Kathy and I met at the Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp. A musician from South Carolina, she performed as a solo artist before moving to a community of other musicians. She is now living her dream of fronting a rock band that covers tunes by Fleetwood Mac, Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, and others. You go, girl!
The guitar’s face had to be turquoise. Colored lacquer presents a challenge. The binding has to be masked off. The colors have to be right. The color has to go on light enough to preserve transparency, but dense enough that it doesn’t look washed out. The blend has to be smooth. There can be no drips or other disturbances. After the clear coats are added, there can be no rub-throughs during wet sanding. It’s a process fraught with peril.
The back and sides are Koa, a beautiful and resonant wood from Hawaii.
This Koa has an interesting story. A neighbor of mine here in Alaska was wintering on the Big Island. A storm brought down a large tree onto the flat roof of his house. He milled the log in place with a chainsaw. I bought two wide, quarter sawn boards from the middle of the tree, enough to make several dozen guitars.
The inlay theme is the four points of the compass, created in abalone and mother of pearl. A compass rose of stained glass is on the headstock.