The "Our
Lady"®
Abe Wetcher, a fine
craftsman, biult this guitar for jazz guitarist
John McLaughlin. He had always wanted a fancy
guitar that represented Wetcher's finest work.
When McLaughlin visited
the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, he was taken
by a spectacular stained glass rose window he
saw. He wanted Wetcher to use the cathedral as
a basis of his design.
After about two years
studying Gothic architecture and
sketching in his spare time, work on the guitar
began. It took one full year to complete.
The "Our Lady"
is both a striking piece or art and a remarkably
funtional equipment. The back and sides of this
guitar is made of bird's-eye maple, making it
shimmer in the light.
The back of the guitar
is vaulted in a unusually high three-foot radius.
Both the sound hole and the "window"
cut in the center of the headstock are are made
of gold.
Wetcher gave up on
looking for available tuning pegs, and designed
his own instead. It is made of ebony, ivory and
gold.
