The Ramirez...

Being off work with this eye sure gives me a chance to catch up on the news around here. Today we reach back to review a Christmas gift, a Guitar made for Cathy by our son in law Juan Ramirez.

This review has taken so long because we had this instrument in the shop for a few skilled tweaks and only recently got it back. Juan does not play guitar and this was his first attempt at building one. I was privy to the project through out the past year as he plied me with questions about guitars and the requirements of Cathy's playing style that I answered best I could.

Fit and finish is excellent. In this picture you can see theMother of Toliet Seat Pearloid pick guard and the painted headstock, all nods to the golden age of cool guitars.


Closer look at the body. Note the butterfly, left bout and crosses in the sound hole. Inside is signed and dated. The tweaks at the guitar shop involved lowering of bridge and nut, items that the instructions for building encouraged be professionally done for best results.

Sides and back.

Sound wise it's ok. Stays in tune. It won't replace Cathy's number one axe, the guitar that was her mother's, but it is a fine little guitar to have sitting out around the house for those times with you need to grab up an instrument to work out a quick something. Saves unpacking the gigging instruments which stay cased and ready to travel. The other day in Houston I heard a Bob Dylan song on the radio, one of his old tunes, and I would liken the sound to that type of guitar.

Regular readers here have seen the stories in the past about the several guitars I own. Cathy is fond to point out that only one guitar can be played at a time. Guess who owns two now.

This weekend Juan presented me with a skinning knife made by his father, Mike. A great piece of work, well balanced, sharp and just the right size.