ScottR

I'm with Andy. I love the inlay choices and execution! SR

I'd probably just subtly modify the curves enough to disappear those bite marks, then go back to plan A. SR

I thought it would be a good way to see the country when I was in my early twenties. Now having dealt with Houston traffic for 21 years, there's no way I'd want to deal with that in a big rig. Or even my Jeep. SR

I know Walmart went from whatever they were paying to 100k a year plus signing bonus to fill their ranks.. I've been selling stuff to them for 40years, but that still makes me consider a lifestyle change. SR

Got a text from my youngest brother the other night: What was the name of that lake we hiked to? (actually 3 texts in a row of the same question--I think there was beer involved.) The lake was Timber lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. He was 16 and I was 22 and we had spent the last 10 days camping and fishing mountain streams in Colorado. Including one spectacular stream where we climbed down into a canyon and fished below numerous waterfalls and caught trout on every other cast. I suppose not too many fishermen showed the dedication to reach those pools. We hiked 5 miles and climbed 3000 feet to reach Timber lake at just over 11,000 in elevation. And the fish were not biting. The ridge of mountains behind the lake was the continental divide, and blue jays were dashing in and stealing bits of our lunch. We could visualize a path up the ridge and decided to give it a go. It really was a relatively easy climb....except for details like no oxygen and false peaks. We never heard of false peaks before and I'm pretty sure we counted 22 before we got to the top. The top was over 13,000 ft and under 14,000ft and off one side everything ran to the Atlantic ocean and the other side flowed to the Pacific. Naturally we peed in both bodies of water. Coming down we sang old Roger Miller songs (Dang Me and You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd figured prominently). We made up a crazy story and got caught in the dark about half way down. We are pretty sure we heard African lions and Indian tigers in the dark forest still several miles from camp. We cooked a steak, drank Yukon Jack and rehashed the day. In the morning, we decided there was nothing we could do to beat that, so we packed up and went home. My brother's text came over 40 years later. Now it occurs to me how lucky (awesome) we were to create an event that we still remember vividly 40 years later. Who does that? I can count on one finger all the other events that occurred when I was 22. Those were the thought going through my head whilst cutting out chips one at a time this weekend. M My license plate is showing. I know I've blurred it mostly, but have missed enough pics that it's a bit like Miley Cyrus saying: Oh are my tits out? There's no real point to covering them up anymore. SR

It's definitely a good time to be a truck driver. My graphics company has over half a dozen big fleet accounts and every one of them are ordering major graphics advertising drivers wanted. I'm talking Walmart sized fleets here. You have been due a few nice breaks.....good on you! I pretty much only play in the garage on Saturdays and part of Sundays. It works. SR

Har! So true! Nicely done. Just like horrible little children turn us into accomplished parents, nasty mishaps in a guitar build turn us into accomplished luthiers......eventually. SR

Oh @Andyjr1515, Ash is calling you! I must say, I had forgotten about this project. Good to see it again. SR

That's looking very tasty. SR

Almost innocent even. SR

The piles of chips I've swept up are way bigger than the chunks of wood they started from. I suppose one could say I took one big wood chip and subdivided it into many smaller chips..... I have no flippin' clue! I honestly don't even see it when I'm working on it. But then I see it in the pictures and wonder where the hell did that come from? I presume that ash board was once on a pallet of similar ash boards, and had something stenciled on the stack. So those might not even be complete letters. And later there will be wood chips with parts of that stenciled on them. Or maybe that board moonlighted as a giant scrabble tile in its past. SR

GO FOR IT!!! SR

Ah......sort of a Viking tree of life. SR

Does that come with an English translation? SR

Tree trunks grow from the roots....... but not gently. SR

I meant to bring this up as a point of reference...... SR

I've been listening to one of my favorite hard blues players. Robin Trower's Roots and Branches couldn't fit better. SR

Do trees look the same right side up as they do up side down? SR

Got done roughing in the roots and moved on to the branches. This is intimidating, because while the roots are and anchor to the earth, the branches live in negative space and sort of grab the sky......which has no handles. I'm slowly moving around trunk and slowly removing chips from places I'm sure don't exist in this image. I've decided carving is illustrating in 3D using a fairly specialized media. I'm trying to figure out how to remove wood from around a branch in space without removing wood that might belong to a branch I haven't uncovered yet.... SR

I remember when you came in as Akula! There are probably not so many of us crusty old participants left...but it's good to run across the old codgers when you trip over them. SR

My goodness! I've been out a touch a lot this summer--crazy busy--but do get back in and check on things. You went and built a guitar....mostly.... while I wasn't looking. Beautifully too! This is a huge advance in your technique, since you first started, and the thread is damn good too! You're gonna love this when it's done! Got your pickups picked out yet? And you've started signing off with -Jam. Cheers- SR

Niiice. SR

I'd like a copy of that. Congrats on a beautiful build Mike. SR

SR

I actually see that too, from the low angle shots. The spiral adds to the illusion. SR