Man, I’ve been itching to share this project with you all. It’s about this guitar I’ve been working on, and not just any guitar – we’re talking about a “Tree of Life” design. Sounds fancy, right? Well, it kinda is, but it was also a ton of work!
It all started when I was browsing around online, you know, just looking at guitars, not really planning on buying anything. I stumbled across this picture of a guitar with the most amazing inlay work I’d ever seen. It was this intricate tree design running up the fretboard, all made from different pieces of shell and wood. I was instantly hooked. I had to have something like that.
So, I started doing some research. I found out that this kind of inlay is called a “Tree of Life” design, and it’s pretty popular on some high-end guitars. The prices were, let’s just say, a little out of my budget. Like, way out. But that didn’t stop me. I figured, “Hey, I’m pretty handy. I bet I could do something similar myself.”
First, I needed a guitar to work on. I didn’t want to ruin a perfectly good guitar, so I started looking for a used one. I ended up finding an old CORTEZ acoustic, a J7000 model, at a pawn shop. It was a bit beat up, but the neck was straight, and it played okay. Perfect for my project.
Then came the hard part – the inlay. I spent hours online, looking at different Tree of Life designs, trying to figure out how to make my own. I ordered some inlay materials online, like the material that comes from abalone and some other pearl-like materials. They looked pretty nice and shiny when they arrived. It really took a long time to get all the materials ready.
Drawing and Cutting
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I drew out the design on paper, then transferred it to the fretboard. That was a pain, let me tell you.
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Next, I had to cut out all the little pieces. I used a tiny saw, like the kind jewelers use. It was slow going, and I definitely messed up a few times.
After cutting all these little materials, I had to carefully glue them into the fretboard. I used some kind of super strong glue that I found online. It was a mess, and I think I glued my fingers together more times than I can count. The most difficult thing was trying to make those little materials fit perfectly into the fretboard. I had to keep trying and adjusting.
Then came the sanding and finishing. I sanded the whole fretboard down until it was smooth, then applied a few coats of finish to protect the inlay and give it a nice shine.
The whole process took me weeks, working on it a little bit at a time. There were times when I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But I kept going, and eventually, it all came together.
And you know what? It actually turned out pretty great! It’s not perfect, of course. There are a few flaws here and there, but I’m really proud of it. It sounds pretty decent, too. It has a really warm, full tone. I learned a ton doing this project, and it was definitely worth all the effort. Now, I’ve got a one-of-a-kind guitar that I can truly say I made myself. And every time I look at it, I can’t help but smile. It’s not a fancy Martin D-35 or one of those legendary “The Tree” guitars, but it’s my Tree of Life, and that’s good enough for me. It really feels great when I play it.
So yeah, that’s my Tree of Life guitar story. Hope you guys enjoyed it! Maybe it’ll even inspire some of you to try something similar. If you do, just be prepared for a lot of work! And a lot of glue. Seriously, so much glue.
