Official Luthiers Forum!

Dave Every time I hear your guitars I cant help but think they are made for the song Black Mountainside(dadgad I think) by-Jimmy Page, inspired by Black Waterside(dadgbe I think)- Burt Jansch.

Honestly Dave your work inspires me the most. I guess because in my perception you do things your way(borrowing elements as needed and not hung up on bling). What I think I hear is a consistent ability to build a very clear sound with just enough overtones for flavor, also a striking evenness throughout their range that is neither bass or treble heavy.


Besides you started building with a dulcimer..

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

Thanks guys and gals, I'm humbled. Adoption is a bit tricky as it's a "girls only" environment

K.O - That's very nice of you. Your description of my sound is pretty close to what I aim for - add on good volume/projection and that's pretty much it. The next one will be a bit of a challenge though - it's going to be a double necked acoustic lap slide

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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

And I thought I was a glutton for punishment!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

The next one will be a bit of a challenge though - it's going to be a double necked acoustic lap slide

Hey Dave here is a thought:

Gibby double neck SG-ish shape with the bridge about where the stop tailpiece is (to bring the necks in a bit), hollow necked up to about the 7th or 9th fret (in order to preserve the slightly haunting sound I feel the weiss'es hollow neck helps provide) and maybe one neck a six string and the other an eight. I think I just might draw it up for fun.

I have not built this last year I had to spend all my time and money rehabbing the exterior of my house it was looking down right decrepit.

I was able to spend some time making some sketches for but for now I think I will stick with my Fat Bottom dulcimer shape.

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

K.O,

The Fat Bottomed dulcimer looks interesting.

Thanks for the ideas. After playing around with some ideas I've decided that it will be the same size/scale length as my Red Kite lap slide (15" lower bout, 24.8" scale lengths) but with a deep body - around 4". The two necks will be hollow all the way up to the peghead Weissenborn style. The top will be ladder braced and will have a "neck-block" in between the two necks that will have two carbon fibre rod flying buttress braces inlet and anchored to the sides just below the waist. The top will have just one central sound-hole. The back will be the same as Red Kite - an X/Ladder braced hybrid. Both necks will have 6 strings and they will be probably be tuned Open G and Open D.

The working title for the instrument is Bicyclops and I have started a page for a photo-documentary of the build on my website here. Here's a very poor photo of my "plans" as they stand.

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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

I was pretty much kidding about the SG-ish thing. I think it is do-able but more suited to a power rock thing such as Tesla's Heavens trail(kick-as* type slide work in DADGAD) but I knew that was not the direction you wanted to go.

Dave I realized that I sort of hijacked this thread off of this creation, and I hope you can forgive a further hijack that takes this in the direction of Toby and Candi.

I was looking for a version of Blackmountainside that I could P.M. to you and found this.
I feel it illustrates what I think is special about all mahogany guitars the clarity/overtone balance and overall bass/treble balance and what I describe as openness once they decide to play in. Hope ya don't mind me tubing someone else's playing but I think your skill is on par if not above. He said it was recorded using a USB mike!

Oh the guitar is a 000-17S

This Could be considered(will not do again if you feel it is such) rude but it also illustrates why I wish I had 3500 in disposable income.
It is my feeling that because of your attention to the upper bout your instruments have the potential to outshine this one.

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

I do not know why but when I click on play I get no longer available on the video so you will have to go to youtube, search Black Mountain Side it is the version by Troublecleff.

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

Great work Dave
I really like the way that you pieced those 4 back pieces together, it looks like two book matched to me.
Sound is great!

John

K.O,

No worries about thread hi-jacking - threads have their own lives and often end up in interesting places. Thanks - I found that link. That's a lovely sounding guitar - maybe a little bass heavy - and nice playing. You are preaching to the converted about all mahogany instruments.

John,

Thanks. I like to use every bit of wood that I can.

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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

"maybe a little bass heavy " scalloped braced.....

Dave if possible do you have the patience to put up with some discussion of Bycyclops's design( actually for some reason Double D-dub as a working name popped into me head
( Dave White's Double Weiss)) : Bicyclops just sounds like something that wants to be a monster to build.

Any way after looking at the plans it started some questions, ideas and a possible design implication of the use of ladder bracing and the effect of the sympathetic strings. Also I have yet to see a thread that discusses issues of Double neck acoustic design.

Dave I take no very well if you don't feel you would like to take this thread in that direction.

I can see five or six reasons not to off the top of my head.

The most important.
A work in motion is best left to the clarity of your own thoughts.

mine
I fear it may just be thought presumptuous rather than a humble sharing of and thirst to learn about the design processes of others. A lot less likely if done as P.M.

Respectfully,
Kirby

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"It's a Tone Faerie thing"
"Da goal is to sharpen ur wit as well as ye Sgian Dubh"
"Sippin Loch Dhu @Black lake" ,Kirby O...

Kirby.

I'm all for taking in and evaluating any ideas going. Probably the best way is if you start a new thread articulating some thoughts and ideas that myself others can join in and build on - that way keeps it "clean" and easier to find later. If that doesn't fly then we can do it by pm/e-mail.

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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

How did I miss [i]this[i] one???
Sorry to be late, Dave .
Wow, what a treat! You really are an inspiration.
I was thinking just the thing my bro said, but getting to the party late like I did, I'll have to let him say it.
Well. If I can't be first, perhaps I can be last: beautiful job of matching all the bits and pieces!
And don't listen to Colin. You play just fine!

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Well, it seems I missed it too...

Congrats Dave!

Your work and your attitude towards is something to be admired. You make some beautiful, organic looking instuments, and your distinct style is always easy to recognize. I like that!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Likewise o missing the thread...Nice job Dave, as always!

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice