A Visit to my Supplier
The materials in any constructive art form are very important. For this reason, I like to relate guitar making to cooking. Culinary art is successful when there is great respect for the ingredients. Bringing the food source closer to the chef helps highlight the beauty of natures gift. If a chef is close to the people growing their produce, the more they respect the herbs and vegetables. A chef can then build upon many different levels of flavor that compliment each individual element with an end result that is magical. This relationship also describes the connection between a successful guitar maker and their materials.
My wife and I recently paid a visit to one of my wood suppliers. I felt like a kid in a candy store. I was able to look through an enormous amount of Maple and Spruce and order wood for future instruments. Being able to talk to my supplier in person and look at wood sets together is something that I wish I had started a long time ago. It takes a lot of stress off ordering materials because I know that I have a specialist that understands exactly what I am looking for. Here are some pictures from our visit:
Maple
Spruce and Maple Sets
The tonewood barn with guitars whose wood was once stored here
Nice article! And that last photo is amazing!