Sept-Oct-Nov 2003

"The Dart   (Bowl Back slide)... This is a new slide guitar made for Ben Harper (in 2001). 'He wanted an instrument that would have it's own sound and it's own look. It's a teardrop shape with a vaulted back, hollow up to the head in the Hawaiian style.' "

"In May 2003 David Dart designed another guitar for Ben. 'David Dart is one of the last guys who can build a curved back from strips of wood.' (Dart) began taking guitar lessons from Ben's grandmother Dorothy Chase when he was 10 years old. The strips run from the hollow neck all the way to the bottom bout, and he used a cello top made of old German spruce. (quoting Harper), 'This Dart is built so well that it can take extra-heavy strings, gauged .016-.058. I did three takes of, When It’s Good, and by the time I finished the last one, I had a blister the size of a walnut on my thumb.' "

"(Hawaiian Slide) Dart adds he does not make copies of Weissenborn models, 'My Hawaiian Guitar is not a copy of a Weissenborn. There were numerous brands of Hawaiian Slide Guitars in the 1930's and Weissenborn was only one of them, not the only one.' "