The Living Sea

" This guitar was hand built as a pallet for my marine life inlays by Tim Huenke of Superior Guitar Works. It features an ebony back, mahogany body, flamed maple top, inlaid ebony tuners, heel cap,
neck, back, and front. Carriburst color and pickups are by Tom Anderson Guitars. Recessed dunlop straplocks prevent the guitar from having any break up of the body outline. There are well over 2,500 pieces of hand cut inlay on the guitar. Materials are stones, shells, metals, acrylics, and fossil ivory. The truss cover features opal algae fronds, two solid gold seahorses with saphire and ruby eyes to represent the calm and angry seas, and was designed by Craig, and executed by Craig and Keith
Whimsmith.

Photos show variouse stages of development from raw to finished states.

click on the thumbnails for hi rez versions then use the
back button on the browser to return

 

 

 

 

 

 
Close up shots of the inlays:

Click on a thumbnail to see a larger view of that image

Scroll all the way down to see the full front and new neck inlays!

Living Sea guitar inlays- all inlays on this page are on one guitar- with the reef/deep oceans theme.

Deep sea hatchet fish on the electronic cover plate A mid water angler on the back

Headstock overlay, and the original fretboard inlay.

I decided to re-do the fretboard, as this board was one of the first three inlays I ever made.

The new board is MUCH different than this one, and has much more color and detail. I also laid out the reef scene from the top to the bottom of the neck, descending down the board, in line with the rest of the inlay layout of the guitar.

We also went from the Caribbean to the Pacific, so the fish species are different. The new board is posted down below.
 
New headstock photos/art

The headstock was updated along with the fretboard.

The wave border was added- this is not a typical "binding", it was inlaid- not edge routed and glued with rubber bands.. Six separate pieces make up the border- however they are red heart abalam and paua abalam. you can't see difference in the pieces. So much for contrast... The water drops effect is silver dust

The back of the guitar- the front is further below!

The front inlays- pre-stained

The front is now stained with Tom Anderson Guitars Bora Bora Blue. Thanks to Tom for the help!

The new fretboard art- from top to bottom- Materials include paua abalam, MOP, orange spiny oyster stone, red coral stone as well as a green and blue stone, gold pearl, black pearl, green abalone, red abalone, paua shell, black plastic, white river pearl, pink mussel, aluminum, purple stone.

Full fretboard- pre-engraved
After engraving the details- new fretboard art