Bye bye Brazilian?

Wohoo!!!! After almost 2 weeks of dial up Internet connection, I’m finally up to speed with my own personal ADSL broadband connection!!! I’m a pretty impatient person by nature and it was a real drag connecting to the Net at dial up speed.

Boy, it’s been a really hectic week. Thank God for His strength, grace and wisdom!!! Thank God for the good worship last Friday night and also for His message. I was a nervous wreck but I think everything went well:)

I’ve been like a zombie the past couple of weeks. I’ve been staying up late liaising with my American guitar suppliers. I’ve finally decided to build solid body electric guitars in Singapore and have been on the phone with my suppliers to confirm certain specs and orders. The ball’s rolling and I can’t wait to have everything in place. It’s like a chess game and I’m waiting for the “check mate” moment!! Actually, I think my customers are more anxious than I am. Speaking of which, I’m still thinking of a name for the electric guitars I would be building pretty soon. My 1st choice is NosNuma because I would like to think of my instruments as kindred spirit to the players who plays them. The guitar should be an extension of their body.

Anyhow, I’ve been turning in past 2am and waking up slightly past 8am or earlier. I just can’t sleep in and it’s driving me crazy!! I need my sleep and I wish I could shut off my biological/internal alarm clock!!! I’m seriously contemplating popping sleeping pills and I’m very anti-medication!!!

It finally happened. I was “propositioned” Saturday morning. Now, now, before you get any funny ideas. Allow me to fill you in.

A Japanese customer of mine tried my Brazilian Rosewood guitar last month and he fell in love with the guitar almost immediately. Well, he came with his wife Saturday morning to collect his other guitar, which I’d finally completed work on and made an offer for my Brazilian.

Yasu did mention to me over the phone a couple of days back he’s been thinking of my Brazilian Rosewood guitar since he first played her. I’d told him then I‘ll only consider parting with her for X amount of $$$ which is expensive but reasonable IMHO.

For the uninitiated, Brazilian Rosewood is considered as the Holy Grail of all tone woods by all guitar aficionados. Some guitarmakers charge up to USD3000 extra just for the additional cost of this highly coveted wood.

To make things more interesting, the Brazilian Rosewood was my Christmas present from my Canadian mentor, Sergei de Jonge. It is almost impossible to find Brazilian Rosewood of such quality and even if one does find it, the price is exorbitant. This guitar is my crème de la crème and represents my best work. Everything came together perfectly, the neck angle, the fittings…..everything. It’s almost perfect sans a small break in the binding, which is purely aesthetics.

Anyway, Yasu offered me S$1,000 less than my asking price for the guitar. It’s still a pretty large chuck of change and I’m very tempted to let my baby go. For one, Yasu loves the guitar and appreciates her voice and tones. I’m quirky in the sense that I want my instruments to be in the hands of players and not just some guy who can afford them. I want my guitars to be played and heard and not kept in some rich man’s mansion on display.

I’ve been toying with the idea of spending some time with the de Jonges in Quebec, Canada since last year. I’ve got a 2-fold plan. My 1st priority is to share the Gospel with them and I would love to build acoustic guitars again!!!! I’ve got so many ideas I would love to see fleshed out. Notice I mentioned only acoustic guitars. Although there’s a ton more work involved in building acoustic guitars compared to electric guitars, I enjoy the former. And it’s ironic that I don’t really play the acoustic guitar.

Awww brother!!! Should I part with my baby and spend a couple of months in Quebec, Canada? My plan’s to visit the uncle Dave, aunt Lillie and some of my contacts in California before heading to Quebec next March. It’s so tempting and in light of what I shared last Friday night about knowing God’s will. This seems like the “perfect” open door but you never know till you walk through the door if it’s God’s will or something else.

Well, I guess I should be on my knees and seek His will.