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Guitars |
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Guitars |
Old Number 1 (6-string Dreadnaught)
Model D 1-6 #1: This is the first dreadnaught I built. The black walnut sides and back were from wood I'd been sitting on for 15 years or so from some dulcimores I built in the '70s. Nice sounding, but heavy as hell.
Model D 1-12 #1: I went crazy on this 12-string, using zebrawood for the sides and back and douglas fir for the top. It's a sweet, mellow-sounding instrument, due to the dampening effect of the medium density zebrawood--and it even stays in tune.
Model C 1-18 #1: My wife, Stella, had an old mahogany drop-leaf table (on which one of her great-great granddads had been layed out) that was in sad shape. I resawed the table top into 1/8 inch thick pieces for guitar sides and backs, but when I tried to steam the wood for the sides--for over 6 hours--the wood refused to bend and snapped. Instead, I "tiled" the sides, layering the mahogany with strips of Gaboon ebony, in the desired shape. This is the result.
Model D 1-R #1: I can't recall seeing any dreadnaught-style resonators before, but I thought it would be fun to build one. I built this on contract for someone who got more impatient as time went on. (I told him and his father six months, they started asking "is it done yet" in two.) In its natural state, this guitar sounded great. Unfortunately, his father wanted a shiny, thick, black-lacquered finish like one he saw on television. I had a hell of a time getting that type of finish to come out right, and I'm still not satisfied with the look. Also, the sound got dampened quite a bit. The lesson? I finish my instruments the way I feel best about them. No more TV finishes.
Model D 1-6 #2: This was an experiment from start to finish. I drifted away from the standard Martin-style bracing pattern and tried out a design of my own ( a type of fan bracing--that's all I'll say). The result is a loud, deep-throated guitar.
Model C 1-18 #2: This is the second, and much better sounding, version of this style. Currently, this is my favorite to play. It's loud, extremely clear, and a lot of fun. It sounds great with a slide.
Model D 1-6 #3: I went to Hawaii several years ago to Kailua-Kona and found a wonderful lumber yard just north of town. They had a palatte load of Koa that was priced less than half of what it costs here in Central California. I bought some already resawn into guitar sides and backs and a 6 foot long 2 x 8, which I had shipped home. This guitar is the first from the Koa wood.
