"Out of ivory palaces stringed instruments have made Thee glad." Psalm 45: 8

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Kelobra guitar

Here's a new guitar with an interesting story. The owner approached us and asked if our shop would be interested in some "old growth mahogany" he had on hand. We agreed to look at his wood and do some sort of swap if we liked what we saw. After journeying to his home in the Florida Keys we realized it wasn't mahogany he had, but some mystery species. The wood lab in South Carolina verified that it was in fact Kelobra, aka Guanacaste-- the state tree of Costa Rica. By the time they reported back, we had already fallen in love with the look of the wood, and construction of this guitar began.
This wood is new to us, and to most guitar builders as well.
It has a lot going for it: the trees grow fast, becoming massive; the wood is beautiful and light weight. The resulting tone of this instrument is somewhere between mahogany and Koa. Crisp, balanced, full.
If you like the sound of a mahogany guitar, or one of Koa, we're sure you will like Kelobra. 





Sunday, September 4, 2011

What's in a name?

Psalm 45 sings of the king's wedding, and most Christian commentators agree that "One greater than Solomon" is spoken of here.  It is a delight to think of the marriage of the Lamb to His bride, the church. That note of joy is not absent from this psalm! Verse 8 is particularly rich, depicting a fragrant, beautiful setting for that glorious day. The walls are decorated with inlaid ivory. The air is sweet with spices. The sound (this is what intrigues me) is resonant with music from stringed instruments. And the psalmist adds that this sound gladdens the heart of the King. "...stringed instruments have made Thee glad."

The humanity of Christ is insisted upon by the Scriptures, but little glimpses of that humanity can sometimes surprise. This verse is one example. I find music to be stirring, and music from stringed instruments particularly so. Psalm 45 tells me that the King of kings feels the same way.

My hope is that from our little shop, our "ivory palace" here in East Texas, stringed instruments go forth that stir the soul and gladden the hearers. And just maybe capture some of the joy of the great Day that is coming.