Stumped

The 50th anniversary guitar build…

Only the stump remains.  Just off the right side of my Dad’s driveway there’s a moss covered stump.  Anyone that shot hoops up on Mack Road probably remembers the tree that was once there. It was in just the right spot to return the ball gently if you swished one in from the left side of the court.  It was in just the wrong spot if you drove hard to the right and didn’t land clean. It was responsible for a few twisted ankles and a bunch of scrapes.  Scrapes of flesh and if my memory serves me correctly, scrapes of a fender or two as well.  There was also a March in the adolescence of my maple syrup production that I admittedly misidentified this leafless Hickory and tapped it. 

As happens with big old trees, the day came about 5 years ago when the decline of the tree’s structural integrity forced the decision to take the tree down. Charlie Vroman artfully layed the tree down alongside the driveway where it was bucked up into manageable pieces, dragged away for firewood and a whole bunch set aside to use here in the smoker.  Mountains of briskets, salmon and pork butts were smoked with that wood and many evenings this barroom was warmed with hickory fire. One somewhat sizeable, straight section was hauled down the road about a half mile where Dave Costanzo milled it into boards of various width. We then relocated the boards to the loft at the highest point of this barn where we stickered and stacked them to dry.  The thought being perhaps someday one of us would have a special project they may fit into.  

At some point in time, 2? 3? years ago, in a conversation with my friend Steve Kovacik the idea of a commemorative guitar was born.  Steve, as you may know, is an incredibly gifted luthier.  Looking at this restaurant’s impending 50th anniversary the project just made sense to us.  To have a custom made, collectible quality instrument made of primarily local materials as a ‘house’ instrument available to the multitude of talented musicians who frequent this barn. Beginning with the back and sides formed with the Mack Road Hickory. 

Of course I’m gonna play it, as will Steve but it’ll also wind up in the hands of Chris Carey, Tim Wechgelaer, Mike O’Donnell, Scott Sharrard, Jim Gaudet, Jeffrey Foucault, Grant Gordy etc, etc..   If you know of another place that’s done something similar, please don’t tell us!  We’re real excited and it feels organic and original to us. 

So it has begun.  Steve and I went up in the loft, blew the dust off the stack of hickory boards and selected the one that, in Steve’s eye, would be best suited to this build.  He then milled them to appropriate dimension for an “M Style” Martin guitar. I’m including some pictures in this thread so you can see the progress to this point in time.  I plan periodically to show some updates as Steve’s work continues.  There are some extraordinary appointments to be included in this build.  We’re trying to include materials sourced from people/places of note in the history of this restaurant.  It’s gonna be a lot of fun revealing these surprises as we go forward.  A couple, we’re still hunting for. 

We are also planning, sometime next May, an evening dedicated to the public unveiling of the instrument and a concert featuring a bunch of our musician family members.  Perhaps we’ll smash a bottle over the bow!

Nah..