Some weekends are simply better than others; more relaxing, less work and as for this weekend, different and just more interesting. Friday night we drove to San Diego. We were invited to celebrate Sam Radding's birthday. Sam is the maker of the Go Guitar that Danielle plays (along with her electric guitar) at her shows. Here, she is playing Sam's Go Guitar at my friend's shop, The Garden of Beaden when Robin Dudley-Howes was having a trunk show.
It really is amazing the beautiful sound that comes out of this little guitar.
Shortly after we got there, we went for a coffee fix. Danielle was in need of an espresso and a coffee on such a cold, wet, blustery day sounded like a fine thing. The coffee shop we went to, called the Living Room, had a really fantastic water fountain on the wall. And good coffee too.
That evening we had a really nice birthday celebration. A seafood restaurant, my favorite! It rained so hard Friday night. Danielle headed back to San Dimas. Yes, in the rain. Sometimes, you just have to ride. Read about it here. I understand completely.
Imagine how excited I was the next morning before we headed back home to get to see the workshop where Sam makes the guitars. We took Danielle's lap steel down with us (she rode her bike) so Sam could insert a pickup so it could be plugged in....electrified.
I wandered around the shop, inspecting power tools that I have no idea how to use. They look dangerous with their blades and belts. To the novice anyway. They are interesting to me, especially some of the things he has made to customize and make them work better for him.
And this one:
Menacing blades to me that I am sure are like magic when Sam uses them:
There are guitars in the process:
An array of molds hangs on the wall:
I imagine the sounds when he is working, the noise of the saws and the smell of sawdust, which he says he makes plenty of.
There is a little room, glass door shut, with a heater on to keep the temperature warmer than it is in the rest of the shop.
A guitar in a mold. I get to see the inside and think the wood, colors so warm, the shapes, sculptural, that the whole piece is a work of art.
Sam finishes and I watch and listen as he plugs the lap steel into an amp below the bench and plays.
Asbjorn and I think he is a genius as well as an artist. It really makes me wish I played a guitar because I would definitely have one of these if I did.
And then we returned home.
Danielle played at the Coffee Klatch in Rancho Cucamonga Saturday night. That was fun, lots of laughing and a great time.
Sunday? Well, we went to Ikea. I think that is fun but I'm not sure how Asbjorn likes it. Especially today, when he starts putting all that together. But I will have a new table in my studio and I have to say I'm really excited about that. I was really starting to hate the wobbly, nasty little table I have in here. I will take a photo when it is in place. There's not a lot of room for much furniture but this table has fold down sections to make it larger or smaller. Nice. And drawers. Can't wait.