My first custom build; Edwinson Lutherie

[redcrow]

Thanks for the update, Steve. Even in the white, that maple is impressive. Can't wait to see what it looks like with a bit of finish. I am so excited that we're on the final stretch here. I know it'll take some time, but the results will be well worth some patience.

[Zandit75]

Originally Posted by redcrow

Yes, indeed there are more. Some are dupes taken to set exposure. Some were done with less than ideal lighting. And more still just didn't tickle my fancy enough to get them downloaded from my phone, get the file type set to something Imgur can handle, upload them to Imgur, and then embed the links in a post here.

While I'm whining, does anyone have a method to batch process files through the above drill?
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Aside from all that, this thread already displays many shots of this project from beginning to current state. I simple don't want to overwhelm people. Sometimes, less is more.

But thanks for you request. If others echo it, I'll make time.

Do you use the Tapatalk app to upload your photos?
It's free to use, and quite user friendly. Removes all need for a separate image hosting site.

[redcrow]

Originally Posted by Zandit75

Do you use the Tapatalk app to upload your photos?
It's free to use, and quite user friendly. Removes all need for a separate image hosting site.

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely look into Tapatalk. Not familiar with it, but I'm willing to learn. Is it available for MacOS? Can you describe the work flow for using it to generate appropriate links usable here from a list of image files? Again, thanks

[Zandit75]

Originally Posted by redcrow

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely look into Tapatalk. Not familiar with it, but I'm willing to learn. Is it available for MacOS? Can you describe the work flow for using it to generate appropriate links usable here from a list of image files? Again, thanks

I'm not sure about using TapaTalk with computers, especially such handicapped systems like MacOS......

Only kidding, sorry! I only have one apple product, which I still detest using, but I need it for my lyrics when gigging!!

TapaTalk works perfectly from your phone/tablet, so I only use it when needing to upload photos.

It's been a number of years, but from memory, when you create an account with Tapatalk, use the same user name and password that you have here for this website.

Add this website to your favorites, and find the thread you want to reply to.
Hit the curved arrow at the bottom of the page to create a new post, and then start typing.

When you want to insert a photo, you will see some boxes below your text that you can tap to add a photo. Note: with a free account, you can only add a certain number of photos to each post, and only of a certain size. You can become a paying user which removes these restrictions. I only use the free account, as it seems to still provide decently sized and clear photos.

Follow the prompts to upload the photo. It will appear as a thumbnail below your text within the box you tapped earlier.

Once you're back to your text, make sure your cursor is after your text, then tap on the photo, which should pop up a prompt to "Insert Inline". This should place the link to the photo after the text you have written.

If you are adding multiple photos in a row, repeat the process, but put a full line of space between the photos, otherwise they get crammed all together.

See how you go. Hopefully I've explained it well enough.

You can go back and edit the post via your computer or phone/tablet if you make a mistake.

Good luck with it.

[redcrow]

Yesterday, Steve sent me a picture of the guitar body after receiving it's first coats of lacquer. This is just the beginning of the process, but as you can see, the quilting in the Maple just shimmers. It's going to be awesome once the process is completd.

A word about the picture quality; the shot was taken inside Steve's spray room because the weather made getting a daylight picture impossible. The halogen lights really screwed the white balance resulting in an overall orange-ish tint. So I used my handy graphics editor to try to correct the color balance. It's not a true representation, but close enough to display here.

[dcn]

Whoa! Shimmering beauty. This gets better with every post.

[12FanMan]

Originally Posted by redcrow

Thanks for the tip. I will definitely look into Tapatalk. Not familiar with it, but I'm willing to learn. Is it available for MacOS? Can you describe the work flow for using it to generate appropriate links usable here from a list of image files? Again, thanks

=====================================
Be sure and read the end user license agreement CAREFULLY before you load that or any app on your phone. A lot of them contain some pretty mean privacy violations.

[redcrow]

Originally Posted by 12FanMan

=====================================
Be sure and read the end user license agreement CAREFULLY before you load that or any app on your phone. A lot of them contain some pretty mean privacy violations.

Thanks for the heads up. Fortunately, I'm an old Unix geek and the MacOS is basically Unix under the bloated interface code, complete with the scripting and automation tools you's expect to find in such an environment. I took some time and effort to write a PERL script that only needs the path to the desired files to upload them to my hosting site and download the links I can use here. Yes, it does mean I have to get under the hood, so to speak, and execute it from a terminal window, but it's still more efficient than what I had been doing and because the script uses SSL encrypted file transfer protocols, it's probably more secure.

It's what I used for today's post.

[redcrow]

Originally Posted by dcn

Whoa! Shimmering beauty. This gets better with every post.

dcn,

Thanks! Wait until the finishing process is complete. Steve told me he would try to beat my greatest expectations. What he did is beyond my dreams.

[theEdwinson]

One of the things I love most about lutherie is having the privilege to work with such extraordinary materials, and make them into musical art that inspires the owner on multiple levels. I am constantly astounded at the extravagance of beauty that we find in the Natural world, and the reverence that feeling inspires. I certainly can't take credit for any of Nature's creations... I just try to do my best to do proper honor to these amazing woods by building guitars that show the natural beauty in its best aspect, both sonically and visually. Every luthier on this Forum experiences the same thrill. There's a LOT of job satisfaction in this work.

I must add also, the privilege of working with so many excellent people, like Bert, who has become a great friend through this process, is priceless. There are so many awesome people participating in this Forum, from around the world. What is it about acoustic guitars, in that they seem to ennoble the people who love them, and play them? Humanity's most universal language is music, and no matter where you are from, what culture you live in, we all understand this language innately; it's in our genes. Those of us who speak it as well are very fortunate, aren't we!

[Carpinteria]

Steve, I think your calling as a luthier is only challenged by your thoughts and words as a philosopher! I just love the breadth and depth of your reflections. So wonderful. Thank you. Dave

[redcrow]

Originally Posted by Carpinteria

Steve, I think your calling as a luthier is only challenged by your thoughts and words as a philosopher! I just love the breadth and depth of your reflections. So wonderful. Thank you. Dave

Dave,
If I may, I'd like to second your comments. Somewhere near the beginning of this thread, mikealpine said,"People collect Steve’s guitars. Steve collects people." My whole experience with Steve is a testament to the truth of what he said. He's the sort of person who makes everyone around him a little bit better. It's as much a pleasure to know him as it will be to play one of his creations. He has so enriched my return to music it's enough to bring tears of joy.

[redcrow]

No new pictures today, I'm afraid, but Steve tells me he hopes to shoot what should be the final coats of lacquer today. So we're getting close... I continue to be amazed at how quickly Steve brought the ideas we hatched only 3 1/2 months ago to such an incredible fruition in time for the 76th anniversary of my birth. In many ways, my rediscovery of the joys of music, in particular the magic of playing it was a genuine rebirth, so the timing is both appropriate and meaningful to me. BTW, Steve and I decided this guitar needs a name, and after tossing around a number of options, we settled on "Ariel" after the wood sprite in Shakespeare's "The Tempest". Whether you subscribe to the idea of naming inanimate objects or not, Ariel rolls off the tongue a lot easier than "the one guitar that'll be with me till I die". It is, after all, the physical manifestation of Steve's creative genius as well as the great rapport that's developed between us during it's "gestation".

[theEdwinson]

The final lacquer coats have been sprayed on, so we are now at the stage of literally "watching paint dry". Not much visual content to produce during this time. The guitar, disassembled, is now hanging quietly in the curing closet. Cardinal lacquer needs to cure and harden for about three weeks before the wet sanding, at grits of 800 to 2500. Then comes lots of careful buffing and polishing before the joining of the neck and body, and final assembly. Actually, I find that building a guitar is easier than finishing a guitar. We will have a built and strung instrument in early April if all goes according to plan. I expect Bert's guitar, which we have named "Ariel", to be one of my best yet.

[redcrow]

Steve,

Thanks for stopping by with the update. I have to agree that the watching lacquer cure part is the least exciting part of the build process. But it is a vital step, and your attention to detail is most appreciated. Besides, I know a little bit of patience can go a long way. After all, you've given me a wonderful pictorial record that I can ogle for hours, and I've got a perfectly good Eastman guitar and an instructor who sees to it that I'm never at a loss for a challenge. So I should be able to keep myself occupied until then. I am so grateful for the experience we've shared and the friendship we've found along the way. And when you say you feel Ariel is one of your best, to me that says so much! I am grateful beyond measure.