Grandpa Is A Carpenter

ABSOLUTELY CHEROKEE Homegrown & Geographically Accountable

GRANDPA IS A CARPENTER

AND A PRETTY GOOD GUITAR MAKER TOO

Detail Of Inlay Work

click on photo for larger view

Left: Close-up detail of side of guitar.
Jim used Honduran Mahogany for the body
and Fiddle Back Maple for the binding.
The top of the guitar is made from Sitka Spruce.
Black and white wood purflings were used
to accent inlay and bindings.

Detail of Sound Hole

Black & White Wood Purflings Used For Trim Inlay

Click on any photo for larger view

Ebony Fretboard Detail
Mother of Pearl Inlay

Jim Lovell

BIO

The John Prine Song "Grandpa Was A Carpenter" fits Jim Lovell to a T-square - the part about being level on the level and building houses, stores and banks anyway. Back in the day he even chain smoked a few cigarettes. But this article isn't about some grandpa who was a carpenter, but about Grandpa The Carpenter who builds apartment buildings and acoustic GUITARS, among other things.

What I find most fascinating about Jim's story is that he is self taught. Literally, one day he decided he wanted to make a guitar so he bought a couple of books about guitar making. Keep in mind, this was in the days before youtube videos where now you can find a how to video on just about any subject. He also found a local Marietta man, Jay Rhynes, who repaired and made guitars to give him a few tips, but other than that he was on his own. The first result, after many trial and errors, was astounding and even rated a heads-up from Mr. Rhynes.

Jim didn't start with a kit where the parts are pre-cut and ready to assemble. He started with sheets of mahogany and blocks of dimensional ebony and fiddle back maple. He formed the neck from a block of mahogany first using a jig saw for general form and then he hand shaped it with a rasp and a spoke shave. From the blocks of ebony and fiddle back maple he "ripped" thin strips for the fingerboard and the bindings. He drew out his design for the body shape and made his own form box and while confronted with how to steam and shape the mahogany sides, he made his own system from found parts to steam and shape those thin slabs of wood to fit into his mold. And that was the easy part.

After all the pieces were formed, the meticulous work of assembling the guitar and adding the trim and mother of pearl inlay began. None of these things had he ever attempted before. It was a work of love. The end result was worth it. Jim had constructed a truly beautiful guitar.

Of course, a guitar, no matter how beautiful, isn't worth a darn unless it sounds beautiful. The really amazing part of this story is that though Jim likes to play around on a guitar and he can pick out a few tunes, he is not a musician so he didn't trust his own ears. He had to rely on Mr. Rhynes and other musician friends to tell him how good his guitar is.

In case your are wondering, the consensus was "It's a good 'un".

Machine Head Detail
Fretboard & Machine Head
Made of Ebony-
Mother of Pearl Inlay

Photos Below are of a Hope Chest Jim designed and constructed for his daughter
( She also is the owner of Jim's first guitar).
Parts of this chest were made with pine flooring pulled from a remodel job at one of the early womens's dormatories at Spelman College in Atlanta (circa 1886)

JimWoodwork/chesttray.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chesttray2.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chesttop.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chestside2.jpg.JPG

JimWoodwork/chestside.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chestint.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chestfront.jpg.JPG JimWoodwork/chest.jpg.JPG

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Jim designed and constructed this arbor (right)
for his mother after the death of his father.
He used left over materials from various construction
jobs he oversaw.

Jimguitar/S5000868.JPG

Grandaughter
Natalie Orion.
The little girl
who makes
Jim the
Grandpa he is

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