Wayne Cavanaugh's Comments

(for "gace' read "gape")

Mine has that same separaton problem - the treble side back starts to gaoe in the Winter when the house gets dry, humidifiers not withstanding. I think one of the top braces above the soundhole is cracked. Local fixers all say that if it doesn't interfere with the playing, ignore it and it doesn't so I do. I think they're a bit imtimidated by it. Sadly I have NO luthier skills. The ol' darlin' plays great and has a superb dark tone that compliments my '75 D35 perfectly.
I've got a Kentucky Dulcimer - the real ol'timey three-stringer - made by Jethro Amburgey in '66.

If that Dulcimer is as big as it appears, it might take this new stringing I've been experimenting with. I took the the bass (G) string and moved it to the front to make an octaved melody string, then added a Low E string for the bass, tuned to D.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlG6gMRt73c

In the early '70's one of our musical community was hitch-hiking home and stoped in Edmonton where he got a place to crash in a church basement. In the basement where he was given floor-space were a bunch of instruments donated for a kids orchestra the church was forming. Seeing a guitar case, he peeked inside and there she was. He offered to trade his beater road-ax for it and got a yes. Later he sold it to a cat named Stoo Born. When Stoo got a job up North for six months I subleted his room just to be near the Zero with whom I'd fallen in love. This convinced him to trade it to me for a Gretsch Tennessian and a painting of Pan. I believe he still has the painting.

Whoops - just noticed what appears to be the head of a rather large Dulcimer lurking in the corner.

Ooooo - Pretty. Thanks for the pic. You even have the pick-guard. Mine was lost long before it got to me. I had to replace the tailpiece as well - it broke just after I got it. I'd be interested to know if yours has the original -I've seen one other with that style.

HI Wayne,
Welcome to the community! As soon as I saw that you have a "Zero" I was going to hook you up with Roldo, but I see he beat me to it! Please take Roldo's advice and post some pics of your Gibsons! I too am a guitar builder, if only for my self and not for sale, and would love to see some pics of your handmade "stuff" as well! There is a guitar builders group in the AG Community too! Check it out...
http://acousticguitarclub.ning.com/group/guitarmakers
Here is a picture of one of my instruments, an 8 string tenor guitar...Thanks, Edward
http://mysite.verizon.net/emsparks/index.htm