Hips footsteps

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:13 am

Thought I would follow in Hips footsteps and stick my boofhead in so if you see me in the street you can avoid me.

Hippety Hop · Post by **Hippety Hop** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:41 am

I thought I'd seen you before. Must've been Fannie Bay

Do they still have the Mindil beach market on Wednesday night? Don't suppose they have any tools there. From memory it was just trinkets and shawls and tucker and flies.

There's a Sunday market here in Bentleigh. I usually go, but today I'm broke. Should have went anyway. It's always good for a perv if nothing else.

Cheers Hip.

jeffhigh · Post by **jeffhigh** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 12:53 pm

You guys have FAR to much hair left.

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:08 pm

I'm with you Jeff

But then we can't possibly argue with Hip's reason to frequent the Sunday markets either, I just need to wear a hat. (and sunnies

)

Cheers

Kim

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:53 pm

Dunno know if this posting your photo in your avatar thing is a good idea. Heres the same pic I have on my Maritime Security ID Card......its part of this great country's attempts to keep baddies off the docks and offshore installations.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:58 pm

Heck, if I could grow hair, I'd be showin' it off too.

DarwinStrings · Post by **DarwinStrings** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:49 am

Mindil Market has not changed much Hip (thursdy night and sunday arvo now), there is more food, more craft, more music and more tourists to ammmm...errrr..look at.

Buying tools anywhere up here is like prospecting.

I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not Martin but I had a reason for it.

Jim

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:50 pm

Toejam wrote:
I wasn't sure if it was a good idea or not Martin but I had a reason for it.

Jim

Well theres only one good looking girl on this forum and shes spoken for.

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:58 pm

Better make that TWO good looking girls on the forum.

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:27 pm

You were right the first time Martin when you were thinking about Sam.

Gawd, you weren't thinking about Heshie were you?

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:35 am

Lillian wrote: You were right the first time Martin when you were thinking about Sam.

Gawd, you weren't thinking about Heshie were you?

LILLIAN!!!

Now you are going to give Heshie a complex.....

kiwigeo · Post by **kiwigeo** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:46 pm

Heshie youve already got a complex......your new workshop. BTW when are you going to get the bldi thing dirty???

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:24 pm

Martin, he does. I think your units of measurement are different. You measure it in hours if not days. Hesh works in seconds and nano seconds.

What next on your plate Hesh?

Extend Heshie my apologies.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:08 pm

Sister Lillian no apology from you is warranted - I always enjoy when my friends pick on me...

As for what is next for me I am busy as a banker smelling a bail-out payment...

These days I am spending 3 days a week working in a guitar repair shop and learning more things than I can count every day. This is EXACTLY what I wanted before launching my own guitar building business in earnest. Most of my time in the guitar shop is spent doing fret work and set-up - exactly what I was admittedly weak in and needed to learn.

In addition I am now selling my guitars and off to a good start with two sales in the last week. Surprisingly to me one of the sales is a guitar that is already built and that I built in 2006. The other is a commission that I will be starting shortly.

When I planned what kind of builder that I wanted to be in terms of the business model what was most attractive to me personally is what I would call the regional Luthier model. To me a regional Luthier gets well know in their own area, participates with the players/musicians and goes and listens to them sometimes even taking an instrument or two when asked to do so.

Anyway I have been doing this and my guitars have been well received and my name is getting out there. Of course with semi-pro players playability and set-up is every bit as important if not more so than tone and tone is so very subjective any way....

So here is what I am up to right now. The guitar in the pics was built in 2006 and was the last d*ead that I built but now I have to build another one so that I always have at least one in stock. My business model includes ready-to-adopt custom guitars as well as commissions so long as the client wants something that I can stand to build...

This has African Mahogany sides and back from Uncle Bob at RC Tonewoods and an Adi top, BRW rosette, bindings, and heel cap from Steve at Colonial. It has a very big tone and since it has been around for 3 years but only ever played for an hour or so the top is probably not opened up yet.

It's new owner wanted "low" action... so it is set as low as I can get it without buzzing and required a slight fret dressing to get the action this low.

Here are some pics even though some of you probably saw the pics of this one in 2006 - it is serial number 007:

Anyway that is what I am up to - living my dream and building and selling my stinkin guitars - thanks for asking!

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:59 am

Geez Hesh, you can even make a dread look good!

Nice job, I especially love the Adi board, I've always had a liking for the slightly wider grain look. Tighter grains my be 'structurally' better but they are fairly feature-less IMO.
And you are right, doing repairs opens up your knowledge no-end! I helped out in a shop for awhile & got to see how guitars were stuck together (Acoustic & Electric). Blew a few pre-conceived idea's out the window too! Companies I thought made a good product were disappointing when I saw how they were slapped together, poorly fitted parts e.t.c Mass production at the cost of quality

Bob Connor · Post by **Bob Connor** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 7:59 am

Good work Hesh.

Another stinkin' dreadie out of the house.

Nice to see things are working out for you mate.

Hesh1956 · Post by **Hesh1956** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 10:22 am

Thanks guys!

Nick my friend I could not agree with you more.

Now that I have my hands and eyes all over the insides of some of these iconic guitars it is very clear to me that many of the things that we wonder about and discuss here were done as they are for one simple reason - manufacturability..... They used what they had on hand and no great amount of thinking went into the decisions at all....

I have seen bridges glued on 1/8" too far forward and bridges glued on with no wood to wood contact.... Jeeze the lengths that we go to to build a decent quality guitar are way above the standards that I am seeing on some of the best known, very expensive factory guitars.

But people love em.... go figure.....

Lillian · Post by **Lillian** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 1:49 pm

Way cool Hesh. I'm so glad things are working out the way you wanted them to go. I can honestly say that I'm a bit jealous, but seriously happy for you.

I know you are busy and what not, but thank you for taking the time to post and of course, add pictures.

By the way, as soon as I get a real bail out, I'll be calling you for one of your beauties.

Allen · Post by **Allen** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 5:31 pm

I for one can't wait to watch the progress of Hesh's new Dread. This is going to be great. The anguish and humiliation of it all.

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