An Acoustic Guitar for Save a Fox: The Mikayla Project

08/08/2025

The wood selection is one of the most important step, in the conception of an instrument. I carefully resawed a Granadillo-Billet I have for 2 years and a half, to get the fingerboard, the headstock-veneer and the bridge.

I found this piece in a local store at Quebec City, Canada, and it was waiting peacefully in my wood-stash for the perfect guitar: The Mikayla project 🦊

Saveafox Corporation

07/14/2025

I will introduce myself in the next post but for now, I want to talk about what you need to build a musical instrument. A lot of material are on the list, natural or man-made, and wood is the main one.

You can encounter some issues with some wood-species that are endangered, and regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). To ship/travel with something made of endangered wood, musical instrument or not, you'd have to deal with paperwork & administrative.

I am working with many wood-species since I started my carreer in 2014, and I am glad I've bought "Alternative woods" that are not on the CITES list. For the Mikayla Project, I will use as much non-CITES material as possible, and the only element that is on it (Annex 2), is the mahogany neck. Don't worry, an exception is applying on this wood and you don't need any paperwork if it is considered as finish-product (like a guitar).

The soundboard, back & Sides, veneers, fingerboard... all of these elements are "CITES-free". So, wherever you are, you'll be able to buy this instrument with a certain peace of mind.

Mikayla's mission was precious and I am pretty sure she would like to get an instrument that reflect her love for nature & preservation, even if it is not an animal.

Saveafox Corporation

07/12/2025

You can follow "Mikayla Anne Raines Celebration of Life" in less than an hour. Again, my condoleances to her entire family, friends, and Team.

RIP Mikayla, you've made this world a better place.

Mikayla Anne Raines (March 5, 1995 - June 20, 2025). Mikayla Anne Raines, beloved founder of Save A Fox Rescue, passed away on June 20, 2025, at the age of 3...

07/08/2025

When you build a guitar, you need to select the most appropriate material for each instrument. This one will be very special because it is for Saveafox Corporation and their cute & fluffy residents!

So, I will get some of the most precious material I have in my wood-stash. One of the criteria I should keep in mind, is to get as many alternative species for the guitar to travel easily everywhere on the planet. No Rosewood of any kind, for this instrument!

I decided to pick wood that remind me of Foxes... but to keep some mystery, I haven't listed all of them. I will do a post per wood-species and explain the role they fulfill.

Here, you can admire some Redwood & Pao Ferro.

07/06/2025

Hi everyone,

So, the project is growing with a new add for it, and I'll explain which one. To sign my instruments, I always glue a label inside of it that's visible through the soundhole of the instrument.

For this special project, I wanted something truly unique and I have a dear friend who is VERY talented. Her name is Élyzabeth Larouche, and I already have two drawings from her (this Fox, and an adorable Otter ❤ ). So, I talked to her to see if she would be ready to draw the label, and she said yes!

I am very impatient for you to see it, it should take a while before her to start it because she is very busy... but we'll let you know!

You can discover Élyzabeth's work here:

https://www.facebook.com/elyzabethlaroucheart
https://www.instagram.com/elyzabethlarouche_art/

The original picture used for this drawing, had been taken by Jennifer Ilene Photography. You can admire her wonderful work here:

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferilenephotography
https://www.instagram.com/jenniferilene/

Two Marvellous artists, definitely!

Cheers!

07/02/2025

Welcome to this Space. No need to subscribe to my business pages on Instagram/Facebook if you want to follow this project, you can do that here.

My name is Benjamin Paldacci, owner of Benjamin Paldacci Guitars, and I am a luthier from Quebec City, Canada. Here, you will be able to follow the build of something very special: an acoustic guitar for Saveafox Corporation . I called it "The Mikayla Project", and it will be completed in 2026.

After Mikayla left 10 days ago, I tried to find a way to help Save a Fox for their future. Their team are saving so many animals, and Foxes are very dear to my heart. As I said in a previous post, I follow their marvelous content, and I smile every time I hear Finnegan Giggles (and the other foxes)... who won't be able to be with his mom anymore.

So, I decided to build an instrument to honor Mikayla and what she built over the years. Ethan, her husband, will continue her fight and I want to help as much as I could. I contacted the Save a fox-Team, and they willingly accepted my idea.

100% of the sale will go to SAF, and I won't gain anything other than happiness to contribute to their mission. I've already picked the Materials that come from my personal wood-stash I've built over the years. The idea was to pick woods that remind me of Foxes and as Mikayla was a redhead, It will be a perfect match.

I don't know how SAF will decide to sell it, if they'd put it in auction or open a raffle... but I'll let you know ASAP. It will be delivered in their hands next year in 2026, and I'll let them take care of it. I will share the building process on my social-medias.

That's it For now ❤