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This special lap
style steel guitar
came from an order from Ben
Harper.
Ben wanted a unique lookingand sounding instrument that would have it's
own voice. Dave Dart and Ben decided on a lute back or bowl-back
design. The apex of the bowl is almost flat so that the guitar doesn't
roll off the lap.
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Ben
Harper
Los Angeles, CA
photo by Todd Burke
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Ben
Harper
Folk Music Center, Claremont, CA
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Click
on
thumbnails below for larger view:
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We
have been contacted by a number of Ben Harper fans asking
us about Hawaiian
style or steel
guitars. Harper
now has three Dart Steel Guitars. He
played the
Hawaiian style 1 on the song Glory
and Consequences on the The
Will to Live CD. The
other two are unique bowl back guitars, as featured here.
The
first bowl back was mentioned in Guitar
World Acoustic no. 60, in the interview with Ben Harper- and
played on the song When it's Good on Harper's
Diamonds
On The Inside CD.
This one of a kind instrument is also featured in Guitar
World magazine, June, 2003.
The
second
bowl back was delivered at Christmas time 2003 as an
instrument for Ben
to take on the road. The
Bowl-back Steel
Guitar has
been written up in several articles -see below
Dart Bowl Back 1
Dart Bowl Back and Hawaiian Guitars
Dart Bowl Back 2
Slide Guitar Magazine
Interview with Ben Harper:
“ What
is that ringing acoustic slide in “When
Its Good”
That is a
custom bowl-back...”
”Lap
Steel
Lute ”- Harper's custom,
bowl-back acoustic steel is made
by David Dart, a California luthier who specializes in
lute-inspired
construction techniques. The back of this 6-string is made from strips
of wood that run from the headstock to the tailblock. To prevent the
guitar from rolling in Harper’s lap, the bowl’s
apex is kept flat, as is the back of the hollow neck. Dart used a
spruce cello top for the soundboard, which extends up to the nut. “ -Guitar
Player Magazine, June 2003—AE
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Please
see our Hawaiian
Steel page for a standard Hawaiian (similar to a Weissenborn style)
Guitar
Pick
ups installed- extra option
Bowl
Back Lap Steel Guitars start at $6,000
Dart Instruments, 520 Hwy 128, Philo, California 95466 USA
phone: (707) 895-2493 Pacific Standard Time zone
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