Healdsburg find #3 - Aaron Andrews 'Eclipse'

[Fliss]

Wow, absolutely stunning! Congratulations!

Fliss

[mmmaak]

Originally Posted by Michael Watts

I don't see any reason to worry about that. We also specialise in single luthier/small workshop mandolins and have yet to see tailpieces with exceptional wear, even in 100 year old Gibsons.

OK, thanks. I suppose I underestimated the hardness of wood.

[Bob1131]

Wow!!! Those are fantastic looking guitars (is there drool running down my chin?). I'm glad I did not see and hear them in person...I would be broke now, because I would've had to buy them all!!!

[Billy Boy]

JR, You found some delightful treasures at Healdsburg. Congratulations! If you're at the 2011 festival, I think I'm just gonna follow you around.

[J.R. Rogers]

Lol! Thanks, everyone. I appreciate the comments and PM's. No, sorry, this guitar is not for sale. But Aaron will probably build you one if you tell him JR sent ya.

[J.R. Rogers]

Here's the brochure for the Eclipse:





JR

[Diamondave]

How classy, wish I saw and played everything there, missed that one... Congrats!

[Aaron Andrews]

But, what happens when the wood "saddle" starts to wear? Will the entire bridge have to be replaced?

Thanks for all of the great things you are all saying, I feel like I'm floating...might be the swine flu, though.
I am not incredibly reverential about it. If I need some more room on the top, I just sand the top flat and cap on a piece of wood, work it into the original contour and re-radius the top. I often include the cap on new instruments. I bet you don't have to wonder why! You can kind of shape the sound a tiny bit depending on what you use to cap it with, too.

[mmmaak]

Originally Posted by Aaron Andrews

Thanks for all of the great things you are all saying, I feel like I'm floating...might be the swine flu, though.
I am not incredibly reverential about it. If I need some more room on the top, I just sand the top flat and cap on a piece of wood, work it into the original contour and re-radius the top. I often include the cap on new instruments. I bet you don't have to wonder why! You can kind of shape the sound a tiny bit depending on what you use to cap it with, too.

Welcome aboard, Aaron! Those are some truly unique instruments you're contributing to the forum discussions

Thanks for the explanation. Sorry to hear about your flu. Or were you just kidding? (the "hype" has died down over in my country, but I wonder if it has truly subsided (the flu, not the hype))

[JeremyG]

Originally Posted by J.R. Rogers

And this one....





This guitar went with one of our sponsors to the UK - Acoustic Music Co UK. See this post.

JR

This is one of the most beautiful guitars I've seen. Love that tail piece. And that back...wow!

J.R. your picture here shows the "waviness" of the grain that would indicate the slight arch, if I'm seeing this correctly.

What a splendid bit of artwork/craftsmanship. It just gives you the "willies" just looking at her! Good grief...

Thanks for the post.

Jeremy.

[Tim McKnight]

JR, Are you sure that is EIR? The sides look like EIR from what I can see peaking out from the case but the back looks more mahogany-ish. None the less its still a beautiful guitar as well as the other guitars posted. Congrats to both you and to Aaron.

[K III]

Welcome, Aaron. Your work (at least the pieces that we've seen) is adorable. Absolutely gorgeous.

Karl

[jaymarsch]

Congrats, J.R. on your Healdsburg haul! This one is stunning. I remember it from the show. It is fun to see these beauties land in the hands of our talented AGFers!

Aaron, I like your logo on the headstock - it is elegant and holds both the traditional and modern sensibilities of your designs! Nice job! The river quote is a nice touch, too!

Jayne

[K20C]

After I saw the original post I found out that Aaron is located in Seattle, not too far from where I live. As my Kinnaird needed some adjustment and fret clean-up, I used that as an excuse to go to Aaron's shop, meet him and play his guitars.

Aaron is the kind of guy with whom I could spend the entire day talking guitars. He's friendly, knowledgeable and, since I kept talking guitars which was keeping him from his work, I can say he's very patient, too.

From a quality of build viewpoint, I've not seen a more meticulously built guitar. The joins are perfect, the inlay is perfect, everything was of the highest build quality.

I got to play a couple of his guitars including one of his "archtops". He also had a conventional guitar he'd just finished. Tone is, of course, a matter of taste and I personally preferred the sound of the conventional guitar. Although probably not more than a few days old, it still had the volume and richness of a much more mature guitar. I kept thinking, wow, if it sounds this good now, it's really going to sound great with the passage of a little time and playing. Great woods on it, too.

If you're ever in Seattle, he's worth looking up and if you ever have the opportunity to play one of his guitars I think you'll be impressed.

Anyway, just my two cents. And he did a great job on the Kinnaird.

[Aaron Andrews]

I may have said that I made another Eclipse with IRW back and sides, but not this one. I purchased this lumber about 10 years ago that was labeled as partridge-wood. It was well quartered with a good tap tone that didn't move for the decade that I sat on it. I am still having a hard time identifying it beyond what it was labeled.
There is only one photo on the page below that resembles what I have:

http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...tridgewood.htm
http://www.hobbithouseinc.com/person...0q60%20web.htm

JR, I am sure that I identified it as best as I could before you picked it up. I hope you are still pleased with it. Know that I would have nothing to gain and everything to lose by misinforming you or anyone.

My fever broke, I'm starting to feel better!