From the inventory of Melbourne Guitars. These individually handcrafted works by luthier Dana Davis have been stored in an ideal climate controlled environment of 50% relative humidity for up to twenty five years. These offerings are represented as new old stock and date from 1990 to present. Each instrument has been setup for optimal playability. All woods used in the construction of Melbourne Guitars have been naturally air dried a minimum of twenty to thirty years . I hope you enjoy viewing the generous variety of original as well as classic styles presented. Each guitar comes with an Access stage three arched case.

Model - DMS #61682 Yr. Built 2016

Back and Sides:    Highest grade birdseye maple
Top:   Select grade Sitka spruce
Fretboard and Bridge:   Highest grade ebony
Neck:   3 piece flame maple in deep D profile with modern taper.
Binding:   Flame maple
Top and side purfling:   Multi b/w/b
Rosette:  Redwood burl, walnut, mother of pearl combination
Nut width:  1-3/4" Fretboard at 12th fret 2-1/8"
Body length:   20" Lower bout: 15-5/8" Upper bout: 11-3/4" Waist: 10-5/8"
Body depth:  At tail 4-3/4"   At neck 3-3/4"
Neck finish:  Satin Tru-oil
Neck joint:  Mortise and tenon 14 frets clear of body
Pickguard:  Premium Tor-tis
String spacing:  At saddle 2-3/16"
Nut and saddle:  Unbleached vintage bone
Scale length:  25.4" with 16" radius
Headstock Overlay:  Blistered maple.  Tuners: Gotoh gold
Bridge pins:  Bone with pearl dots
Case:  Access stage three hard arched
Setup:  Light gauge Elixir strings
Condition:  Excellent new old stock off warranty  Notes:  Truss rod is non-adjustable. Adjusting nut snapped off but left rod fully threaded at posts, and at tension. The neck has a perfect relief and has remained the same for two years. Set up with lights I am quite confident that this neck will serve just fine for many years to come. Naturally this is reflected in the asking price of this instrument.  Note: Top has two micro pecks in finish.
Truss rod:   Non-adjustable
Finish:  High gloss acrylic varnish



A BIT ABOUT THE BUILDER

PAINT IT BLACK
    I guess the seed was watered when I was around eleven years old, after hearing "you know who" on the Ed Sullivan show. I headed directly down to the scrap wood pile in the basement of my parent's house. Being that dad had his tools set up for furniture making, I went right to town and made my John Lennon look-alike guitar, complete with fishing line strings and painted black of course. Then, you know the routine, playing in bands and working for Ross G. Davis carpentry through my teenage years.

PLAY WITH FIRE
    Got serious with the music for about a decade with the Davis & Greene Band, a high energy, hard working group of guys and their manager, performing all original music at all the hot spot concert clubs in Boston, North Shore, South Shore and Western Massachusetts. Laid that all to rest at around thirty years of age.

GIVE ME SHELTER
    For twenty years I ran my own building/remodeling business with good success, except the steady diet of roofing and framing ultimately got to my shoulders. What to do? "Oh, guitars...I'll build guitars!" And that's what I've been doing for the last twenty years. Still a bitch on the shoulders, but what are ya gonna do?

TIME IS ON MY SIDE
    After a certain amount of years I think most builders strive for the same general zone of perfection. Whether it be a fine finish, superb playability, or visual appeal through body shape design and appointments. If there was one particular area of refinement that might distinguish certain builders from others, it would be the amount of emphasis put on bracing patterns and overall bracing design and fastening. At Melbourne Guitars a lot of energy is put into the fastening and carving of the top's X-bracing. The X-brace is first carved to fit the compound contours of a twenty-five foot radius dome shaped form. This X-brace is joined to the top plate insuring that every possible area of contact is mating perfectly to the top. There is no half-hearted clamping with glue filling in the gaps, ever. The idea is to make this most important brace blend into the top as if they were one. Once this has set up after a generous clamping time the top has taken it's new shape of a twenty-five foot radius dome. A lot of strength is accomplished through this design. Now here is an area that let's me really go after that ultimate snap and punch found in so many Melbourne Guitars. I start by ramping from center to the outside of the X-brace into a sloped parabolic shape. From here the sides of the brace are reduced to form a soft peak. These are further scalloped at critical areas within the lower bout to allow for maximum resonance. This detail is where I believe that you as a player could detect the distinct sound of a Melbourne Guitar.

SATISFACTION

    As any instrument builder will attest, the ultimate gratification is when the right piece finds it's way to an artist that knows how and where to dig in and exploit that instrument's potential. When I get to hear that, I am paid in full.

Thank you for you interest in Melbourne Guitars.
Dana Melbourne Davis / Luthier