Terence Tan, Good Acoustics (www.goodacoustics.com). Posted on the Acoustic Guitar Gear Forum, 9th May 2004: "I had the pleasure of hosting the Mid May Meet in London where several luthiers attended including Stuart Mewburn, Adrian Lucas and AG's own Dave White of De Faoite guitars. I just wanted to write up a quick review of the Baritone guitar Dave White brought along called 'Treebeard'. It's a real monster; 16 frets to body, 29" scale length with European top and Brazilian rosewood. What a sound! It positively assaulted anything within range, huge fat trebles and bass registering 4.7 on the richter scale. One of the better Baritones I have played; it had good balance and seperation with little of the mudiness one normally finds on rosewood baritones. The detailing isn't 100% yet, but Dave's only been building for 1 year and he's already nailed the tone dead on. Which is the hardest bit! The 16 fret neck and 29" conspired to push your left hand pretty far out left field, but that's a minor quibble as you can always get a 12 fret joint and maintain the relative bridge position and scale length. I'm eagerly awaiting the next model!"
Peter Cree (www.creestudios.com) Posted on the Acoustic Guitar Gear Forum, 18th June 2004: "I've received two guitars for my "Art guitar" project from two AG posting luthiers. One is an OM cedar top from Jason Wrigley from Ireland and the other is from David White (dfguitars) of England. I'm not a reviewer but I'll do my best to honor these two amazing instruments and their makers. I'll do one at a time since it takes time and space. David generously sent his "Nancy" guitar to me about 6 weeks ago. I always wait to give any opinion since guitars change so much in this southwestern climate. To begin, this is a 16 fret to the body, small bodied (@O size) 6 string with a European spruce top and EIR body and sides. Scale is 25.6" or 650mm , nut is 1.9", saddle is 2.25" (two piece bone). The lower bout is 13.75", moving to an 8" waist and a 10" upper bout. At first I thought it would be on par with a parlour, my Larrivee was my example. BUT on playing it , the sound was far larger than the size of the box. I was pretty astounded to find when the body sat on my right knee, I had perfect balance to the end of the 16 fret neck. No cutaway. No need. And the bass response was of a much larger guitar. Not the thud type, but the low even growl throughout the bass strings. A thing we all lust for. The neck and fingerboard are generous to the fingerstyle player, wider than the 1 3/4" nut I'm used to and the 16 fret design gives such easy access to the entire fretboard that I wonder why I haven't seen the design before. It's such a pleasure to play such a small but balanced guitar with full bass response and very even tone through the mids and sweet highs. Set up was good though, I tweaked it according to my tastes. I keep going to my local boutique shop to compare and Collings is the the only brand I can fairly compare it to. As I attempt to mimick the good reviewers here I want to use all the terminology but I'm at a loss to do justice to this guitar and maker who has become a friend and who is very dedicated to making great guitars because he can. True art for art's sake. I suggest all to check out his web-site at www.defaoiteguitars.com to see these beauties in different sizes and configurations. Really great to see how American guitars are so factory "reliable" and consistent, but there are so many luthiers out there who really make guitars with tremendous soul that a factory would have a hard time producing. Each different. Allowance for the surprise of innovation. The "Nancy" can be had for £1250 which is a bargain when considering materials, effort, and getting something you can't find here. And you can't beat working with David, a straight-shooter and humerous guy. And an AGer! For alot of people this guitar would be a lifetime keeper. A fingerstyle players dream small body. Also the neck is very easy to remove with two hex bolts. For the great travel guitar all you'd have to do is remove two bolts and pack. Forget putting up with travel-guitar sound.16 frets!!!!! try it, you'll love it."
Dennis Czech , Good Acoustics (www.goodacoustics.com ). Posted on Acoustic Guitar Gear Forum on 23rd June 2004: "I've played guitars by more obscure English luthiers and was not terribly impressed. Brook make consistently decent sounding and extremely playable guitars, but have never overwhelmed me. Alan Arnold has built some good stuff for good value. The guitar I've really liked recently was the de Faoite baritone from our own dfguitars. The tone was just to die for, and the body was quite manageable, although I'm not used to a longer scale. This thing rumbles, roars and shouts big, powerful, exciting tone. Definitely one to watch out for."
Bill Briscombe , 10th July 2004: "Now that Dave is well into his 2nd career, our occasional get-togethers have become even more enjoyable as I get the pleasure of trying out the latest offerings from his workshop. Last Sunday was no exception as he'd brought a couple of new guitars with him - I was impressed enough (that's an understatement) to have a go at reviewing them. Bear in mind I got approx 1/2 to 1hr with each instrument so I might have missed a few points. Toby The 1st offering is based on the parlour guitar that Dave took along to one of the Simpson workshops a few years back. They are both small bodied (13-14" I guess) short scale 12 fretters made entirely out of mahogany with slotted headstocks. That's where the similarity ends. Mahogany is perceived as an economy wood when used for back sides and soundboard - but Dave's take on this is to use Cuban Mahogany. This has a very strong grain pattern and is denser than the standard stuff. You can see the "flamed" effect in the link above and it looks wonderful - the photo doesn't do it justice. Cosmetically, Dave's work has much improved since I saw his 1st prototypes - it takes careful inspection to find a flaw, and the finishing (a matt finish using Tru-oil) is now at a professional standard. I liked the use of a dark wood facing cap on both the front and rear of the headstock - at the rear the cap transitions neatly into the neck. Soundwise, the guitar very much met my expectations - very quick to respond and well-balanced between treble and bass. Unsuprisingly it excels at ragtime and other fingerstyle pieces - so much so that I didn't bother trying to strum it. What did suprise me was the bass response - I expected that a guitar this small would have a certain amount of boxyness in the sound. Not so; the bass was clear and well defined - no stomach piano but not at all restricted. I didn't get round to trying it with altered tunings, but it coped with dropped D no problem. In summary I'd be very pleased to have this one in my collection - it's the sort of guitar you could sit comfortably on the settee with whilst practicing your favourite tunes & England valiently go out of Euro2004 (or Tim Henman, or cricket..whatever) - this guitar would comfort you somehow. I could lose the Breedlove out of my collection in favour of this one without a second thought. Nancy This guitar is a 21st birthday present for his eldest daughter (lucky girl) and is also a small bodied guitar - but very different to Toby. It's a spruce top with Brazilian Rosewood back & sides and a 16 fret neck/body join - more on that later. I tried out Martin's Rosie Anderson/Shearing's Not For You/Bogie's Bonnie Belle set on this one (dropped D), and the noise I got back from the guitar was nothing less than stunning. The 1st piece starts with the unaccompanied melody - full of overtones and resonant background chime from the unplucked strings. The 2nd piece (Shearing's) starts with that wonderful desending riff - and on this guitar it simply bloomed. I could dig in and lay back again without losing tone. There are 2 adjectives I'd use to describe the strenghs of this guitar - power and balance (between treble & bass). This is a fingerstyle guitar on steroids. Dave also played it in DADGAD & open G for me - again it sounded powerful in these dropped tunings despite the relatively small body size. Dave has used a snakewood fingerboard on this one - dark brown with mottling resembling a snakeskin which looks both classy and distinctive. Finishing is again to a high standard. As for the 16 fret to body join - I can see the advantage of it when using a capo, but I have to say I'm not too keen on it myself. I found a slight tendency towards neck-heavyness (the neck contains reinforcing rods which improve tone I'm told but contribute to this). I wouldn't want to exaggerate the effect - it's easy to compensate for when sitting down with your right arm on the body. But this is a custom guitar and Dave is able to count to 14 as easily as 12 or 16. I'll stick to my 14fretters and continue to nag Dave about cutaways. Next meet with Dave is at Burwell in early August where he'll be bringing his baritone along together with an additional standard guitar neck for the same body (the advantage of bolt-on necks). Can't wait to try it out; I've been rooting for him to provide a guitar on a larger body size."
Dennis Czech , Good Acoustics (www.goodacoustics.com). Posted on Acoustic Guitar Gear Forum, 15th September 2004.: "I haven't played many baritones, but Dave White from defaoite guitars has built two that are amazing creations. For those of you who haven't had the experience of playing a good baritone, you're missing out on one of life's pleasures. The first baritone I played by Dave was a Brazilian rosewood/Euro spruce "Treebeard", and I though it was excellent. It's a very versatile guitar, and while it probably works best for fingerstyle celtic tunings, strummed and picked in standard tuning, it sounds great. Dave's latest creation is going to the lucky Peter Cree, and it's in European spruce and Cuban mahogany. Seems to be an excellent combination, and I LOVED this guitar when I played both baritones last night. If you want to get really spaced out and float away on a rich, resonant, rumbling carpet ride full of fat treble dreams and stoney overtones, this is THE guitar to do it with. I have never played anything that sounds like these baritones, they are a completely new experience in guitar playing. Dave managed to get a good balance across the guitar, but for me I was most impressed with the depth and strength of the treble notes all the way up the neck. The neck is lovely and slim, the string spacing was perfect for fingerstyle, and I hardly noticed the stretch that the extra scale length brings. I think that when you're really enjoying how a guitar sounds, maybe it's easier to adjust to the extra length. Anyway, for a brand new builder who is steadily improving his build quality, Dave has nailed the tone of this model in a very exciting way, and is offering good value for money. There are occasional guitars that stick in your head as having genuinely impressed you and opened new tonal vistas. This is one of them. Enjoy, Peter Cree."
Mark Williams, October 2005: "Fit and Finish The Daithi is what I would call a small jumbo. It has a 16” lower bout but has a narrow waist making it very comfortable to play sitting or standing. It is deeper than an OM and the tone reflects that. The pale European Spruce top has some neat looking bear claw in it (which I love) and looks beautiful against the Cuban mahogany sides and back. The maple binding is very well done and adds to the look of the guitar for sure. The mahogany is very light colored compared to other mahogany guitars I have seen and the wood grain really shows through. One of my favorite things about the way this guitar looks is the snakewood veneer on the headstock. I had never seen this wood before and every one who has seen this guitar up close has commented on it. The bridge (split saddle) is Macassar ebony and has a shape all it’s own providing once again for a unique look. The guitar is light and very well balanced weight wise, which makes it easier to stand with it for long periods of time. My back will thank David for this in years to come. The finish is a Tru-oil over French Polish and looks somewhere in between a shiny finish and a satin finish. I love it as it does not take away from the wood like some very shiny finishes do but it does not look plain either. The Tru-oil finish on the back of the neck is the most comfortable I have ever felt and seems to get more comfortable as time goes by. All the visual details are not perfect (or sterile) like a factory built guitar but each little imperfection is only evidence to me that this guitar is made by hand and I would have it no other way. Playability As far as playability goes, the Daithi is easy on the hands. The fretwork is top notch. I can feel nothing but the fingerboard as I run my fingers up and down both sides of the neck. Speaking of “up the neck” let me say that this guitar intonates very well in all registers and that makes it nice for someone who uses a capo above the 5th fret from time to time or for someone who likes to play notes up the neck while letting open notes ring (I do both). I have had the guitar set up to my specs to be played in DADGAD tuning (which this guitar really likes) and it plays very easily without buzzing. I play this guitar with a flat pick (strumming and flat picking), bare fingers, and even metal finger picks at times and it is capable of performing well with all three. It is very responsive in that it does not take much to get volume out of the guitar. The guitar is down right loud and projects better than any guitar I have owned to date. It seems to be able to take a “whompin” without compressing much, which also helps single note runs come out. I suppose this is due to the Euro/spruce top but either way, I have no trouble getting volume out of the guitar. Sound So what does that volume sound like? I would say this guitar is fairly bright with a good balance of volume from the lowest notes to the highest ones. The trebles are fat and bright and the bottom is deep…deep. There is a certain “airy” quality to the tone that just works very well for finger style. It also has good note separation meaning I can hear individual notes in a chord very well. Even though it is rich in overtones they don’t cloud the fundamental note like some rosewood guitars can do. If I had to classify this guitar I would say it is a finger style guitar that can be strummed hard and flat-picked aggressively without being harsh. In other words, it is very versatile, which is exactly the way David described it to me. As a performer who plays different styles this is what I look for in any guitar. After trying different things with this guitar, I have settled on using it as my permanent DADGAD guitar. It just seems to really like this tuning and sustains forever in it. It has inspired me to write and play, which in the end is what it’s all about. Rubber meets the road I have used the Daithi live quite a bit and have had many compliments on it’s live sound. David installed a K&K mini western (my choice) and I run it though a Baggs PADI into the PA. The tone of the guitar comes through this pickup wonderfully. I believe that is because the guitar is so well balanced. I have not had any trouble with low-end feedback or “tubbiness” (even at very loud volumes) and have had to use very little eq with the PADI. Support David White is a true craftsman who stands behind his work. I have never had any trouble getting on with him and he has always responded to any questions I have had in a timely manner. He seems to really love to hear about how his guitars (babies) are doing."
Rajan Spolia. 21st May 2006: "I first contacted Dave White via a link to his website,as I was looking for a handbuilt guitar,and it just so happened that he lived quite close,so I rang and arranged a time when I could come over and check out some his guitars.I tried several of his instruments,but the one that 'blew me away' was a baritone guitar that he had built for himself..and unfortunately not for sale!! This particular guitar was made from European Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood. The guitar was amazing with a lovely warm tone,good overtones,excellent playability and sustain to die for. Dave assured me that he could build me a really nice baritone from spruce and Cuban Mahogany.Well what could I say.... Right from the word go I was encouraged to take part in the construction process,I selected the timber for the top,back/sides and fingerboard,saw the guitar at various stages of construction,was sent photos of the progress and consulted on my thoughts.I have several handmade guitars,but this one really feels like it's mine,as I was involved at pretty much all stages in some way. So what's it like...? The guitar is an absolute cracker,it's tone is 'woodier' than the brazilian version,but still has really nice overtones,and the Cuban Mahogany seems to give each note a 'celestial shimmer'...wonderful. I've heard all kinds of nonsense talked when people describe instruments,cliches like "..piano like sustain"..or"..rings like a bell..".but believe me the sustain on this instrument has no equal ,it's is simply astounding.The trebles are very thick and substantial sounding,the basses round and zingy at the same time and ring forever.One more excellent feature is the neck.The baritone has a scale length of 29"!!..now I'm only 5ft 4in,but the neck profile enables me to play freely,it's a dream. The character of tone I would describe as 'earthy',and "English' at the risk of sounding a bit 'cosmic' it reminds me of an English autumn...November...golden brown leaves...a walk in the woods...leaf mould....get the idea? When I collected the guitar I was given a CD of photos of the whole construction process..this really is MY GUITAR,it was made for ME. The after sales service is also sterling,Dave has 'bent over backwards' to be helpful and accomodating. Sterling sevice,Georgeous guitar,Good price,Good Guy..now really what more do you want??"
Thorsten Ruffle-Brandt, 22nd May 2006: “I met a friend in Exeter yesterday to look at a guitar for him, we visited Manson's for a couple of hours. I must say, I tried a lot of nice guitars (Mainly Martins, Taylors and a Larivee), but the only one that could compete with Daithi's sound and responsiveness were Andy Manson's own brand. Gorgeous guitars with exquisite woods and perfect craftmanship - but with a ticket of £4299 somewhat beyond anything I'd wish to spend on anything smaller than a car. I came home, took Daithi from the wall and was simply delighted! Just thought I'd let you know.”
