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Hello all,

This guitar is finally done, and I can't believe the tone! It is everything I was hoping for plus it is REALLY loud.

On the surface it looks really clean, but the reality, as most of you know, is that it was just one guitar (building) lesson after another.

If you don't want to read all the details, skip down to the pictures.

It started last summer when I planed the wood down. It immediately warped. After a lutherforum post I decided to iron it with the wife's clothes iron and the brace it up. That worked like a charm.

The neck had issues when the inserts striped. After a luthierforum post, I inserted dowels down the length of the tenon and into the old holes, and re-did the inserts.

The french polish was fairly smooth, but that too had issues with the pore fill. I think I have that system down, but the wood has a very artsy look to it, and I'm fine with that.

The soundport worked out great, but I learned why it is recommended to put a cross-grained laminate behind it.

This was the first bound neck I've done and it was pretty smooth. I don't own a tang nipper, so I used the dremel and cut off disk.

I dropped it when I was buffing it. The binding did it's job. No damage.

The rosette was carved with a razor and excavated with a chisel. It worked ok (thank goodness I know how to use a lacquer stick.) The rest of the inlay was cut out with a dremel and it is CLEAN. I got the bit from my dentist, and let me tell you, it is tiny and sharp and was free!!

The neck was carved from a single block. The block made two necks, one for a classical and one for this guitar. Classicals have a much thicker head to accommodate the big rollers of the machines. Acoustic necks do not. I didn't discover that until I drilled the holes for the machines (after it was finished !@#$^%^), hence the fancy carving work on the back of head. I sure am glad French Polish is easily repaired.


The list could go on and on, but I'll leave it at the biggies. The best part of making the mistakes was the satifaction gained in fixing them. Plus my patience really got a work out. I'm a better man for making those mistakes.

I do realize that by divulging all of the dirty details of my numerous goofs, I probably make myself look really stoopid.
However, I know that making mistakes is very human. And if I can help other new people avoid making the same mistakes, well then I guess it was worth admitting.

The best part of the entire build was the bracing. Hesh helped me plan out and execute my first parabolic bracing shape, and the tone and projection achieved are absolutely phenomenal!

Thanks to everyone who help me fix the many problems on this thing.

Here it is, #4

Deep OM body, Cedar top, EIR Back and Sides, Mahogany neck, White Aspen Binding.

Thanks for looking. Hope you learn something from my mishaps.







The significance of the Dragonfly is that the wings are the capital letter D and the body is the letter L. D L being the initials for Dave Livermore.

That guitar looks fantastic. I really like the bound neck, superb job. The gold tuners really dress it all up. Fantastic job!

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-Rob Eckert
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Mighty fine looking guitar! My wife would love the dragonfly too.

I am beginning to think that all guitars have a certain amount of "oops" in them. The trick is to learn to deal with them and make it look like a feature. Looks like you have that part figured out and have successfully built a nice guitar!

Well done!

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Reguards,

Ken H

It looks GREAT and I think that you did a very fine job and should be very proud. You also took on a greater level of complexity too then we typically see in early builds - kudos for that too.

Great job!!!

I love that strip down the back of the headstock!

A great guitar

Congratulations, Job well done!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Nice guitar - well done. Another one that demonstrates that mentor of guitar making Percy V. Rance

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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

Congratulations Dave! This is a job very well done. You have invested a lot of time and effort and haven't given up on this one. That says very much about your perserverance and character. A very big !

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

I know where your coming from with the goof ups.Your not alone .It looks like you managed them nicely.I really like the back of the headstock.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

Thanks everyone for the kind words.

It was a lot of work, but worth every bit.

I have a new item to place on the list of problems.
The Cedar top is REALLY soft. And the shellac is not yet very hard. So after the first two friends tried it out, I'm now ready to RE-polish the top and put on a pick guard of some sort.

I'm considering either a clear plastic, or a thin wood veneer of some sort (either rosewood or maple because that is what I have available.) Does anyone have something to offer on this?

Dave

Nice Dave,
I love the creative way you solved the tuner problem. Looks totally planned. There's an art to making chicken soup out of chicken %%##!.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.