Every group like ours needs a Newsletter, and since it's now official and we are a  "group" of builders and guitar freaks, here's our first newsletter!

                              Thanks everyone for making the roadie up to Bryan Galloup's show this last Tuesday! it was much fun, we got a complete tour, and even got to re-saw some wood! We also met some of the other folks there and Bryan answered a lot of questions about repairs and anything and everything else...A few of you brought some instruments to show and we had fun showing them around, and admiring everyone's work.

                               I had asked Bryan what we would do at our first meeting, and he said "let's just have fun", and I can say we accomplished that!

                               An extra thanks to the Kalamazoo "contingent", they had a longer drive but we were all really glad that you folks came because most who were there had never met John Wells, or John Kingslight and Karl Freye.

 We also have members who didn't make it, so I hope you guys will come next time!

                                One person who I want to welcome and who most of you have not met is Lance Kragenbrink. Lance is a great builder and he has a big internet presence, with his own Forum and there is also a page for a Michigan Guild of Luthiers that he has already started. Lance and I have talked and we agreed that it would make a lot of sense to join our forces, and make us all one big happy gang of luthier hooligans. So let's all come to an agreement of just we want to call ourselves, I kind of like Lances' name, "Michigan Guild of Luthiers", but I didn't want to steal that outright without asking him, and since I am talking about it here- what do you all think we should call our group?

                                Meanwhile, I would suggest that you all take some time and have a look at Lances' Official Luthier's Forum website,  http://luthiersforum.3element.com/forum/default2.asp  and here is the page he has put up for the luthier's group he's started http://kragenbrinkguitars.com/MGL/michigan_guild_of_luthiers.htm 

 

                                 Maybe Lance will be able to set us up with a discussion area on his Forum website where we can discuss and post messages and links and things.

                                 Dan Sharp will work up a classy logo for us, and Bryan has made positive noises about T-shirts!

                                  So- one more important thing to remind everyone- if and when you reply to this message, click "REPLY ALL" so that your letter goes to everyone, and not just to me. This is an open grouip and an open letter and EVERYONE wants to read what you have to say!

                                 We have agreed to meet four times a year, so that should bring our next meeting to sometime in October, I'd say. Plan on that, and let's make this thing fly!

                                  If there are any other builders who you think would be interested, invite them and send them my email address!

                                   Lastly, a very special thanks to Bryan AND Susan Galloup (tell her we said that, Bryan!) for hosting and putting up with us last night!