Guitar Fabrication - Day 11

Today was the eleventh day working with Luis. The time has flown by and we have been following a fairly regular schedule. I usually arrive at his house at 8:30AM. We work until 1:00PM and then eat almuerzo (lunch) with the family. Gladys, Luis' wife, prepares a different soup, a meal with rice, meat and vegetables, and fresh fruit juice everyday. At 1:30PM we finish lunch and Luis takes a 1/2 hour siesta. I usually sit in the kitchen with Gladys and talk about many things for that 1/2 hour. What Canada is like for example, or what sort of things can be seen in the nearby National Park called Cajas, or why Ecuadorians use certain idioms in spanish. I enjoy my time with the family, they make me feel very at home. When Luis wakes up, we usually work until 4:30PM or so and I walk back down the hillside to our apartment. We have made lots of progress since my last write-up. As you can see in the picture, the guitar has been assembled (neck, sides, top, and bottom). Luis does not use any machines, everything is done by hand, and the assembly process is incredible. It requires tremendous patience and skill. Luis could do it with his eyes closed (38 years of experience). I am constantly impressed by his ability. Over the next week, we will be working on the bridge (where the strings are held on the soundboard) and the fretboard (where the strings are played). This portion of the fabrication process must be very precise in order for the guitar to have integrity. Yesterday, a friend of Luis' stopped by to measure my guitar. He is going to make a custom case for me. I am very excited for my guitar to be completed; I will however be quite sad when I say goodbye to Luis and his family.