Day 11 - Donner und Blitzen

An exciting day . . .

Breakfast view of Formentera on Google maps . . .

After our usual first two breakfasts we settled in to shaping the backs of our necks. This is probably the riskiest/scariest part of the process. It is a fine line between getting the right shape and going too far and busting the neck terminally . . .

Notice the difference?

Ooops!

Some nice Precision Bass headstock work too . . .

While I was making one of my customary 'tying up loose ends' business calls, I observed the postman. No postal service uniform for this lady. Looks like she is doing her shopping!

Oh, yes. I routed a cavity for my electrics . . .

We had planned a short lunch break again, as Eki had a gig in the evening, so Eric, Daniel, Peter and I wandered off for a fine lunch at Can Forn and we introduced them to Camins de Priorat and Taberner . . .

But first, en route, we stopped for a refreshing dip in the pool at Hostal Pepe, opposite the famous and ancient Fonda Pepe, as it had been a hot morning . . .

On the way back from a brief two hour lunch, I was almost diverted to the 'Irish' where the Chimis are playing tomorrow, but professionalism took over . . .

Frank shows the result of four mistakes with the bandsaw . . .

We finished the day and there were dark clouds over La Mola and Cap de Berberia, where a few spots of rain had been reported, but it remained dry in San Ferran.

We had a couple of drinks at Fonda Pepe, then dinner at Macondos where we bumped into Nicola and Laetitia of Luxembourg (and prior guitar making) fame. Drank a couple of bottles of wine, invited folks to an impromptu idea of a Sunday barbecoa, and drove off to Las Banderas on Mitjorn to see Eki perform with Swedish Eric. Unfortunately we forgot the way and we eventually arrived at the Blue Bar and walked a couple of hundred metres down the beach to our proper destination.

Muchas Hierbas con hielo . . .

A little bit of post-Hierbas 'warrior' pose . .

Much Hierbas con hielo was drunk and we stumbled back down the beach to the car, drove half way home and then realised Eric had left his iPad on the bar. We drove back, which had the advantage of us discovering the right route . . .

We got home for some more Hierbas as thunder and lightning was kicking off on the peninsula (mainland Spain). We watched and cheered for a few drinks and then it started to rain. Just drops for a couple of hours and then a torrent accompanied by some serious crashing and banging . . .

Dog?

Eventually collapsed asleep, and woke to a much cooler and fresher morning, but it will get hot later . . .

Hasta!

Day 10 - Working Straight Through

Driving to first breakfast, thought I should share the view of the Moli as we enter Sant Francesc . . .

Second breakfast at Macondo was uneventful. People feeling tired . .

But today we have planned a barbeque down by Mitjorn beach at Eki's house, next to the famed Gecko Club. Plan is to work through lunch and finish at 5.30, buy provisions and set off for the evening. We will see how that turns out later . .

Given we are at day 10, half way through the course, you find like a little light relief in a video tour of the island of Formentera, courtesy of Estrella Damm, the popular local cerveza. Check out the video tour here

Pleased to say that the band manager, Mr Lasse Sundgren of Stockholm, has finally sent the band logo . . .

We continued our work in enhancing our necks, headstocks and bodies . . .

It was hard work so we needed to break to rehearse our roles in our 'Silence of the Lambs' reprise . . .

We stopped for a brief lunch in the workshop at 2pm.

Not eveyone was happy with the chef's selection . .

But at least we have wine! Odd shaped glasses maybe, but the 1.5 Euro wine tasted pretty good . . .

We were so taken with our new found culinary discovery, we sent the maitre d' to get the cafe carajillos . .

Of course, Kiko was on hand for any leftovers . . .

We kicked off the afternoon session with new found alcohol fuelled vigour and learned about the neck profiling. V, U, D, C and Flat C necks . . .  WAKE UP! No siesta today !

Let the measuring and rasping begin!

By 5.30 we had stopped, shopped, dropped and as we got ready to depart for the BBQ, we were spoilt for choice for transport . . .

And off we go . . .

First - SANGRIA especial (red wine, white rum, vermouth, orange, fruits etc etc) . . .

But, of course, there is always someone who wants to play with the salad vegetables . . .

Sunset came and it was magnifico. We watched it sink to the west (direction Casa Magnuson) from Eki's roof . . .

Sangria fuelled conversation continued on the roof . . .

And El Jefe de Barbacoa got into the swing . .

We ate salsiccia, morcilla, cordero y insalata and drank through the evening . .

Returned home for a couple of cafe and Fundadors and then crashed . .

Hasta !

Day 9 - Losing iPad

Good day yesterday, a lot of progress in the neck department.

However, Eric's iPad, which we use for the photos, is nowhere to be found this morning. Hoping we left it in the workshop. Otherwise it was 'half inched' at the bar last night . . .  We can hope . . .

But I do have a couple of photos on my phone . . .

We started with the usual blog breakfast at Glop and second breakfast at Macondo, where they obviously serve Illy coffee. Seems they have a new set of personalised movie director espresso cups . . .

Kiku, the workshop guard dog, took a starring role, both herding us at breakfast . . .

And in ecstasy while having a good scratch . . .

Further sanding of the guitar bodies are gtting them closer to the finished article, but still no routng for me . . . 

Ground down the edges of the newly fitted frets, shaped the headstock and drilled counterusnk holes for the tuning pegs . . .

When I made 'The Beast' I designed a Formentera Gecko to insert on the 12th fret as an octave marker. I decided not to do the same but was considering some emblem for the headstock, and I thought a starfish seemed appropriate to Formentera . .

But I eventually decided that the natural wood of the headtsock looks so good, I would rather have it unadorned. Also, I will have quite a bright scratchplate/pickguard, and an emblem might be a little too much . . .

In the afternoon, we had a theory session on necks and how thick they should be at 1st fret and 12th depending on size of your hands and playing style. Reminded not to forget the truss-rod, lying beneath the wood at 16 or 17mm deep!

I opted for a 22mm neck, which feels comfortable and also less risky when shaping the neck. You dont want to see any metal when you are sanding, or its 'Goodbye Vienna'. Eric had a bit of a shock in this department, but with some careful soundings, realised no damage had been done .  . .

This Formentera image caught my eye, despite the blatant advertisiing . . .

Jose Tealdi, of Chimichurri fame, popped in during the late afternoon to have a beer with us and check on the guitars. He was also quite chuffed to see the new Formentera poster with him on it . .

Finished work at 10pm again and retired to the bar. Eventually had dinner after midnight with some Rioja and Fundador, then crashed  . . .

If we find the iPad, I will post some of the real photos from yesterday below!

Hasta . . .

Good news - iPad found . . .  some piccies below illustrate yesterday's arduous undertakings . .