SmithfieldFair
Member
Hi, friends. I mentioned this in another thread some time back and promised I would give you all an update on my new Westerly (?) Guild - The FrankenGuild. I hope to have photos tonight or tomorrow (I'm awaiting my daughter who can take them and then get them loaded in some form to post here), but here's the description. Hope you enjoy it! dbs
This guitar was christened “FrankenGuild” by luthier Holger Notzel, who assembled it from parts I brought to him. The body is a 1974 Bluegrass D-25CH with mahogany top, sides and back (arched) that I purchased on Ebay from a guy in California. The headstock had been snapped off just above the nut, but the fretboard was intact. I had purchased the neck block from a California seller on Ebay several years back, thinking I might need a good quarter-sawn mahogany neck if anything ever happened to one of my tour guitars in transit. The neck was raw, but had the block overlay and inlayed Chesterfield and peaked name already attached. (Several have opined since that this was the result of “dumpster diving” when Corona was closed down – but Holger noted it was slightly irregular in some minor aspects and was probably a second.)
Holger removed the old neck, but saved the rosewood fretboard. He would re-level the fingerboard and put in new fret wire. The fret wire was purchased years ago from Stewart-McDonald to be used for refretting one of my brother’s B-50’s – but he went fretless and the wire was never used. Although I have purchased a number of Guild Rosewood bridges over the years, we decided to reused the bridge on the 74 – but cut a new mycarta bridge saddle and a new bone nut. When Al Whitney died and they sold off Alexandria (LA) Music, I purchased several sets of Grover machines for about $15-$20 each and had a set left, which was used here.
Although the body was quite dirty, seriously dinged, and covered in a sticky grit, we cleaned it a number of times. The pickguard, original to the model, is slightly smaller, as was typical of this model (see Han’s book, page --). Because Holger also works on a lot of my friend Sonny Landreth’s guitars, and had recently done a similar neck job for him, it was suggested that perhaps the same type of hand-rubbed finish could be employed here instead of a heavy lacquer job. Holger based the neck profile on my 1975 G-37SB and it is like playing a dream. The nut cover came from that 1975 G-37SB – just a bit of plastic, but sort of sentimental. The heel cap was from the original ’74 neck – black plastic, although we’ve talked about replacing it with mahogany at some point.
The bridge pins are brand new – ebony with an abalone dot. The FrankenGuild was also fitted with my usual choice of amplification – a Shure SM11 microphone mounted inside beneath the top, and wired to a flushmount Switchcraft XLR connector in the endblock. I also use Jim Dunlop straplocks mounted in the endblock and neck heel.
I have now had the opportunity to play the guitar on tour in Texas, at outdoor festivals and indoor concert halls, as well as in the studio and at home. In all situations, it responds with a sweet, rich, mellow warmth for tone – great articulation and balance – what you expect a great Westerly to sound like. But the dark richness of this guitar – the result of all the mahogany – is exceptional without losing the clarity of a dreadnaught. I’m using medium gauge 80-20 bronze strings which I buy in bulk, but believe are Martins, and the action and intonation is set up for my tuning – Open D or Vestapol (D-A-D-F#-A-D, low to high). When Holger first finished, he strung it up with Phosphor Bronze lights. However, this is too light for my playing style and after settling in, there was some buzz noted. The mediums have eradicated this buzz completely.
So, that’s the FrankenGuild for your information. I had fun doing it – probably the closest I’ll ever get (or want to get) to having a guitar custom built for me. Holger Notzel is such an amazing luthier, with a real understanding of the player’s style and sensitivity as he’s an excellent guitarist himself. (He’s also the builder with partner Mike Kennedy of Komet Amps used by Knopfler, Van Halen and others.) Recently, Smithfield Fair did a performance that included a reunion of Charmer – the band prior that ‘morphed’ into Smithfield Fair – and Holger had worked on to some degree and/or maintained all 12 guitars on stage (3/B50s, 3/GF25s, 2/F112s, 2/G37s, 1/M20, 1/DCE1), as well as my beloved Mid-Missouri mandolin. I haven’t had any luck finding someone who took a photo of the guitars on stage, but I’m still trying to find one.
Peace - dbs
This guitar was christened “FrankenGuild” by luthier Holger Notzel, who assembled it from parts I brought to him. The body is a 1974 Bluegrass D-25CH with mahogany top, sides and back (arched) that I purchased on Ebay from a guy in California. The headstock had been snapped off just above the nut, but the fretboard was intact. I had purchased the neck block from a California seller on Ebay several years back, thinking I might need a good quarter-sawn mahogany neck if anything ever happened to one of my tour guitars in transit. The neck was raw, but had the block overlay and inlayed Chesterfield and peaked name already attached. (Several have opined since that this was the result of “dumpster diving” when Corona was closed down – but Holger noted it was slightly irregular in some minor aspects and was probably a second.)
Holger removed the old neck, but saved the rosewood fretboard. He would re-level the fingerboard and put in new fret wire. The fret wire was purchased years ago from Stewart-McDonald to be used for refretting one of my brother’s B-50’s – but he went fretless and the wire was never used. Although I have purchased a number of Guild Rosewood bridges over the years, we decided to reused the bridge on the 74 – but cut a new mycarta bridge saddle and a new bone nut. When Al Whitney died and they sold off Alexandria (LA) Music, I purchased several sets of Grover machines for about $15-$20 each and had a set left, which was used here.
Although the body was quite dirty, seriously dinged, and covered in a sticky grit, we cleaned it a number of times. The pickguard, original to the model, is slightly smaller, as was typical of this model (see Han’s book, page --). Because Holger also works on a lot of my friend Sonny Landreth’s guitars, and had recently done a similar neck job for him, it was suggested that perhaps the same type of hand-rubbed finish could be employed here instead of a heavy lacquer job. Holger based the neck profile on my 1975 G-37SB and it is like playing a dream. The nut cover came from that 1975 G-37SB – just a bit of plastic, but sort of sentimental. The heel cap was from the original ’74 neck – black plastic, although we’ve talked about replacing it with mahogany at some point.
The bridge pins are brand new – ebony with an abalone dot. The FrankenGuild was also fitted with my usual choice of amplification – a Shure SM11 microphone mounted inside beneath the top, and wired to a flushmount Switchcraft XLR connector in the endblock. I also use Jim Dunlop straplocks mounted in the endblock and neck heel.
I have now had the opportunity to play the guitar on tour in Texas, at outdoor festivals and indoor concert halls, as well as in the studio and at home. In all situations, it responds with a sweet, rich, mellow warmth for tone – great articulation and balance – what you expect a great Westerly to sound like. But the dark richness of this guitar – the result of all the mahogany – is exceptional without losing the clarity of a dreadnaught. I’m using medium gauge 80-20 bronze strings which I buy in bulk, but believe are Martins, and the action and intonation is set up for my tuning – Open D or Vestapol (D-A-D-F#-A-D, low to high). When Holger first finished, he strung it up with Phosphor Bronze lights. However, this is too light for my playing style and after settling in, there was some buzz noted. The mediums have eradicated this buzz completely.
So, that’s the FrankenGuild for your information. I had fun doing it – probably the closest I’ll ever get (or want to get) to having a guitar custom built for me. Holger Notzel is such an amazing luthier, with a real understanding of the player’s style and sensitivity as he’s an excellent guitarist himself. (He’s also the builder with partner Mike Kennedy of Komet Amps used by Knopfler, Van Halen and others.) Recently, Smithfield Fair did a performance that included a reunion of Charmer – the band prior that ‘morphed’ into Smithfield Fair – and Holger had worked on to some degree and/or maintained all 12 guitars on stage (3/B50s, 3/GF25s, 2/F112s, 2/G37s, 1/M20, 1/DCE1), as well as my beloved Mid-Missouri mandolin. I haven’t had any luck finding someone who took a photo of the guitars on stage, but I’m still trying to find one.
Peace - dbs
Kinda looks like it might be called a DV25M. I like it Dud, how's she sound?