Grandmother is the third instrument I have made for artist Tracy Spring of Bellingham, Washington. As a musician ages, their instrument can become harder to play. The concept for this guitar was to make an instrument that Tracy could easily play well into her elder years. This guitar has a small body and a short scale, which makes it comfortable and easy to play. My task as a luthier was to design an instrument that although small, can produce a lot of sound. I used red cedar for the soundboard because it is a light and responsive wood, and cocobolo for the back and sides for power and clarity.
The soundhole rosette is an area of the guitar where I get to have some artistic fun. This is an example of my ribbon and ring design that I have used on several other guitars. The ribbon of light and dark mother-of-pearl appears to go over and under the glass ring.
This inlay of the triple moon represents the three phases of a woman’s life: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. The Triquetra in the center is a form of Celtic knot.