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| 01-23-08 NAMM is past and we have added Traveler Guitar and Danelectro to our lineup! We have a limited number of Traveler guitars in stock and are expecting more in April. Danelectro guitars and pedals should also begin arriving in April. A new line of Luna guitars is on the way as well. Drop us a line to set up a time to visit and check us out! 12-02-07 Luna guitars are now in stock! Email us for current inventory on them. Now is the time to check into our super deals for the holidays. Can't decide? Ask about our gift cards! Available for any amount, they are redeemable for the instrument or accessories they really want! All our inventory is priced to sell so check it out! Don't see what you want? Email us and we will submit your order! 08-28-07 Every other year, in Healdsburg California, luthiers from all around the world gather to share what represents some of the finest work being done today. Set in the middle of the Russian River Valley wine making area, it is an opportunity for those who love to build, love to play and (for some of us) love to listen to come together and share three days of terrific weather, good food, beautiful craftsmanship and great music. This year was no different. Amateurs and professionals meet to share ideas and to discover others who share the love of instrument making. For the makers, it is a chance to see their creations come to life in the hands of the artist. It is validation of their passion. For a player, it is like being a kid in a candy store. There are hundreds of pieces in all shapes and sizes to touch and try. There are other players to gain insight from in the form of workshops and performances to attend. For those of us who are neither makers nor players, the sight is still overwhelming. The beauty of the pieces, the colors of the woods, the inlay, the sounds of wood and strings springing to life and the aura of an open air marketplace make a trip to remember. Dozens of workshops and seminars ranging from Linda Manzer discussing pushing the envelope on guitar making to Ed Gerehart discussing polishing your playing technique fill the day offering both builder and player and opportunity to hone their talents. Workshops are a source of inspiration for both the novice and the experienced. Showcasing the instruments is a tradition at Healdsburg. There are cabaret performances throughout the day allowing the visitor to hear the instruments played by skilled musicians. Two of my personal favorites were the twenty minutes spent with Alex DeGrassi as he demonstrated Fred Carlson’s (www.beyongthetrees.com) 39-string harp sympatar and Ed Gerehardt mesmerizing the café with tunes played on both a Breedlove® Jumbo and their prototype Weissenborn. Innovation filled the air. Each of the luthiers at the show has dedicated countless hours to their instruments. These builders come from all walks of life from Radio Engineers to Architects. Some retired, some changing careers others working to balance work with their passion. Some have been designing and building for years, others are novices making their debut. A new design, from Allan Beardsell blended nylon string with gypsy jazz. Shelly Park brought her Cylindrical guitar. Matt Mustapick and Howard Klepper showed pieces that blend museum quality beauty with beautiful tonality. Michihiro Matsuda shows a daring new shape with removable pieces! Harvey Leach brought not only his inlayed pieces but the Voyager-air® guitar designed with a hinged neck which allows it to fold into an airline sized carry-on case. Jim Ellsberry offers a 5 piece archtop guitar made in the century’s old tradition of the violin and cello. He has worked both a top and back in this method and is working on a piece which has both back and front made this way. Women were also showing pieces in increasing number. No longer the exclusive realm of men, builders such as Linda Manzer with her radical wedge, Monica Esperza crafting traditional Spanish guitars, Shelley Park with her Gypsy Jazz pieces and Kathy Wingert with her harp guitar are opening the way for others to follow. Sponsored by Luthiers’ Mercantile and Acoustic Guitar, the show draws hundreds of builders and admirers from around the world. There were too many luthiers to mention in these few lines at the show but all have achieved a degree of excellence that comes from a love of what they do. Many are not full time luthiers, devoting what spare time they have to creating an instrument of beauty. We met architects, cabinet makers, construction workers, even a postal worker! All were willing and eager to share their love of guitar building with us. If you play guitar, have thought about building your own, want to touch up your technique as a player or come in contact with a great group of people, make plans to attend the next festival. It will become a pilgrimage to remember. For additional information, or to plan your visit in 2009, visit http://www.lmii.com/GuitarFestival/Default.asp 04-10-07 Wow time flies! We just received out first shipment of Duesenberg and Lace guitars! We also have a selection of Lace pickups in stock! Our inventory keeps growing! We have a beautiful Weber resonator and a mandolin in stock. We placed our first custom order for our friend Dan and hope to post pictures of his piece as it is being made soon. We have another resonator on order, this one a round neck model, it will be a cordovan color and should be awesome when finished! We will have a Lace page up soon in the meantime check out www.lacemusic.com 01-31-07 We are still looking for just the right location and hope to have more info for you soon. Thanks to all of you who made a valiant attempt to find us! We will let you know how things work out! 01-13-07 Wow! A New Year already! We have been very busy finding a home. And we have one! The Fret Art Gallery will finally have a real home. A place where you can come and touch and play all the fine instruments we have been gathering over the past year. We are planning on taking possession of the storefront as of February 1. It will be filled with great pieces from around the world and we hope you will stop by and say hello. Right now the space is little more than a shell but soon it will house the Inland Empire's premier center for specialty guitars. We will be back at NAMM this week to meet with vendors who represent the quality and workmanship we are looking for. We are talking to Reverend, Duesenberg as well as Breedlove and others. So check out our construction page and we will keep you posted on our progress. |
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