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What a great time!

The attendees were:
Steve Kinnard, Jay Lowe, Matt Jacobs, Chuck G (sorry Chuck, I can't for the life of me remember your last name!), Jon Fry, Barry Daniels and myself. We met at a local hamburger joint for lunch and then proceded to Barry's home for a look at his shop and jig collection as well as some KILLER guitars he has made.

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Well! I am having trouble with the picture thing! I had about six pics upladed and the system kicked me off......

So, here I go again.

We chowed on hamburgers at a local restaurant in The Woodlands for about an hour and then headed over to Barry's house and shop. Michael Payne, we lifted our glasses to ya! Glad that you had more time with Diane, but we missed you! We will try again this fall.

Barry's home is in a very wooded section of the Woodlands with a 60 foot wide natural area with trails behind. He has converted (with his wife's permission, of course....) the two car garage into an awesome shop. We first looked at some zoot which Steve Kinnard had brought, some beautiful tiger myrtle which another friend of his had given him to sell.

Barry had arranged for two of his finished guitars to return to their maker for our gathering. One was his first post-Somogyi steel string and second a thin line electric hollow body archtop. Both amazed us all. Barry's shop is full of really functional jigs. He has put a lot of thought into how he builds.

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

I'm not really trying to get my post count up.... Just trying to be sure I don't get knocked out again.

Here are some more pics:

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

More pics:

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Just a few more pics and then I will try to get the video edited and uploaded. Look out Steve Kinnard!

Chuck G couldn't make it to Barry's house since the band he plays in had a benefit gig at 2 pm. We broke up about 4 pm and a great time was had by all. We all agreed we should do it again within the next six months. Look out Matt - Get that shop cleaned! Maybe Hesh can come down and help you out.....

A big thanks to Barry for letting us invade and for all the great jigs and tools. And, a big thank you to Lance Kragenbrink for the MANBAGs!

P.S. We had to pry Steve K's fingers off of some of the stuff in Barry's shop!!!

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

My apologies to Ervin S on the spelling of his name................... Somoygi, Somogyi...... I just can't get it right.

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Very Cool.
Looks like Matt needs hair cut.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

GREAT pics Steve!!!!!

It looks like a good time was had by all. The slab - tell us about the slab man....... is that BRW???????

Barry has about the best equipped shop that I have ever seen pictures of posted here on the OLF.

One thumb and five clappers! Wow! I'm honored Hesh!

Yes, it is a well equiped shop. Barry has really thought out what he needs and how to build it. It is a two car garage and is well organized. It even has a good process 'flow' through it.

The time really flew by. But, Steve K and Jay needed to get back home We had an intense, fun time.

Thanks again, Barry.

Now we have to start planning the next one........

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Man, I must really be getting old! I was gently reminded just a bit ago that I had spelled Steve Kinnaird's name wrong. I left out the 2nd 'i'. Thank you Steve for your forgiveness,

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

I had a great time. I'd like to thank Steve W for putting this together, and everyone that showed up.

Barry's shop is the most well organized shop I have been in. Also, it may not come through in the pics but Barry's jig making skills and ingenuity are astounding. He also makes a pretty mean axe!

Dave Rickard- Hi and I did need a haircut

Hesh- The board has brazilian rosewood written on the side. Steve K and I both did the sniff test, it was inconclusive, definately a rosewood but hard to say without cutting it up or sanding.

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Matt Jacobs

"Don't tase me bro"

That board was given to me by a friend who had used it as a computer desk for the last 25 years. He bought it from a now defunct lumber yard that supposedly used to be located down on FM1960 area and they reportedly had the board in thier store for 20 years. I am also unsure if it is really BRW, but will eventually resaw it and see what lies within.

It was really great having all you guys come by and giving me the opportunity to do my show and tell. I hope I get to see your shops in the future and do some more networking. As you can probably tell, I live for this stuff.

A big Thank You to Steve Walden for organizing this gathering and posting the photos. Also, thanks to Lance and the OLF for the monogrammed bags.

Did someone leave their bag? I ended up with two.

Hey Guys!
Looks like you had a great time! Id love to hang on to Heah's coat tails and visit the next time you gather! Ive never been to TX, and I have two customers there as well that I could visit.....

Glad ya liked the man bags! Brock and I say your very welcome!
Enjoy them! They make great Laptop bags!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I haven't seen many of the pictures of other shops here but it's hard for me to imagine a better use of space than Barry's shop. My guess is that if there is a jig, fixture, or tool that I can think of and didn't see, I either missed it or he has a prototype ready that he wasn't quite ready to show to us yet.

He is a true Gentleman with a mind and boundless energy that I'm guessing most Engineers would be envious of.

And on the side he builds GREAT guitars.

Thanks Barry.

And Thanks to Steve for the organization and the invitation.

Jay Lowe

I don't deserve such high praise, really. But I do appreciate all your comments.

Let's get together again real soon. I'll bring another jig!

Com'on Barry! Just one?

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Thanks Barry for having us!
After a year of learning stuff on my own and in the net, it was really cool to visit some really experienced and impressive luthiers. Your place gave me so many ideas. And your guitars were really really cool.

I've been away from the computer for a few days so I apologize for the late post. I want to thank Steve for organizing the meeting and I'm sorry I couldn't make it to Barry's for the shop tour. I can see from the pictures that I missed a real treat. I'm looking forward to a fall meeting. It was great meeting everyone.

Chuck Gilbert

Oh man dang I wished I could have made it

Next time young man!!!!! But, we knew you were where you needed to be.

For the next meeting I'm thinking of a trip to Nacadoches.... Do we have any luthiers there???? YES, we do!

What do you say Stephen Kinnaird? Nothing like inviting yourself to someone's home.........



Maybe us Houston guys can rent a van! or get a convoy!

How about late October or early November? Anybody game?

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

Put me down for the next one, where ever it may be. Maybe I'll have one finished by then?

Well, youse guys can come up, if you can spell the town's name right. And it ain't easy:
N a c o g d o c h e s. I'd hate for MapQuest to just laugh at'cha! My only concern about having a meeting at my shop is the guaranteed let-down you'd all feel after being in Barry's fine shop. I'm not kidding.

Let me add my belated thanks to everyone else's. Great organizing Steve, gggrrrrreeeeaaaatttt shop Barry, and the hamburger at lunch was to die for. Very good to put faces to the names, and a special thanks to Jay Lowe for letting me tag along.

Oh, and Lance/Brock, I now feel quite stylish w/ my manbag. Almost enough to make me buy a laptop! Many thanks for that unexpected kindness.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I guess I need to pay better attention, I totally missed this. Let me know next time you guys get together. Central Texas is lovely this time of year.

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

Steve - You know I get my speeeling forrm Micheal Paine.............I mean Payne........



Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK