A Woodstock Invitational 2018 Thank You...

LouieAtienza · #1 10-30-2018, 12:35 PM

This is going to be a little bit different than my past reviews, as I think I may suffer from a little Woodstock withdrawal syndrome waiting for 2020. So I just wanted to give special thanks to some folks here who had made this year so special. It's impossible to list everyone I've met, and just as impossible to meet everyone I wanted to, but I'll give it a go:

Baker - Once again, an amazing show! I know you were running around more than usual this year, but I cannot thank you enough for the work you and your staff do to make this event a reality, and I'm sure the acoustic guitar community as a whole appreciate it so much! Best of luck with your endeavors in the next couple years, and see you in 2020!

John Slobod - Thank you for making my visit this year one of the most memorable - and possibly life changing - moments! I enjoyed every moment, and your hospitality and time was well-cherished. And thanks for literally helping me get out of the "ditch!"

It was an honor to finally have a chance to play some of your incredible guitars! Of course, it sounded ethereal in the hands of Tony McManus an Julia Tosapern!

Marcus Wong - It was a pleasure to finally meet and hang out with you! I enjoyed every moment... Keep up your great playing, and best of luck!

Tim, Mary, and Adrienne McKnight - Your warm welcome and great guitars always put a smile on my face! Thanks for the "goodies" as well!

Mike D. - Thank you so much for your hospitality and generosity; it was an immense pleasure to meet you (and your guitars!)

Bob B. - My attempts at making myself less recognizable had been foiled! Thanks for hanging out and all your work. And for putting out better pictures than I could manage! And for another opportunity at playing your Sexauer guitar!

Martin Keith - I remember you as one of the first builders I got to know at my first WILS in 2014. My buddy Mike P. and I always loved your work and innovation. Thanks for your friendship throughout my visits there, and thanks for your help!

John Osthoff - Thanks so much for the time and conversation you and your "better half" have given me! I always appreciate your advice and humor as well! And an amazing selection of guitars this year (more on that upcoming...)

Sam Guidry - I will never forget just under a decade ago when I fist "met" you and your work on another forum - the famous and incredible "Puzzle" guitar. It was a work that blew many minds then and even now. It has been great to finally meet and talk with you through the years, and your work continues to amaze. Thanks for the honest advice; it is much appreciated!

Linda Manzer, Dick Boak, Chuck Erickson, Michael Gurian, Roger Sadowsky, Richard Hoover - Since my first visit I had always made it a point to attend the Coffee Talk. It is such a valuable asset for us noobs to get insight and advice from those that have been at it for decades. And thanks for not making it a "stuffy" event - your collective humor provided some great entertainment!

Isaac Jang - You're work just continually impresses and inspires me! Thanks so much for taking some time out with me, I very much enjoyed every moment!

Michael Chapdelaine - First an apology - I think I was caught up in the moment, being next to one of my guitar "heroes." Thanks for still being cordial and taking time for a selfie with me; I promise to not let my meatheadedness get in the way next time!

Laurent Brondel - It was a pleasure to have some extended discussion with you and your guitars! They as good to listen to as to look at!

Luca Canteri - It was great to meet someone with similar interests OUTSIDE of guitar-making! Thanks for taking time with me and our long talk, and best of luck!

Benoit Lavoie - This guy has so much energy and enthusiasm, it's contagious! Always a pleasure to visit you! I'm especially fond of that bass - a true feat of art and engineering!

Joel Michaud - After reading countless threads of your amazing work, it was awesome to finally meet you in person! The pics do not do your guitars justice! Amazing sounding instruments as well!

Mark Hatcher - As a frequent visitor of your build threads, it was amazing to actually see the guitars in person! I very much enjoyed speaking with you and your wife, and expect to see more amazing things from you!

Rick - Great meeting you at Coffee talk and great chatting with you. It's always a pleasure to put a face to a name, best of luck with your projects!

Michael Greenfield - We first met at the Artisan show, and as one of my guitar-building heroes, it was actually the first time I ever saw one of his guitars in person. His guitars have a look and sound that appeal to me greatly. I did not demo either guitar he brought. Kinloch Nelson was there at his table, doing a better job at it than I could!

Howard - Great hanging out with you, and great playing!

Carl Barney, Pete Cefalu, Rick Hearne and Ben Berdoulay, The "Euro Spruce" guys, Yusuke Kawakami - Thanks for the dent in my PayPal account... Pete, all the best for your pops!

I also want to give a shout-out to Maxime Baron, Juliette Mosse, Erich Solomon, Randy Muth, Grit Laskin, Jayne Henderson, Joshia DeJonge, Marc Beneteau, Michael Bashkin, Stuart (from Take A Stand), Rosie Heydenrych, Rebecca Urlacher, Kathy Wingert, Maegan Wells, and Leo Buendia (good to see you and your "Tree" guitar again!)

I apologize if I had missed anyone; hopefully I'll cover them later on. I know I didn't meet everyone this year (like I do pretty much every year) regrettably.

I'll post some pics soon. With the intent of not duplicating some pics already posted, I hope to post some pics that reflect more my experience this year... stay tuned!

Marcus Wong · #2 10-30-2018, 03:40 PM

I think you forgot to thank the tow truck that pulled your car out of the ditch

Jokes aside, it was so great meeting you Louie. I loved your energy and enthusiasm!

Mary · #3 10-30-2018, 03:43 PM

Such a pleasure to meet our AGF family. We are so glad you stopped by. Sure hope we can grab more time next time to get to know you better. Thank you for stopping by our table and you are most certainly welcome for the little goodies.

vpolineni · #4 10-30-2018, 04:49 PM

Louie,

It was great meeting you on Sunday. Thanks for the kind words on the michaud guitar! Post some pictures of the great wood that you were able to score while at the show.

LouieAtienza · #5 10-30-2018, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vpolineni

Louie,

It was great meeting you on Sunday. Thanks for the kind words on the michaud guitar! Post some pictures of the great wood that you were able to score while at the show.

Vasu,

I knew I would miss someone.... Your welcome and so blessed to have a Michaud guitar!

As to the wood. I intentionally purchased some tops from the bargain pile of the Euro Spruce guy. And I have to say, they're better than some woods I had bought before that may have been graded 2A. Then again, I look for character woods, though I do have some that grade higher. I was gifted a very nice ebony fretboard blank from Martin Keith! I also bought a few pre-slotted blanks from Carl Barney. Finally I bought a Honduras mahogany billet from Pete Cefalu. I would have bought more wood, but as Marcus alluded to, I had a tow truck driver to pay LOLOL! There's no better way to stick out like a sore thumb....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Wong

I think you forgot to thank the tow truck that pulled your car out of the ditch

Jokes aside, it was so great meeting you Louie. I loved your energy and enthusiasm!

Same to you Marcus! And yes, I did end up buttering the palm of the guy - he did come out at he middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mary

Such a pleasure to meet our AGF family. We are so glad you stopped by. Sure hope we can grab more time next time to get to know you better. Thank you for stopping by our table and you are most certainly welcome for the little goodies.

Yes I'd love that! It's so inspiring to see the incredible creations your family is producing! Adrienne's work is growing by leaps and bounds - I have a LOT of catching up to do!

LouieAtienza · #6 10-30-2018, 05:36 PM

As promised, here are some pics... I did more "taking in the experience" this year, so pics are not as plentiful. But here are some moments...

Erich Solomon, with his cool archtops. A while back (probably 7-8 years ago) I was researching online about the Golden proportion and guitar design. This led me to Erich Solomon's website. Little did I know that in 2014 I would meet the man. Thanks for your time, and killer guitar!

20181027_120857 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Impossibly amazing bird's eye back from Dale Unger

20181028_152548 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Hanging out with Tim McKnight!

20181028_151534 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The artistry of Kathy Wingert:

20181028_150135 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Jayne Henderson, showing off some incredibly figured wood...

20181028_144625 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

And Jayne peaking through as I'm taking a detail pic of a guitar by Sugita Kenji:

20181028_143837 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Who better to demonstrate what Greenfield guitar can do other than Kinloch Nelson!

20181028_143316 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

And one of my all-time guitar heroes, Michael Chapdelaine! When I first heard his music, I never even knew who he was! I just wanted to cover every pop song I knew on acoustic guitar! Darn you, Time-Life records!

20181028_123520 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

20181028_121036 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

LouieAtienza · #7 10-30-2018, 05:51 PM

Watching Tony McManus and Julia Toaspern was magical! As well as highlighting the incredible tones coming from John Slobod's guitars! I felt the guitars really complemented each other quite nicely, and Tony putting that OO through its paces, both fingerpicked and flatpicked, highlighted his (and the guitar's) versatility!

20181028_115532 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

While I love the amazing artistic designs of Sam Guidry, he is equally adept at executing sublime designs that are just as difficult to execute, such as the stylized arm bevel...

20181028_111353 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

THIS is what fiddleback mahogany looks like! (Help me here with the builder! Quite a few had guitars from this particular tree, and man, it's amazing!)

20181028_105728 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The sublime design of Randy Muth:

20181028_104145 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Jeremy Jenkins, with the impossibly cool 3D contoured rosette on Lame Horse guitar:

20181028_103709 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
Heck, let's put turquoise on the BACK, too!

20181028_103704 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

What a trio of luminaries ion the guitar-building world! Roger Sadowsky, Dick Boak, and Michael Gurian (with some random dude in the middle!)

20181028_085746 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

justonwo · #8 10-30-2018, 05:59 PM

I've always admired those Soloman arch tops.

LouieAtienza · #9 10-30-2018, 06:04 PM

It's hard to believe that this is one of the first two builds of Juliette Mosse, out of lutherie school! I have so much to learn...

20181027_155659 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

As a metal/hard rock guy at heart, I always had an affinity for all-maple necks, and Maxime Baron's guitar was one that won me over!

20181027_155225 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Both visually and tonally a departure for John Slobod, this Florentine cutaway guitar has a look and sound that is breath-taking!

20181027_152855 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Crazy Pomelle Sapele back and sides on a PRS (Angelus? Tonare? Sorry I forgot...)

20181027_152138 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The incredibly talented Benjamin Paldacci, with his latest. Thanks for your time and conversation!

20181027_151902 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

I think we are all familiar with Mark Hatcher's builds, but to actually see, feel, and hear them in person is special indeed!

20181027_151254 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

20181027_151250 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

My man, Martin Keith, with his latest Auriole… lots of innovation behind his guitars, some in plain view, others hidden, such as the amazing adjustable neck joint!

20181027_141608 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The photo-realistic inlay artistry of Grit Laskin (and incredibly bad pic of yours truly!)

20181027_135205 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

iim7V7IM7 · #10 10-30-2018, 06:14 PM

Louie, that’s not fiddleback mahogany. There were a number of guitars at the show made using fiddleback honduran mahogany that Jerry Hibdon was selling a few years back. It is koa. That was the back of my 00 by Michael Bashkin...

I hope that you were able to audition it.

LouieAtienza · #11 10-30-2018, 06:22 PM

The inventive and creative design work of Claudio and Claudia Pagelli:

20181027_134217 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

20181027_134100 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

EJ Henderson "Tree Of Life":

20181027_133941 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Beautiful classical guitar by Michael Greenfield with arm rest:

20181027_133222 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The incredible work of Joel Michaud:

20181027_131839 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

20181027_131828 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Amazing neck joint detail on the bass of Benoit Lavoie:

20181027_130825 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The amazing radical cutaway detail of Laurent Brondel's guitar! He assures me that despite the delicate look, the structure is very strong, owing to the strength of the bent cutaway side. And this was a purposeful element - Laurent designed the body deeper, and he wanted full unrestricted access to the entire fretboard:

20181027_125948 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
Some more Brondel goodness:

20181027_125734 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

From France, the amazing Martine Montassier. I couldn't begin to figure out how to play 6 strings let alone 8! But I love seeing a guitar with wear - the proud owner plays this thing a LOT!

20181027_125317 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
As well as a more "standard" design, this being a bit shallower, for stage use:

20181027_125620 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

LouieAtienza · #12 10-30-2018, 06:32 PM

One of the few amazing "Tree" mahogany guitars at the show, this one by the great John Osthoff (I hope somebody has their sights on this one, because it's special!)

20181027_124703 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Some Art Deco goodness for Sam Guidry:

20181027_123400 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
And Tree goodness as well!

20181027_123349 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

If I made a guitar this spectacular, I'd be smiling end-to-end as well! The lovely Maegan Wells! I love archtops with Florentine cutaways!

20181027_123018 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The amazing handiwork of the McKnight Family!

20181027_122248 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
Adrienne's work never ceases to amaze!

20181027_121943 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

The guitar of the incomparable Leo Buendia:

20181027_121719 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

Another beautiful creation from Isaac Jang! Howard in the background, ensuring that I heed the sign...

20181027_121612 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr
And Isaac's signature "cutaway":

20181027_121608 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

A nice view of Randy Muth's and Erich Solomon's guitars...

20181027_121409 by Louie Atienza, on Flickr

LouieAtienza · #13 10-30-2018, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

Louie, that’s not fiddleback mahogany. There were a number of guitars at the show made using fiddleback honduran mahogany that Jerry Hibdon was selling a few years back. It is koa. That was the back of my 00 by Michael Bashkin...

I hope that you were able to audition it.

As one of the many guitar building "heroes" of mine, I did briefly. I did have a huge fear of banging the headstock into the brick wall under the stairs LOL. As with all guitars I auditioned, I loved it! I almost hate giving these guitars back, but as more of a "tire kicker" I wanted to make sure that I didn't take potential time away from a potential client. Which is another reason I appreciate the hospitality of all the exhibitors - even though they're courteous and welcoming to us aspiring builders, they are also there to promote themselves and possibly sell a guitar. So again thanks to all who have indulged me with their time; I truly appreciate it, and please know that I learn from every tidbit I pick up.

As I moved at a fast pace, and do most all this from memory, I wasn't 100% sure... Thanks for the clarification Bob!

Larry Pattis · #14 10-30-2018, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza

The incredible work of Joel Michaud:

This one arrived at my house today...minus the chair...!

LouieAtienza · #15 10-30-2018, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

This one arrived at my house today...minus the chair...!

Larry, best of luck with it! It sure is amazing, even at it's infancy. I promise I left all the tone in it for you! Wish you could have made it out, it would have been nice to meet in person (and watch you play...)

Regards, Louie