Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello All,

I recently had some sound clips made of the Blackwood guitar I completed a few weeks ago, thought I would share them with you, let me know what you think. There is not a lot of playing on the lower registers but it will give you an idea of what was created. By the way, the guitar is a 000-13 fretter.

Here's a few pics of the guitar in question.





http://media.putfile.com/Gwaltney-blackwood-guitar-1
http://media.putfile.com/Gwaltney-blackwood-guitar-2
http://media.putfile.com/Gwaltney-blackwood-guitar-3
http://media.putfile.com/Gwaltney-blackwood-guitar-4

Cheers,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Wow, Greg, it sounds great.  Here are some direct links to the clips.

Clip-1
Clip-2
Clip-3
Clip-4

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Hey thanks Waddy, glad you like it....also appreciate you linking those directly, I thought I did it correctly, good to go now though.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

I really hope that I can build a guitar that sounds like this one day. It's absolutely fantastic.

Congratulations!!!! 

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Andy

Italian spruce if you look for the best!!

Greg,

Great looking and Sounding Guitar. The playing is pretty darn good also!!!

I'll have to give you an all around 'A'

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

As sweet as! No better way to reveal the beauty of the instrument. What is the soundboard top? Did you use standard x bracing or was it opened up with forward bracing? Scalloped or parabolic brace profile? Any particular thickness for the top? Saddle height? Just a few questions for you Greg.

regards

Tim

Greg - Absolute killer guitar!

I don't think you have anything to worry about on the low end.  It sounds very balanced but the lows come through well.  I.e. it is not muddy tone but each string comes through well. 

As was said earlier, by Andy: "I really hope that I can build a guitar that sounds like this one day. It's absolutely fantastic."

I agree!

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Steve Walden
Aspiring Builder,
Bartlesville, OK

I cant decide if I am more impressed with the tone of the guitar or the playing. It leaves me speechless!

Good job Greg!

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Reguards,

Ken H

Yes indeed a wonderful guitar. I love the look, that crushed velvet blackwood is always so impressive and the separation and clarity is superb. i am with Tim, please tell us more about materials and bracing etc.

Well Done

Cheers

Kim

Great sounding guitar! I really enjoyed all four of these clips. Cool.

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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

Good Day All...thanks for the kind words, nice to see that she is well received!

The top is Lutz Spruce, the main "X" is layed out about as traditional as you can get, it is not scalloped, wouldn't call it parabolic either, how about tapered. The rest of the bracing(top and back) is my own creation from things I learned at the Somogyi class, nothing earth-shattering it's all been done before...I'd say the final shape of the bracing is the result of tapping along the way more than any pre-set design, I just let my ears guide me. Saddle/bridge, all pretty standard stuff, the bridge and bridge plate are African Blackwood which I really like although the bridge can be very heavy if you're not careful....I've got a fairly small footprint on my bridge and it still weighed 30+ grams. I would say that this guitar was made with an active back, how active is difficult to say, but my plan was to have the back move as well and when playing the guitar you know it is working.

Cheers,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

That sounds amazing Greg!!!

Great tone and balance! Me likes, me likes!!!!!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

And if forgot to mention, she's as beautiful as she sounds!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Sweet guitar! I agree, I can't decide which is more impressive the sound, the playing or the guitar.

On, if someone would tell me how to get those clips onto my iPod, I'd be happy.

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Aoibeann

The beauty is the easiest attribute to experience, but there are just so many beautiful guitars...

I'm always interested to hear sound clips - 'cause that immediately gets to the heart of the matter. This guitar sounds so good (astounding for brand-spankin' new), that it made me do some Internet searching, to find out a bit more about you. Here are a couple of things I found (that I thought others might appreciate):

Owner Review

AGF Build Thread

The recording sounds "honest" (pretty flat EQ, and very little or no reverb, echo, etc.) Right after building one that sounds this sweet, I'd love to know how you recorded it. Sure sounds like Somogyi has helped you to unlock a few extra levels on this guitar.

Really, really nice job!

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Thanks again everyone...Wow, you guys are making me blush I'm thrilled that you really like the guitar.

Dennis, the recording was dead "Honest" it is what it is....guitar and mics.

You found a few threads about me and this guitar didn't you...sure glad I'm not a criminal, you would have turned me in by now And yes, the Somogyi class most definitely provided a new way of thinking about guitar construction, and this one would not have sounded the same without that training. The fun part is that I believe they will continue to get better, I've got another one "in the works" should be finished in 6 or so weeks, I feel it is going to take the sound one step further, I'll get some sound clips of that one as well.

Thanks Again,
Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

As everyone else has already said, Very, Very nice Greg. In all aspects.

Let us know when you're finished with the rest of the album because that's a CD that I'd like a copy of.

Once again, very nice!!!!!

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

I just realised this is Denis Turbide's guitar - thought I recognized the playing. OK Greg, I'll be getting my hands on it soon enough. Heh heh...

Hi Warren,

No,No....This is not Denis' guitar, his guitar is the one "in the works" that I mentioned being 6 or so weeks from completion.....BUT, I think his is going to be O.K. too     Denis has a Honduran Rosewood guitar coming to him that is sounding pretty good at this point, so you won't get your Canadian hands on it for a while yet . I do look forward to your thoughts as well, so I'm sure you'll check in once Denis gets the guitar.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

I was talking to him last night so he filled me in. Waiting... waiting...

Hey Warren....I heard that you two had chatted, the waiting shouldn't be too long.

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars

Well done Greg, it sounds great

Nice Nice Nice!!! Clear and resonant all round.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Thanks again gents.....really nice to hear all of the feedback, I appreciate that!

Greg

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Gwaltney Guitars