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January 2001 |
Dear friends,
It's been a while since I've written a newsletter. The reason? We've been BUSY. Very busy. Now it's calm for a minute, so I'll tell you some of the things that have been going on.
We've got a new facility right on the main drag of Felton CA, just about 6 miles into the hills from downtown Santa Cruz. It's great! Half of it is dedicated to handling the business of the Master Series - receiving, shipping, quality control and repair, phone calls, marketing, and so on. There is also a small showroom and a teaching studio. The other half of the facility is a whole new guitar shop, complete with just about everything. It's spacious, with good light and several rooms for assembly, power tools, wood storage, set up, and finish. It's a luxury to work there, and quite a few guitars are being made there now. There are 4 guys working full time - Josh, Gil, Brian and Larry. Arul is in India, but should be back soon. And me? I mostly walk around and wave my arms in the air, and make guitars when no one is looking.
2. The Palo Escrito model by Guitarras de Estudio:
| ANNOUNCING ! |
This is something I've been trying to offer for years, but it's just recently come together. It's a hand made, all solid wood instrument made in the tradition of guitarras de estudio in Mexico.
This is a grade of guitar that is just under "guitarras de concierto", or concert guitars. It's unclear whether the term estudio (study) means that it is made for a playing student, or made by a building student, or both. Regardless, our version is made by my regular guitar making crew in their spare time.
These guitars are made from palo escrito, a type of rosewood native to Mexico, with a cedar top, 650mm scale, and fine quality construction throughout. It is a great guitar for a lower price than our Master Series instruments. Suggested retail price - $1195.00, contact one of our dealers for availability. It is a very good deal.
| Arriving Soon ! |
For our first standard line of guitars made in USA, we're making a model of Miguel Rodriguez, a serious copy of a 1977 instrument that was loaned to me for sampling by Jerry Roberts. It was chosen as another archetypical instrument to compliment the existing Master Series instruments - a nice buxom, romantic, Spanish style instrument. Unfortunately it seems that the Miguel Rodriguez family line has stopped making guitars without much hope for resuming. At the same time their fame respect for their instruments has been growing tremendously.
Hopefully the instruments we are making will hold true to their influence and be a fitting tribute to the life work of three generations of guitar makers. Our Rodriguez model should be available to our dealers around mid-April, 2001.
 Ron Fernandez & Kenny |
In 1999 and 2000 I taught two classes in guitar making at the now defunct American School of Lutherie in Healdsburg CA. The classes did what everyone said couldn't be done - we took mostly beginners and made fine Hauser style guitars FROM SCRATCH in just a little over a week. It worked - twice - and everyone involved was thrilled.
When the school closed last year a lot of people were very disappointed. So in September, when I got our new shop together, I decided to offer occasional classes in my shop here in Felton.
So far it's been very successful, and satisfying. Students come away from the class with a wonderful concert style guitar, and the complete experience of making it themselves. As long as there is interest I'll keep trying to offer classes from time to time.
Upcoming classes:
There are still spaces in our June and September classes. Please contact us for more information. |
 October 2000 class at the Hill Guitar shop in Felton. |
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I recently wrote an article about teaching for Guitarmaker magazine which came out in the Winter 2001 issue. Check it out for more thoughts about teaching. |
Last year's release of my own solo CD "PILGRIMAGE" has led to some extra performance opportunities around the country, all of which continue to keep me up on my toes with playing. Although it's hard to find enough time to practice, I know that if I don't keep playing I could lose part of that special connection with the guitar, which is a very important reason for being in this business in the first place. I have to do most of my practicing in the very early hours, before the kids get up for school, and I regularly do cafe gigs at Mr. Toots in Capitola, and other places. It's worth it. This keeps me more or less in shape to do concert playing with a little brushing up, and I slowly but surely continue to learn new material. (I'm on a Scarlatti kick right now.) The performances have been satisfying, and the people have been wonderful. The music, and more importantly, the reasons for playing it, are stronger now than they were when I picked up my first guitar almost 40 years ago. I feel very fortunate.
That's what all of this is really about, isn't it? I can barely begin to name names, but I do want to mention some CDs that have been sent to me lately by friends and customers. James Kline sent me his latest "Troubadour's Odyssey"; Frank Wallace sent me "His Own New Works"; JJ McGeehan sent "Soup of Eons", also all original material; Tom Leisek sent "L'Esprit du Baroque"; and Steve Sano sent "Pu'ukani," Hawaiian slack key guitar, some cuts feature the Munich model. I'm proud of each of these guitarists. It's been a pleasure listening to all of this music while making guitars. Life is good.
 Pete Scholes of Acoustic Music |
Without our guitar dealers we wouldn't be in business. They are the ones on the front lines, and I am always trying to provide them with instruments that they can be pleased to present to their customers. They are all listed on our dealer page, and you should definitely contact one of them when you're looking for a guitar.
In each newsletter I want to single at least one of these dealers, and this time it's Acoustic Music in Salt Lake City, Utah. They have been great to deal with, and have been with us for almost the whole time we've been in business. They do a fine service for classical guitarists and guitar players of all kinds, in an area where there is really a lot of territory, and not much to choose from.
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Acoustic Music 857 East 400 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84102 (801) 531 7066 Hardin Davis, owner |
 Brian Winter, Francesca Sternfeld & John Kavanaugh |
The work coming out of my shop in Mexico is fantastic. It seems to keep improving with time, and the quality and character has been very consistent. Although it can be a real struggle trying to do business in another country, everyone has worked very hard, and the results are really coming through.
The sad news is that one of our workers, and friends, Ruben Piña was killed in a very unfortunate accident. He was only 25. We miss his smile, and his work, and his songs, but there is nothing we can do but carry his work on among ourselves, and value each other while we're still here.
In the fall issue of Soundboard magazine I contributed an article about a wonderful guitar festival that I attended in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I'll reprint it here on the web site.
9. Enough:
That's all for now. If that seems like a lot, well it is. But it's good. It feels like we're doing something right. The kids are doing fine, and springtime will be here soon. Keep in touch.
Kenny Hill
January 24, 2001
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