Dobbs Guitar

I built a 12-fret dreadnought last year which turned out to be quite a cannon! I am taking that concept and applying it to a Standard model (inspired by the Martin OM). The result should appeal to finger-style players. A few specs; Walnut back and sides, Red Cedar top, figured Ebony fretboard and bridge, Bloodwood back strip and end wedge, and of course, Red Dot braces. I`ll post photos during the build.

I am adding a new service to my business. In order to help people who are interested in building their own guitar I am offering my services as mentor. Depending on the novice`s knowledge and experience with woodworking I can help in any of the ways necessary for the person to complete a guitar project from scratch.
In order to kick-off this new service I will be holding an informal seminar in the near future to give an overview of the guitar-building process, design, tools needed, and acoustics. The session will lean towards builders but will be of interest to guitar owners as well. I will update as to where and when.

New Model D dreadnought. Red Cedar top, Walnut back and sides. Red Dot braces, Very responsive. Low action. Herringbone in the rosette and purfling, ivroid binding, bloodwood end wedge. Comes with Temperature Regulated Instrument Case (TRIC). $2350

String Tension
The amount of pulling force exerted on an acoustic guitar by its strings is never trifling. On the package of a set of strings I recently installed were the figures for the amount of pulling force (tension) they exert when tuned to standard concert pitch. In total, the tension of the strings is 180 lbs.
No wonder the strings are responsible for most of the changes a guitar goes through over the years. This is particularly true of steel string guitars, not so much for classical. The steady, unrelenting tension causes the bridge to lift, the neck to bend, and the body to change shape slightly. In all cases, the result is an increase in the distance from the frets to the strings (the 'action').