A Further with custom inlays - sounds simple, we've made them before. But sometimes a guitar really transforms as we make it, inheriting the attributes of the symbols we embellish it with, becoming more than the sum of its parts. It's not something you can design or even do on purpose. The process itself shapes the work, and the result can be, well, just magical. "Enjoyment begins the minute you open the case," is what Tom wrote to us, and it's easy to see why. The shape of the Further guitar is lovely, with that sassy little flip of the lower horn. The glow of the amber-tinted wood, the organic abalone inlays in the fingerboard, and then the mark of the Coyote at the first fret and her portrait medallion all invite your eyes dance about, and when they settle down after taking it all in, it's time to play. As Tom commented that the "electronics are awesome. Cuts throught the clutter and reproduces true, clean sound. This is a no excuses guitar, if something sounds off it is, unfortunately, operator error."

	How can we not start with the coyote medallion inlay? It's a little piece of original artwork that Susan creates with a good old-fashioned pencil. Tom asked for a coyote, lighting, and a little nod to New Riders of the Purple Sage with the cactus and the forms of the clouds. The pencil sketch is then digitized by Mica to create the fine line art that James uses to handcut each piece. The coyote is inlaid in agoya shell with a pink ivory wood lined mouth howling up to a mother of pearl moon through black Tahitian mother of pearl clouds. The desert is a synthetic tortoise shell. The mesas rising up are in both red and orange spiny oyster. The cactus is abalone and the lightning bolt is sterling silver. The whole show is wrapped in a tidy ring of sterling silver.

	Our Quilted Maple is always beautiful, and of course Coyote's top laminate is gorgeous. What is especially interesting about this figuring on this guitar is the small, fluid-like "quilts" that just melt around each other. An all-over vintage amber tint gives a golden glow to the naturally lovely wood, and also looks great over the inlaid medallion, like a relic from a forgotten time.

	The front of the peghead looks black at first, but closer inspection reveals the typical grain of Ebony. We bevelled the front edge of the peghead to reveal the interior veneers of Maple and Purpleheart. A lone coyote paw print is the first fret position inlay. Mother of pearl makes up most of the inlay, with tiny sterling silver claws. The Alembic logo is sterling silver inlaid under the finish with mother of pearl and abalone.

		Fingerboard inlays are in abalone in the style of Ludwig banjos. Lovely symmetrical designs, hinting at the botanical. We were thinking "tumbleweed" was a good description of the shapes!

	On a custom guitar, it's hard to resist the allure of continuous wood backplates. Not only are they nice to your back (lighter weight than the standard brass), but they are also nice to your eyes. They are just too pretty! Each plate position is plotted carefully by Kris, then expertly cut by Bob on the scroll saw. We use these reserved pieces to construct the plates while we are making the rest of the guitar.

	"Playability is everything you could ask for: light weight and great balance. Strap up, plug in let the coyote roam and see where she takes you." Really love that image of the Coyote taking you on a journey, Tom. We had a wonderful time making this guitar for you, thanks again for having us build this amazing instrument. Knowing that you are enjoying Coyote so much makes us miss her just a little less, but only just a little. Howl!

SPECIFICATIONS Further 6-string guitar 5A Quilted Maple top Flame Maple back Purpleheart body core Maple and Purpleheart accent laminates Abalone Ludwig-style fingerboard inlay Custom "Desert Coyote" medallion inlay Coyote paw print inlay in mother of pearl and sterling silver Vintage amber tint Side LEDs Inlaid sterling silver Alembic logo mother of pearl and abalone Continuous wood backplates Further electronics, with chrome-finish LED and effects loop switches Sold by: G Guitars

Wallpaper: 1600x1200 1280x1024 1024x768 800x600 Widescreen: 2560x1440 1920x1200 1680x1050 Text and photos of guitar by Mica Wickersham Thomas, © 2010 Alembic, Inc. Photo of Coyote Buttes by Gary Schmickle

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