In Juli of 2017 Bram came to my workshop to do a Internship. Bram is currently taking the same 3 year guitarmaking course in Belgium (ILSA) that i Finished in 2016. It is there that i met him. He was in the first year and i was in the last. Bram has been keeping an eye on my work as soon as i graduated.
He wanted to prepare himself for his last study year.
The holidays where coming and Bram wanted more. He wanted to learn more about guitarmaking. He wanted to prepare himself for his last study year. He wanted to learn how to properly work with Traditional methods and glues. So after some talks on what he wanted to achief i invited him to come to my workshop in Germany, so i could show him my approach and my theories. So that he could come up with his own! He was very motivated and passioned.
We decided that the best way for both of us was to work together.
We planed and selected many boards and plank. Including boards of spruce longer than 2 meters! He is a very very hard worker. We where working long days. But with great results. We managed to make 7 Neck, 35 bridges, 200+ braces and othere interior woods. We made many jigs. One of my favorite ones we made was a jig that could join a Bookmatched headplate for the headstock of a guitar.
Bram cutting a blank of cedar.
The Jig for joining a bookmatch headplate!
"I thank you for you're hard work and dedication Bram, you're have proven for yourself that you can do it. With you're motivation and dedication, nothing will stop you. You're study on the art of French polishing is no joke either. You spend hours of you're private time on developing and perfecting you're french polishing techniques. You actually told me more about French polishing the anyone. I learned allot from you. For that i am truly greatfull. I wish you all the best with finishing you're study. Take care my friend!"