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Well it took 4 1/2 months, but I finished the Celtic themed dread for my pickin' buddy. He won't see it for a few days, though, as he's somewhere in Texas, fishing.

It is madagascar rosewood with an exceptional bearclaw, master grade sitka top, standard scalloped bracing, ebony trim, fb, bridge, headplate. Bone nut, saddle, and pins, and although they didn't photograph nearly as good as they actually look, it has real MOP tuning buttons (Andy) on Schaller tuners. The MOP rosette and fb inlay knots came from Andy, too.    Only had strings on it for a couple of hours, but it sounds great!!!

Hope it meets your standards.





















Thanks for looking,

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

ron, i think you did a great job. excellent choice of woods and appointments. very clean and very very nice.

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sweat the small stuff.

Very sharp looking guitar there!!! I really love the wood choices throughout. One question: How did you put new buttons on the Schaller tuners? Mine (open gear) don't look they come off easily.

Beautiful guitar!!!!

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Man, that looks really nice.  I know you'll have a happy Pickin' Buddy after he sees that.  Great job!   

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Simply beautiful. Just wants to be picked up and played!

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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

W O L F!

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Aoibeann

Thanks, guys (and gal guys).

Christian, on these closed tuners all you have to do is remove the screw in the end of the button and they slip right off. I did have to work on the pearl to make them fit, though. The holes were hand cut and on a couple of them, I had to file the hole a little and flatten two sides of the holes. Anyway, on the Schaller closed tuners it is very easy to change buttons.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Great job Ron.
I realy love the owl you put your head plates.

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Ron, I love the owl too, but look at his eyes.  He looks to be saying, "How did I end up here?"

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Waddy

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Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Very nice Dred. Ron ! Man,that must have been one angry
bear to claw that top like that! It's gorgeous!
Your owl logo is so cool too !
What did you use for the finish ?

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

Strewth Ron,

I think I may have said it before when I looked at this guitar in the white but I'll say it again. Your skill as a builder has come along leaps and bounds. I am not rubbishing the guitars that you made for your boys, they were great too, but this one really is first class.

Well done mate

Cheers

Kim

[QUOTE=old man] Hope it meets your standards. [/QUOTE]
Ron, you are one of the guys who set the bar for the rest of us. Really well done   

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53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Kim, and everyone else.

Dave, the finish is tru-oil over shellac.

Also, need to mention the b/s wood came from Vikwood, not a sponsor, but I bought it a long time ago.    The top, however, came from Steve, at Colonial. I bought three more just like it a couple of weeks ago. Fabulous stuff.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Nice looking git .. love the bearclaw, and of course the mad rw, very sweet ...

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

As Harry Potter would say "Nice one Ron" - it's even got the owl

Fabulous stuff - your building skills are on the up and up. Lovely woods and finish and I bet it sounds great. That's one lucky friend

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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

Ron that is gorgous. I hope my Celtic guitar turns out as nice as yours.

Well done

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

"Here I come, Lizbeth!" - Hesh spelled out d***dn****t.   

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Ron, that guitar of yours is a real stunner. I absolutely love the mad RW and the Celtic MOP rosette! I don't make steel string guitars (yet), but you and others have influenced me to liven up my creations with some of those awesome woods and non-traditional (for classical and flamenco) appointments.

Congratulations,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

My gosh, I gasped when I saw this one. The bearclaw and the celtic rosette are absolutely breathtaking!!

Very stylish Ron! And a beautiful Hammock-side setting for a beautiful guitar.
Are you gonna' make one for yourself now?

OH...and I love the owl!

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

beautiful!!

well done!!

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

One HOT Dread.!!
Nice choice of materials and work !

Is that a zero fret I see?

Mike

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Mike Collins

Mike, that is a zero fret.

Hesh, it certainly isn't flawless, though it has different flaws than my first 3.

Bob, I'm working on my first OM already and about 2/3 the way through with it. It is for my brother. After that I do plan to make the perfect dread and the perfect OM for myself.

Rod, I have no doubt your celtic build will be better looking than mine. (up close, anyway).

Thanks to all the fine responses. Sometimes our comments do get a little syrupy, but it really does keep us inspired and pushes us (at least me) to keep improving.

This whole build is chronicled at the link below, if you're interested. It was meant to be only a progress report for my friend to keep tabs on the build.

Build of the Celtic Dread


Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

Lovely looking guitar Ron.

The celtic rosette and bearclaw really work well together.

What's in the pipeline?

Cheers

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia