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I’ve always been fascinated by small guitars and that’s why I bought an all mahogany concert sized guitar dating from the early years of the last century. This guitar with its flat saddle and high action is perfect for slide guitar with a fabulous growly tone, but impossible to fingerpick. I have made one guitar based on its size and shape but did it with a more modern X bracing scheme. Then John How came along with his take on a ladder braced Oscar Schmidt that was just fabulous and my interest was aroused.

Rather than do what John did – which was to stick to original build except for a cf bar in the neck, a radiused fingerboard and compensated saddle – I wondered what I would have done if ladder bracing was the norm now and I was to build with it as the standard reference point. Being time rich and cash poor and having bits and pieces around the workshop, I decided to make a ladder braced copy of the same size but with the modern touches of my build style. So “Jack the Lad” was conceived and born:

Concert guitar with 624mm scale length (24.57”)
Euro spruce top
Sapele back (4 piece) and sides
Maple bindings with bwb side purflings and bwbbwb top/back purflings
Cocobolo bridge, headstock veneers, fingerboard, end graft and heel cap
Side soundport
Pinned bridge with ebony pins
Spanish cedar neck with Lutz spruce/Cuban Mahogany/Lutz spruce centre laminate – adjustable neck system
Slotted headstock with Gotoh tuners:

Some pics:












“Jack the Lad” with his mentor:



The top bracing is Lutz spruce and was based around the original but adapted for an A frame and soundhole support. The braces are narrow (5mm) but tall and shaped into a triangle and then tapered – my Triabolic bracing scheme. The bridge plate is Lutz spruce with a piece of Brazilian Rosewood inlaid where the pins will sit. The top braces are radiused to 13’ and the back braces to 10’. The back braces are shaped similar to the top and I used my usual cf flying buttress braces:





The guitar finally weighed in at 3lb15oz which is positively heavy compared with the old mahogany guitar which clocks in at 2lb10oz. And now for some sound clips. The guitar is very clear and loud for its size with good projection and lots of sustain. It is a very versatile guitar and sounds great in alternate tunings, but ragtime is very much in it’s armoury so I thought I'd try some ragtime pieces as it seems appropriate for the guitar. They're a little bit boomy as the mike was a little too close I think, but it gives you a flavour of the guitar’s sound. These two are my arrangements from the John James/Pete Berryman record "Sky in My Pie" which I bought back in 1972 in the shop behind Jesus College, Cambridge that sold Transatlantic Record rejects. Most of my guitar influences came from those records! The first is "Mammy O' Mine" and the second "Weeping Willow" - the Scott Joplin rag.

Mammy O' Mine

Weeping Willow


Thanks to the unknown last century builder and John How for setting the example. Thanks for looking and listening.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave, that is a neat looking little guitar you have there. It is fascinating to see how nice these little guitars perform. It makes you winder if bigger is indeed better.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Thanks for sharing Dave,
A real insperation as usual!
I'm still digesting the inspiration from the wiesses!
Tough to keep up with you my friend!
Amazing sound as well!

Wade

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Wade
Nashua, NH
http://www.wadefx.com

Very Nice and Such a Beautiful Sound!

Ooooh, Dave, sweet little guitar!
What is the finish?
And I second the comment about being hard to keep up with you.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Another terrific instrument Dave! I'm always impressed by the great range of instruments you create. I love the sound clip, the Lad sounds great!

This little beauty looks like it should be "at the ready" near your easy chair.

Long

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"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

You should be proud of such a fine looking and sounding lad, Dave!

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Dave,

Yet again, may I congratulate you on YET another fine build. I have always ike your work, and the original design elements you use.

Why your name ain't synonymous with the likes of Brook and Fylde guitars, I'll never know.

I hope you take this the right way, but Jack the Lad ALREADY sounds like a 100 year old guitar. What beautiful tone!!

It still sounds a little tight, but the potential is truly there. It would be great if you could record a comparison clip in six months time, when that little top has opened up more!!

/\ sorry for a BAD typos, I was up 'till 3am last night consoling a bride to be...(wedding stresses) Was up at 6am 'cos of the kids...

It's OK I suppose.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Seriously Dave you already know what I think of it and, more importantly the beautiful sound it makes. I do sometimes wonder if we wouldn't have been better off, with better sounding guitars, if that Martin guy hadn't put those X things into his guitars. Just listen to this one and John's beauties!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Awesome Dave. Your work is always very inspirational to me.
Wonderful use of the bits and pieces around your shop. If you run out of bits and pieces I would be happy to contribute to your cause.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

Sure is a sweet lookin' guitar Dave. Jack seems fairly radical in design . ( I don't think you're allowed to do that mate )   I've been thinking about some of those design features ,and my brain is starting to hurt .

A great guitar once again


Cheers Craig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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That is just lovely, Dave!   Good job again.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Very simple and elegant and perfect. Great work, Dave.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Y'know, this kind of post seriously makes me reconsider my intention of X-bracing my parlour project. Great guitar!

Dave, great work as always! I love the attention to detail around the headstock area with all the lovely purfling.

I really like Scott Joplin tunes and your sound clips do him justice!

Spec Questions if I may:

•What are the body dimensions?
•Do you like the soundport in a parlour sized guitar?
•What is the purpose of the CF flying buttress braces?
•Advantages of ladder bracing over the traditional “X” brace?

Man I love your work. Bummer you aren’t in bonnie Scotland as I am heading there on July 12th. Closest I’ll get your way is Kendall in the Lake District to visit my wife’s great aunt.

[QUOTE=Colin S] It's OK I suppose.

Colin [/QUOTE]
Yeah, not too bad I guess.

Very Nice Dave and Very good sound too!
Beautiful work....I love it!

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Hi again Dave ,
                After posting my above post , I down loaded your sound file . ( takes an 'age' on dial up )

Man O man ,,, My compliments on you guitar playing !

Where do you get the music/tabs from ?.I've found the sites I was able to download from are now stopped because of copyright issues.

Cheers Craig

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CRAIG LAWRENCE of AUSTRALIA
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Got-ta love the sound Dave and the proof is in the pudding.

P.S. Added to my playlist....Thanks.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

Thanks all - much appreciated.

Robert, Coe, Ron, Arnt, Dave, Michael - thanks

Joe - Small guitars more than hold their own. I've seen Alan Carruth describe it as the "small dog" effect - you can hear their bark in a pack of bigger dogs.

Wade - You make some "different" instruments yourself. I gather we are both going to be on the harp guitar trail soon

Bob C - that's a dangerous offer to make to a builder that you might later regret I'm going to have to try some of your drop dead Black Limba at some stage.



Steve - You are no slouch yourself. The finish is a pre-catalysed lacquer with high solid content. I rub the coats back for a sub gloss finish - trying for the finish that Lowdens use. I can get away with between 4-6 coats as I don't have to worry about polishing it up to parabolic sun reflector status. Also I can have the guitar finished in about 2 days. The finish is still hardening after that. The back and sides were Z-poxied first as was the neck. The neck was then finished in Tru-oil.

Bob L- The Lad is very easy and comfortable to play. I think the Americans would call it a "porch guitar".

Hesh - my build quality is far from flawless compared to a number of makers on this forum but it is getting better the more I build. Sound and playability have always been my major drive. I fine tuned the top bracing as I do on my X braced ones - aiming for ringing sustain everywhere and I was pleased with the results. It has a lot of the trade marks of ny sound but you can detect that mi-range focus and bark. I've never heard a Somogyi so can't really comment there - but then he's not heard one of mine

Sam - Thank you. I'll certainly record some more down the line as the sound develops. As for Brook and Fylde, Brook had the great start of studying under Andy Manson and are doing it for a living - I merely dabble, and Roger Bucnall at Fylde has been at it for 30+ years. This is very much a long game.

Colin - An OK from you will do me fine I'm suitably impressed with ladder bracing and have a plan to try it on a 16" wide lower bout guitar with a slim body depth and 16 fret body join - similar to the Slim Jim I did. I have a nice Douglas Fir top lined up for this but this will be after the harp guitar and maybe after the lute (hint, hint )

Mattia - I'd seriously suggest that you consider it. Ladder bracing seems to have a reputation as a "dinasour" system but JoHn How and other builders have proved that it is just a different system. I thik it has a lot of potential.

Craig - Glad you liked the tunes. I don't tend to get other people's tab much and make my own arrangements and then tab them up. I have a whole range of stuff in Tabledit (.tef files) including these two pieces. Let me know what music styles you are into and I can tell you what I have.

Anthony - Thanks to you. The headstock binding/purfling was done using that great tutorial that you posted here some time back. As to you questions:

Body dimensions: lower bout width 13 1/4"
                  upper bout width 9 1/2"
                  body length 18 1/2"
                  maximum body depth 3 3/4"

The soundport works really well. I've used it in all types and sizes of instrument - up to baritone size and guitar-citterns. IIt's the best bang for buck I know just for cutting a small hole in the upper bout.

CF butrees braces. I learned this from the work of Mike Doolin, Rick Turnere and Howard Klepper. It gives the neck block support, taking the string stress into the sides, and also helps stop the string tension flattening out the back's longitudinal arch over time and with it changing the neck geometry. It also allows lighter bracing of the top's upper bout area which can contribute better to the sound and lets me do free-floating necks and adjustable neck joints. I've written more about it here on my website.


As to "differences" between ladder and X brace it's a bit too early to tell. Structurally there don't seem to be any - but time needs to take it's toll. Soundwise so far I would say a ladder braces instrument is only different in subtleties of sound. It is a very versatile instrument. Of course a lot depends on what you do with the ladder bracing as it does with X bracing. I've applied the same principles that I always do in my builds.

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Great smalller guitar
I love the sound files. If I could play I would attempt doing this as well
with my guitars. Nothing better than to see the fine picts and hear the
guitar!!!

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Very sweet little unit! - you must be very pleased , I know I would be.
I am totally enamoured with small bodies they are fantastic.... there is such a wide range of tones you can extract from the relatively small volume of air getting pushed, and more than anything else to me, they each seem to have personalities all thier own dont they?
I really enjoyed the soundclips as well - I hope my little guitar turns out half as nice as yours!

Cheers
Charliewood

I really appreciate being able to look at the bracing while listening to the sound clips.

That guitar seems to me to have an incredible amount of mid-range and very little bass. Is that your impression as well or do the recordings deceive me? It's kind of what I would expect from ladder bracing... All that mass concentrated right there at the bridge, and stiffness going only from side to side, the effective soundboard from the butt to just above the bridge.

I've been told about the 'blues' sound of old ladder braced and cigar box guitars, etc, but never really heard a modern recording of what they might sound like live. Now I think I get it... those old blues recordings of Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon etc sound kind of like a guitar piped through AM radio... which is exactly what I'm hearing in your recording.

Thanks for sharing.