Yesterday, we went to the Woodstock Invitational Luthiers Showcase and it was simply incredible. This is a yearly event in which luthiers (makers of handmade guitars, mandolins, banjos, dulcimers and fiddles) can showcase their creations. There are also performances on the stage all day long, with musicians playing the instruments so the audience can hear how they sound. Along with that, there are workshops by renowned musicians.
It was held in three different buildings in Bearsville, which is really part of Woodstock. It’s a historic area (Don has played there before) where musicians have played for years, including Bob Dylan and Levon Helm. The building next door was the house of legendary manager and producer Albert Grossman. The Bearsville Theater, which was the main venue for this showcase, was Grossman’s idea, finally opened after years of construction by Grossman’s widow. Grossman, by the way, was a visionary, with a stable of artists that included Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Janis Joplin, The Band, and Todd Rundgren. In fact, the other building – Utopia – was originally Rundgren’s video studio.
That’s some of the history surrounding this complex of buildings.
Here are some photos:
The rainy road to Woodstock.
Right inside the entrance.
This is a guitar made by Rodrigo Shopis, who lives in NYC. He is inspired by the music and guitars of the legendary Django Reinhart.
Rodrigo and yours truly.
Don playing a guitar made by Rick of Running Dog Guitars, based in Seattle. I fell in love with these beauties and we had the opportunity to listen to a demonstration of their beautiful sound later in the day.
I’m sure you understand why I fell in love with this one. If I could have this, I’d take up the guitar – I promise!
Lame Horse guitars – a father/son enterprise (Chris and Jeremiah Jenkins) out of Austin and Dallas. Jeremiah has a pin on his lapel that is almost exactly the same as a vintage pin I own.
We bonded, of course.
I particularly loved the handmade guitars of Sam Guidry, who lives in Michigan. Of course, I’m more drawn to the artistic embellishments. Don, while appreciating all of that, is also drawn to the sound and how it feels to play each instrument. This guitar had this lovely design around the hole.
Same guitar, sides and back. Gorgeous.
Sam also made my favorite of the day:
This one, inspired by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. The back of the guitar, though I don’t seem to have a photo of it, subtly repeated the design.
Don and Sam.
Don absolutely loved playing this guitar, made by Benoît Lavoie, who lives and works in Quebec. Ben was passionate about his work and such fun to talk to.
Don holding the guitar right after playing it. He looks happy, doesn’t he?
He also loved this guitar made by Nick Lenski of Brier Road Guitars in North Adams, MA.
Check out the back of the guitar. I can’t believe how beautiful these instruments are!
And finally, I fell in love with the work of Zach Lefebvre of TreeHouse Guitars in Ontario, Canada.
The bird, the branches, all done by Zach.
And on the back. Be still my heart. Really…I’ll learn to play! Please, pretty please?
Don and Zach.
This is a three-day event, and I can see why. It’s truly amazing and full of such incredible talent and artistry. Don had long conversations with so many of the artisans, often trying our their guitars.
I checked in with him this morning. His favorite: the one made by Benoît. Next favorite: the one made by Nick.
Of course, these guitars take time to make. Everything is handmade by each individual artisan. So they often cost several thousand dollars. Gulp. But it’s all relative. So does a good piano. And if you’re a musician and you fall in love with a guitar, one that no one else will have, made just for you? You find a way to make that dream come true.
I really loved the show and we will definitely be going next year, as well.
And hurrah for the Cubs! Watching that game was a great way to end the day!
Happy Sunday.
The bird guitar! Oh yes…I’ll learn to play on that one! But really, they are all so beautiful. Looks like fun and must have sounded like heaven!
It did. A really great day, Shanna.
No lutes at a luthier convention?
I saw one lute. I don’t think lutes are tops on the list of popular stringed instruments!
Wow….they are all gorgeous works of art! Great lines on Don’s favorite…I assume it sounded as great as it looked? Sounds like a great day…and the Cubs won to top it off! ;)
It did sound great, Donnamae! Yay Cubs!
Oh, that bird guitar!! So beautiful!!
And, OH, those Cubs!! I cried. After all of the years….. and all of the tears…. so good to see it finally happen! I only wish my parents and grandparents had lived to see it. Every Summer there were trips to Wrigley when we lived in Chicago. Some of them would have simply been amazed by the LIGHTS shining on Wrigley and the fact it was a night game!!!! What a night it was!!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
I know! I’m a Red Sox fan and I know what it’s like to wait for fans to wait decades and decades to break a supposed ‘curse.’ So when it came time to cheer a team on, we had no doubt who were going to cheer for. Yay Cubbies!
The guitars are fabulous! I hope you don’t mind, but I forwarded the post to my cousin. He will appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship that went into each.
What a great day the two of you had. I am happy for you.
Claudia I have a question for you. What are the steps you take to put a watermark on your photos?? The answer might be on the blog, and if it is please refer me back to it. I couldn’t find it, but then again I often can’t see things right in front of me.
Well, I use Lightroom for editing my photos and for my watermark. But you can do the same thing on a site like picmonkey. They have a tutorial, I believe. You upload a photo. You can put text on a background and then make the background transparent, make sure it’s sized correctly for the size photos you use and then you add it on top of the photo. Go to their site and see if you can find the tutorial.
Don was in guitar heaven, wasn’t he? What absolutely gorgeous drool-worthy instruments! My favorite is the bird guitar created by Zach…I love birds.
He was in heaven, Wendy! It was fun watching him and hearing his conversations with everyone.
I did wonder about prices. Don indeed looked like he’d found a little piece of Heaven.
So interesting, Claudia! Thank you for the fall colors on-the-road photo and for sharing the event. You live in the MOST intriguing area! It’s good you two are getting out and about while you can, before you’re busy of course with theater work but also before snow. I’d been thinking how bad weather will hamper your woods walk with the horse friends.
The guitars are works of art. I wish I played. It must be so nice to hear the sounds of a guitar ala Don inside your home.
In the world of so much that’s machine-made, how wonderful to see artisans and crafters making things by hand, with such care and precision…and beauty. Can you imagine if somebody like Eric Clapton showed up at one of these showcases? I imagine, though, that could be more of a situation where the crafter comes to them. I liked the reference to Todd Rundgren whose music I listened to a lot in former years. I’ve seen him interviewed in more recent years; I like the guy. I understand that his one-time stepdaughter, the actress Liv Tyler…who at one time was to believe that he was her biological father…adores him and that he’s been a big part of her life.
I don’t know how you can think you’d ever have a boring post, Claudia. I repeat: I learn SO much here on your blog!
Thanks, Vicki! We were saying the same thing, that seeing something handmade, something that takes several months to years, is so inspiring!
They are all beautiful, but the bird guitar is one I would just love to see. What a fun day and yes Don looks very happy, guitar heaven! Hugs!
Made me happy to see him so happy, Linda!
Don does not look happy…Don looks ecstatic!!!..lol…What a wonderful experience!
Definitely a must-visit next year, Nancy!
What a great festival – a terrific opportunity for guitar lovers! I think I like the Frank Lloyd Wright instrument the best too! Although the bird one is really beautiful too. I wonder if there are flute festivals? I bet there are. I played the flute from 4th grade through senior year in high school and really loved it. Went to scholastic music competitions [county & state], was a member of the marching band [we even did a “tour” in Europe the summer I was 16] but really did drift away from it totally after college. There were just a jillion other things that came into my sphere of interests at that time, in addition to managing my classroom & teaching career, going to grad school etc. I guess I looked at my flute as more or less a childhood thing, and we sold it in one of my mother’s garage sales a few years later, to a kid who wouldn’t have been able to buy a new one. So I was really glad about that. One thing about flutes – they really don’t wear out – so I hope it’s maybe on its 4th or 5th owner/player by now.
There is probably a festival for just about anything. I used to play in piano festivals, many moons ago!
Your autumn road trip photo is just beautiful!
And I was drooling over the guitars! Don looked so happy, totally in his element. I’ve played acoustic guitar since I was a teenager way back when. I loved to sing and strum the old folk songs from the 60s for my kids and now grandkids too. I would absolutely love to have the guitar with the birds on it!
What a lovely day you two had together. :-)
Don keeps trying to teach me the guitar, and I just don’t seem to stick with it. Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
What an incredible display of beauty, art and talent. I loved each picture; especially the ones with you and Don and the big smiles. All of my uncles and cousins and even my dad played guitar/fiddle/banjo/harmonica. I always loved the rich sounds. I would have loved to have seen some of the dulcimers also. I always wanted to build one of my own and learn to play it. Maybe in another life. Thanks for the great experience.
Sandy
I love the dulcimer and have a vintage dulcimer, but it needs to be re-stringed. I always wanted to learn how to play it as well.
Fun photos of some gorgeous instruments, Claudia. Thanks for sharing them! It sounds like a great day.
It was, Judy. We had a lot of fun.
What an interesting and fun day you had …..Don looks beyond happy ! The one with the birds is my favorite… but they are all beautiful works of art.
Seeing the word ‘dulcimer’ reminded me of one of my favorite Walton’s episodes (I love the Waltons). John Boy had a dulcimer made as a going away gift for a girl he was in love with. It was, of course, a real tearjerker !
I love the dulcimer. I always wanted the bigger dulcimer – the hammered dulcimer. I think that’s not going to happen!
What a great day Claudia. I’ve never seen guitars like those. The real reason to comment though is I’m watching an Elementary rerun as I’m reading your post and swear I just saw Don come get a client out of lock up!
Deb
Well, he did do an episode of Elementary – so it was probably him!
I loved the photos of Don. He looks like he is in heaven. Such joy in his face. Thanks for the treat.
You’re welcome. He was in heaven, Kay! I hope that someday he can purchase one of those beauties.
Looks and sounds like a wonderful place to be. Such beautiful guitars and to be with people who share the same passion must have been wonderful .
It was. Don had some great conversations!