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