Galway bound

October 4, 2017

I’ll soon to be heading across the Atlantic for a stay in Ireland and the UK and it seems this might be a good time to embark on my first blog.

Four weeks of the trip will be spent in the cozy shop of Paul Doyle (pictured at top) where I’ll be under his guidance to make a Weissenborn dobro. Here I am trying out one owned by my pal Joe Rut (sometimes of Oakland California).

I met Paul on my first visit to Galway in November 2016 last year when I chanced upon his shop on a evening walk with my sister Robin and her husband Joel. His street sign caught my eye and the light coming out under his door meant he was working late, so I pushed my way into the dusty shop.

It wasn’t clear whether this was someplace I’d dreamed and fallen into or if it was real.  Paul though is definitely a real and experienced luthier and I immediately felt I could spend time here and follow through on a guitar making project that I’d first imagined back around 1980.  I’ve chosen the Weissenborn dobro because I’ve been learning lap steel recently and there’s nothing like a Weissenborn in my instrument collection.  I don’t have much woodworking experience of the guitar making type and I’m hoping the Weissenborn is something that I can finish in the short time I have.

So departure looms and bags need packing.  First a weekend in NYC with Janet and Isabel to celebrate Isabel’s 20th birthday (how did that happen so fast?) then it will be off to Galway to this man’s world:

October 5, 2017

The plans:

October 6, 2017

Last look at the Mission and off to airport:

And leaving California over Yosemite and Mono Lake:

From the plane

October 7, 2017

At the Whitney with the family and celebrating Isabel 19-no-more.

Seen at a Chelsea gallery:

…And saw Bruce Springsteen outside his Broadway show.

October 8, 2017

Visiting my former stomping grounds in the East Village for Isabel’s 20th birthday with breakfast in the warm rain at Vselka Cafe:

A timely reminder from Joe Strummer and off to the airport:

October 9, 2017

On a red-eye flight to bus and arrival in Galway:

Arrival Galway

Then directly to work on the Sapele Mahogany top, sides and back for my dobro in Paul’s downstairs wood room:

The upstairs space is crowded, busy, and not like any shop I’ve ever been in:

Other shop mates also working under Paul’s direction –

Anne working on her Irish harp:

Seoyoon building a replica of an 1830’s style guitar with custom filigree work:

Deedo working on parts for body of his guitar:

Plus Adam Clayton of U2 on the wall with one of Paul’s mandolins:

Today’s work on Paul’s home built sander – sides down to 2mm, top and back to 2.5mm:

October 10, 2017
My morning walk to work:

Today was spent bending the sides  and sanding/joining the front and back:

Seoyoon finishes her guitar and gets strings on it, plus another student joins, Adrian from Scotland:

October 11, 2017
I was woken up early by lucid songwriting dream (rewriting old songs, nothing new) and have the rainy windy Airbnb all to myself.  So here’s a picture of my first band in Gerber California:

Dad on the right on his Gibson (that burned in the ’61 house fire), John on drum, me on some kind of kazoo-ma-gizmo. Once I get this luthiering thing down, maybe I’ll recreate that Gibson, he sure did love it.

Today in the shop was spent climbing a mountain of hand sanding of the front and back pieces.  No machines, just a sanding block until the arms fall off.  Then prepping the kerf linings on the bandsaw:

In the afternoon, we used a Dremel router to make the slots for the rosette:

More company in the shop, this is Stewart working as an apprentice (it is definitely getting crowded in here now):

Seoyoon started working on a hand-carved mandolin top:

October 13, 2017
An unexpected visitor named Ophelia will be dropping by this weekend, likely changing my plans to head to the coast on a rental bike.  Gale force winds expected.

Great progress in the shop. Along with more, seemingly endless sanding, the rosette has been completed and the sound hole cut.  That’s where all the brilliant and beguiling notes will come from (if someday I become a decent slide player).

Clamping the back barring (bracing in America) has started along with the end block:

Paul and good shop mates at work:

A late afternoon lunch break and out on Dominick Street:

Adrian swinging his mighty hammer:

October 14, 2017
Jet-lagged and sleepless in the middle of the night reading about the apocalyptic fires ripping up Northern California while I’m away, my thoughts are with you all.

Today was cam clamp day on the front and back barring:

Especially satisfying was the trim on tail stock:

Life outside the shop has been mostly a simple dinner, then dead tired and falling asleep for a few hours followed by many hours awake in the middle of the night in a very empty Airbnb. Last night was first 8 solid hours of sleep and this evening a dinner with Paul and Anna.  Tomorrow the weekend starts, but I’ll do an afternoon in the shop to stay up on things.  Pretty sedate and no music playing yet.

October 14, 2017

Saturday is a free day in the shop, meaning students can work if they want, but Paul is working on customer jobs and not really available for questions.  Which was fine, since I’m still doing clamping and gluing of the barrings on the sound board. So better to skip more pictures of that and show you my visit to Paul’s neighbor who shares the building.

John Herrick is a sign painter, illustrator, and artist and his studio is a wonderful space to visit.  And he seems a true gentleman with a poetic view of the world, possibly some IRA history there too.

Back in the studio, harps and crazy people:

My walk to work again with Hurricane Ophelia off in the Atlantic:

October 15, 2017
Sunday and the shop is closed.  Of course I woke up early and wanted to get back to work on the dobro.  But moved into a new place on High Street, away from the quiet St. Helen’s Street.  Outside the window is a constant stream of people and the sound of Irish street musicians – sleep might be even more erratic this week, but my host and place are wonderful.  That’s it right next to the ice cream sign:

Wind from the outer edge of Ophelia has started, but earlier I took a long walk along the bay to Salt Hill.  They were adding extra lines on the boats at the wharf, but everyone was out to feel the moist air.

I happened on Climate activists Sing For Our Planet and joined them for several tunes:

Sing For Our Planet soundcloud

October 16, 2017

Hurricane Ophelia came in and mostly Galway shut down – except for Paul Doyle’s School of Lutherie. We kept on clamping and sanding and took a few fantastic walks in the howling wind.  I would consider it more of a big storm with gale force winds than a real hurricane, but it was still impressive

I was wondering if Paul would take precautions since his shop is near the old mill and canals and only about 5 or 6 feet or so above the river level.  And yes, he’d come in Sunday and placed all the power tools in the lower level on blocks.  He’d also sealed the front door with expandable spray foam sealant on his way out (the shovel was left for the first person who arrived to chop their way back in):

I wrapped up clamping the final soundboard barring and then got to try out cutting frets (note the Bear Flag Trio t-shirt!):

The completed front and backs and slotted fret board (the fret board is Sapele Mahogany, same wood as the body of the guitar since it doesn’t get finger wear like a regular guitar):

Deedo clamping up the body of his guitar (always a few days ahead of me):

I shot a lot of nice windy river video footage to edit, but I’m ready to sleep.  So here’s me catching a little Ophelia wind:

October 17, 2017
Today was spent getting the fretboard finished.  The markers are abalone set into the board and super-glued.  More sanding or course.

There’s a little bit of everything in here somewhere.

Deedo tries out one of the guitars from the display case:

I risked life and limb for it, but here’s the hurricane footage from my walk along the docks with Adrian:

Hurricane Ophelia
Paul Campbell, one of the climate singers I met on the street (above) invited me to come sing at the United Methodist Presbyterian Church with a community choir called Sonke.   It was a wonderful mix of traditional songs from all over the world, including many African folks songs.

Here’s the video of my walk along the river in the morning before the hurricane arrived:

River Corrib

October 18, 2017

Back in the shop today and I knocked out the head piece (Utile Mahogany) and it’s veneer (Indian Rosewood):

There was no mold in shop for a Weissenborn body, so we made one today out of some leftover shelves (no I didn’t decide to make a pink guitar).

Also got the kerfed lining glued and clamped into the sides for the soundboard.

Maker/musician Fionn came by (he made the guitar being played by Paul in the video linked below):

Here’s us regulars (minus Anne who’s home in Holland) at Tartare Cafe, the usual hangout:

Paul getting on a little Yessongs on the house guitar:

Paul playing Yes

October 19, 2017
Weissenborn dobro assembly has started and it will be closed up before I leave for London on Saturday.  Here’s the head piece being attached and the kerfed linings being finished:

Deedo clampping his guitar body at the neck joint with help from Stewart:

I finally got a night out for the full cover band tourist bar experience at Quay’s.  I think they were called Glass Onion and the set was 99% classic rock from the 60’s and 70’s.  I think to myself, these are 25 to 35 year olds singing along and raising their pints to these songs.  Hard to imagine me and my buddies in 1980 cheering on a band that that was playing Bing Crosby 1933 hits like that.  I think Country Roads by John Denver got the loudest singalong (not a single person here would feel at home in West Virginia, I suspect).  For me, it was the Thin Lizzy three song medley that did it, still my favorite Irish rock band.  Come to think of it, not a single U2 song was played.

October 20, 2017
The main parts are now coming together and the clamping process is pretty unnerving and getting everything in alignment with glue all over you fingers is a trick. Here’s the front attached to the sides:

After it is unclamped, the top is routed for the binding (the curved edge piece) and the purfling (the decorative strip next to the binding).

The binding and purfling is glued in place and held with tape.  It’s going to be gorgeous (trust me), but you won’t get to see it for awhile.

I’ll be heading to London for a week (a vacation from my vacation) and will miss life in the shop.  Here’s Seoyoon and Adrian checking out the progress of his harp:

I finally got the chance to play Seoyoon’s sweet little guitar with the beautiful woodwork and filigree work:

Dead Giveaway instrumental

October 21, 2017
Travel day:

October 22, 2017
I’ve been reading Angels and Ages by Adam Gopnik that looks at the parallels in the lives of Lincoln and Darwin (born within hours of each other on the same day) and am finding it really opening up ideas on where we’ve all come (and maybe fallen away from?).  Today I headed to the Natural History Museum and took the back room tour to see Darwin’s personal specimen collection which is archived there.  Just fantastic time spent.

A small portion Darwin’s collection on display with handwritten labels (sigh):

Specimens in the back rooms:

I wandered into the Rocks and Minerals hall just to get a break from the crowds, but found it endlessly fascinating and could have spent all day there:

Then there’s the architecture and the terra cotta carvings in every hall and passageway and staircase:

The evening was spent at the epic rock venue the Hammersmith to see The Musical Box doing some of my favorite music in the world with my great friend Joe:

Thanks London, that was one hell of a day.

October 23, 2017
I spent the day in today to keep a chest cold from getting worse, except for a walk here (very near my friend’s Claire and Cameron’s place). Pictures of the crosswalk were not possible due to the tourists standing frozen mid-stride.

Plus I took the scissors to Time Out Magazine and made some postcard art (trigger warning necessary?!):

October 24, 2017

Morning was poached eggs, good friends, conversation, and single malt. No photos.  Good night.

October 25, 2017
My morning was spent on a walk to the fantastic Hampstead Heath near Claire and Cameron’s place. My direction was lead by my iPad and my pace was determined by its stop-motion camera.  The video further below is what came of the walk.

But Angels and Ages continues to set the tone for the whole trip.  As I’d pause in the park, I’d read a few pages from Gopnik’s book while the camera loaded time lapse and the reading would fill my mind with thoughts to go with the images.

Back in Galway, Seoyoon removed the masking tape from the guitar at my request and sent some pictures of the trim.  It’s really showing character now!

October 26, 2017
Cameron and I caught a southbound train to Orpington and bused to Down House, the long term home of Charles Darwin, his wife Emma, and their seven kids.  The trip was triggered by my fairly random visit with Isabel to the Strand Bookstore in NYC where I happened to find Angels and Ages, but that is proving to be a magic moment.  It’s really something to be in a real “man-cave”, a room where the idea of a god that directs our lives was buried and where the human path turned a corner.

The home was emptied after the family left and converted to a girl’s school, but the restoration brought back original furnishings and wall decorations were recreated from photos.  Darwin’s “Sand Walk” where he took daily walks with his kids and dogs has been restored as well and on a drizzly day is the perfect place to be.

Hard to follow up a day like that, but we did.  At a suggestion of Claire’s, we got incredible seats at Wilton’s to see The Terrible Infants. Wilton’s is the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall, dating back 300 years as a sailor’s pub, Methodist mission, and rag warehouse.  Absolutely incredible show – Tim Burton meets Roald Dahl (but even better) with live music performed by the cast, plus a voice over by Dame Judi Dench.

Here’s a peek –  The Terrible Infants trailer

Wilton’s was also the location where Kate Bush filmed a music video.  So my day started in the room where On the Origin of Species was written and ended in the room where Wow was shot.  I suppose that’s me A to Z, here with Cameron and Claire just as the lights go down:

Got around to editing the Hampstead Heath video:  The Heath
(Yes I realize I’m milking the Sigur Ros music a little heavy on this trip…)

October 27, 2017
Headed in the evening with Joe, Cameron, and Claire to the Victoria & Albert Museum which included catching up with buddy from NYC days Rob Festinger.  In a show about…plywood?

Cameron and I ended up in the library stacks for a talk about the development of the London sanitary sewer system. Fundamental stuff.

October 28, 2017
My London adventure was wound up with time around the city, along a canal, and playing guitar by a backyard fire pit.

With Joe and Maya to the Broadway Market and Regents Canal:

Finally in Cameron and Claire’s backyard with an early Guy Fawkes Day party:

October 29, 2017
Heading back to Ireland, thanks UK:

October 30, 2017
I found myself at a Cecelia’s Halloween party of all imports, no Irish – just Brazilians, Spainards, Italians, Russians, Poles, and one American.  Also found a pumpkin needing carving:

Back to work on my dobro project and my crew at Paul’s shop. Lots of adjustments and tweaking of the purfling and bindings:

Anne’s fantastic clamping on her harp:

October 31, 2017
Work and plenty of playing around in the shop on Halloween (cookie fingers by Seoyoon):

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Fingerboard on the dobro is glued and clamped:

Adrian’s harp based on a 14th century design – no glue or fasteners! The string tension holds it together:

Later on into the streets of Galway following a Celtic football game with Adrian and Deedo:

November 1, 2017
Today I had to attach the back of the dobro and close the body up.  I must say it feels weird to not have easy access to the interior anymore, forever sealed.

While the back is drying, I get to make the bridge – the piece that anchors the strings and transfers the vibration to the body.  Structurally, hugely important but also something with design impact.

Routing the slot for the saddle on a mini-milling machine (future shop want list item):

The bridge  in place and clamped:

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After the clamps come off (4 hour glue curing), I needed to see the interior (iPhone inside the body):

Seen around the benches:

November 2, 2017
Work is rolling along as the final pieces come together.  Fretboard trim clamping, finished bridge, and back lining taped and glued in place:

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Paul with his new haircut cutting back pieces:

Still life in the evening after work with Deedo and yes, Guinness in the U.S. does not compare to Guinness in Ireland:

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November 3, 2017
My morning walk along the canal can never be taken for granted (or forgotten):

Today back bindings were planed and sanded and the veneer on the head stock clamped and glued:

The dobro is ready for strings and tomorrow it’s voice will be heard for the first time.

But before that, Seoyoon tests out a guitar in progress to see if it fits a Scotsman.

Helping out with other shop fabricating:

November 4, 2017
Sixteen and a half days after starting – it’s playable and with plenty of time to get the finishing done.  The bridge pins, machine heads, saddle and nut went fairly smoothly, but it’s hard to put something so labored over into a drill press and make a bunch of holes.

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Cranking up the string tension for the first time is nervous-making (rare smile captured):

Ready for playing, check back tomorrow:

November 5, 2017
Sunday in Galway and it was a gorgeous day, clear and cool.  Perfect for wandering the Sunday market, Indian street food, and hanging at Tigh Neachtain’s street tables with former Airbnb host Cecilia and new friends.

Spent the day trying out the new dobro.  As in, all day until the fingernails were thrashed.  This video is before I resolved to finally come to terms with finger picks and before I was able to play Prodigal Son competently.  A song about a poor boy who started down the road, but ends up back home is the only thing to play on this instrument on this day thinking about getting home. (Written by Robert Wilkins, not Mick and Keith).

Dobro first pass

Out in the evening and I finally get to the Crane Bar for the full trad session and it really is the best place.  Apologies to Daniel from Switzerland who I spilled a Guinness all over.  And to the Guinness maker for wasting 3/4 of a pint of such fundamentally great stuff.  Here’s some samples of  what The Goat Family is going to have to live up to when I get home.

Tin whistle at Crane Bar

All For Me Grog at Crane Bar

That was followed by closing down Róisín Dubh with yet another tremendous cover band and a wee bit of the creature.

November 6, 2017
All the strings and hardware have to come off the dobro to get the final prep done before finishing.  More sanding on stubborn rough spots and taking down the sharp edges on the nut and saddle.

A trick to remember: to plug the soundhole from over spray, use a balloon:

Into the the spray area after everyone else has left:

Earlier in the day, shop life continues:

Here’s Paul at our awesome local eatery Tartare (neon quote from Beckett):

November 7, 2017
Sanding and polishing the dobro is not picture-worthy, so here’s the fire noodle eating contest.  I’ve been hearing about Seoyoon’s spicy Korean ramen noodles and today they came out in the shop.  Absolutely removes the skin from the inside of your mouth and tears were shed:

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And at Monore’s for normal lunch.  This has been a great crowd to hang out with:

November 8, 2017

Look out California:

Seen around the shop, clamps clamps and more clamps:

November 9, 2017

Deedo has the neck on his guitar, but I’ll have to wait to hear it:

Everyone I met over the last five weeks gathered at the Crane Bar for a going away party and those still standing moved on to close down Róisín Dubh in the wee hours.  Many thanks to all you fine people.

November 10, 2017
Cleaning up and packing up is all very sad to do.  I found a case at the local music store that fits the Weissenborn’s unusual shape with just a simple modification:

Adrain and Seoyoon drop me off for a late night bus ride out of Galway and then a last night in an airport hotel in Dublin.

November 11, 2017

Staring at the seatback monitor:

A perfect goodbye to Ireland: as I’m in my seat on the plane, I see the crew load my dobro in the cargo hold.  The big guy plays the case and I swear, it was some Johnny Cash:

Tarmac guitar

November 12, 2017

Back home at last and Ginny the cat seems to be enjoying the sound.

Deep thanks to Janet for helping this trip become reality and for holding the home together.

Epilogue

The above blog shows just part of the story of my time at Paul’s shop. There was more than just the dobro that was built, there also a ukulele which needed to remain a secret Christmas present.  The major parts of the uke were built in Galway and the work there can be seen in the photos above. It was critical to get Paul’s help on the neck-to-body joining, since that wasn’t part of a Weissenborn dobro.  So it traveled home in pieces wrapped in dirty laundry in my luggage.  Then my workshop had to get set up and functioning for luthier work.

Here’s the uke getting the fretboard glued and clamped, the bridge glued and clamped, and the frets leveled.

I wanted to do something extra special with pearl inlay since that wasn’t a big part of the dobro. I had the idea of representing art that Isabel is known for and Seoyoon helped me figure out how to do it.  On the left are some of Isabel’s drawings on ceramic pots and on the right is the finished inlay on the head stock.

The “branches” in the head stock are three layers of mother of pearl on top of each other.  This probably took up the most time in my shop, since the fine saw work was not something I’ve ever done before.  Thanks to Seoyoon for the help!

The finished ukulele, concert size.

Both instruments needed to be labeled and I had my friend Mimi help with the design.

This all needed to remain a secret until Christmas when Isabel found the ukulele under the Christmas tree.

Downstairs neighbors Renata, David, and Lilly all tried it out.

Finally, inspired by the crafts and jewelry makers in the Galway Sunday market, I decided to make some Weissenborn dobro Christmas tree ornaments.  The sides are out of coffee stir sticks and I made a small mold to press them into shape after they soaked in boiling water.

So that’s the story, now off to strum some strings.

Thad, 2018