Musical Instrument Makers’ Show at Marylhurst University
We had about 80 makers exhibiting at Marylhurst again, this year, and about 800 visitors over the two afternoons that weekend (April 30th/May 1st). It was a very positive experience, though physically and emotionally exhausting.
Ann took a few photos the second day, mostly before the visitors began showing up, so you are seeing the exhibitors setting up.
Our tableOur son Brian’s table.
Doc’s Banjos…his kids were watching Seth Kimmel set up his Bass-making exhibit.
Another bass-maker…all the way from Seattle.
Traditional Latino Instruments
Flamenco guitars
Classical Guitars
Other instruments
Modern Ukuleles
Every kind of guitar imaginable.
Flutes and Drums
Violins
More violins and/or fiddles
Violins, violas, and a cello
And Bows!
Pochettes and fiddles.
Visitor test-driving one of my violins
Obviously there was much more to see. I stayed pretty close to my table virtually all the time, and was very busy, so I missed seeing all the great work people did. For three bucks, that show is the best deal of the year, though. Plan on attending next year, if you can come. It is the last weekend of April every year.
Thanks for looking.
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My wife has been after me for some time to increase my output of 5 string bluegrass fiddles. (She’s probably right, but there are so many other things to do!) So…what to do? I made two new molds, a little broader in the middle bouts, which may improve the sound even more. I installed blocks in both molds and hope to build one five string fiddle of Oregon Myrtle-wood with a Port-Orford Cedar top, and another five-string fiddle of figured maple with a spruce top.
Improved Perspective
I had belly surgery last month (gall-bladder removal) and I am feeling much better. It makes me wonder whether that has been the main source of much of my “don’t feel good” problems for years. I feel so much more positive about work, lutherie and life in general, it is pretty amazing. (And, no, I am not on any “feel-good” meds, in case you are wondering… although, I’ve got to say, after the few days of Oxy-Codone, I can see why people get addicted to the stuff. But I got off it just a few days after the surgery, with just a few times going back for a day or two, to get over a hump, so to speak, when pain became a problem again.)
Progress Thus Far:
So: I have bent the ribs for the figured Oregon Mytrle-wood/Port Orford Cedar fiddle, but still have to join the plates both front and back. I installed the center bout ribs last night, and hope to get the upper and lower bout ribs installed today.
Wood for Myrtle/Port Orford Fiddle with Douglas Fir Tree. There was a hard East wind blowing, and the ribs kept blowing away.Close-up of wood for Myrtle/Port Orford Fiddle
The plates for the Maple/Spruce fiddle are already joined, but the ribs are only cut– they still need to be thinned down to 1mm and cut to 35mm width. If I can get that done today, I will heat up the bending iron and try to get the ribs bent, and the c-bout ribs installed. After that I can work on getting the willow linings cut, bent and installed.
Both fiddles need the neck-blocks cut to shape, to prepare for carving. Neither have any plate-carving done, nor purfling, f-holes, etc., of course.
Follow along as I complete the builds. If you decide you’d like a private look at one of them give me a call or an e-mail.
Goals:
The intent is to have two new five string fiddles ready in time for the Marylhurst University Musical Instrument Show in the Spring ( April 25th and 26th, 2015) My problem is that I also realllllly want to have a new hand-carved upright bass ready in time to attend the International Society of Bassists (ISB) competition in Fort Collins, Colorado, in the last week of May/first weekend of June. (Too many goals…need more energy and time!)
One drawback to the competition goal is that (I think) I will not be able to post progress reports, (photos, anyway) until after the competition. Ah, well… I’ll post other stuff, I guess.
Thanks for reading.
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The following photos were all taken before the public was allowed in, so the tables are not fully set up, but you can see the size of the room, and some of the instrument displays. I believe there were 80 tables, and each table had one or more makers exhibiting, so probably in the neighborhood of 100 makers. Possibly ten were violin-family makers. One was a maker of wooden flutes and drums. Usually there is an orchestral harp maker there, but he was not there this year. There were several mandolin and ukulele makers, some makers of middle-eastern or South American instruments, one or two banjo makers, and all the rest were either guitar-makers or vendors selling materials to makers.
Once the doors were open, I am told we had about 300 visitors the first day, and 500 the second day. I don’t know how accurate those numbers are, but it definitely seemed more crowded the second day.
No sales at our table this year, but lots of interest, and several good players. A good weekend all the way around. The one-piece-back cello, of Oregon Big-leaf Maple was very popular, as was the five-string fiddle and the Lion-head Viola. I did not have a double bass there this year, but several people asked, so I intend to do so next year.
We had a very pleasant visit from violin-maker Kenneth Pollard and his lovely wife (who took the photo below), both of Nampa, Idaho. He and I have corrresponded in the past, but this was a first “face-to-face” meeting. Hope to see them again sometime…maybe at the next show, if not before.
Ken Pollard and Chet Bishop at the 2014 Marylhurst Musical Instrument Makers’ Show
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Five String Fiddle completed…just in time for the Show!
The Maryhurst University Musical Instrument show is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the 3rd and 4th. Admission is only $3 … this is a really good deal, and a great “peek” at up-and-coming makers, as well as the more well-established ones.
Last year there were two banjo-makers, three or four mandolin makers, one double-bass maker, one maker of traditional Persian instruments, one maker of electric Kalimbas, one maker of traditional Mexican instruments, three or so Ukulele makers, possibly ten makers of violin-family instruments, a couple of cigar-box ukulele makers, one orchestral harp maker and probably fifty to sixty guitar makers, of all varieties.
Handmade Bluegrass fiddle took months to complete
I have had more discouraging setbacks on this instrument than in any instrument of the last ten years, probably. I got sick early in the making, and was very busy with work as well, so that slowed things down. Twice I made errors and had to scrap the neck and start over. (Boy, is that frustrating!) Then I somehow got a serious muscle spasm in my back, and could hardly walk for several weeks.
However, perseverance pays off, and I finally completed the five string fiddle last night. There are still some spots to touch up on the varnish, and some other cosmetic issues, but for purposes of practicality, it is complete– and playing very well.
Oregon Bigleaf Maple and Sitka Spruce
The maple wood is from the same log from which I made last year’s five string fiddle. The flame is not quite as spectacular, as it came from a different portion of the log, but still definite eye-candy–the back looks like a cloudy golden sunset in the right light.
If you’d like to try it out, please come to the Marylhurst show this weekend. Meanwhile, here are some photos:
Front of the fiddle– colors are close, but in person it is more brown/red…less yellow.
The back looks pretty good, but it is better, of course, in person…you can see the flame better.Here is a closer view of the grain of the back. It really requires the changing angle of the light, to get the best view of it.Here’s the back of the scroll. I really like the flame in the neck.And, finally, the side of the scroll itself. Not much flame in the wood, but I like the way it turned out, anyway.
Come and try it out at the show. I’ll hope to see you there.
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This will be another “Davidov” 1712 Stradivarius model, similar to the one on my Chronology page (instrument #16), but with a one-piece back. I like one-piece backs, but they are not very common on a cello. This wood (back, sides and neck) is from the same maple log as that from which instrument #19 (five-string fiddle #2) is made. The belly will be Sitka spruce. I plan to make the whole instrument darker than the last one was. Here is a photo of the slab from which the back will be made:
This is a slab of old-growth Big-leaf Maple heartwood. Not everyone will use heartwood, but I like it. I planed some of the rough surface off so that you can see the flame in the wood.
I will try to post photographs of the progress, as the cello emerges.
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