A couple of years ago a friend asked me to make a special CBG for her husband, who organizes a popular annual blues festival in our region. The box was a special one, a treasured artifact signed by all of the performers at the show the year before. 

There are more signatures on the top, and the lid is curved, so I opted to make the bottom of the box the top of the guitar. 

More challenges: the rivets tore out of the string holes, so I pounded a piece of scrap metal flat to use as a tailpiece ... it covers the holes and contributes slightly to the overall aesthetic. 

The festival is held on the family farm, so I asked if there was a special piece of wood she wanted to have used for the neck. I was provided with a bent piece of sassafras. I took a drawknife to it to strip the bark, and then flattened it on the jointer (NOT recommended). The wood is a pleasure to work--very aromatic--but the branch was too crooked to make a decent neck. There is a bend between the headstock and the fretboard that actually adds to the look, in my opinion, and does not affect playability. 

The fret lines are wood burned, but the markers are walnut plugs (also locally harvested). I had to get creative with the tuner placement! Also with the sound holes, to avoid ruining any of the autographs. 

The completed guitar was well received. I'm told it hangs on the all, but it plays well acoustically (didn't bother with amplification as I knew it would not see real action). 

Here's the competed guitar. Thanks for looking!