Have you read the story by Birdie Jaworski called Chicken River Rock Stars? I sug
gest you do. Who knows what will happen to you!
I read it and after finishing the story I went out to my storage, dug out two old guitars and hauled them into the shop.
One was a 30 year old Kawai made in Japan and the other a Goya made in Sweden about 20 years ago.
They needed some work.
The Kawai’s bridge was in the wrong place and the guitar wouldn’t play in tune.
So I cut out a piece of walnut and fitted it into the old saddle slot. Then I routed a new slot in the right place and made a new saddle. Now it’s in tune!
The Goya’s neck barely hung on. It wobbled…it’s not supposed to do that! So I took it off and rebuilt the dovetail joint. After careful fitting, I glued the neck back on. Then I repaired a couple of cracks and strung it up. Nice!
Meanwhile through emails I finally got Birdie to understand that I was donating the guitars. She got approval from the school and I shipped them off. They arrived safely, she said, and told me she was writing another article about it.
You gotta read that one too! I'm in it!
p.s. for more detailed photos see the images for this article. 
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Comments: 38
Now, how about an article on how to attach a strap post to an acoustic guitar that doesn't have one? I'm scared to death I'll ruin my guitar if I try to screw one into the wood.
I have eight students in my class, and we had only six guitars to go around. I always let them use mine, and we found a child-size guitar for the eighth kid (which of course, these being pre-teens and teens, the person stuck with the child's guitar, if he were a boy, would get the old taunt "you know what they say about the size of a man's guitar..."). Now we have enough for everyone! Class is on Wednesday, and I'm taking photos and audio, and I'll post them with my story Wednesday evening.
I am so grateful to Stephen and Natalie, and my boys' school - Rio Gallinas School - is thankful and so appreciative of the gift. It's amazing what connections we can make here on Gather.
When I was the age of these boys I bought a guitar in the Mercado Libertad in Guadalajara for 6 bucks. I took off the strings and strung it left handed and found a sheet of paper with some chords on it and I was off! At first I banged out Elvis songs (this was 1959) then I started studying flamenco.
Today I'm not a great player but I so love music that I've made it my life through instrument making.
Every once in a while a great person comes along. Birdie is one of those. I'm so grateful that I could be of service to her.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976996963
: )
It is so rare to find a teacher such as Birdie. I'm just gratefull that I have some way of helping her with her task.
be well.
on those 'kid guitars' - to quote a musician friend: It's not the size of your slide, it's the slide of your size.
And you do such beautiful work! I know that many luthiers love a challenge, but some would look at the 'raw meterials' that you had, and simply shake their heads.
Well done, kind sir!
No! This is about Music, it's all about music. How do we get music anyway?
Through people like Birdie who have that love and desire to pass on knowledge in a very pure form. Plus the ability to reach and tap the small inkling of sound within' a childs breast and give it life.
Stephen
Bravo for you, Stephen!
I just wanted to say I am finally going through my currently over 6,000 pieces of gather new mail that is in my inbox on here. So with that in mind I have finally come to a piece of mail that was addressed to me in regards this article submission you have created to share with the gather community. Thank you for taking the time and sharing your piece with us here at gather. :o)