My Guitar Build

Cherry wood blank ready for edge treatment

Purple Martin inlay with shell

Routing done, almost ready for glueing

Body nitrocellulose lacquer wet sanded down flat, ready for polishing

Blue

So, I got it into my head that I wanted to have an electric guitar, but not just any guitar.  It had to be something that I felt played well and that was built well.  Thats a tall order for a first time builder but I can be kind of stubborn at times so I decided that since I couldn't find anything that fit my specs and budget I would build a guitar. This particular guitar is built around a 1962 Stratocaster plan I found on the internet. The body is made of Cherry wood that I've had lying around my shop for 30+ years. The neck and electronics came from a luthier supply house called Stewart McDonald based in the USA. The inlay is based on my love of the bird species called Purple Martin, which hang out at our house for a few months in the summer. I was a bit apprehensive about cutting into the neck for the inlay but I quickly got over it and managed a fair job of it.  The guitar sounds great and is now robbing time from my painting, largely because of the novelty of having it in my studio with the amp.  Besides, I would never be allowed to make that kind of ruckus in the house! The guitar is named Blue.  I am a huge fan of the Blues and am making a study of learning to play it well.  The name is a shortened version of a nickname for my daughters first child, which God willing, will be born this August! I know its a secret Sacha but not many people will hear of it through this blog post anyway and I can't stand secrets of this nature.

Close up of 1962 Fender Stratocaster replica by Darrell Baschak, 2013