Stuff your eyes with wonder;
live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds.
See the world.
It's more fantastic than any dream made
or paid for in factories.

Ray Bradbury

Photo by Hugo Bierschenk 

HANDMADE --Things made by hand are special.
They take longer to make, feature good materials,
represent the maker's best effort. And they are obviously
made with love. Why else would anyone bother? People
who earn a living from making beautiful things deserve
support and recognition.

Here is one of them.

THE GUITAR MAKER
or how a croc bite led to something awesome

 Pictures courtesy of crocbiteguitars.com

In the "jungles" of Frederick
County, Maryland, as he likes
to refer to his neighborhood,
Harry Harne III makes stringed
instruments.

Working with his
hands, he fashions
mandolins, banjos,
six string guitars,
ukuleles, and cigar
box guitars. (A cigar
box guitar is exactly
what it's name implies:
a stringed instrument with a body made from an empty cigar box which, as anyone who collects them will attest, are quite
lovely.)

Harry was in the fifth grade when he made his first instrument but it
wasn't until 2010 that he decided to turn his talent into a full-time
career. And the credit for that goes to a crocodilian.

 "Some years back I was bitten by two things: a love for stringed
instruments and a three foot spectacled caiman. There was some
nerve damage and I had a hard time making a tight fist for a year.
During this time I said that when I got full use back, I'do something
really awesome.

"It got better, I started building guitars. Trust me, you never forget
a CrocBite."

Choosing CrocBite as the name of his one-man operation fully
expresses his personal appreciation of the instruments he makes.

"I like the name CrocBite because my guitars are tough, they
are primitive, they are effective. Like crocodilians," he said in an
interview conducted by e-mail.

His instruments stand out for their decorative elements, the exotic
woods used, their striking looks. More recently, he began to make
instruments whose shape reflects the outline of the person who
will be playing it.

Harry's instruments are beautiful. If you go to his website, you'll
be able to admire many samples of his work that reflect craft,
versatility, wit, and a gift for using quirky, unusual elements to
create a one-of-a-kind instrument.

Take his Bocote Banjo (seen in above pictures) which recycles
a VW hubcap to great effect. It features "a solid one piece bocote
neck, a bamboo body, black water buffalo horn nut and bridge,
resonator cone, cover and tailpiece by Old Lowe, Waverly tuners,
and a VW hubcap back," as described on his website.

"I prefer to use exotic woods for my guitar necks, both for
unparalleled beauty, and durability. Another reason these woods
are ideal is for their ability to be played 'raw,' which means no hard
finish at all," he says on the website.

"Many people, myself included, think that raw necks feel better
and faster in the hands, sound amazing, and better honor the tonal
qualities of the wood. If you have never played a raw neck, I think
you'll be surprised."

The exotic woods he favors have enthralling names like Bubinga
(African rosewood), Padauk, Canary, Ipê, Cumuru, Jatobá (Brazilian
cherry), Caribbean Rosewood, Purpleheart, Ziricote, Bocote. He
describes each one in his site, specifying its qualities and the
reasons for liking it.

What does a handmade instrument
have over a factory made one?

"Handmade instruments have more
heart, and more attention is paid to
details. With each instrument being
made completely by hand, there is
variation between instruments. It
also allows for custom tweaking to
any and all steps, as desired," he wrote.

"Working with a customer to build something unique for them is
a great joy."

Though self-taught, Harry said he is not afraid to ask for help or
advice from more experienced people. The hardest part about
making an instrument is "parting ways with it, once it is complete.
And also some of the math involved in fretboards, but it's math, so
it works."

A picture on Harry's website shows him tuning one of his
cigar box creations: he wears glasses, has a beard and projects an
easy going, amiable personality. At 31, he has built a life devoted to
his passions, which include "making and admiring music, reading,
growing rare plants and orchids, brewing beer and  wine, and
listening to Guided by Voices loudly."

Making instruments is his livelihood, however.

"I don't only build commissioned pieces. I spend winters usually
 building an army of CrocBites to unleash upon the world. Spring
 and summer I build, and travel and sell them. Then as Christmas
approaches, my custom orders start flooding in and I build mostly
customs.

"Between the custom work, and building and selling in music stores,
festivals, and such, I do alright. Some months I don't sweat any
bills. Some months I might.

"But I do what I love and love what I do."

How much does it cost to commission a musical instrument?
"A simple cigar box guitar can be built for $100, or I could build
a mandolin or banjo for ten times that. Pricing is very dependent
on the wood types used, and the hardware choices," said Harry.

"I usually tell people that around $400 will land them a very sweet
CrocBite.

" I always try to give people more than what they paid for."

www.crocbiteguitars.com




                            A SIMPLE TIP 

Those large plastic contairners 

used to market produce are
highly suited for temporary

storage of scraps heading to
the compost heap.
Keep the container close
at hand in the kitchen
while chopping veggies and
then store it in the fridge
until it is completely full,
at which time you can dispose
of its content.

"Sunset in Southern Illinois someplace"
by Bill Santiago

"If you stop, you die;
if you keep going, you live."

Manoel de Oliveira

ⓒ 2014 by Lorraine Blasor, all rights reserved ☂