The Kostal MDW - A Modified Dreadnought with a twist!

[Michael Watts]

Graceland. Memphis. June 2015.

A beautiful evening. The sun is starting to set. A firefly circles around the grave of Elvis Presley as Jason Kostal and I absorb the sense of perspective and place.

“It’s time I made you a new guitar” said Jason.

“Thank you very much!” I said when I could speak again...

I am writing this on the sixth anniversary of Jason and I sitting down for breakfast at The Montreal Guitar Show 2010 to spec out what was to become one of the most inspiring and exciting guitars I have ever played. My Kostal Modified Dreadnought in The Tree and German Spruce. Otherwise known as “32”.



This wonderful guitar has been an integral part of my life as a musician since I took delivery of it upon returning to Montreal a year later. Barely half an hour after the first touch I was on stage with it.



Since that moment 32 has joined me at concerts and guitar shows in all over the world including Montreal, Healdsburg, and Memphis, and will be with me this September at the Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration. I have played the guitar to my children, at the weddings of friends and it was also used almost exclusively on my soon to be released debut record. This instrument means the world to me and has been my voice for five years now. It also has tremendous value for me as a snapshot of Jason's career as a luthier with its apprentice label.



It’s also been featured in numerous specialist magazines and blogs. Which is nice.

Guitar Bench



Acoustic Magazine





In the past 5 years I have grown as a player and Jason has grown as a luthier. The guitars that he has been sending to TNAG HQ London have consistently sounded as rich and full after a week as 32 did after 6 months. His development as a builder since completing his apprenticeship with Ervin Somogyi has been extraordinary. His approach to voicing and response is unique and inspirational. Much food for thought there.

Now, I have loved the Modified Dreadnought design since 2009 so I knew that that would have to play an important part in my new instrument. BUT Jason’s OO model which he introduced a couple of years ago absolutely blew my mind. It was his first truly original design and it’s utterly stunning. The response and richness of the sound stuck with me.

Here is what I knew I wanted:

From the MD - The beautifully proportioned cutaway body. The rich, powerful sound.

From the OO - The comfort, the complexity of a 12 fret neck and the immediacy of response that comes from the smaller surface area on the soundboard os a smaller guitar. Maybe the shorter scale? 25"?

So what do you get when you cross an MD with a OO?

It’s kind of like trying to mate a ridgeback with a dachshund… Presumably not impossible, but certainly something that is going to take some thought.

Logic dictates that an OM would be a happy medium, and certainly Jason is capable of building a sublime example the breed as Clive Carroll showed in this recent TNAG Session...



But the Modified Dreadnought is kind of my thing…

Over the course of the past year Jason and I have refined this idea over Skype, Facebook, even in person.



It has been a fascinating process which has taught me a huge amount as in this case we’re dealing with something new…

This is the template for the new Kostal Guitars model. The MDW.



And this message greeted me...



It has been a good day...

[quentinjazz]

It has been a good day...

.. and this should be a good topic!
I can't wait to see and hear..

[Larry Pattis]

Originally Posted by Michael Watts

<<snip>>


It has been a fascinating process which has taught me a huge amount as in this case we’re dealing with something new…

This is the template for the new Kostal Guitars model. The MDW.

Body dimensions...across the lower bout, waist, etc.?

[jkostal]

Larry,

The specs are as follows:

Overall Length: 39.125"
Body Length: 19.345"
Upper Bout Width: 11.25"
Waist: 10.00"
Lower Bout Width: 15.031"
Depth at Neck: 3.75"
Depth at end: 4.50"
Scale length: 25.00"
12 fret body joint
Nut width: 1.75"

There are some fun little structural things that are being done to help with voicing in order to augment some things and offset others to create the tonal spectrum that I am looking for. This one will be a fun science/ lutherie project for sure! Stay tuned as the plot thickens!

[Larry Pattis]

Very cool, thanks Jason.

Very much a traditional OM/000 lower bout (Martin is right at 15" of course), with a slightly wider (dreadnought-ish) waist...and smaller across the lower bout, I think, than your standard Kostal OM.

EDIT: So the MDW will be larger than your 00, smaller than your OM, and also have the beautiful shape of the MD-style guitar...what's not to love?

Should be a GREAT addition to your line-up...and I think some orders that you have on the books may change!

[justonwo]

Always exciting to see what you are up to, Jason. This looks like a really great idea.

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by Michael Watts

Graceland. Memphis. June 2015.

A beautiful evening. The sun is starting to set. A firefly circles around the grave of Elvis Presley as Jason Kostal and I absorb the sense of perspective and place.

“It’s time I made you a new guitar” said Jason.

“Thank you very much!” I said when I could speak again...

I am writing this on the sixth anniversary of Jason and I sitting down for breakfast at The Montreal Guitar Show 2010 to spec out what was to become one of the most inspiring and exciting guitars I have ever played. My Kostal Modified Dreadnought in The Tree and German Spruce. Otherwise known as “32”.



This wonderful guitar has been an integral part of my life as a musician since I took delivery of it upon returning to Montreal a year later. Barely half an hour after the first touch I was on stage with it.



Since that moment 32 has joined me at concerts and guitar shows in all over the world including Montreal, Healdsburg, and Memphis, and will be with me this September at the Santa Barbara Acoustic Instrument Celebration. I have played the guitar to my children, at the weddings of friends and it was also used almost exclusively on my soon to be released debut record. This instrument means the world to me and has been my voice for five years now. It also has tremendous value for me as a snapshot of Jason's career as a luthier with its apprentice label.



It’s also been featured in numerous specialist magazines and blogs. Which is nice.

Guitar Bench



Acoustic Magazine





In the past 5 years I have grown as a player and Jason has grown as a luthier. The guitars that he has been sending to TNAG HQ London have consistently sounded as rich and full after a week as 32 did after 6 months. His development as a builder since completing his apprenticeship with Ervin Somogyi has been extraordinary. His approach to voicing and response is unique and inspirational. Much food for thought there.

Now, I have loved the Modified Dreadnought design since 2009 so I knew that that would have to play an important part in my new instrument. BUT Jason’s OO model which he introduced a couple of years ago absolutely blew my mind. It was his first truly original design and it’s utterly stunning. The response and richness of the sound stuck with me.

Here is what I knew I wanted:

From the MD - The beautifully proportioned cutaway body. The rich, powerful sound.

From the OO - The comfort, the complexity of a 12 fret neck and the immediacy of response that comes from the smaller surface area on the soundboard os a smaller guitar. Maybe the shorter scale? 25"?

So what do you get when you cross an MD with a OO?

It’s kind of like trying to mate a ridgeback with a dachshund… Presumably not impossible, but certainly something that is going to take some thought.

Logic dictates that an OM would be a happy medium, and certainly Jason is capable of building a sublime example the breed as Clive Carroll showed in this recent TNAG Session...



But the Modified Dreadnought is kind of my thing…

Over the course of the past year Jason and I have refined this idea over Skype, Facebook, even in person.



It has been a fascinating process which has taught me a huge amount as in this case we’re dealing with something new…

This is the template for the new Kostal Guitars model. The MDW.



And this message greeted me...



It has been a good day...

This is awesome Michael! Your MD "Tree" build thread ranks among the top ever, and I'm sure this one won't disappoint either.... Congratulations!

[Marcus Wong]

Congratulations Michael! I was wondering when this day would come. And to have a model named after you (I'm assuming W has something to do with your last name )

[steveh]

Very exciting Michael, for both you and Jason. Looks especially interesting as it's between an MD and OM?

What are your ideas for back and sides, and what is the ETA?

I'm assuming the same massive neck dimensions as your current squeeze?

Cheers,
Steve

[ukejon]

Brilliant....can't wait to see this beauty come to life.

[Michael Watts]

Originally Posted by Larry Pattis

So the MDW will be larger than your 00, smaller than your OM, and also have the beautiful shape of the MD-style guitar...what's not to love?

Should be a GREAT addition to your line-up...and I think some orders that you have on the books may change!

What's not to love indeed! I'm very excited indeed about the musical possibilities of this new instrument. Tonally (as always) we're looking for something very specific here and knowing Jason as I do I have no doubt that he will not only meet but exceed expectations!

Originally Posted by justonwo

Always exciting to see what you are up to, Jason. This looks like a really great idea.

I think so!

Originally Posted by Marcus Wong

Congratulations Michael! I was wondering when this day would come. And to have a model named after you (I'm assuming W has something to do with your last name )

Hi Marcus, that's right, the W stands for Watts, in fact my initials are MDW so it's worked out quite nicely... Then there's the whole MD/OO thing and it all starts to enter the uncanny valley...

Originally Posted by ukejon

Brilliant....can't wait to see this beauty come to life.

Thanks Jon! I''m looking forward to it too!

Originally Posted by steveh

Very exciting Michael, for both you and Jason. Looks especially interesting as it's between an MD and OM?

What are your ideas for back and sides, and what is the ETA?

I'm assuming the same massive neck dimensions as your current squeeze?

Cheers,
Steve

Good questions Steve! The aim is for the guitar to be exhibited in Santa Barbara and Berlin later his year.

The large neck on 32 will indeed be mirrored on this guitar (99) in 12 fret form with a slightly different carve. Jason and I will update closer to the time with further details.

As for the back and sides...

A lot of the inspiration behind this guitar as far as materials and visuals go comes from two landmark instruments that I was lucky enough to spend some time with.

1. 1833 Martin (New York workshop with CF's own equivalent of the apprentice label...)



Seen here at Abbey Road Studios with Al Di Meola



And Ervin Somogyi's Andamento II seen here at the Montreal Guitar Show 2011



The eagle-eyed amongst you will have spotted the common theme... Yes, Maple.

The 1833 Martin was Birdseye Maple with a Spruce top and was one of the smoothest, sweetest sounding guitars I have ever played. The Andamento II (Flamed Maple) remains to this day the finest example of Ervin Somogyi's work that I have encountered. Rich and devastatingly powerful, it's more cello than guitar.

Now, I have always loved the look of Quilted Maple, but I love birdseye too... Thus far I had never seen a set of wood with both characteristics, in fact I suggested that to Jason as a joke.

I hadn't counted on Jason and the legend that is Bob Cefalu at RC Tonewoods coming up with this...

Quilted Birdseye Maple



And so it begins.

[K Trespass]

Genuinely exciting Michael. Jason's guitars are so special and great to see innovation and something different. 12 fretter...... You know I am a believer. Will be great to see this one develop.

Greg

[nashmore]

I'll be watching this closely. I love figured maple! You are one lucky/ hard working man Michael and so deserving.

Nathan

[JoeCharter]

Congrats, Michael.

This guitar will definitely stand out from the rest of the crowd. It has such distinctive specs that it might become even more closely associated with you than your Tree MD? It will be interesting to find out which one is your #1 in a few years from now.

I can't wait to see what Jason comes up with for the rosette...

[fountainhead]

Wow-wow-and WOW!!!!!
So happy for you Michael!!!!!!