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 - Little Wing L1 Style #91166 Yr. Built 2011

Back and Sides:   Select black walnut
Top:  Select Sitka spruce
Fretboard and Bridge:   Highest grade ebony pyramid style.
Neck:  Honduras mahogany in medium C profile
Binding:  Faux Tortoise
Top and side purfling:   None
Rosette:   None: Pickguard:  Tear-drop TorTis.
Body length:  19" Lower bout: 14" Upper bout: 10-1/4" Waist: 8-1/8"
Body depth:  At tail 4-1/2" At neck  3-3/8"
Neck finish:   Birchwood Casey Tru-oil
Neck joint:  Mortise and tenon 12 frets clear of body
Nut width:  1-5/8"
String spacing:  At saddle 2-5/16"
Nut: Ebony  Saddle:  Unbleached vintage bone.
Scale length:  24.75" with 12" radius
Headstock Overlay:  Indian rosewood.  Tuners:  Golden Age
Bridge pins:  Rosewood with pearl dots
Truss rod:  Two way adjustable inside
Setup:  Light gauge Elixir strings
Condition:   Mint new old stock off warranty.  Note:  Neck has a slimmer profile at nut with wide string spacing at saddle. See specs.  
Suitable for the finger-stylist with smaller hands.
Finish:   Plumburst 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