Aug 20, 2011
New Piece has us Over the Moon

For a long time I'd wanted to recognize the Canadian Space Program somehow in the guitar - perhaps a piece of the CanadArm or something? Of course, I was delighted to find out that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield was an avid guitar player as is fellow astronaut Dave Williams. In fact, Chris managed to get a Larrivée guitar from Vancouver up onto the International Space Station for all the pickers up there!

Col. Hadfield will be heading back to the ISS in November 2012 as part of a six-month expedition that will see him as the station's first Canadian Commander. Through our mutual friend Paul Mills, I proposed that maybe he could take Voyageur with him. Paul even thought we might be able to do the first album recorded in space with the Six String Nation guitar. Unfortunately, with the demise of NASA's Shuttle program, journeys to and from the ISS are now accomplished with Russian Soyuz Space Capsules - even more cramped for cargo and subject to rougher landings (splash-downs) than the shuttles.

So, sending this Voyageur to space is out of the question but at least there's the Voyager space probe and we'll still aim to get the guitar into Col. Hadfield's hands upon his return (he's now in training). In the meantime, Chris has very kindly sent us his (curiously, guitar-pick-shaped) Mission Patch (pictured) to be installed in the case as well as a very kind handwritten note that reads:

"Jowi: From one musician who dreams on a national scale to another - I salute you! - Chris Hadfield"

Thanks to Col. Hadfield and Paul Mills.

Posted at 5:19 PM

Blog Archives: 01/01/2006 - 01/08/2006 09/10/2006 - 09/17/2006 09/24/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 10/08/2006 10/15/2006 - 10/22/2006 10/22/2006 - 10/29/2006 04/22/2007 - 04/29/2007 05/17/2009 - 05/24/2009 06/07/2009 - 06/14/2009 06/14/2009 - 06/21/2009 06/21/2009 - 06/28/2009 06/28/2009 - 07/05/2009 07/12/2009 - 07/19/2009 07/19/2009 - 07/26/2009 07/26/2009 - 08/02/2009 08/02/2009 - 08/09/2009 08/09/2009 - 08/16/2009 08/16/2009 - 08/23/2009 09/13/2009 - 09/20/2009 09/20/2009 - 09/27/2009 09/27/2009 - 10/04/2009 10/04/2009 - 10/11/2009 10/11/2009 - 10/18/2009 10/18/2009 - 10/25/2009 11/01/2009 - 11/08/2009 11/08/2009 - 11/15/2009 11/15/2009 - 11/22/2009 11/29/2009 - 12/06/2009 12/06/2009 - 12/13/2009 01/03/2010 - 01/10/2010 01/10/2010 - 01/17/2010 01/17/2010 - 01/24/2010 01/24/2010 - 01/31/2010 02/07/2010 - 02/14/2010 03/14/2010 - 03/21/2010 03/21/2010 - 03/28/2010 04/04/2010 - 04/11/2010 04/11/2010 - 04/18/2010 04/18/2010 - 04/25/2010 05/02/2010 - 05/09/2010 05/30/2010 - 06/06/2010 06/13/2010 - 06/20/2010 06/20/2010 - 06/27/2010 06/27/2010 - 07/04/2010 07/11/2010 - 07/18/2010 07/18/2010 - 07/25/2010 07/25/2010 - 08/01/2010 08/01/2010 - 08/08/2010 08/08/2010 - 08/15/2010 08/15/2010 - 08/22/2010 08/22/2010 - 08/29/2010 09/12/2010 - 09/19/2010 09/26/2010 - 10/03/2010 10/03/2010 - 10/10/2010 10/10/2010 - 10/17/2010 10/17/2010 - 10/24/2010 10/24/2010 - 10/31/2010 11/07/2010 - 11/14/2010 11/14/2010 - 11/21/2010 11/28/2010 - 12/05/2010 12/05/2010 - 12/12/2010 12/12/2010 - 12/19/2010 01/16/2011 - 01/23/2011 02/06/2011 - 02/13/2011 02/13/2011 - 02/20/2011 02/20/2011 - 02/27/2011 02/27/2011 - 03/06/2011 03/06/2011 - 03/13/2011 03/13/2011 - 03/20/2011 03/20/2011 - 03/27/2011 03/27/2011 - 04/03/2011 04/03/2011 - 04/10/2011 04/10/2011 - 04/17/2011 04/24/2011 - 05/01/2011 05/01/2011 - 05/08/2011 05/08/2011 - 05/15/2011 05/15/2011 - 05/22/2011 05/22/2011 - 05/29/2011 05/29/2011 - 06/05/2011 06/05/2011 - 06/12/2011 06/12/2011 - 06/19/2011 06/19/2011 - 06/26/2011 06/26/2011 - 07/03/2011 08/14/2011 - 08/21/2011 08/21/2011 - 08/28/2011 08/28/2011 - 09/04/2011 09/04/2011 - 09/11/2011 09/11/2011 - 09/18/2011 09/18/2011 - 09/25/2011 09/25/2011 - 10/02/2011 10/02/2011 - 10/09/2011 10/09/2011 - 10/16/2011 10/16/2011 - 10/23/2011 10/23/2011 - 10/30/2011 10/30/2011 - 11/06/2011 11/06/2011 - 11/13/2011 11/13/2011 - 11/20/2011 11/20/2011 - 11/27/2011 11/27/2011 - 12/04/2011 12/04/2011 - 12/11/2011 12/25/2011 - 01/01/2012 01/15/2012 - 01/22/2012 01/22/2012 - 01/29/2012 01/29/2012 - 02/05/2012 02/05/2012 - 02/12/2012 02/12/2012 - 02/19/2012