(click on the title to see pictures and read the entire article)

This was my first Woodstock show and I was definitrely impressed with such a beautiful part of the country enhanced by the explosive colors of a typical autumn weekend. There were approximately 35 luthiers invited and I was truly flattered to be rubbing shoulders with some of the best guitar builders in the world. 

I showed 3 guitars plus an "under the table" experimental model that included the following:

1) "Aurelia" ... a slope-shouldered 12-fret Dreadnought of Lutz Spruce over Cocobolo. This guitar also has a side soundport and has x-bracing comprised of carbon fiber composite. I designed this guitar to accommodate both finger-stylists as well as strummers and cross-pickers. Aurelia was the star of the show for me and had a lot of player attention. More about this later.

2) "Grace" ... a Small Jumbo (SJ) made from Western Red Cedar over Claro Walnut. The guitar is also blinged out a bit with abalone purfling on both the top perimeter and rosette. I love the look as it contrasts against the darker cedar top...definitely caught a lot of eyes at the show. More importantly, the cedar produces an dry, piano-like tone that cuts with volume and sustain...a distinct contrast from the spruce-topped models and just another flavor for players to consider.

3) "Ellie" ... a 00-12-Fret model comprised of Adirondack Spruce over Honduras Rosewood. This guitar is just slightly larger than a parlor guitar but already has a big sound. The top will continue to open up, a process that always amazes me as time passes and the guitar  is played in.

Check out the pictures of the show guitars:

 


But the most satisfying aspect of the show had to be the reception that "Aurelia" got. From the start, players seemed to find a magic in the tone, volume and playability of this guitar. The ambient noise at these shows most often precludes a player from really being able to hear and assess subtleties of tone and nuances that make a difference between a good guitar and a great guitar. Perhaps it was because of the soundport but players seemed to hear and feel a difference. It wasn't long before word actually began spreading through the show about her and players actually approached my table asking to play "Aurelia". So I got a tap on my shoulder and turned to find a smiling man who said, "Hi, I'm John Sebastian and I'm here to play "Aurelia". Well...I recognized him immediately and almost felt my knees buckle! Normally, folks play a guitar for 30-60 seconds and ask questions; John sat there and played this guitar for about 10 minutes without saying a word. It actually caused a group assembling in front of my table watching and listening to the impromptu performance. We finally got to talk about the guitar and he had some high praise for Aurelia's tone, volume, balance and playability. First Tommy Emmanuel and now John Sebastian...holy smokes...pinch me!!!

Later that night, John sat down with me at the bar as we had dinner together and we discussed guitars, music and life in general. It was the highlight of the show for me. It was he who actually suggested that I go forward with an "Aurelia Series" where I duplicate the elements that have made this guitar special. And I plan to do exactly that. So here are a few shots of John Sebastian and Aurelia becoming acquainted.




 


But that wasn't all...on the last hour of the last day, I bumped into one of my very favorite guitarists and friends...Helen Avakian. She was kind enough to sit with me in the now quiet exhibit hall and play all of my guitars and give me valuable feedback from a players perspective. Once again...she settled on Aurelia and it quickly became her favorite. I look forward to seeing her again on December 3 for the Woodchoppers Ball in Kent Ohio. She will be among nine excellent guitarists entertaining about 500 guitar enthusiasts. I will once again be there in the lobby showing my guitars. If you're within a day's driving distance, be there and thank me later!

Here's Helen and Aurelia:




And here's the poster for the upcoming Woodchoppers Ball. I hope to see as many friends of Donohue Guitars and look forward to making new ones as well.