BENCH NOTES May 2010

COME VISIT KOVACIK GUITARS AT OLD SONGS AND GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL!

I've not done a lot of local self-promotion in the past few years, so it is past time for me to spend a little time out at the local festivals and music events.  Already in 2010 I've been set up at the Dance Flurry in Saratoga Springs (back in february) and also at the Saratoga Guitar Show (April), and thanks to everyone who has stopped by the booth to play guitars, bring in instruments for repair evaluation or sale/trade and just to talk guitar.  Both of those events were profitable and fun, and this was the first time I've done "the Flurry" so I met a lot of new people at that event.  The Saratoga Guitar Show was fun as well.  But this summer I'll also be set up at the Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music and Dance (Altamont, NY, June 25-27) and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival (Oak Hill, NY, July 15-18).  At both events I will be doing on-site repairs such as set up work, fretwork, simple structural repairs, and repair evaluations.  I will have guitar kits available for the public to examine (they'll be for sale too) and will also have a select group of vintage and used guitars for sale to each event.  So come out to Old Songs or Grey Fox for the great music and stop in to the booth and say "hello" when you do!

The shop is busy as always, lots of cool stuff in right now.  In addition to the inventory that I have posted already I've got several excellent items in inventory that are awaiting restoration and sale.  Among these are a Regal 0 size 12 fret X braced guitar in mahogany, a Larson Brothers WJ Dyer style 5 symphony harp guitar, a 1967 Martin D-35, and a Gibson built Kel Kroydon guitar.  In addition to the many repairs (both those being done and those waiting to get on the bench) I have a very nice pair of pre-war D-18s in the shop right now (a '36 and an '37) that are being repaired for resale after the work is done.  Both are nice, but the '36 is particularly wonderful.  I will be doing a website article on the work that these guitars will have done as the work gets done, so watch the articles page for a new entry on this pair of pre-war dreads. 

For those who are interested...(I talk about fishing here once in a while)...the spring was great for rainbows in the adriondacks.  We (my dad, son and I) spent quite a few days from late March through early May in our favorite streams and encountered may nice 'bows, with seven or eight fish in the 20" plus range.  The biggest of the season was actually the largest rainbow I've taken in over 30 years of fishing this one creek, it was taken in the high water of the spring runoff on April 8th and was 27" nose to tail.  A spectacular rainbow.  The spring trout action is just about done though so it is time for me to get back to the work that I've been neglecting.  I thank those who are waiting for their guitars for their patience.  Yours is coming to the bench soon.  I'll be heading to Alaska again later this summer with my 15 year old son along with me, he's already talking trash about out-fishing the old man.