Guitar with a story...sorry about that.

[Taffy Evans]

The Helen Songer Parlor guitar.
The Guitar
This guitar story has an unusual start and an incredibly sad ending. This guitar is called the Hellen Songer, at the request of the customer. The sides are New Guinee Rosewood, and the back is Walnut cut from a rifle stock blank that his wife had bought for him some time ago. The top is Cedar and the inlays are the mother of pearl. The customer wanted the color blue featured on the guitar somewhere, so I used that color in the soundhole rosette.

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The guitar is deeper than normal, so I also had to deepen the case. The reason for this guitar was a gift to his wife, a smaller guitar that better suited her when playing. However, it had a big sound.

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The Story
I was at my bench looking out the window at an old Toyota ute noisily idling away outside on the side of the road. He had been there some time, so I walked out to see if I could help. Right away I could tell he was a stockman from out bush. I said, “can I help”? he said, “do you sell guitar picks”? And that was the start of what was to come, an oh-so-short friendship.
I cut this story short, or it could end up being a paperback book.
I did not sell picks but as he was from a cattle station, I offered him a handful of what I had around, he wanted to pay but I refused. But I did give him some time and showed him around the workshop and showroom, and he took a liking to a few of the guitars on show. Just before Christmas that year his wife bought one, a Resonator guitar, for him as a present. A year later he bought a guitar for his wife. And that went on for a few years, guitars, and mandolins, until the building of the Helen Songer guitar.
By this time, we had progressed from dealer customer status to good friends. I even built an instrument for his family member in the USA.
Sadly, Kasey passed away a few years ago, not fully recovering from an accident on his property. And I was honored to play at his funeral on a slide resonator guitar. To make things worse his wife passed away also a year later.
Building guitars create so many memories. But hey, I’ve got some guitar stories lined up with happier endings.
If you are still here,
Thanks for reading. Taff

[ozziebluesman]

Hi Taffy,
You haven't told me that story before. It is sad but life is short. If looked after a guitar can last forever and get better as it ages. Too bad the same could not be said about us humans. But your friends got the chance to play some very nice instruments and I hope they will get passed down the family over time. Beautiful little parlor and as usual, your inlay is spectacular.
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers

Alan

[WJ Guitars]

Well done. I like the Walnut back and the guitar story.

Wayne

[kiwigeo]

Great story Taff...and a reminder that making a guitar for someone is often a lot more than just jigging up an instrument and banking the payment.

[Taffy Evans]

Hi, thanks for your comments guys. I forgot to mention that the bridge is made of timber from the owner's property, out Winton Queensland way, and is called Emu Apple. I liked the two-tone effect. Here is a better photo of the bridge, the rosette, and the "wombat" pickguard.
Cheers Taff

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