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Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
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Author:  Dave White [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
These things are addictive. I made the first one with the view to showing it at the Cheltenham Acoustic Guitar Show this coming weekend but took it to guitar camp and couldn't resist a cash in hand offer for it. That got me in trouble with my youngest daughter Suzanna as she had named it and wanted it. So it was time to make another from the small stash of wood I had. We decided to use the one and only sitka spruce top that I bought in a moment of madness years ago and haven't known what to do with (Yes Steve K - I've finally lost my Sitka virginity :D ) , and a small block of wood I bought labelled African Walnut that would do a neck, sides and four piece back, some EI Rosewood side offcuts for bindings and ebony for the bridge and headstock veneers.

African walnut would appear to be Lovoa klaineana or Lovoa trichiliodes, and to confuse things it is a member of the genus Meliaceae - the mahogany family. It is a lovely wood to work with and according to Suzanna and my wife looks like Tigerseye - which is interesting as one of its common names is Tigerwood.

These instruments were named by my daughter Suzanna after the shape-shifting Scandanavian Water Spirits who played enchanted songs on the violin. If properly approached, they will teach a musician to play so adeptly "that the trees dance and waterfalls stop at his music." Not exactly a violin, but very similar tuning - GDAE or GDAD. The first one was called Nøkken and this one is called Nácken.

The design is the same as the first one - 579mm scale length with 14 frets clear of the body on a Martin Size 5 body. The tuning is GDAD and the strings I am using are 49, 32, 22w, 15. The sound is pleasing so far - the sitka is more on the "fundimental" side of spruces I have used but it works well on the instrument and it will be interesting to hear how it opens out. These are real fun session instruments.

This time I got to do a soundclip. These are useful to do early in an instruments life (the strings went on last Friday) as you can go back later and compare. I find that there are tunes lurking in each instrument that seem to come out when you noodle around on them for the very first time. This one came out as a "loose" version of "Botany Bay".

Some pictures:

Attachment:
nacp2.JPG

Attachment:
nacp3.JPG

Attachment:
nacp6.JPG


Top bracing (Lutz spruce):
Attachment:
nac5.JPG


Back bracing (Lutz spruce):
Attachment:
nac8.JPG


Thanks for looking and listening.
Author:  WaddyThomson [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Nice, Dave! Very nice! [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  SniderMike [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Dave, you've done it again! Beautiful guitar, and beautiful playing. You're the man.
Author:  Sam Price [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Simply gorgeous!!!!

It's great when you post another build thread on here, I always anticipate something special.

Again, there is that signature tone, with that ladder-braced flavour. The tune is lovely and brilliantly played.

Wonderful!


Alas I can't make it to Cheltenham this year (yeah I know), :cry: GUTTED... I was going to bring the family, but decided against it when I blanched at the concept of extremely valuable guitars and my kids tottering around...kinda got cold feet at the last minute. Couldn't find a babysitter at the last min, hubby's away, so...next year hubby & I will try a book a weekend down there.
Author:  Arnt Rian [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Lovely as usual!

Dave White wrote:
These instruments were named by my daughter Suzanna after the shape-shifting Scandanavian Water Spirits who played enchanted songs on the violin. If properly approached, they will teach a musician to play so adeptly "that the trees dance and waterfalls stop at his music." Not exactly a violin, but very similar tuning - GDAE or GDAD. The first one was called Nøkken and this one is called Nácken.


It is true that Nøkken (Näcken in Sweden) sometimes plays the fiddle, but the most (in)famous fiddle player is his relative Fossegrimen. I have heard your quote used to describe his abilities, anyways. According to some stories the great Myllarguten traded his soul to Fossegrimen in order to become the greatest fiddler in his time... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myllarguten

Here's what Nøkken looks like, I wouldn't let my daughters go near him!
Image
Author:  Ricardo [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Dave, very pretty. You have a larger than normal sound hole? How does it sound ? As you can tell I'm wrestling with determining sound hole area for my 000. . [:Y:] [:Y:] [:Y:]
Author:  Tonedevil [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Just Beautiful DW!!! clean as a whistle, as usual. i like the top bracing as you have it going into the neck block. very nice. and quite the "flying buttress", sweet sound clip also!
kudos!
Tone
Author:  Colin S [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Dave, yet another great instrument from your stable (or should that be form?). Looks as if it should be a good addition to a pub jam. You really have that ladder braced top down to a fine art now. I like your version of Botany bay, I've added it to my Dave White folder.

Where did you get the African Walnut?

Ricardo, my OOOs have 100mm soundholes.

Colin
Author:  Hesh [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Very cool little guitar Dave mon but I miss your very cool body shapes. [:Y:] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap]
Author:  Tonedevil [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 4:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
i am guesing that you will not be attending the Harp Guitar Gathering this year, but i figured it was worth asking anyhow, so... are you attending the HGG6 in portland oregon next month? (oct 12th-ish) my bro and i are going to be there.
Author:  Dave White [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Waddy& Mike - thanks

Sam - I'm glad you like the sound. It's a shame you won't be at Cheltenham this year but as you say, there's always next year.

Arnt - thanks for the picture, you should see what some of her boyfriends look like :o I should have spelt it Näcken. Suzanna sees it as a Yin Yang thing - Nøkken is male as he's all dark and Näcken female as she has a light face! It sounds like the great Myllarguten was a Scandinavian Robert Johnson :D

Ricardo - the soundhole is 94mm diameter, and the soundclip I posted will give you and idea of how it sounds.

Tone - it's great to see some more harp guitar builders around here!! I'm glad that you like little Näcken she's lots of fun. Unfortunately my credit is definitely "crunched" currently so I can't come to HGG6 - one year I'll make it but I'll have to make a "real" harp guitar first rather than the "mini me" that I have made so far. The good news is I get to meet up with Stephen Sedgewick for the first time at Cheltenham this Saturday.

Colin - thanks. yes it's a great pub guitar. I got the African Walnut at Isaac Lord in town a while back - they get a lot of interesting stuff in for wood turners, some of which comes from Timberline. I haven't seen any since, but may well have a chat with Robert Smith. Maybe Joel Thompson might know about it too.

Hesh - thanks. Curviness will return soon :D
Author:  Steve Kinnaird [ Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Dave, I posted a few thoughts over at the ANZF where I first saw your new guitar. Of course I'm so proud that you tried some Sitka I've got tears in my eyes. I hope this won't be the last time you use our spruce, and I think you'll be impressed with the headroom that you'll enjoy.

Good work (*snif*) as usual, amigo.

Steve
Author:  Tonedevil [ Tue Sep 09, 2008 1:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
yeah you bet its great to be here, theres so much info to sift thru i am really going to have to spend some time reading! i m bummed that i dont get to meet you in person this fall but perhaps someday i can visit you and Stephen Sedgewick in the mother land! your Harp guitar is very genuine, and is no excuse for not coming! but lack of funds certainly is... and if HGG6 were being held where you are, i would be sadly unable to attend myself... anyhow i am really looking fwd to it this year, even if you cant make it!
Steve and i will have to hold down the fort!
great work!
Tone
Author:  Frank Aarre [ Thu Sep 11, 2008 6:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
this almost eluded my radar, glad it didn't though.
always great to see and hear your creations. [clap]

Frank
Author:  Dave Livermore [ Thu Sep 11, 2008 8:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sitka/African Walnut Ladder Braced Tenor Guitar
Dave, that is one sweet sounding little guitar.

Kudos.

d
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