One of my favorite aspects of this business is helping people to stay connected with their roots. Mike contacted me about commissioning the Craig County guitar since he grew up in Vinita. And since he was an architect, he had tons of design ideas that would really help to bring this guitar to life.
We started with pecan floorboards from an old office building from downtown Vinita and used them for not only the body, but the neck and fretboard as well. One of his design details that I never would've stumbled upon on my own was to set the boards at a 43° angle. We did that because that's how the city of Vinita is laid out. Great detail! And for hardware, Mike sourced the volume and tone knobs from a very old movie projector from a dilapidated downtown theater.
Another personal touch that Mike wanted was to incorporate a Cherokee Seven Star since he's Cherokee himself.
I'm very happy with how this guitar came together, and it really showcases what the Heritage Series is meant to be: each guitar a story with details that lead you to asking questions to learn more about the history.
Here are the specs:
- Pecan floorboard body, neck, and fretboard wood
- Hand-wound PAF humbucker pickups
- CTS pots
- Switchcraft switch
- Hipshot tuners
- Wilkinson bridge
- Bone nut
