Dan Kellaway, 2025

We are very pleased to offer this beautiful 2025 guitar by Australian luthier Dan Kellaway, the first Kellaway instrument we have had through GuitarCollection.com. Kellaway was a jeweler before he became a guitar player and builder, and that background shows in some of the accents on this instrument and in just how carefully it is crafted.

Built with a cedar top, ziricote back and sides, and an all wood lattice bracing system with no carbon fiber reinforcement, this guitar offers a slightly different take on what many players expect from Australian lattice guitars, following in the lineage of Greg Smallman but noticeably lighter than a Smallman build.

Specifications

Luthier: Dan Kellaway
Year: 2025
Top: Cedar
Back & Sides: Ziricote
Bracing: All wood lattice, no carbon fiber
Scale Length: 650 mm
Nut Width: 53 mm
Tuners: Gotoh
Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF with normal tension nylon first string
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection
Condition: Excellent

Sound

Stepping to this guitar right after a traditional instrument, the six string is huge from the very first note, and that power carries across all the strings. The sound is very balanced and, notably, does not have the mid-range "latticey" quality that shows up on many lattice braced guitars, even in the brighter areas of the range. It is very responsive to touch and to changes between flesh and nail. The second and first strings blend together beautifully, and the fifth and fourth sound essentially alike, which is a real help for a player trying to make consistent music across the guitar. There is a nice bite and throb in the bass, plenty of projection without needing to push hard, and a clarity that invites comparison to Simon Marty's instruments, though with a bit more support underneath that clarity. The action is impressively low (measured at about 3.5 mm on the sixth string) with very little unwanted buzz even when played hard.

Playability

The neck is C-shaped, thin but not super thin, with nice tall frets and an extremely low action bordering on too low for some players (all adjustable to taste). It rewards a light touch and gives back a huge, clear sound with minimal effort.

Construction & Design

The top is a very dark cedar with an all wood lattice bracing design, no carbon fiber. The rosette is simple, with nice understated colors, and the label inside is equally simple: Dan Kellaway, his website, signature, date, and luthier. The bridge is a Gilbert style, scooped away and lightweight, similar to what other Australian makers such as Simon Marty use. An armrest in a color that strongly contrasts the top is integrated cleanly into the body, with no lip between the side of the guitar and the armrest itself. The back and sides are ziricote, a striking, figured wood with a glossy finish and a slight dome to the back. The headstock shape is unassuming, finished with a ziricote veneer, and fitted with fairly basic Gotoh tuners.

This guitar is in excellent, near-perfect condition with very slight signs of use. There is a small, non-removable protector under the bridge that guards against string dings.