Dake Traphagen 2022 640 Scale Spruce
Please contact me before purchasing via the in-store check out : theguitarcollection@gmail.com
This guitar was a surprise to me. As you’ll see me say in the review video (linked here), I haven’t played many guitars by Dake Traphagen, depsite him being a very popular, sought after builder. I’m listing this one on consignment, and was told this guitar was a traditionally braced instrument (with no doubletop, or lattice bracing). I opened the case, tuned it up, and was pleasantly surprised by the volume and color palette on this instrument.
Then it hit me. Maybe it is in fact a doubletop, with this kind of volume and response, it must be. I turned off the lights and slid the blackout curtains in my studio, and got out my mirror and light to look inside the guitar. Sure enough, it’s all traditional, 5 fan braced guitar. Amazing!! The more I played this guitar, the more I wanted to learn about Dake and his instruments. Everything started to “click” as I read Dake’s philosphy as a builder on his website (see this information just below).
This is an exceptional guitar. If you’re looking for an exceptional loud and colorful traditional guitar, this thing will be right up your alley. As I mention in the video, this guitar is also very easy to play. It is 640 scale, 52mm nut, and the neck is a tad smaller than normal. It’s so comfortable. If I were to order a guitar from Dake, I would ask for the same exact neck, to be honest!
In addition to the beautiful Spruce top, it has Honduran Rosewood back and sides which Dake describes as being the most similar in tonal characteristics to Brazilian Rosewood. From his site: “To me the only other rosewood that can give Brazilian Rosewood a run for its money. It is very similar sounding to Brazilian Rosewood but a little denser in overall tonal character.”
I think you’ll be able to hear what I’m talking about in the review video. By the way… all nylon strings. Not a single carbon string. These are the strings my client sent the guitar to me with, and I left them on because they sounded so good.
This guitar is in outstanding condition. No marks under the strings which is shocking. No string dings. Comes with a white case which you can see in the photos.
From Dake Traphagen’s website:
“In this age of digital relationships, digital sound, and immediate gratification, we often lose sight of the hands-on nature of the arts. To me, guitar making is more than technique or science, more than just the finished product. It is an experiential, hands-on relationship one develops over years of trial and error, and comes to life when one develops a deeper insight into the medium with which one is involved.
These days, many builders feel it is imperative to maximize one's time; time is money. By designing a better jig or router combination, luthiers hope to make each part of the instrument more precise, more quickly. While I understand the need for efficiency, my experience tells me the more one physically removes the hands from the wood, the less one understands what that particular piece of wood needs.
A truly great guitar needs the human touch, intuition, and insight; therefore, I still primarily use hand tools so that I may feel the wood as I work with it. Moreover, I still use traditional glues and finishes, for I believe this helps the instrument maximize its potential. I try to build each section of the guitar in such a way that all its parts work together, and the instrument becomes a unified expression. This, to me, is the art of luthiery. When a guitar becomes a "product", it ceases to be a true expression of musicality.
That is not to say I don't experiment and try to broaden the potential of the modern guitar. I do; however, I do this by increasing my understanding of what the wood can musically produce. My guitars are considered among the loudest, yet I know I can build guitars that are louder still; however, I am more concerned with whether or not an instrument is musical. With this in mind, I try to find the guitar's voice rather than just make an instrument based on scientific theory.
To this day I find the guitars that inspire me the most are those made by some of the past masters: Torres, Esteso, Hernandez, Hauser, and Rodriquez. These guitars have definite personalities, unique voices, and most importantly, they are undeniably musical. These are the qualities that inspire me to keep building. For me, the true art of luthiery is creating a guitar that is first and foremost musical.”
Please contact me before purchasing via the in-store check out : theguitarcollection@gmail.com
This guitar was a surprise to me. As you’ll see me say in the review video (linked here), I haven’t played many guitars by Dake Traphagen, depsite him being a very popular, sought after builder. I’m listing this one on consignment, and was told this guitar was a traditionally braced instrument (with no doubletop, or lattice bracing). I opened the case, tuned it up, and was pleasantly surprised by the volume and color palette on this instrument.
Then it hit me. Maybe it is in fact a doubletop, with this kind of volume and response, it must be. I turned off the lights and slid the blackout curtains in my studio, and got out my mirror and light to look inside the guitar. Sure enough, it’s all traditional, 5 fan braced guitar. Amazing!! The more I played this guitar, the more I wanted to learn about Dake and his instruments. Everything started to “click” as I read Dake’s philosphy as a builder on his website (see this information just below).
This is an exceptional guitar. If you’re looking for an exceptional loud and colorful traditional guitar, this thing will be right up your alley. As I mention in the video, this guitar is also very easy to play. It is 640 scale, 52mm nut, and the neck is a tad smaller than normal. It’s so comfortable. If I were to order a guitar from Dake, I would ask for the same exact neck, to be honest!
In addition to the beautiful Spruce top, it has Honduran Rosewood back and sides which Dake describes as being the most similar in tonal characteristics to Brazilian Rosewood. From his site: “To me the only other rosewood that can give Brazilian Rosewood a run for its money. It is very similar sounding to Brazilian Rosewood but a little denser in overall tonal character.”
I think you’ll be able to hear what I’m talking about in the review video. By the way… all nylon strings. Not a single carbon string. These are the strings my client sent the guitar to me with, and I left them on because they sounded so good.
This guitar is in outstanding condition. No marks under the strings which is shocking. No string dings. Comes with a white case which you can see in the photos.
From Dake Traphagen’s website:
“In this age of digital relationships, digital sound, and immediate gratification, we often lose sight of the hands-on nature of the arts. To me, guitar making is more than technique or science, more than just the finished product. It is an experiential, hands-on relationship one develops over years of trial and error, and comes to life when one develops a deeper insight into the medium with which one is involved.
These days, many builders feel it is imperative to maximize one's time; time is money. By designing a better jig or router combination, luthiers hope to make each part of the instrument more precise, more quickly. While I understand the need for efficiency, my experience tells me the more one physically removes the hands from the wood, the less one understands what that particular piece of wood needs.
A truly great guitar needs the human touch, intuition, and insight; therefore, I still primarily use hand tools so that I may feel the wood as I work with it. Moreover, I still use traditional glues and finishes, for I believe this helps the instrument maximize its potential. I try to build each section of the guitar in such a way that all its parts work together, and the instrument becomes a unified expression. This, to me, is the art of luthiery. When a guitar becomes a "product", it ceases to be a true expression of musicality.
That is not to say I don't experiment and try to broaden the potential of the modern guitar. I do; however, I do this by increasing my understanding of what the wood can musically produce. My guitars are considered among the loudest, yet I know I can build guitars that are louder still; however, I am more concerned with whether or not an instrument is musical. With this in mind, I try to find the guitar's voice rather than just make an instrument based on scientific theory.
To this day I find the guitars that inspire me the most are those made by some of the past masters: Torres, Esteso, Hernandez, Hauser, and Rodriquez. These guitars have definite personalities, unique voices, and most importantly, they are undeniably musical. These are the qualities that inspire me to keep building. For me, the true art of luthiery is creating a guitar that is first and foremost musical.”
Please contact me before purchasing via the in-store check out : theguitarcollection@gmail.com
This guitar was a surprise to me. As you’ll see me say in the review video (linked here), I haven’t played many guitars by Dake Traphagen, depsite him being a very popular, sought after builder. I’m listing this one on consignment, and was told this guitar was a traditionally braced instrument (with no doubletop, or lattice bracing). I opened the case, tuned it up, and was pleasantly surprised by the volume and color palette on this instrument.
Then it hit me. Maybe it is in fact a doubletop, with this kind of volume and response, it must be. I turned off the lights and slid the blackout curtains in my studio, and got out my mirror and light to look inside the guitar. Sure enough, it’s all traditional, 5 fan braced guitar. Amazing!! The more I played this guitar, the more I wanted to learn about Dake and his instruments. Everything started to “click” as I read Dake’s philosphy as a builder on his website (see this information just below).
This is an exceptional guitar. If you’re looking for an exceptional loud and colorful traditional guitar, this thing will be right up your alley. As I mention in the video, this guitar is also very easy to play. It is 640 scale, 52mm nut, and the neck is a tad smaller than normal. It’s so comfortable. If I were to order a guitar from Dake, I would ask for the same exact neck, to be honest!
In addition to the beautiful Spruce top, it has Honduran Rosewood back and sides which Dake describes as being the most similar in tonal characteristics to Brazilian Rosewood. From his site: “To me the only other rosewood that can give Brazilian Rosewood a run for its money. It is very similar sounding to Brazilian Rosewood but a little denser in overall tonal character.”
I think you’ll be able to hear what I’m talking about in the review video. By the way… all nylon strings. Not a single carbon string. These are the strings my client sent the guitar to me with, and I left them on because they sounded so good.
This guitar is in outstanding condition. No marks under the strings which is shocking. No string dings. Comes with a white case which you can see in the photos.
From Dake Traphagen’s website:
“In this age of digital relationships, digital sound, and immediate gratification, we often lose sight of the hands-on nature of the arts. To me, guitar making is more than technique or science, more than just the finished product. It is an experiential, hands-on relationship one develops over years of trial and error, and comes to life when one develops a deeper insight into the medium with which one is involved.
These days, many builders feel it is imperative to maximize one's time; time is money. By designing a better jig or router combination, luthiers hope to make each part of the instrument more precise, more quickly. While I understand the need for efficiency, my experience tells me the more one physically removes the hands from the wood, the less one understands what that particular piece of wood needs.
A truly great guitar needs the human touch, intuition, and insight; therefore, I still primarily use hand tools so that I may feel the wood as I work with it. Moreover, I still use traditional glues and finishes, for I believe this helps the instrument maximize its potential. I try to build each section of the guitar in such a way that all its parts work together, and the instrument becomes a unified expression. This, to me, is the art of luthiery. When a guitar becomes a "product", it ceases to be a true expression of musicality.
That is not to say I don't experiment and try to broaden the potential of the modern guitar. I do; however, I do this by increasing my understanding of what the wood can musically produce. My guitars are considered among the loudest, yet I know I can build guitars that are louder still; however, I am more concerned with whether or not an instrument is musical. With this in mind, I try to find the guitar's voice rather than just make an instrument based on scientific theory.
To this day I find the guitars that inspire me the most are those made by some of the past masters: Torres, Esteso, Hernandez, Hauser, and Rodriquez. These guitars have definite personalities, unique voices, and most importantly, they are undeniably musical. These are the qualities that inspire me to keep building. For me, the true art of luthiery is creating a guitar that is first and foremost musical.”