I Can't Help It

During our time with Eric in a visit to Austin, he arranged a tour of a local but nationally recognized handmade guitar maker. Collings guitars are known for their craftsmanship and quality, so I was eager to see how they went about putting together one of their works of wood art.


We arrived a little late, thanks to misdirection from Google Maps, so we caught up with the tour group at the end of their walk through the stock wood room. The first thing to catch my eye was not the laminated maple blocks that would anchor the neck, or the thin panels of spruce, mated with mahogany, that would become the back of the guitar. No, my eyes gravitated instead to the blue roll of masking tape lying next to the templates, relieved to find the 3M brand in it's core. Moving to the machining room where CNC machining centers profile the necks and mandolin bodies, and wide belt sanders dimension panels, my eyes were drawn to the abrasive belts stationed next to the sanders. My stomach turned a crank. The emblem for Klingspor, a German competitor to 3M, was printed on the backside.

Competitive Abrasive Belts

From there on, I searched for solace. Lifting each roll of a variety of masking tapes used throughout the plant for temporarily holding inlays and masking finishes, I found most to carry the 3M brand. Every competitive roll brought a wince to my face. Most of the abrasive sheets, disappointingly, were Carborundum brand from Canada. The abrasive discs were from Sunbright, the Korean manufacturer that gained most of its technology from 3M through a joint venture many years back.

About three stops into the tour, Evelyn mouthed from across the group, "R-E-T-I-R-E-D." It didn't help. I continued to turn abrasives over, lift tape rolls, and duck under respirators to read the brand on the front. It brought back memories of being a salesman, taking a factory tour to evaluate all the opportunities. I can't help it - looking for all the conversion opportunities. While this operation wouldn't have impressed me with its sales potential, it would have motivated me through all the competitive material being used.

Fine and delicate inlays are positioned and glued carefully by very patient and deliberate craftsman who work quickly. Polishers work the guitar bodies against buffs, careful not to burn the finish, but with elbow grease liberally applied. Strenuous work that requires a young back and a fine touch.One of the final stops of the tour, the finishing room, helped reassure me that 3M still has what it takes when it matters. All of the micro-finishing abrasives and fine line tapes in this area were high end 3M products.

That capped a great tour of a fine guitar maker. With the assistance of relatively modern computerized equipment for shaping of critical components, the assembly and finishing processes are hand worked by artisans. On multiple occasions throughout the operation, woods are tested for responsiveness and sound by experts in a process called "voicing." With a much finer ear than mine, these folks know what to do to change sound and projection by removing wood or adding wood to the body of the instrument. It all makes a big difference to customers, many who spend the equivalent of a new car for the privilege.

One of those customers was on the tour with us and picked up his new electric Collings guitar, which he revealed to us at the same time he first revealed it to himself. The joy and loving appreciation in his eyes reflected the aim of the folks we had met in the back - which is to build a piece of art from trees that in the hands of the customer will be used to create art for the ears.

His New Work of Art

Trying the Outcome