John Dancer Violins 276-274-2093, 22191 Dayton Way, Damascus, Virginia (VA) 24236
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New Year, New Projects

1/3/2015

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With all that has happened last month, I was still able to finish Violin #37, "Semper Didelphis."  All in all I am very pleased with it, and it need only a musician with style and personality to allow it to entertain audiences the world over.

Beginning earlier this week, I began milling some of my select sassafras boards in order to build a couple guitars and maybe up to four mandolins.  I still contemplate also on making a violin with the wood, but we'll see.  It took a while to sand down the guitar and mandolin sides to thickness, but when the process was completed the wood had a lovely shimmer to it and the shop smelled wonderful.  I will probably use walnut for the neck and binding, but what I'm really excited about is using some persimmon wood I just received for the fingerboard and bridge.  Once again, stay tuned.

By the way, there is an old time tune called "Opossum Up a 'Simmon Tree", so guess what the next possum fiddle will be called and outfitted with.
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How Quickly Things Change

1/3/2015

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It's been a month since my last post, and sadly we've been busy laying to rest my wife's father, Herb.  A year ago he was diagnosed with what was called a pre-leukemia condition, and after some treatments, time, and monitoring, he was diagnosed with acute leukemia in early November.  He got great reports after chemotherapy and seemed to be gaining strength, but he then developed pneumonia and was unable to recover.  We were all taken by surprise by his death, as he was otherwise in good shape;  no heart problems, no diabetes, no other organ troubles.

Herb would come to my shop to see what I was making, and had a way of asking questions that sounded more like criticisms or even accusations on my choice of projects, materials, techniques, or anything else related to my work.  He meant well, of course, but he just wasn't always tactful or sensitive when expressing himself.  You knew you were in trouble though if he'd say, "You're not the only one that's gonna have to look at that you know."  I miss his visits already.
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    Author

    It's me again, John Dancer, and I thought it would be of interest to someone if I were to journal the process of building whatever it is I happen to be building at the time, so that one could gain...um...valuable insights of my philosophy and methods.  In other words, these posts will reveal some of the "how and why" of my work.  Again, I thank you for visiting, and wish you well in your quest for...um... knowledge. 

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