Sagajawea

Sagajawea

I handmade this concert classical guitar using a soundboard wood called Sinker Redwood provided by the client. The client who ordered this guitar introduced me to this wood. At first I was sceptical, but now that the guitar is finished I'm a believer. This Redwood is pre-banned and re-claimed from a Redwood tree that had been cut down around 1850 and found at the bottom of a river called Big River in Mendocino County in northern California. The redwood tree from which this wood came from is estimated to be over 500 years old, probably more, before it was cut down. Due to the mineral content of the river it is partially petrified and impregnated with mineral deposits which can be seen increasingly toward the center of the soundboard top as dark streaks. The partial petrifaction of the sinker redwood adds hardness to the wood especially within the annular lines and gives this guitar a bright sound than a normal redwood topped guitar while still maintaining the bell like high tone characteristic of cedar top guitars yet with more of the complex characteristics of spruce. The bass has an unusually deep character that can only be described as dark chocolate. The dark Brazilian Rosewood (also provided by the client) used in this guitar is also pre-banned wood. I only used 100% natural hide glue, (Old Brown Glue), throughout the construction process. Hide glue dries to a crystalline state unlike PVC glues. This crystallization helps better translate sound vibrations especially higher tones. I have named this guitar after the noble Shoshone Indian woman, Sacajawea. At 16 years old she was kidnapped (cut-down). Then later she was given new life and her translation ability and guidance was essential to Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery in exploring the Pacific Northwest territory. The Sinker Redwood used as the soundboard of this guitar came from general area of the Pacific Northwest, so this guitar is a tribute to Sakakawea (Lewis and Clark also called her “Bird Woman”) (spelled Sacagawea and Sacajawea as well). Also, since the soundboard is the most important translator of sound in a guitar and in this guitar it is made of native American redwood, it seemed appropriate to name it after this great Native American woman.

Sound Samples

Here are some sound samples of this guitar. No manipulation of the recording was done except for editing out most of my mistakes.

Francisco Tarrega - Prelude in c
Francisco Tarrega - Lagrima (Tears)
Anonymous - Greensleeves