Jerry Layne is a long time Major League baseball umpire and crew chief. He asked if I would build him a guitar to commemorate his time in the Major League. He wanted it to be highly personalized with at least his signature and his Major League number. Other than those two requirements he left the art wide open to truly make a “baseball” work of art.
The first original design was to create a rosette that resembled a baseball. The rosette was created and inlaid into a piece of flame maple so it would simulate the leather of a scuffed baseball. The next major task was to create his photograph in material inside a “baseball diamond”. That would then be inlaid into the headstock. Take a look at his photo and the closeup of the headstock.
The round dots on the fretboard and bridge became baseballs. The stitching on the baseball inlays is actually etched into the baseballs. And, of course, the Umpire’s major league baseball symbol resides at the third fret.
Finishing off the art is Jerry’s signature in the pickguard.
The guitar itself is made of stunning quilted maple for the back and sides. The top is sitka spruce. The headstock overlay, fretboard and bridge are the finest ebony. The neck is heavily flamed maple.
The guitar is finished in high gloss nitro-cellulose lacquer and buffed to a mirror finish. All hardware is gold plated.
Baseball is in the air!
