hands is a laborer, He who works with his hands and his mind is a craftsman, and He who works with his hands, his mind and his soul is an artist".

This is a multi-inovative music machine. The neck is adjustable in the plane necessary to change the string action(the playability if you will). That part works marvelously. The top is fashioned from Douglas Fir. Yes the stuff that grows everywhere around here. A really cool tone wood as I've just discovered(see the strings on the guitar). The top is cut away much like an electric guitar so the strings above the joint at the body are more reachable. And the top is braced with a fan system instead of the old, but still good "X" system. Due to the neck system, the guitar can and is put all together before finishing, and before any finishing touches such as the cool looking wood around the soundholes. This ability to assemble, and play and critique is way cool, because everything changes the sound, everything. The real question now remains. Do I cut out more of the top? I would cut out a comma, right where the arm rests across the guitar, and Iwould cut out the side a bit there as well, giving the arm a relaxed fit on the guitar while playing, and of course, looking cool. But the tone will be changed, probably a lot. So is the xperiment worth doing, or should it wait for another guitar? Perhaps tomorrow will tell, perhaps not.

The Top and the Back. Together they will make a Box. A very special box, certainly, but a Box non the less. This Box should be the most vibrating, music making, comfortable to hold, box around. However we shall have to wait and see{hear} to know for sure. With the top wood Douglas Fir, which is a very superior tonewood, the fan bracing, the Claro Walnut back and sides with its own special vibrating fool of bracing, the sound should be superior in many ways. It should have very even tonal range between bass and treble, it should be LOUD, for a box and it won't look bad either. Time will tell, as it always does.

Well, there it is in the final stages of brace carving. As one can see, it is a completely different bracing system than the normal "X" bracing system which has been in use for over 100 years. The "X" bracing is a very good thing, however, as it performs it's functions very well. That is it allows the bridge plate to vibrate and is strong enough to keep the top in place over the years. The "X" bracing system is also a bad thing. It is used all over the world, in literally millions of guitars. No innovations are forthcoming when the old standard is always used. One cannot blindly follow that what is done is the only Right way, as it is clearly not the case. We shall see how this experience is sound production works out. It will be a good guitar, but perhaps a great guitar.

The Fan. It's been around for centuries, its simple, its effective. Its Strong too. The thin wooden spokes support the fan material, whether it be silk, paper, wood. Wood! What a concept. A support system of thin wooden spokes strongly supporting a wooden ? A wooden guitar top? Of course that is the answer. Oh yeah, what was the question? How to support a guitar top in a manner which lets the top function as it is supposed too, that is to vibrate as freely as possible. What works for a fan will {or should} work for a guitar top, and if so, it should produce a unique and different sound. Not necessarily better, but different. With so many millions of guitars in the world built very much the same, its time to seek a different approach. More of this extremely exciting topic tomorrow.