GuitarViol build stories
Matt Bellamy build in 2017 and when the walls went up.
So…
I am doing some build stories in random order. This one happens to be prompted by a Facebook memory of this time I thought it would be fun to do some build stories! Also feature some current GV artists on YT etc.
This edition’s featured artist: Zak Theis who presently calls Rhode Island home. (I have some ancestry roots there myself). Anyway, he sent me a half hour YT on GV and I basically looped it was I worked on Sarurday. Nice job! I wanted to share it with you! Listen as you scroll ;)
Do hit up Zak on his channel like and sub! Tell him TogaMan sent you!
So, Today’s Build story involves a pivotal build that I made for Matt Bellamy of Muse back in January 2017. The situation was completely nuts! The backstory was that we were freshly moved into a converted Fillmore Citrus Packinghouse during the summer of 2015. (Foisted out of prior home/garage business model of the first 15 years). The first winter at the packinghouse was brutal! Ben Aflec was filming Live by night with said premises as a period correct location. The open roll up door kept my chain link fence cage of an unimproved basement space exposed to winter elements with no way to isolate or contain temperature or humidity. I lost a couple needed (5-8K) pieces through the holidays of 2015; a time we were barely recovering from a foisted residence to commercial space move. The union forklift drivers were nice but the door was wide open and my instruments were ruined that Christmas 2015. [I subsequently harvested some mahogany from some set crates left behind, another story of a few subsequent inspiration builds of the day - to get even with the loss]. Anyway, in the latter part of 2016, I was visited by Ari Cap and Wolf Wein who ordered their first of a few GuitarViols (more build stories there! stay tuned). This new commission inspired me to approach my previous protege turned next space neighbor Keith Horne (Marvin Guitars) who had is start at TogaMan in early 2012 + built many instruments with me. The plan was to erect proper walls/insulation to upgrade our spaces from open cages to climate controlled spaces. Having another winter like the last was not sustainable!! I ordered a bunch of 2x4’s, OSB, Insulation, screws, nails and we figured we could knock this out that holiday week . Crush it! (Yeah right!) it took more than three weeks (reality). Real general contractors (our neighbors) were laughing at us because, we are instrument builders and too precise for our own good! (They jokingly offered us jobs). The City of Fillmore started to give the building owner trouble within a few more weeks. (Another Charlie Foxtrot level story).
Back to Matt Bellamy’s build. I had the pleasure of meeting Matt at his Malibu home of the time. He expressed an interest in a thinner version to fit his body better. Turns out, I had been wanting to build this very one for a long time. My 4” thick body went to 2.75” and it felt and sounded great! For many years, I had questioned my default of classical guitar sizing/cello like proportions when it turned out Viola like proportions suited the already borderline Viola range. So, I built it (while shuffling in shop upgrade). I had some killer roasted maple back and side stock on hand. Choice Lutz Spruce for the top. And, some very nice roasted birds eye maple from Nova Scotia based Hades Maple. The build went well and got the shellac layered French polish violin finish (authentic flakes and alcohol). I have mostly discontinued the finishes as California has since banned Denatured alcohol and fossil fuel or oil based varnishes in general. Anyway, this is a good example of my classical varnish of that era!
Check out Matt Bellamy playing pizzicato on Instagram! Seriously, click here.
Anyway, that’s this random build story! More to come, in no particular order. More to come! Stay inspired!
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I welcome you to reach out if you are interested in my guitar-formatted violas aka TogaMan GuitarViols that invite guitarists into the world of alternative bowed strings! Have an exceedingly awesome day and stay inspired!
*Note: this is abridged to article form. Stay tuned for later amplified versions for my documentary/book!