Each PickNPro(TM) guitar hand rest starts it life as a piece hand selected Cherry hardwood from Austin Hardwoods of Denver. To make the best product, you have to start with the highest quality materials. This requires risking my life standing on a wobbly ladder on wheels (seriously) - but I need to get to know the wood I'll be spending the next few weeks with, and that guitar players will be relying on for years to come. I'm looking for interesting grain patterns, without too many knots (which are conflicting requirements)! I'm also looking for the shimmer when the wood grains glow differently depending on the angle to the light. While I'm holding and scrutinizing each piece, I'm thinking about my intention - to make the most functional and beautiful guitar accessory which will help people play guitar better. That's why I dig through every single piece to find the perfect wood stock.
The next step is to measure and mark the lengths, making sure the best sections of the stock will be centered on a hand rest to highlight the grain patterns. This doesn't maximize the number of hand rests per piece of stock, but it does maximize artistic quality! I then risk my music performance career with a chop saw (actually, I'm more afraid of the router). Using a template for the ergonomic shape, I trace out each hand rest - specifically deciding which side is up and which side is flat - to highlight the grain patterns and unique characteristics of the wood. Next is more measuring and using templates, then I use a drill press to drill the holes for the paracord, and a router with a jig to get clearance over the guitar strings.
More to come!
