A Rich, Singing Voice with Modern Australian Projection
Direct from Australia, we are very pleased to present our first cedar-top Dan Kellaway concert classical guitar — and it is a remarkable introduction to another side of this Australian maker’s work.
With its Canadian Western Red Cedar soundboard, all-wood lattice bracing in Carpathian spruce, beautifully figured Ziricote back and sides, and Kellaway’s distinctive mildly arched back construction, this instrument combines modern acoustic thinking with the natural tonal character of wood.
The voice is immediately captivating: rich, expressive and beautifully singing, with impressive projection and sustain. The cedar brings an attractive sense of immediacy and sensitivity, while Kellaway’s lattice construction provides the evenness, balance and responsiveness expected from a modern concert instrument.
Rather than using the carbon-fibre-reinforced balsa found in many contemporary lattice designs, Kellaway works here with Carpathian spruce for the soundboard bracing, contributing to the more natural, “woodier” tonal character that distinguishes his instruments.
Add the comfort of an Australian rosewood armrest, a carefully constructed rigid body and superb playability, and the result is a concert guitar capable of combining sensitivity and warmth with genuine power and presence.
A beautiful modern Australian concert guitar with a voice of its own.
A must try!!!
Description
Specifications
New Concert Classical Guitar
Year 2025
- Scale Length: 650 mm
- Nut Width: 52 mm
- Soundboard: Canadian Cedar (Thuja Plicata)
- Bracing: All-Wood Lattice Bracing
- Soundboard Bracing Material: Carpathian Spruce
- Back & Sides: Ziricote
- Back Construction: Laminated onto a Cedar Core & Molded into a Mild Arch
- Side Construction: Ziricote Laminated in 5 Layers
- Neck: Cuban Cedar
- Fingerboard: Black Indian Ebony
- Headstock Veneer: Black Indian Ebony
- Bridge: Brazilian Rosewood
- Bridge Design: Gilbert Style with 12-Hole Tie Block
- Armrest: Australian Rosewood
- Tuners: Gotoh 35ARB510QC Machine Heads with Ebony Knobs
- Linings: Steam-Bent American Maple with Double Linings on the Top
- Finish: All Lacquer
- Case: Visesnut Active Series Case Included
- Total Length: 100 cm / 39.3 inches
- Body Length: 48 cm / 18.8976 inches
- Upper Bout: 29 cm / 11.41 inches
- Lower Bout: 37.5 cm / 14.76 inches
- Body Depth: 10.4 cm / 4.09 inches
- Weight: 2.05 kg / 4.519 lbs
Cedar & Carpathian Spruce — An Interesting Combination
One of the most fascinating aspects of this guitar is the relationship between its Canadian cedar soundboard and Carpathian spruce lattice bracing.
Cedar is prized by many classical guitarists for its immediacy, sensitivity and ability to produce rich tonal color with relatively little effort from the player. Kellaway then supports that soundboard with an all-wood lattice constructed from Carpathian spruce.
This creates an interesting meeting of two traditional soundboard woods within one acoustic structure.
Rather than using carbon-fibre-reinforced balsa to achieve the stiffness-to-weight relationship associated with many lattice guitars, Kellaway relies on carefully designed wooden bracing.
For this particular instrument, that construction contributes to the qualities we immediately noticed when playing it: a very attractive singing voice, excellent sustain and substantial projection, accompanied by the evenness and sensitivity characteristic of lattice construction.
It has the immediacy one hopes to find in a fine cedar guitar, but with the authority and dynamic capability required of a serious concert instrument.
All-Wood Lattice — A Natural Approach to Modern Performance
Dan Kellaway’s guitars are sometimes discussed in relation to the Australian lattice traditions associated with makers such as Greg Smallman and Simon Marty, particularly because of his use of lattice bracing, rigid body construction and an arched back.
But the details of Kellaway’s approach give his instruments their own identity.
The lattice in this guitar is made from Carpathian spruce rather than carbon-fibre-reinforced balsa. This allows Kellaway to pursue the acoustic efficiency and responsiveness of lattice construction while maintaining a strong relationship with the tonal qualities of natural wood.
The resulting character can be described as distinctly “woodier” — retaining more familiar traditional colors across the strings while still providing the balance, sensitivity and immediacy for which lattice guitars are valued.
It is not a choice between traditional and modern construction.
It is Kellaway’s way of bringing qualities from both worlds into the same instrument.
The Arched Ziricote Back
Turn the guitar over and another major part of Kellaway’s design becomes immediately apparent.
The spectacular Ziricote back is laminated onto a cedar core and molded into a mild arch, creating a comparatively rigid structure behind the highly responsive soundboard.
The Ziricote sides are similarly substantial, constructed using five laminated layers.
This rigidity is an important part of Kellaway’s overall acoustic concept. The active soundboard is supported by a stable body structure intended to help direct more of the instrument’s energy toward the vibrating top and outward toward the listener.
And aesthetically, the choice of Ziricote gives this particular Kellaway a completely different visual identity from the Brazilian rosewood instrument.
Its dramatic grain, dark figuring and natural contrast beautifully complement the warm appearance of the cedar soundboard.
Built Around the Player
Despite the sophisticated internal construction, this remains first and foremost a guitar intended to be played.
An Australian rosewood armrest provides a comfortable transition between the player’s forearm and the body while reducing direct contact with the edge of the soundboard.
The Brazilian rosewood bridge follows a Gilbert-style design with a 12-hole tie block, while Gotoh 35ARB510QC tuning machines with ebony knobs provide precise and elegant tuning.
Internally, the instrument uses steam-bent American maple linings, doubled along the soundboard, further contributing to the carefully controlled body structure surrounding the active cedar top.
The complete guitar weighs 2.05 kg and is supplied with a Visesnut Active Series case.
Everything works toward the same goal: an instrument that gives the guitarist comfort, sensitivity, dynamic control and concert-level projection without sacrificing musical character.
Dan Kellaway — A Distinctive Australian Concert-Guitar Voice
Dan Kellaway’s work occupies an interesting place within the modern Australian classical-guitar tradition.
His instruments incorporate concepts familiar from Australia’s influential development of lattice-braced concert guitars — including a responsive lattice soundboard, rigid sides and a molded arched back — while pursuing those ideas through his own choice of materials and construction.
The use of wooden lattice bracing is particularly important to his approach.
Rather than simply maximizing volume, Kellaway seeks a balance between projection, sensitivity, evenness and more traditional tonal colors. The guitar should possess the capability demanded by a modern concert setting without losing the warmth and organic complexity many players associate with wood.
This 2025 cedar-top instrument demonstrates that philosophy beautifully.
Compared with the Carpathian spruce Kellaway, it reveals another personality within the same constructional language — immediate, rich, responsive and wonderfully singing, yet still possessing the power and projection that define Kellaway’s modern concert guitars.
We are proud to represent Dan Kellaway Guitars and to introduce these distinctive Australian concert instruments to players around the world.
For current availability and special orders, please contact Grand Guitar Salon.
Worldwide shipping is available.
Please Note: These are the actual photographs of this guitar.
Additional information
| Weight | 12 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 115 × 51 × 21 cm |
