The Yankee Yardstick - a unique heirloom instrument hand-crafted by Ben Gitty

One hot August morning, Ben Gitty decided to head out to the workshop and build something. He'd been spending too much time at his desk, you see, and while the air conditioning is nice, he needed an "inspiration" break. 

There's nothing like making some sawdust, and turning a crazy idea (and a pile of unlikely sticks) into an amazing instrument, to re-stoke the creative fires.

Once out there, he found the most unlikely assemblage of parts: a bundle of old wooden yardsticks, a few pieces of scrap reclaimed hardwood, a handful of hardware and parts.

From this ragtag collection, the Yankee Yardstick guitar was born - a beautifully rustic and unique instrument creation that sounds even better than it looks. With three nylon strings, a rich, warm tone and beautiful rustic looks, this is a true one-of-a-kind heirloom instrument built to be played and enjoyed. All of the antique yardsticks Ben used used hale from New England, and all of the ones used for the soundboard are local to the area of New Hampshire that C. B. Gitty calls home.

Specs:

• Scale Length: 19 inches
• # strings: 3
• Tuning: G D G
• String Type: Nylon - #4 (D), #3 (G) and #2 (B) from a classical six-string set
• Neck Wood: American Chestnut (reclaimed)
• Tuners: Chrome Open-Gear
• Pickup: Embedded rod piezo direct to jack

See Ben's Builder's Diary for this amazing instrument here, where he walks through the process of its creation.

A note from Ben Gitty: "It is hard for me to let any of these instruments I build go. So much time and feeling goes into each one, and the end result is so meaningful to me, that selling one feels somehow sacrilegious. But, I can't hold onto them all and I want to have a reason to keep building them, so I must let one go once in a while. This is not an instrument for a person who wants a shiny, new, perfect guitar. Go to Guitar Center and by a factory-made strat if that's what you want. This is also not an instrument for someone who just wants a cheap, basic cigar box guitar. These are hand-crafted and hand-decorated one-of-a-kind works of art that I pour my heart and soul into, something that I think is truly unique. I build rustic instruments, and by design they are not meant to be perfect, smooth and shiny. I try to build the sorts of instruments that actual hoboes might have built for themselves out on the train tracks. I know there are folks out there who will see the value of that, and who won't balk at the price I have chosen to put on my work. Please, don't buy this instrument if the words above don't resonate with you - I want these instruments to belong to folks who really get it. I know that's not the sort of sales pitch that will win any awards, but I'm OK with that."