Introduction

[gtech]

Hi everybody, I just registered today after checking a few posts, and I thought I could start by presenting myself.

I'm a guitar player, and always liked to work with leather for as long as I remember.

I already made a couple guitar straps but nothing too fancy, just some leather cut at the correct size. I also made a few gig bags to hold my things and a few things for my wife.

Now, this year I began to get more serious about what I wanted to do with leather. I want my guitar straps to look good, and I want to do more. I already began some work on a few guitar pickguards from leather and also a few more straps.

So I thought this would be a nice forum to be this winter...

Here are a few examples of things I would like to be able to do someday.

But first, here is something I am working on right now.

And here is what some people do.

http://www.eldoradostraps.com/pickguard.htm

http://www.layli.net/

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/Tim...deroEsquire.jpg

http://www.atomicguitars.com/leathertele1.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/billbaeck/set...6307759/detail/

http://www.medinamade.com/semicustom/index.php

Etc...

Oh, another one I made

I have another pickguard that I am working on and that will have a bull head stamped on it. But I just began to trace the design on it today and I don't have any picture of it yet. This is the first one I want to complete, and I would like to use the same design for a guitar strap.

So now you know what got me interested in this forum, and what kind of work you can expect to see from me...

Thanks for reading me so far.

Gilles

Edited September 25, 2007 by gtech

[Beaverslayer]

Welcome to the forum Gilles. Thats good looking work so far.

We do hope that you stay around longer than just through the winter though.

Ken

[Don101]

Hi and welcome to the site, by the way nice guitar

[gtech]

Thanks guys.

Well Ken... winter is long in Quebec you know... it just gets a little warmer sometimes...

It reminds me that I forgot to say that I'm from Quebec, Canada.

I live in a condo, so there are some things that I can't do inside, like working on wood and spraying the finish on a guitar. So I kind of separate what I do in winter and in summer. This summer, I built quite a few guitars, and I kept some work to do this winter on those I didn't complete. Things like putting them together, working on the electronics, and making some leather pickguards... A leather guitar case would be fun to do also.

These are things I do for myself, but I could decide to make some for sale someday.

Gilles

[Regis]

Giles,

Let me add my welcome to you. That is a pretty neat combination of work. Is that design engraved in the metal or etched on? Would be interesting to see the same design tooled in the leather to match what is engraved in metal or wood.

Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

[gtech]

The design is engraved in the metal.

I added the leather after the guitar felt on the floor...

After using a hammer to straighten things, I was left with no more chrome on some places. So I used the leather to cover the damaged part. I was lucky (in my bad luck...) that it happened exactly there. It just looks like an added feature.

So you are right about adding the same pattern on the leather. I always wanted to do it but never found the time, and never really knew how to do it until today.

I wanted to use an airbrush to paint the design, but it would look better embossed.

I am waiting for some tools that I ordered to work on leather. I will post an update as soon as I can do it.

Chrome or metal goes well with leather indeed. I also like wood combined with leather.

Gilles

Edited September 25, 2007 by gtech