making a new top for an old arabic guitar

A friend of mine, asked me to restore his "arabic " guitar,instead of restoring it I had to re-make a new top,following the exact brace patterns like the original fan brace.I inlayed the pick guard instead of just glueing it like previously done. The rosette is the original rosette (even though, I think this rosette was already a replacement because it is a modern lazer cut rosette ?) fun fun fun...

When this happen

When this happen...I dont want to speak with any body for 3 days......

My "Viola de Arame" finally completed

Here are some photo's of the "Viola se Arame" finally done...This one took me awhile, but Patience is a necessary virtue to make an instrument like this.Woods used: Mohogany neck,Indian Rose wood finger board,Accasia back and sides,Spruce sound table. Now just got to learn how to play it...I love Fado's

nikki's melochord

this is Nikki's new Melochord.Nikki's play in "the Batak Tradisi" band, all around Asia.She said that the Melochord is the perfect instrument for her,because it reminds her of a primitive Batak instrument. However, this one stays in tune and has a fuller tone and volume. It can also be played acoustically or electrically, using the pickup.

Photo's of friends

Here are some photo's of "friends/customers"

Julie Oliver from Australia,playing her full scale (grand)diatonic Melochord

 Szilvi from Hungaria,playing her new Tenor size melochord (diatonic + 2 frets)

Szilvi in the shop

Gilles Saissi / in concert

This is a photo of a friend of mine,Gilles Saissi ,from a band called "Compannie Meditango" from the region of Montpellier,France, playing one of my Melochord at a local pub.

And here it goes...2 mores of my Melochords..made for 2 musicians friends of mine.They are both in a 19 1/4 inch scale (same as baritone ukulele) .One of them is made w/back and sides Rosewood and the other is made back and sides Mohogany.even though both have a German Spruce top ,they both have a very distinctive sound

Viola de Arame body

And there it goes...the body or (sound box) of the" Viola de Arame"is completed,it just need now the top trimming,wich will be Mohogany and Rose wood to match the woods used in around the sound hole and the back decoration...next working on the neck.

This instrument will have 8 strings and will be tuned like a tenor guitar

photo's of the fabrication of the body of the Viola de Arame

bending the sides and glueing the back.

Woods: Acacia.

Viola de Arame

I am now working on a viola de arame,a small guitar like instrument from the Azores regions of Portugal.

photos: view of the sound board (European Spruce,inlayed w/Rose wood and mohogany) and a view of the X (scalopped) back brace.

here is a detail photo of the rosette and the fretboard inlay ( mother of pearl) of my new Melochord

some inlays and sound hole rosette details of the new melochord

This is the finished "Melochord",it took me awhile...but I'm really happy about the look and the sound..when I am playing it, it transport me to the land of dreams...hope you enjoy the photo.

My latest painting "between two worlds"and a sculpture "brain an beauty"

Between 2 worlds

My representation of life and death...not in a negative way but rather in a real meaning of life as everything has a beginning and a end..

Sculpture (wood)

Not much to say here...I called it "brain and beauty"

Here are some photo's of my new "MELOCHORD" in process. I have been working on it for the last month...and its slowly getting there. It will have many new features: Rosewood body and sides, Canadian sprues sound bord (like sitka european sitka), a re enforced Mohogany neck , a dark Rosewood fret board with mother of pearl hand cutted inlays and a Maple hand crafted rosette. The instrument will also have a acoustic pick up and will have 6 stings that will be tuned in Daddee (not to be comfused with DADY!!! ah ah)... I install a X brace on the sound board for stiffness....I can wait to finish this dulcimer-like instrument!!! I will post a new photo when I will be done...this month!!!