Senior Projects

It's getting down to the wire for my high school senior. 10 more days, and he's done with school. Being an artsy type (Don't know where he gets that from), his senior project involved building an electric guitar. From scratch. (Probably because I'm too cheap to buy him a Les Paul of his own, he decided to make a Les Paul style guitar.)

It sounds intimidating to me, but... he already built one for his 4-H project, so it was not a big deal to him. Even though I'm an artist, it amazes me to see wood go from this:

to this:

I can relate to it as sculpture, because of the wood carving, the mother of pearl fret inlays, and the awesome lacquer job.

New skills obtained - learning to use a jigsaw and a router. Luckily, Dad was on hand to show him the ropes with power tools. I'm a hand tool kind of girl.

The rosewood fretboard really took it out of my hand carving tools. Gave me a good excuse to upgrade my tools for woodblock printmaking... and tell Son One to get his own set.

But the electronics were a bit over my head. Senior son was not flummoxed, however. His theory was that if he knew how electric guitars were made, he'd know how to repair and upgrade them. He also learned a valuable lesson. A little Gorilla glue goes a long way...


We estimated he put about 200 hours into building the first guitar, and about half that into the second. Mahogany body and neck, flame-maple top, rosewood fretboard, mother of pearl inlays.

I liked it just as it was shown here, a splash of clearcoat and I would have been happy, but the guitar was due a Cherry Sunburst lacquer finish

and that was what it got. It's even more spiffy looking in person, pictures don't do it justice.

So with the addition of the two hand-built electric guitars, the four other electric guitars (one seven string), the acoustic guitar, a mandolin, electric piano, saxophone, drum sticks in search of a drum, a bodhran, and tin whistles, not to mention the copies of Rock Band and Guitar Hero, complete with plastic guitars and drum pads, computer recording studio programs, and two massive amplifiers, we're pretty much set. The bodhran and tin whistles are mine, and I can play one song on each, that is the extent of my musical ability. His dad can play the radio. I seem to recall my brother and his bass guitar thumping away in the middle of the night - usually the theme song to Barney Miller, much to my annoyance - so maybe musical talent runs in the family, and it just leapfrogged over me, which is okay, I don't think we have room in the house for any more instruments. I know we're out of plug-ins to run this self contained band. So what was Son One interested in getting for graduation? A bigger amplifier.

doG help us.

Writer's Island 03/22/08 "Déjà vu"

Four Generations

Villanelle For Joan

by Constance

At her age I’d hope I'm more sincere

after a lifetime tempered by revision,

with patience inherited from my mother

whose face in mine lines now appear.

I hit hereditary milestones with precision.

At this age I’d expect to be more sincere,

political views and love not reflexive veneer—

strong enough to withstand subtle derision,

an art form inherited from my mother,

who had the reflexive ability to disappear,

and was seldom wracked by indecision.

By this age I really should be more sincere,

imperfections not too fractured or severe

enough to race destiny to cosmic collision.

My mother was the daughter of another

who liked to fabricate, and engineer,

not comfortable with societal division.

If I reach her age I hope I’m more sincere

for in the end... I am my mother's daughter.

.