Meet DragonHart

DragonHart: A very rare union of guitar and dragon featuring:

Acoustic-electric design adapted from tradition and experience;
Wired to deliver a variety of voices from cool jazz to hard rock;
DragonHart theme of inlay, scrimshaw and carving that runs from faceplate to DragonTop;
Fine and highly figured woods;
A small, light-weight body.

The DragonLinks, below, highlight some of the skills necessary to build him. They take you back to the felling of the tree in my front yard from which the DragonTop was carved. Thanks and Enjoy, Chuck DeHart. (Email me here)

From Chuck DeHart, May 29, 2013:

DragonHart is delivering the kinds of music for which I designed him. I am having a great time pulling out tunes I have messed with for years and picking out some new ones to have fun with. These vary from jazzy rifts, R&B, and rockabilly to hard rock-n-roll.

I love to watch people drawn to feel his carving and curves, to pet his nose. It's great to hear others play him. Those who meet DragonHart in person mention how the photos don't capture what a beauty he is.

I continue to explore the variety of voices, finding sweet spots and new spirits for old tunes. He is small, easy to tote and still delivering the bass end. I like working the full length of the fretboard with ease.

What or "who" do I build next?

DragonHart is carved in relief out of the traditional arched top electric. Highly figured poplar carves well. A lot of time and thought went into acoustic-electric design. I really like what I built! Having a great time getting to know this beast. The Bigsby B5 tremolo is designed for solid body guitars, but adapted here via internal sound posts that bring integrity to the acoustic chamber. See DragonInnards and DragonCoustics if acoustic design is your bailiwick or just a curiosity.

DragonLinks

Some other links at the Hollow Road Guitar Shop, Chuck's Instrument Website:

DragonHart is smaller than the traditional arch top. The lower bout is just a little bigger than a classical guitar. The upper bout slimmed with double violin corners for access to the highest frets. He is an easy beast to tote around. He is also more than just another "pretty boy" featuring scrimshaw and mother-of-pearl inlay. The twin P90 pick ups with switch to Black Ice on board overdrive device deliver a variety of voices. I like the great rockabilly twang and the hard electric edge of Industrial Strength Black Ice. Pull out the tone knob to activate the mini-switch and select from two levels of dial-in Black Ice overdrive.

Rosewood faceplate featuring scrimshaw, three colors of mother-of-pearl and red coral heart from an old charm bracelet.

The rosewood fingerboard is bound with rosewood and maple purfling. Mother-of-pearl in white and gold continue the DragonTheme with tongues of flame and flying images. Frets are buffed. Fingerboard is compound radiused to allow differential relief from treble to bass strings. Under the fingerboard, two pieces of epoxy graphite reinforcement rod complete the three piece neck to deliver maximum sustain and long term stability. I have built eight instrument necks in this style over 30 years. None have I seen come to bow or bending; true as this day.

Check out the three-piece neck; bookmatched mahogany with hard curly maple center and walnut veneers. Note the ebony plate capping the "thumb rester" heel. DragonHart's body is bound with coco bolo. The back and sides are made from curly, spalted, wormy red maple. A turqouise glitter-epoxy fills the worm tracks in the bookmatched sides. A technique I developed. Sides reinforced from the inside. And hang on to the Aerosmith Rock-n-Roller Coaster strap Chuck found at Disney World, Hollywood Studios, Orlando.

I have some beautiful instrument lumber, but only enough for one more instrument like this. Tru-oil, a gun stock varnish, completes the finish. A much softer finish than commercial lacquers one will find on most any other instrument.

Another look at the back. Note the cocobolo bindings and mitered violin corners. The raised back helps to separate the back plate from the sides and free up bottom-end vibrations. Note more of the glitter/epoxy filled wormholes.