After sending jy to work, I head down to meet Ashok, whom I bought the 10 Ebony fingerboards. Met him at his hotel in Asphodel Inn at Racecourse Rd, #413.
He showed me his woods from a huge black sporty bag, including Mountain Laurel us$200; Indian Laurel (cheaper than ML); Black Acacia us$250; Mahogany us$140; bone bridge pins, rosewood/ebony picks.
Discussed about plantation and wild growth - difference in grain per inch. 2000km in different directions to get his ML, rosewood and ebony.
Apparently he doesn't cut his own sets from logs that have to be bought from govt auction houses, but buy from sawmills that cut them nicely for him to resell.
He said to know Michael Gee, Christopher Dean, William Cumpiano, Jack Spira
He asked me if I have BRW, I said 2. He asked again if I had certificates for them, I said no. He said that one of his friend had 2 of his guitars confiscated at an Australian Airport worth us$14k!
Had lunch with him at Novena Ville chicken rice, then send him off to Excelsior Shopping Centere where he'll meet Hosen from Maestro and Guitar 77.
Rosewood sets us$110 x 2 (AAA) = us$220 (he claimed no runouts, knots, etc)
Ebony fingerboards us$14 x 4 = us$56
Rosewood fingerboards us$
Headplates x 3 us$ (one free)
Bridge blanks (rosewood) x2 us$ (ebony one free)
Found one of his backs I bought are marked with AA, so I called him at 3pm. he explained that he only have A and AA, so for this show he brought a AAA set to showcase. AAA, mastergrade qualities are marked as AA to him. But then he sell me at us$110. AA is $85? umm.....
