One of a Kind! 2015 David Freeman and Sheldon Schwartz collaborated a week long Soundboard thickness and Bracing workshop . Sheldon Built this top that week. In a GM-50 body shape. So he left it for David to complete the instrument. This may Never occur again . Master Sitka top with East Indian Rosewood B& S a Sliding door sound port and bent top arm rest Zircote fingerboard and Bridge. Gotoh 510 tuners. Buzz Feiten intonated. Hear it here with th e side port open https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzDhoj3u9Tkand with th eside port closed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IZ3rngsLlE Have two lutheirs in One !
Ancient Kauri from New Zealand Back and Sides with a bearclaw Sitka top. Cherry Neck
Hear It here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDgpq7rfpo The tuners were changed to Gotoh 510 Chrome Big sound Great feel Details here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nyH0dWAPUo
This Guitar was commisioned for the cocabola back & sides with Englemann Spruce top Zircote finger board, 24 FAN frets !
Hear it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPs_sFlIECM Offcet sound hole, Sliding door side port, Florentine cutaway, You can custom order such an instrument ! David Works with you to get The SOUND , The LOOK and The FEEL you have dreamed about!
I had a series of Paua curves that all lined up. They begged to be a rosette ! so I outlined them with white green white purfling , Voila ! The yellow cedar is from a stock purchased way back , about 10 sets of very dense , very tight grain, stiff wood. This is the forst steel string . I have built a few Classical nylon strung guitars with yellow cedar. It holds it own in a match to spruce.
The Native Olive from Tasmania is one of 3 sets I acquired very dense wood with good response. and an attractive dark lines runnning thru the lighter browns. The music simply pours out of this guitar !
Sound wedged for separation inside the body results in distinct bass and treble with room for the mid frequencies. there is volume balance all four octaves, Yes ! 24 fan- frets with an offcet sound hole that stays in the waist area for optimal projection. The sliding door sideport changes that projection to Omni from uni when opened. That same sideport changes the fundamental inside to treble boost when you want it. Trimmed in Blue Paua and paua rim it sparkles to look at as well as the sparkled sound! Ebony fingerboard and bridge put mass where it does the most ! The Tasmanian Native Olive is dense and resonant.. and rare. the tight grain Yellow Cedar delivers all the aspects a sound board requires. Sound flows and pours out of this instrument. Listen to it here https://youtu.be/9MMjg6FlABg Buzz feiten intonation makes the strings work harmonically together and the fan frets give that extra resonance so the strings ocillate optimally. The Gotoh 510 Minis make it easy to tune. Epitomy of Timeless Design by David Freeman's 45 years of Experience
One of the few Dreadnoughts David has built, he materialized this instrument in 2008. Listen to it Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3fSLTDE7F0 The Golden Eagle, inlaid with Black MOP on Blistered Ambuya was from a picture David took on the Prairies one winter day.Sitka Spruce top with hints of bearclaw, Rosewood back & sides,Aged stock..creates an articulated, bright , balanced sound ! It rings with sustain. The soundhole is offcet to allow for 24 frets, on all strings ! A Venetian cutaway lets you play those high notes, the " Action is like the Speed of Light !" set at 6/64" on 1 to 4 strings , while 5 & 6 strings are 5/64" at the 12 fret.Bound Rosewood Fingerboard and Bridge , 25" scale bone nut and saddle. compensated to a Buzz Feiten intonation, which makes the strings support each other harmonically for a more even balance in frequencies. It also helps eliminate wolf tones.The Mahogany Neck has a Holly strip running down the center. The whole instrument is framed with Curly Maple Binding and purfling. The tuners are Gotoh SG381. Case is optional.
Thge Douglas fir was sourced from a student working in a mill in maple ridge. They were offcuts of panelling for somebody's den in a house. 2 to 4 ' in length and 18 to 20 " wide So I took them. Tried the foirst one out on a 12 string. It worked well, There is a youtube of how the colors have aged as I got that back for some set up after a few years , Orange Osage bridge and fingerboard turn a golden brown . So then I tried this GM50 . It is a deep toned voice on ribbon mahogany background. There are still a few one piece douglas fir around. Oregon Pine it is called in Europe.
One piece Douglas Fir top , Tight even grain . hear it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_sGMjKYAGA Mahogany Back & sides; Long flame ribboned Honduras Neck; Honduras Mahogany Fingerboard bound in EI Rosewood , Madacasgar rosewood 25 in. scale Buzz Feiten intonated, for better balance and even response throughout the entire 4 octaves.bridge; Madagascar Rosewood Bone Nut ,and saddle, Shedua Binding, top Purfling W green w other pruflings are BWBRosette; spiral rainbow with Herringbone designSG38-01 Gotoh tuners Hardshell Case $135.00Electronic Pickups of your choice can be added.
