This 7/8th size dreadnaught guitar has a softwood top in New Zealand native Kahikatea, chosen for its beautiful pale colour, interesting grain and acoustic properties. It received a “Highly Commended” in the Australian Wood Review 2022 awards in the “Art and Objects” category.
The back and sides are Solomon Island Rosewood, which glows under a linseed oil-based finish. The Pau Fero fretboard sits on a hand-carved mahogany neck.
The herringbone rosette around the soundhole is echoed by the binding, which uses Kahikatea for the external strip, resulting in an inlaid look. Rimu touches are used throughout (headstock, tail, heel cap) in a nod to the original plan of rimu back and sides before one of them split!
There are themes throughout: the curves of the art-deco style headstock and repeated at the end of the fretboard, and on the bridge. “V” angles inspired by the herringbone pattern were also created using the kahikatea grain in the headstock, and in the angled tail strip detail.
The inside of the guitar is fine-tuned using an “X brace” system, and the guitar has an incredible sound, with notes across the musical spectrum echoing out of the sound hole. It’s not only a beautiful object, which has pride of place in my living room, but an object to be loved and used every day.
Special thanks to Dave Gilberd of Goldbeard Guitars (my tutor for the course) and Daniel Allen for the images.
