Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi all

I’m back in the UK for a couple of days R & R while the seismic survey boat undergoes some repairs to the compressor for the air guns. We’re also being lent a new state of the art gun and hydrophone array by one of the big oil companies (these things are expensive and who has all the money!). I head back out to Sumatra on Monday to re-run a number of the lines that we’ve already shot with the new equipment. We’ve had a number of quakes in the 6 - 7 region which, although worrying for the population, are to be expected and in fact to the seismologist can produce a lot of valuable data. Early analysis of the data that we have already shows that the area remains very unstable and that serious large scale (and potentially tsunami inducing) quakes are likely in the near future, that’s near future on a geological time scale.

Judging by the reconstruction and aid that is taking place the money you guys raised for the Tsunami victims is being well spent.


I’ve stopped by on the forum a few times when in port and as usual have looked in awe at the guitars some of you guys have been building. I still can’t believe how little you guys charge for your work. I won’t mention any individual but I can think of at least ten of you guys (you know who you are) who would be in the $5-10000 price range in the UK and some who could match George Lowden, my own yardstick, for both build quality and price!
Now a composite answer to a number of the threads I’ve read recently:

1. Colby, if your building guitars of that quality at, what is it, 19 what on earth are they going to be like when you’re 30! If ever there was a natural talent it’s you, if your not going the college (Doctor, Lawyer) route then get yourself apprenticed to one of the big fish in the lutherie game and learn as much as you can. In years to come OLFers will be able to say that they knew you when you started out!

2. Don, love the smiley Uke, some people take building far too seriously but who could resist a smile every time they see it. I have to say though that I just don’t get the Uke thing. Over here in the musicians social pecking order, finger pickers obviously sit at the top then you work your way down through fiddlers, pipers, harpists, mando players, until right at the bottom you’d get Ukes just above banjo players and only two places above flatpickers! Just as the film Deliverance killed the banjo, Tiny Tim did for the Uke.

3. Kermodie spruce, OK so it’s just Sitka from a different source with a lot of marketing BS. But then of course Carpathian is just European (Norway) spruce (P. abies) from a different source with a lot of .......    For some reason that escapes me everyone raves over Carpathian as being in some way superior to the other European spruce. Well not over here it isn’t, the Italian, Austrian, Romanian spruce that I see is every bit as good as so-called Carpathian. There is a different species from Eastern Europe that has been used for instruments, P orientalis, that may well be superior to P abies from anywhere, but it is not commerrcially available and as rare as rocking-horse droppings, (I cleaned that up Lance). I’ve got four sets of it, one of which I’ve promised to Joshua when I come over to Texas. I’m only going to use it when and if I think my skills ever warrant it.

4. ASIA, hope you all have a great time at ASIA, Colby are you going? You’ve got to network my lad! I’ll be interested to see Lance’s reports. Now don’t all go buying too much wood will you. If you do, remember the OLF sponsors.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Hi there Colin, good to hear from you. Hope your having fun.John How38513.4430555556

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Colin, thanks for checking in! We miss'ya!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Colin,

Great to hear back from you. Many here are starting to forget the virtues of mahogany without your presence.    So, hurry back when you can.

Jeff

Stay dry Collin. good to here from you.

Good to hear from you, and seems like the work's been interesting to say the least!

BTW, how's your assistant/secretary faring with reclaiming those Cuban mahogany lab benches for the noble purpose of luthing-with?

Colin,
I was just checking for your last post yesterday to find out why we had not heard from you.
I figured you were busy.
Best of luck and stay out of harms way.

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Hey Colin, It's good to hear from you. We had a pretty good 00 thread going a while back that I was expecting you to chime in on. Now I understand why you didn't.

How much longer before you're land based again?

Great to hear from you Colin. Your presence has been missed on the forum. However, your work there has to be immensely rewarding and can have a real impact in the future. It is great to have more than one passion in life. Take care and join us when you get a chance.

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Colin,

Welcome back! Probably a well deserved break.

best wishes,
Joshua

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Instagram: @jfrenchluthier
Web: https://www.jfrenchguitars.com/

Colin, it is indeed good to hear from you. Mattia beat me to the draw about the Cuban mahog--- but that's not the only reason we love you here!

And Joshua--where have you been hiding yourself?
Do you think you might make the next LINT meeting?

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Hi Colin, I was just thinking of you the other day. I read in the paper that there had been more earthquakes up there in indo. I was wondering if they are a help or a hindrance to what you're doing. As Micheal said, keep dry.

[QUOTE=Jeff Doty] Colin,

Great to hear back from you. Many here are starting to forget the virtues of mahogany without your presence.    So, hurry back when you can.

Jeff[/QUOTE]

So was I! I've got so used to the sound of my little plywood travel guitar over the last couple of months that I forgot how good Mahogany sounds, I got to build me a laminated mahogany travel guitar!

ColinColin S38514.4421180556

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=PaulB] Hi Colin, I was just thinking of you the other day. I read in the paper that there had been more earthquakes up there in indo. I was wondering if they are a help or a hindrance to what you're doing. As Micheal said, keep dry.[/QUOTE]

Paul, As I said seismologist love earthquakes they produce far more energy for our instruments than we can ever produce with air guns or explosives, almost all we know of the structure of the inside of the Earth comes from earthquakes. They're not so good though if you live in an earthquake zone.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Steve Kinnaird] Colin, it is indeed good to hear from you. Mattia beat me to the draw about the Cuban mahog--- but that's not the only reason we love you here!

Steve[/QUOTE]

The labs have been cleared but the mahogany has all been stacked awaiting inspection by the Health & Safety Executive, so we live in hope.

By the way I had some time on land and got up into the mountains, big old growth Macassar Ebony, Sonokling, and Satinwood trees. I thought to myself, could I make some guitars from them, but do you know, every one had a notice pinned to it "Reserved for the Kinnaird brothers"!

Love that Ambrosia, truly food for the gods.

ColinColin S38514.4493055556

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thanks for all the good wishes from all the great guys on OLF.

Back to Sumatra on Monday for about another four weeks to collect more data, then back to the UK for a couple of months of number crunching (courtesy of a nice big Cray, don't you just love the concept of more power!) Then probably a big symposium with a number of other geologists from different disciplines before putting together recommendations to the UN and the relevant governments.

Hopefully then I'll get back to a little bit of sawdust making. I've got some nice cherry just waiting, oh and some walnut, and of course some nice mahogany and some nice flamed English sycamore that I've promised myself to build a classical from, so little time, so much wood!

Oh, and I've just ordered myself a new 20" wheel Axminster bandsaw today (it weighs in at 430lb, I hope my wife can handle that when its delivered!) it'll be crying out for some nice Cuban to resaw. I think I'll have to get an apprentice. Colby are you available?

And Lance, yes you are one of the guys who could charge $5-10k easily over here!

talk to you all when I get back.

ColinColin S38514.4700694444

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.