Lughnasa - a multi-scale guitar with a Linda Manzer wedge




Lughnasa is the last of my Celtic Festival instruments. It is in experiment in making an ultimate dropped tuning fingerstyle guitar. Based on the body size of my guitar-bouzouki "Paithi Peadar" it has a 630mm length treble scale - to give sweet bluesy trebles - and a 659mm bass scale length to give more power and extra string tension. The big lower bout and body depth gives depth and projection to the sound but the body is wedge shaped with the bass side narrower than the treble to give a more comfortable playing feel:


 

The neck has fifteen frets clear of the body which gives good upper neck access, and the angled frets fit in with the way your fretting hand is positioned naturally - when you play it you quickly forget that the frets are different than on a normal guitar.

 


Here are some recordings played by me on my European Spruce/East Indian Rosewood Lughnasa. First is a medley of "Mornings at Bonny Doone/Lady Lane" played in DADGAD Capo II. The first piece was written by Andre Marchand from the French Canadian band La Bottrne Souriante based on Tony McManus’s arrangement from his CD “Porquoi Quebec?” and tought to me by Ed Boyd. The jig Lady Lane was written by the fantastic Irish piper John McSherry and is from the Mike McGoldrick/John McSherry CD “At First Light” and the guitar arrangement was done by my guitar buddy Bill Briscombe. Next is Martin Simpson's arrangement of "The Streets of Derry" in CGCGCD tuning.