Harris Blackbird
I met my buddy Chris Harris back in 2017 just a few months after I started building. Chris had built some electrics and wanted to build an acoustic. We started hanging out on the carport and I shared what I was learning. He started building a Martin style OM - a good project for a first build. Sadly and tragically Chris never got to finish his guitar….
Chris passed in his sleep in January of 2021. It was a real shock. I had seen him less than a week before when he stopped by to pick up some supplies. Chris had done a little bit of everything, knew a little about a lot of different things. When we hung out we talked about music, guitars, theology - a little bit of everything. He told me about working in recording and doing early versions of pitch correction on tape before the digital revolution (sounded like a nightmare). Chris IS the kind of brother that made the time meaningful and fun - we laughed a lot while risking heat-stroke working out in the old carport.
In early summer of 2024, Chris’ wife Amanda asked if I would like to come over and get some of his guitar wood and supplies. He still had a nice collection of woods and I told Amanda I wanted to pay for them. She would not allow it; she said Chris would want me to have them. I could not convince her otherwise.
Among all that was left, there was the guitar that Chris had started. It was about 75% complete. I made a deal with Amanda that if she would not let me pay for the wood, I wanted to finish Chris’ guitar for them.
“Would you really do that?” Amanda said, “That would mean so much to us.” I worked on the guitar late in 2024 and the first part of 2025. Amanda said that she would give the guitar to their son Nate as a college graduation present.
The guitar is a standard Martin style OM - a common style for a first build. It has a Sitka Spruce top, East Indian Rosewood back and sides, Flame Maple binding, Rosewood fretboard and bridge.
It was a real honor to get to finish Chris’ guitar. But it was bittersweet. When I strung it up for the first time, I was just thinking about how Chris did not get to have the great joy of completing such a difficult project and hearing the guitar for the first time. He would have been super chuffed with the way it turned out.
Even though Chris did not get to finish the guitar, he had already put his fingerprints, blood, sweat all over the instrument (quite literally). A Maker always infuses their art with their spirit; a part of Chris will always be attached to this guitar. I hope the instrument will be a source of joy for Nate and Amanda in the years to come even as there may be some sadness attached as well. Everything in this age is sorrow and joy mixed. But that sorrow will not endure for those who know better.
I miss my buddy. But because of the faith we shared, I am fairly sure we are not done building together…