A 17th.C. Italian style marquetry guitar I made

Young people,like everyone else,may have it,or just do not.Most people are asleep. I know a 12 year old girl who is already sharper than most 18 year olds. Being left handed helps,as we use both sides of our brains. I did not know that until a doctor told me that recently. My wife is left handed,too. She called B.S. on it until she Googled it. (She doesn't like this doctor,but hasn't really met him).

This 12 year old was at my shop,and drew a perfectly good rabbit on a piece of pine. BUT,she cut it out right on the line,although she had never used a bandsaw,or even seen one.I have seen (supposedly) well trained older GUYS who could not stay within 1/4" of the line!!! Another girl,much older,was frightened to death at the noise the blade made cutting. I have also seen a 37 year old female doing an internship as a furniture conservator. She had a Master's degree,and was frightened to death too by the machine. She did horrible sawing. We had a lot of women from rich families in internship programs in the museum. The 37 year old had NEVER had a job yet! She graduated and got a good job at another museum. After 1 year,she quit and went back to school to study business.I doubt she'll ever amount to anything.

The Master's degree educated guys in the furniture conservation shop can't stay within 1/4" of the line when resawing. The old Latvian who has been there forever can. He has no education,and after over 60 years in the USA(a displaced war refugee),he still can't speak decent English(and he's forgotten his Latvian!),but he does most excellent work. I do not say he is creative,but he can do great work copying parts on antiques with missing pieces. His glue ups are very well thought out,and those younger guys are learning things from him.

I don't mean to sound like I'm deprecating women. These are just examples I have seen. Families I know who have daughters account for 2 of them.The 12 year old beats all of them by a mile,and I wish that she could be my apprentice. But,like so many over achievers,her mother has her day booked full of lessons and other activities that tire her out. I am concerned about her tiredness,too. I have fought it most of my adult life,and the only way I have gotten anything done is by pure hard headedness and real interests in the arts.
 
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I can see from the quality of work that you must have enjoyed yourself! The obvious questions (to me that is) remain unanswered. How does the guitar sound? Secondly did you use real gut strings or nylon?

If you can build a guitar you really understand the love of working with wood. Guitars are living objects continuing IMO the life of the original tree.

Well done!
 
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The guitar sounded quite good,actually. Those vaulted backs were designed to be reflectors,not vibrators. Similar to these modern Ovation guitars with vaulted fiberglass backs.

I used gut for the frets,but as the guitar was made for a modern player,I used nylon strings,and had special Baroque gauge nylon strings available in the museum warehouse.

The small guitars had less bass than a modern guitar,and,like many other instruments of the period,had more treble than bass in the tone.

Since The original post has been read,I'll put this thought here: When I was in Alaska for 6 years,we apparently(as a TERRITORY),had some Federal funding to try to bring culture to the area for the young people. We had several assemblies where we heard singers like Anamaria Albergetti (sp?)(a real well known opera singer in the early 50's.) We also had Theodore Bickell(sp?),who sang folk music and played his hand made classical guitar(It was a Clifford-Essex,made in London by Marco Roccio). The first book I ever saw on guitar making was a 1/8" thick book they printed. I learned a few valuable tips from it. We heard a number of other performers,which really perked my interest in the arts up.

I taught shop for 6 years in my beginning career. 4 years were spent in a very rural area of N. Carolina. Some of the students apparently had no plumbing. One actually had to wait for Spring when he could bathe in a nearby stream!

I had friends at the N.C. School of Performing Arts in Winston Salem,about 40 miles away. I had them come and play classical guitar in an assembly I called. The principal was a good hearted guy,and let me have free reign in these cultural assemblies. I had built a 17th. C. Italian harpsichord,and in 1 assembly my wife played it for the students,who had never heard of such an instrument. I had singers who came in and sang for the students. My idea was to expose culture to the students like they did in Alaska. I wanted to make them realize that there were greater things out there than working in the furniture factories(which are now about all gone),or in the Holly Farms chicken processing plant. some went on to college and wrote to me that I helped inspire them.
 
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Most excellent craftsmanship. Most meticulous hand work I've seen in a long time. Breathtaking job George.

Thanks for sharing this.
 
George, just remarkably fine work!
I wonder if I ever saw you working at Williamsburg. The wife and I have been to Colonial Williamsburg more than 15 times since about 1980. We always enjoy our vacations there. Beautiful work. Thanks, Larry
 
My shop was in the room attached to the cabinet shop that was out over the stream. We had great lighting for Williamsburg: There were large windows down each side of the rather narrow room. I think we had the best natural lighting in town,really(except for those who worked outside!)
 
Yes, I know the room. As a cabinetmaker myself, I always toyed with the idea of going to work at Williamsburg. What a wonderful opportunity and experience it must have been for you.
 
george not only are you a talented person but you are a great inspiration and mentor to the rest of us. i surely hope you will pass your secrets to the reet of us in some form ty
 
Εxcellent craftsmanship,love of arts,knowledge,teaching.
A full life! I envy you.
Ariscats
 
Uhh; whaa..what...,what;how...? wow...speechless! I just showed it to my son.
You call that woodworking, but it seems like fine jewelry inlaid with wood...what the heck, you can call it whatever you like!

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Uhh; whaa..what...,what;how...? wow...speechless! I just showed it to my son.
You call that woodworking, but it seems like fine jewelry inlaid with wood...what the heck, you can call it whatever you like!
 
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