Huss and Dalton DS Custom Red Spruce and Mahogany

Huss and Dalton Guitar Company, Inc., began in late summer 1995 when Jeff Huss and Mark Dalton had the idea to build the guitar they wanted to play.  While appreciating the traditional design, both had a vision of a guitar that paid homage to tradition while incorporating improvements in the structural design and cosmetics of the steel-string guitar.

We have chosen to order a custom DS based on the classic Gibson Slope-Shoulder sunburst model - world renowned for it's full, balanced expression, warm bass, and excellent projection, thanks to advanced bracing techniques utilized by Gibson at the time.  Gibson nicknamed the J-45 their "workhorse" and players such as Bob Dylan and Buddy Holly helped the guitar live up to the name. We took a look at specifications from the period, and chose correctly.

Built with Adirondack top, like you would expect from a pre-war inspired slope shoulder, this one has all the volume, yet never loses clarity...ever! Additionally, if you are going to build a pre-war inspired guitar you've got to attach the bracing with Hot Hide Glue, which was the original glue used on the early guitars but has been phased out by many luthiers due to the added time it takes to work with... not to mention it is very messy!  Hot Hide glue sets up like glass, offering a more immediate and efficient transfer of energy throughout the top, making the overall guitar more responsive with a clarity of tone that is unmatched.

A  Rosewood fretboard and bridge really makes this instrument stand out from the standard models and produces a little less punchy tone than an ebony FB and bridge with nice overtones. We have found that traditionally speaking, to truly have a J45, you have to have a Rosewood fretboard and bridge, as well as a short scale, rather than the longer 25-1/2" scale on square shouldered guitars. This is now one of our favorite ways to order the slope shoulder from any of our builders!

Last but not least, the appointments are a finishing touch, and again, a nod to the past, with one foot firmly in the future - unbound fretboard and headstock, with Waverly tuners and elegant Ivoroid buttons, and a true "Cut-Through" saddle. This is truly a wonderfully versatile guitar with all the Vintage inspired appointments and bell-like resonance one would expect from the fine builders at Huss and Dalton. This Custom Slope Shouldered Huss and Dalton DS Custom guitar is a absolute powerhouse. Big in sound, yet not short on clarity, this guitar is a nod to the best traditional slope shoulder guitars of the 30's and 40's. Great for strumming, but also ideally suited for players who are looking for a dreadnought body style to venture into the world of fingerstyle playing. If you are looking for the perfect recording guitar to sit in a track perfectly, or just want one of the finest interpretations of a Slope Shoulder, your ship has come in!

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