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D'Aquisto Dreadnought
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Author:  gullywompr [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:56 am ]
Post subject:  D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Visiting my brother today, I cam across a photo of a Jimmy D'Aquisto dreadnought in maple (natch). I am quite taken with the overall lines and oval soundhole. Does anyone have any information on it's construction?

Author:  joe white [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

I can offer no help but I would like to see the guitar, it sounds interesting.

Author:  Laurent Brondel [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Google is your friend:
http://apple-guitars.com/gdata/gdata.php?id=254
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D'Aquisto_Flat_Top_Guitars

Author:  sanaka [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Image

Author:  gullywompr [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Thanks guys. I'd be interested in hearing comments related to the use of Kasha-style bracing on steel-string guitars, particularly larger body style like dreads.

Author:  gullywompr [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Joe, the photo was in a book. The only photo on the web I could find was this, slightly different example:

Image

The one in the book had no burst, but a similar soundhole with binding and no rosette.

Author:  John Platko [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Ahhh. The garden hose soundhole.

Author:  Brock Poling [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Did Jimmy use Kasha bracing in his flattops? I hadn't heard that before.

Author:  joe white [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

gullywompr wrote:
Joe, the photo was in a book. The only photo on the web I could find was this, slightly different example:
The one in the book had no burst, but a similar soundhole with binding and no rosette.



Thanks Curtis! I like it. The bridge looks a little "chunky" but otherwise a pretty guitar.

Author:  My Dog Bob [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Even his nylon string guitars were "X" braced. I find it hard to believe his flattop steel string guitars weren't also...

Author:  gullywompr [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Brock Poling wrote:
Did Jimmy use Kasha bracing in his flattops? I hadn't heard that before.


I'm afraid I don't know, Brock. I resorted to open-ended and somewhat ambiguous questions in the hopes that others would clue me in (and in a vain attempt not to reveal too much ignorance on my part, which I now fully confess to). The Wiki page says something to the effect of "Kasha influences", and that asymmetrical bridge seemed to me like it could be a hint of what lurked below. But going off of a wiki page and a scant few photos is obviously not enough, and I'm still scratching my head.

Author:  douglas ingram [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

I remember reading an article, Acoustic Guitar if I remember correctly, with a profile of a D'Aquisto Dred. In the article it stated that the bracing was longitudinal, kind of like two large fan braces, or an X brace with no intersection.

Spent a good part of the today keeping an eye open for that copy...

Author:  gullywompr [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

douglas ingram wrote:
I remember reading an article, Acoustic Guitar if I remember correctly, with a profile of a D'Aquisto Dred. In the article it stated that the bracing was longitudinal, kind of like two large fan braces, or an X brace with no intersection.

Spent a good part of the today keeping an eye open for that copy...


Douglas, was it Strings Magazine, issue 138, June 2004? http://www.stringsmagazine.com/issues/p ... ssueid=143

Author:  douglas ingram [ Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Don't think so as I've never cracked open a copy of Strings. Still, it could be the same article, some authors sell copy to multiple publications. I couldn't tell as I couldn't open the article.

Author:  douglas ingram [ Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Did find this in the Acoustic Guitar article archive search:

1978 D'Aquisto Dreadnought by George Gruhn.
1978 D'Aquisto Dreadnought. June 2004.

Looks like it was the same article.

This turned up some info, too.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Aquist ... op_Guitars

Author:  gullywompr [ Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

Thanks for you help Douglas, I'll try to order the back issue.

Author:  gullywompr [ Thu Aug 05, 2010 8:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

I ordered the back issue, which arrived today. It does not mention anything about Kasha influences. It mentions that he used X-bracing, although not the Martin design, but rather "a central X with long, lenghthwise braces connected the ends of the x", no scallops, or tucking.

Author:  douglas ingram [ Thu Aug 05, 2010 11:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

gullywompr wrote:
"a central X with long, lenghthwise braces connected the ends of the x",


You've just jogged my memory! I remembered the lengthwise parts but forgot that they connected the ends of the X.

Gonna give it a try?

Author:  gullywompr [ Fri Aug 06, 2010 10:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: D'Aquisto Dreadnought

douglas ingram wrote:
Gonna give it a try?


Maybe. I'll have to draw it out. I can't envision how the long braces clear the waist, unless the X is somehow truncated. I'll go ahead and make the presumption (feel free to correct my thinking), that because D'Aquisto was primarily and arch-top guy, that this dread bracing pattern was bereft of finger braces or fan braces - maybe a thicker top?

I wish he was around to ask..

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