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Day 2… AM
I return to the wood pile and in a quiet space, generally first thing in the morning, I go through the 180 to 300 tops and bring that down to the amount I shall take.
It is a special time. My ears are rested from listening to thousands of tops of the day before, and I can hear all the sounds and nuances to make my selection.
I therefore end up with 60 to 100 sets of a quality that one can only dream about if buying from suppliers sight unseen.
So this is one of the reasons why each of my guitars are exceptional and more expensive. One could call it one of my secrets or the reason for my success and why I am a happy and contented guitar maker making only 28 guitars per year – each one given the love and care that I gave to selecting the soundboards that are the heart of the guitar.
Yes, I could make more guitars and hire more than the 2 great craftsmen, Matt Roux and Colin Rock, trained by me over the last 8 years… But actually it's not all about the quantity or the money. It's also about the inner journey, and the journey of the guitar to finally end up in the hands of its new owner.
But I digress…
After Rivolta, we go off to Bachman guitars in Mittertall Antholz, a beautiful village set deep in the Alps south of Innesbruch.
We are met by Rudolf Bachmann who picks us up at the train station.
We had taken a week out in Venice to really chill, see the great art, listen to wonderful music, float in gondolas, and the cherry on the top… enjoy the wonderful father-son relationship that we share.
We then took a train to Innesbruch. Trains being way less expensive than a car hire.
Italian is not too much of a problem. My mother tongue is French and I lived in Spain for 3 years in the 70’s, so I get by. Again accommodation is arranged in a lovely and inexpensive hotel and the selection process is repeated.
Here at Bachman guitars I am looking at German Bearclaw.
Well, it is incredible, and old enough to use in 2006.
In fact, most of the wood that I have bought on this trip is 8 to 15 years old. These are stiff boards, with some of the best Bearclaw I have yet seen. I feel my budget about to get violated with a purchase of more than I planned… MMMmmm…
I justify the extra tops by telling myself that I have moved heaven and earth to get here, and since I am now here, I may as well buy a leeeetle extra…
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