Hand Split Cedar Guitar Tops!

Five years ago, I was kindly given a nice billet of Western Red Cedar by tonewood supplier Bruce Harvie of Orcas Island, Washington. He advised me to give it a few years to cure. I don't recall if it was Bruce, or someone else who recommended that the billet be hand split once it was properly cured. Ever since then, I have been on the hunt for an appropriate splitting implement. I've seen them in lutherie magazine articles, drooled over one at Cabela's in Utah last year (but decided it was just too much dough for a new tool when a vintage one nearly always feels better), then I waltzed onto the ideal one at Salem Collector's Market this morning. I could hardly wait to get home and give it a test run.

Let's back up for just a moment, or at least step to the side where I can share a small thrill. Most of my life, I have hated negotiating. I have taken multiple classes in negotiation, have been required to practice it at work, and have still generally paid more than I had to for things like... vintage guitars, mandolins, amplifiers, etc.  Well, for the last several months, Maureen and I have been watching episodes of American Pickers, Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and Auction Hunters. When it came time to purchase my American made hand forged Briddell 10 inch cleaver, I did not offer the man the $95 he was asking for it. I calmly offered him $50 to which he explained that a very dear friend of his who collects cleavers had already offered him that much and how about $75? The old me would have quickly agreed, but no, the new me, the television-brainwashed-into-a-brazen-negotiator-me, counter offered $65 without a hint of trepidation. We split the difference at $70. Thanks Mike and Franky! Who says TV rots your brain? Not me.

After waiting five years to split my billet of cedar, the task took all of twenty minutes, owing to the right tool for the job.  My fancy chunk of firewood now looks very much like five sets of gorgeous guitar top-wood. Though I'm not typically an especially patient guy, I gotta say, this was worth the wait.