USA trip

[Bob Connor]

Well I'm back and sort of rested up but still waking up and falling asleep at any time of day or night. I think that'll all stop when reality sinks and and I have to go back to work on Monday.

I spent a few days in New York doing the tourist thing because this was my first time in the States. One recommendation is to have a lot of money in New York, particularly for accomms. A couple of nights cost about $850 in an average hotel. I couldn't help but think how many Spruce tops I could have bought with that dough.









I headed down to Richmond, Virginia got into my new transporter a Chevy Trailblazer. crossed my fingers and headed out of the airport on the wrong side of the road.



I stayed at Williamsburg, an historical town from colonial times which gives the name to Steve Roberson's business, Colonial Tonewoods. Steve lives on an idyllic few acres in the Virginia country side. I was half expecting a demented banjo player to come charging out of the trees with Gibson Mastertone in hand.

I spent the day with Steve bashing bits of wood and talking tonewoods, Steve is a great guy and his knowledge and woods are superb.





There's Brazilian in that lot.




Rock Maple Mando Back


Red Spruce Mando Tops


Red Spruce


Swiss Spruce.


I got some really nice, dark Honduran Rosewood from Steve as well. This stuff rings a lot like Brazilian.

To be continued.

[Bob Connor]

The next day I headed up to Oilsville to visit Dennis Reamy at Cedar Creek Cases. Dennis is a great guy and has assured me that shipping of their cases to Australia will not be a problem. I ordered one like this for Captain Cook's classical.



The cases are excellent and are attractively priced for luthiers. I have spoken to Dennis about setting up Cedar Creek as an ANZLF approved vendor. He'll check in every now and then and answer any questions but if you are keen on custom cases get in touch with him directly.

Cedar Creek are part of the TKL group which are one of the largest cases manufacturers on the planet.

Dennis showed me a new case that they had produced to compete with the legendary Calton cases. These new cases are half the weight of the Caltons. ie 8 pounds versus 16 for the Calton's

He said they had a lot of fun testing them. They put a guitar in one and threw it around the carpark and dropped it of loading bays etc. they also come in different colours but are only available in standard sizes (dread, OOO. and Parlour possibly!!!)







Here's another case in Fender tweed.

[Bob Connor]

I spent the next day travelling up to Buffalo where I stayed with Bob and Roseanne Cefalu. I think I stacked on a few pounds from Roseannes excellent cooking - the meatballs were unbelievable.

Bob's Zoot Cave is also unbelievable. It was like being at an orgy - you didn't quite know where to look.



Probably half of Bob's considerable inventory is yet to be resawn so if it ever seems like he doesn't have what you want on his website send him an email. Chances are he's probably got it.

Cocobolo billets. Steve Roberson told me that Cocobolo missed CITES listing by 2 votes so this stuff isn't going to be available to us for much longer.



Coco sets





I bought this set of Cuban Mahogany. It's denser and heavier than the Honduran type. Bob gets this from the island of Palau in the South Pacific so there's no CITES problem with shipping this across borders.



I got a couple of Ziricote sets as well.





Honduran Rosewood



Redwood top


I aslo got to sift through about 75 Red Spruces tops and picked out 4 that I thought were the stiffest and best sounding tops there. Unsurprisingly they all looked like this. Plenty of late growth.





One night the Bob's took me up to Niagara Falls for dinner which was spectacular. (so were the falls)




Me and Bob Cefalu the younger.

[Bob Connor]

We packed up a heap of wood and started the trek across to Ann Arbor in Michigan for the get together organised by Hesh and David Collins.

We arrived in Ann Arbor abot 5pm on the Friday afternoon and Hesh took me and Bob Cefalu senior to a Guitar Centre. Lots of electrics and a room at the back full of high end acoustics. It was interesting playing some of these Martins, Gibsons and Taylors etc. I played a Gibson J45 slope shouldered dread. It wasn't as nice as Bob C's slope shouldered dread that I'd been playing for the last few days. Even the high end Martins they had were reasonably dissapointing but in fairness my D18 took about 12 months to open up and find it's voice.

Hesh also took us to a Woodcraft store - sort of like a high end Carbartec. Lots of nice machinery and tools.

We ended up the evening with Hesh taking us to one of Ann Arbors exclusive eateries.

The next day we got to the Elks Lodge early to set up Bob's tonewood.



Peter Licardello playing Hesh's Blacktop Tiger Myrtle L-OO (which is just as nice as everyone claims)

Fred Terrel talking with Mario Proulx. Mario's dreads were quite amazing instruments. One was Black Spruce topped - the guitar sounded great when played with a light touch but really roared when you laid into it)


John Watkins and JJ Donohue. John make lots of CNC guitars parts - necks, fingerboards and inlaid peghead overlays etc



Here's Hesh and Joe White doing some of the giveaways. I got lucky and won the first prize drawn which was one of Joe White's polyester spray jobs. unfortunately I wouldn't be able to use it so I passed it on to the Zootman.



Here's Brad Way, David Collins and Hesh.


Mark Swanson lead an open Mic session


Andy Birko playing his Bandurra.


John Watkins playing one of Mark's tele's


All of this was relatively thirsty work









All in all a great day - lots of ideas shared, instruments played and brain cells destroyed.

[Bob Connor]

It was a great couple of weeks and I can't speak too highly of the friendliness and hospitality of everyone I met while there. Hesh was a fantastic bloke and just as much fun as you see him while online. His Tiger Myrtle guitar as also very, very nice. Really responsive but loud when you dig in. A beautiful instrument.

I also must make mention of Uncle Bob Cefalu, Bob Cefalu jnr and family for making me feel so much at home during my stay in Buffalo. It really was the highlight of the trip. I was glad to be released from the clutches of the Zoot Cave before my bank account was totally decimated

Steve Roberson is also a top bloke with some of the best tonewood you'll find anywhere.

I'm fairly keen to get back to the States now for a look at some of the places I didn't get to this time around. (and buy some more wood )

[Kim Strode]

Thanks for posting details of your trip Bob, it was most informative. I'd say you had a great time and the weather looked kind to you.

By the sounds of it, you also gave your credit card a good workout.

[Dominic]

Looks like you had a great trip Bob. Gonna have to put together a group order for coco soon by the sounds of it. I love the look (and smell) of that stuff.

Also, what is that bright green stuff all over the ground? I seem to recall that we used to have enough of it around to give it a name.
Cheers
Dom

[Allen]

There's just something a whole lot more appealing about watching someone's holiday picts when it involves wood.

Gawd, I'm envious Bob.

Did you get those Ameritage cases back home with your carry on luggage?

[Bob Connor]

Allen

You wouldn't be envious if you could see my visa bill of the wood I bought.


I brought one of the Ameritage cases home as checked luggage.

The other one we posted from Buffalo via USPS for $85 USD. Why the company couldn't do this in the first place I'll never know.

They'll be the only ones I'll ever buy. They're very heavy as well - 17 pounds or 7.7 kilos. I'm very impressed with the Cedar Creek Cases anyway. Dennis said to say g'day when I caught up with you.

Dominic - if there's enough interest in a group buy of Cocobolo I don't mind putting it together. We'd be needing at least 10 sets to make it viable and Coco isn't exactly cheap. Prices range from $125-250USD depending on size and figure. Once we get 10 takers I'll squeeze Uncle Bob on a price and get a shipping estimate.

It depends on what everyone wants in the set - colour, figure, quarter or rift. It may even give people more flexibility to choose a set from the website and see if Bob will give us a discount.

Dalbergia retusa (Cocobolo) and Dalbergia stevensii (Honduran Rosewood) have been listed on CITES Appendix III by Guatamala so I guess it's only a matter of time before they hit Appendix II.

[Paul B]

I'd be interested in buying some coco, but, being prone to skin rashes and psoriasis, and full-on allergic to cedar (three days off work when I sand some for 10 minutes), I'm wondering if I should leave well enough alone. Coco is prone to cause reactions or so I understand - please tell me I'm wrong...

Too many years working with chemicals without protection - we just didn't know back then, though the bosses might have - tho I bet the bast**ds did. "And what's that rash that comes and goes, can you tell me what it means?"...

Gotta love that coco tho, beautiful stuff

[Allen]

Allen

You wouldn't be envious if you could see my visa bill of the wood I bought.

The wife and I were discussing that over tea tonight. Trying to put a figure to it. I bet one of those sets of Zircote that we're not even close.

[sebastiaan56]

Hi Bob,

Sounds like a great time, I spent a month in Texas when i bought the business. The people i met were just fabulous, i reckon thats how it would be all over the states.

I might be in a coco group buy.

[Dave White]

Bob,

Looks like you had a fabulous time in the US and met lots of great and friendly people and managed to get a huge tonewood fix into the bargain. Thanks for the pics and report.

One point you make about Cuban mahogany and CITES I don't think is right though. The way that CITES works is that a species that is on the "bad" Appendices needs CITES paperwork before you can legally transport it. Plantation grown Cuban Mahogany is not controlled by the CITES Appendix but it needs CITES official documentation to show that CITES recognise it as such. Just saying it's plantation grown if it is opened by customs doesn't hack it - "Honest guv, this is Plantation Grown Old Rio Rosewood "..Most of the plantation growing suppliers can't afford the time/bureacracy and or financial costs of getting the CITES paperwork done so ship without it - if I'm wrong then Bob C will have all of the CITES passports for his Cuban stash. Chances are it will get through but as I say if stopped at Customs and identified as a CITES controlled species without the paperwork it will be confiscated.

[Bob Connor]

Uncle Bob has all the paperwork for it Dave.

[Dave White]

Uncle Bob has all the paperwork for it Dave.

Cool - not only do you get some fabulous wood but your own personal Cites Passport too. If you could take a photo of the "passport" and post it I'd be interested. I've only ever seen onne CITES passport in my life.

PS - you'll love working with Cuban.

[Dominic]

Hi Bob, Seem reasonable. Here are my parameters.

I would be keen to get 4 or 5 sets of coco given a price of around 150 a set. This is around average of what Bob has on his site. And maybe in around 2 or 3 weeks time.
Happy to help organise in any way I can.
Cheers
Dom

[ZOOTMAN]

Uncle Bob has all the paperwork for it Dave.

Cool - not only do you get some fabulous wood but your own personal Cites Passport too. If you could take a photo of the "passport" and post it I'd be interested. I've only ever seen onne CITES passport in my life.

PS - you'll love working with Cuban.

Dave I will dig the paperwork out and send a picture to you. It's a blanket certificate issued by their government that my supplier is authorized to cut and export this wood.

[kiwigeo]

Dominic - if there's enough interest in a group buy of Cocobolo I don't mind putting it together. We'd be needing at least 10 sets to make it viable and Coco isn't exactly cheap. Prices range from $125-250USD depending on size and figure. Once we get 10 takers I'll squeeze Uncle Bob on a price and get a shipping estimate.

Im in..I dont have any wood starting with "C" in my shop yet. Im good for at least 5 sets.

[ozziebluesman]

I'm interested but only one or maybe two sets for me!

Cheers

Alan

[Dave White]

Uncle Bob has all the paperwork for it Dave.

Cool - not only do you get some fabulous wood but your own personal Cites Passport too. If you could take a photo of the "passport" and post it I'd be interested. I've only ever seen onne CITES passport in my life.

PS - you'll love working with Cuban.

Dave I will dig the paperwork out and send a picture to you. It's a blanket certificate issued by their government that my supplier is authorized to cut and export this wood.

Hi Bob,

I don't think that that's the paperwork you need to export each set. My understanding is that each set has to have it's own CITES passport that is kept with it for life - even with the finished instrument. The paperwork you have is part of what you need for the tedious process of getting these "Passports" from the CITES authorities.