This is actually the first guitar I ever carved... but it wasn't for Mike and it wasn't like this.

Brian Cole, of "The Association" commissioned it in 1969. Brian offered to buy me the tools I needed if I would carve his old Stratocaster. It didn't look like this when I finished. The big butterfly was there, the peace symbol, a flower and the word "LOVE" was in the oval above the neck pick-up. The pickguard wasn't carved or re-shaped. The finish was natural oiled alder wood.

Mike Botts was the drummer in the group, "Bread" at the time. He convinced Brian to sell him the guitar. A couple years later Mike saw some other axes I had done and asked me if I wouldn't re-vamp this one. I was delighted!

I added a butterfly, more foliage, cut, re-shaped and engraved the pickguard, added a rose to bottom right (where I cut away the pickguard) and, in place of the word, "LOVE", carved a miro-scene of a man and woman making love in the grass. Then I airbrushed tinted laquers over the wood carving. All in all... it was a nice improvement.