Guitar craftsman bringing life back to the timber that was supporting the city of New York

From musical instruments made from natural materials, it is sometimes not as a simple substance, but as something like the material's history or stuff can be felt. In the studio that continues to make guitar at the street corner of New York, it is making instruments that rebirth the building's timber that has literally formed the city of New York and is born again as a guitar.

Harvesting Guitars from the Bones of New York City - YouTube


One guitar shop faced "Carmine · Street" in Lower Manhattan in southern Manhattan Island.


Carmine Street GuitarsThis shop, which is named after the guitar builder Rick Kelly is handcrafted and continues to produce guitar.


"Every guitar has a story," Kelly said.


Mr. Kelly's guitar is the ones that played what was used in the street corner of New York.


On the surface, the expression that the original material has is left intact.


Wood stacked with shelves and gussily


"Most wood picked up what I was about to throw away from the trash box." It also said that wood that was cut out from a tree called age 200 years old is also included.


Many of them were used in the buildings of New York which are lined up long ago.


Mr. Kelly gathers wood which is no longer used and is stocking it for guitar making.


A telecaster-style guitar strumming. If you look closely, wood that floats the grain that makes you feel the season is also used for parts called pickguards that cover the main body.


Wood to make buildings is a material, so starting with work to pull out the nuggets before doing work.


Next, use the large band saw (band saw board) to cut the wood into a guitar shape ... ....


Using files such as files, we will prepare the shape manually. When I look at the movie, the texture of the timber which has dried completely is transmitted as it has been used for a long time.


Open the hole for the connector ......


Treat the surface with electric cannula. All these work is done manually, and the timber that was supporting New York will change shape to guitar.


Mr. Kelly's guitar is said to be used also by musicians who have a name in history. God of folk song, Bob Dylan ... ...


Lou Reed who continues to release his own view of the world in former "Velvet Underground"


Patti Smith who is called "Queen of Punk" and also enters into the Rock Hall of Fame


And it seems that Roger · Waters etc who are continuing solo activities even after exiting from the original "Pink Floyd" are also using Mr. Kelly's instruments.


"I think that it is very wonderful to breathe life into the old wood that was supporting the city and resurrect it as an instrument."


"To give the tree a new life and change its shape to a musical instrument that can play music ... ..."


"It's very wonderful," Kelly said.