Maikel's Big Surprise

Maikel at the workshop

Now that I had my Neptune, I couldn't wait to share the joy. Everyone knew Maikel shared my admiration for Daria's guitars, but he had never seen one in person. I took the Neptune, still in its bag, and walked to Maikel's workbench.

"Hey, Maikel, can you help me out with this guitar?" I asked casually. Naturally, he agreed.

I placed the bag on the bench and asked, "Out of all the guitars in the world, which one do you hope is in this bag?"

He gave me a puzzled look. "Why?"

I repeated, "Which guitar do you hope is in this bag?"

"Well, maybe one of Daria's?" he replied, still confused.

I smiled and said, "Just open it and see if you're right."

He looked at me in disbelief. "No way... You're joking. This can't be true."

His eyes lit up as he unzipped the bag, the excitement kept growing. The moment he saw the headless guitar and the brand logo, his face lit up with pure joy.

"Noooooooo!! You have one? No, that cannot be... wow!”, And he took a minute to absorb the reality.

Maikel carefully lifted the guitar and inspected it from every angle, checking every carve, every bend, and every meticulous detail. "So, it is true what they say... This guitar is beyond amazing."

We spent the next hour examining every aspect of the guitar—the wiring, the pickups, the routing of the cavity, and the neck pocket. We marveled at the inlay work and all the other details.

Seeing the awe in Maikel's eyes was incredible. He was admiring the work of a fellow luthier, and while Maikel is an amazing builder himself, I could see the respect and admiration he had for this instrument. He looked at it with a luthier's eye, appreciating the craftsmanship and the skill that went into creating it. It was a moment of shared passion and respect, and it made the Neptune even more special.

Daan Van Dijk