2017 Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration

[SBAIC]

The Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration is relocating and upgrading to the beachside Fess Parker resort for the weekend of August 25-27, 2017! This spacious venue has everything you'd want for a comfortable, relaxed weekend - rooms on site, restaurants, bar, pool, ocean, and a high class exhibition space.

This year's festival has been completely rebuilt from the ground up to take advantage of the venue and the features that worked the best from last year. A great group of 60 premier luthiers including Benedetto, Buendia, Buscarino, Fox, Kostal, Matsuda, Manzer, Ribbecke, Sexauer, Somogyi and Wingert (and many more) will present their fine work in a more intimate space. Eleven player workshops in multiple genres at all skill levels will be offered with our talented teachers, and the music demos have been consolidated into one indoor location with an outstanding sound tech.

The new Heritage Exhibit will trace the development of the stringed instrument from the Chinese Guzheng and Gambian Kora, through the Renaissance and Baroque Periods into 19th Century Classical and steel sting examples, and to contemporary luthiers Klein, Fleishman and Carlson. Luthier icons including Erikson, Fox, Leach and Somogyi will be giving complimentary seminars on all aspects of the craft.

For evening concerts, we kick off with the Guitar Summit on Thursday evening followed by Dueling Guitars with Fingerstyle Champs Richard Smith and Tim Sparks. Friday will start with Hawaiian Slack'n'Steel by Ken Emerson and Kimo West followed by the Guitar Summit II. Michael Chapdelaine and Tony McManus will present a Classical Outlaws Play Somogyi concert at the Center Stage. The Saturday night headliner will be stringmeister David Lindley at the Lobero, with a benefit auction of an exceptional Ribbecke Halfing guitar.

SBAIC '17 will feature the finest contemporary acoustic instruments, workshops, seminars and music. Everyone who attends SBAIC’17 gets a chance to win a new Sexauer FT-00-WRX Guitar, so come on by and Share Your Passion with old and new friends for a fun and inspiring festival. sbaic.com

http://sbaic.com/

[Bruce Sexauer]

Having completed the giveaway guitar a couple of months ago, and paying particular attention to how it plays and sounds since I expect between 500 and 2500 people to handle it, I am amazed at how it has developed since stringing. MUCH more so that most of my guitars. I attribute this to being made with titebond instead of HHG, which is my normal glue. I have heard it suggested that titebond continues to harden up for some time and I have always thought this an old luthier's wife's tale, but now I am not so sure. Most of my guitars are noticeably crisper from day one, but this puppy has arrived. Interesting. Hope to see you in August.

[Stephen Strahm]

Originally Posted by Bruce Sexauer

Having completed the giveaway guitar a couple of months ago, and paying particular attention to how it plays and sounds since I expect between 500 and 2500 people to handle it, I am amazed at how it has developed since stringing. MUCH more so that most of my guitars. I attribute this to being made with titebond instead of HHG, which is my normal glue. I have heard it suggested that titebond continues to harden up for some time and I have always thought this an old luthier's wife's tale, but now I am not so sure. Most of my guitars are noticeably crisper from day one, but this puppy has arrived. Interesting. Hope to see you in August.

I believe Bruce I believe!!!

[ronadair]

I'm a local OMG! So lucky.

[chasapple]

Yep, just purchased my SBAIC tickets and airline tickets from Hawaii. Purchased a bunch of the classes too. This show looks amazing for an acoustic guitar nut like me. Had to miss last year's show at the last minute but all lined up his year!

-Charles

[CoolerKing]

Wish I could come! I'm gutting a key west mid-mod home to the tune of hemorrhage trauma code. Should be moved in by October but then have a ton of landscaping, pool, landscape architecture to go. Should be fun though!

[lcgeek]

I was there last year, hopefully can make it happen again.

I live in SB and somehow never heard of this.

If I'm interested in learning how to build guitars, is there anything for that?

[jennconducts]

See you there, starting Friday night at the Tony/Mike concert!

[svea]

Originally Posted by commonbird

I live in SB and somehow never heard of this.

If I'm interested in learning how to build guitars, is there anything for that?

I would say that the entire experience is everything for that! You should come check it out. There are some lectures and such. But the best thing of all would be to just have as many conversations as you can with the luthiers there. I think there will be about 60 of them! Don't be surprised by tongue in cheek comments like "run the other way". "Get a real job".

Svea

[min7b5]

Have fun everyone

[tadol]

Just checked in - what a beautiful venue! Some great music starts tonite - looking forward to the start of the show tomorrow!

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by tadol

Just checked in - what a beautiful venue! Some great music starts tonite - looking forward to the start of the show tomorrow!

Thanks for the pictures. I hope you have a great time and I look forward to updates when you get a chance. Enjoy!

Best,
Jayne

[tadol]

Currently, the odds of winning the Sexauer SBAIC raffle guitar look excellent - of course, once the doors open and attendees start depositing their ticket stubs, that may change - but they will still be far better than winning the Super Lotto!

When does that lotto finish up? I'm thinking about coming down tomorrow.