The first of the two Stainers is complete.  The final varnish color is a deep maroon red.  The strings chosen for the instrument are Pirastro Passion sheep gut wire wound stabilized strings.  The instrument is very easy to play and has a deep tonal color and these strings give it an extra kick in complexity.  I’m still in the process of photographing the one piece pillow maple back, but here’s what the front looks like.

And if you’re curious about the photography setup, here’s a peak at that too.  Look for an article in the near future on how I put together and use this inexpensive setup.