Australian/New Zealand Luthiers Forum

This ‘000’ style guitar was finished two weeks ago and delivered last weekend to, I’m pleased to report, a happy customer. As with all my guitars it’s named after Charters Towers gold mines of the 1800’s, please meet “Dawnâ€

Oh, that's so nice Taffy. Understated elegance, and it's going to look great no matter how tastes and styles change. Are the tuners Scheallers? From what I can see they look like the ones I used on my Size 5.

Very nice, clean styling, Taffy. The side shot shows how that Narra glows. (I'm thinking that "NG Rosewood" is what I know as Narra, but maybe I'm wrong.)

Exciting that it had its voice immediately - that's got to mean it will get even better!

Dennis

Taffy,

That's a lovely little guitar - a new "Dawn"! Nice woods and detailing. You certainly like narra. Cedar always sounds "played in" out of the bloks but I have found that it does open up over time but in a less obvious way than spruce. Small guitars are great and loudness is an interesting thing - not always decibels but what a listener hears. You can always hear the small dogs over the others in a pack.

Great stuff!!

Hi Taffy,

Great looking guitar and a terrific choice of materials. I like the way the cedar show different colours, I assume that is a two piece top... Would you describe a bit how you do your fingerboard tongue bolt, do you use any washers? is it a 3/8"?

Sebastiaan

Sorry about the quality of the photo's, I should have borrowed the wifes camera, or better still read the book on the Pentax I used. It's getting to the stage where part of Lutherie is a photographic course.

Anyway thanks for the kind comments everyone......

Dave, your small dogs comment, yep I agree. I used to play at a pub acoustic jam and was having trouble being heard . The answer was to take one of my small bodied NG Rosewood/Cedar guitars, my lead picking just cut though the 'pick an strum' of the others.

Allen, Yes they are Schallers [with the collars fitted] gives a bit smoother action and no chance of wear from post into timber. And maybe due to the string contacting a post that goes from metal to metal it may contribute in some small way to sustain, I use fingerboard nuts with more mass with this in mind. I have not done any test on this tho.

Sabastiaan, I'll post some pictures of the unglued fingerboard set up. This one was a bit of an experiment, and it works. The ebony cap at the end of the fingerboard is fixed to the top and locates the F/board in place. plus one bolt midway up the tognue. I've had many ideas over the years, if I was to check back I'd probably find a different system for each guitar.

very nice work ,Taffy.
as well as what everyone else has mentioned I really like the simple elegance of the rosette.

Here are a few more pics of Dawn from her very proud and happy owner! Someday in the future I hope to be able to build a guitar as good as this one. Beauitful vintage vibe and awesome tone. Thank you Taffy my friend.









Cheers

Alan

Hi Alan,

to quote Monty Python "you lucky, lucky, barstard"

BTW, Is that Buffalo Grass?, I think your mower blades need sharpening...

Sebastiaan

You lucky duck Alan

I just love the look of that top. How come most people want them to just look so homogenized and bland.

Simply beautiful
Looking at that I was thinking how difficult it must be to properly finish a slotted peg head.
No doubt about jarrah. Made some very classy looking bindings from it but haven't used it yet for a fretboard.
If its at all possible, please post a sound clip.

Grrrreat looking guitar, Taffy.
That inlay in the peghead is fantastic.
It ain't easy to inlay into light-colored wood, but you make it look easy!

Steve

This is a really nice looking guitar Taffy, your work is always well executed and tasteful.

Cheers

Kim

Tongue Fitting
Sabastiaan asked: Would you describe a bit how you do your fingerboard tongue bolt, do you use any washers? is it a 3/8"?

Sabastiaan here are some photos of the fitting of this guitars tongue. If the neck rod comes down to, and through, the brace above the soundhole then one bolt in the middle does not work. At these times I use two bolts one either side of the rod, as on my Resonator guitars. These are hidden as shown on the two guitars shown. What ever covers the bolt head has to be able to be pushed out so it is a snug push fit. The bolts I use are 1/8â€

Thanks Taffy, makes sense now,

Sebastiaan