Héctors Guitar study - part 2 💡
The Abalone shell on the body and the fretboard. The bridge, the patterns and other details.
Yes, yes! Nesto looking good here too 🤭 BUT, I also love this one because it shows the details so clearly!
So we have, most likely, white and gray mother of pearl on the sides and at the edge of the guitar body. It is a bit difficult to determine the exact shade of gray since the lighting is different on each we can find. But I found it most likely is a bluish/ silverish gray.
We also have, just like on the headstock, a golden lining. It is most likely made out of golden Abalone but it could also be gold foiling. And if Imelda was really going nuts for that gift, we could also assume she let the guitar maker build in real gold. That would make the guitar a hecking lot more expensive!
The soundhole has also a nice mixture of that gold, mother of pearl and blue green abalone. Also if you pay attention to how the fretboard ends, you'll notice that on most guitars the fretboard ends in a half circle. This one is cut straight and reveals the whole soundhole.
This could be just my inagination but, if you are really imaginative, you'll find that in a rough sense both halfs of that upper pattern make a heart shape too.
We also see the bridge. It's a rather classical one on which the strings are tied in the "spanish way". There is a gold covering over the part where the tiny holes for the strings are. I am not entirely sure what material it is but I guess it could be brass. Also, if you look very very closely, you can see that the bridge is slighlty beigy white and has some darker swirled stripes which would be typical for marble. Since marble is a stone however and too heavy for a bridge, I assume it is marble foiled or painted.
Also notice the strings if we are at it. We see the 3 bass strings E, A and D are silver and the three melodic strings g, h and e are clear. That is typical for a classic concert accoustic guitar. These are nylon strings, much softer and easier to play than steel strings that are on western guitars for example.
I am pointing the bridge out because it is done wrong on so many replicas! Especially the codorba one and those in the disneyparks. Shame, shame 😮💨
The patterns more closely
More hidden hearts! If you think about it, the noses of the skulls are upside down hearts! The pattern on top of the headstock looks like a key and a heart. (In my headcanon, it can only mean one thing) Héctor has the key to Imeldas heart! 🥺
The skull in the pattern on the front bottom of the guitar body not only has a heart on its forehead it has a vine thing going on below the chin! And who has a goatee on his chin? Héctor! The skull on the fretboard also has a heart! Furthermore, compare the patterns below the teeth on the headstock to Héctors!
The whole guitar in a way is a loveletter from Imelda to Héctor ... (I wanna cry) I mean part of the one true love is that unique soul connection but DANG that accuracy that Imelda chose a pattern for the guitar that ends up being on Héctors skull! 😭
Other than that,
It's white, it's shiny its wonderful! And I cannot wait to finish my very own replica!
If you are curious and want to follow my progress, you can check out my Instagram. I post my progress there and save it in a highlight. If the thing is all done, I will post the full step by step tutorial here! Yes, it will include all the measurements, tools and products used, prices and sources.
