Mervyn Davis - Jaywalker (NGD) - GuitarTalk Community

Mervyn Davis - Jaywalker (NGD)

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I fetched this beauty on Sunday...

I have it for a month before it goes back to Mervyn for his signature, label and guarantee.

So I have to play it in and let the guitar settle and then we will assess if there is anything that needs to change.

The guitar was strung up yesterday and seemed to have settled a bit by the evening.

The neck is thicker than other smoothtalkers, by 1mm apparently according to Mervyn, could feel that 1mm immediately, the nut is the same width as my Larrivee, feels very comfortable and not foreign at all..

The guitars body, ergonomically is a joy to play... this particular Jaywaker is pretty light compared to other smoothtalkers that I have played.

Photos cannot do it justice... I tried... It is a wonderful specimen with a few 'new' pretties...

Enjoy... I certainly am ?

Poplar body, Kiaat neck, Tasmanian blackwood bridge... nice

Bob-Dubery

At last!

I like the inlays on the top. I like the "blonde" look of the poplar.

It looks very similar to a smoothtalker - the apparent difference being the bass side upper bout.

I found my Smoothtalker to be very good ergonomically. I think these guitars are exceptional in that regard.

Hope you enjoy it!

guitarboy2828

It looks awesome, would love to play and hear one of these. I have heard Steve Newman (I think that is his name) play one, was a great sound!

aubs1

Congratulations Brent........I certainly hope it was worth the wait, you seem excited and happy. Enjoy.........

And now for the other toy!!........hahahaha......when?

Conrad

Fantastic! I am so happy this is ending well. This is a unique guitar and I love that look. This sommer made my Monday. ?

AlanRatcliffe

Lovely! HNGD!

Interesting bridge system - although I would think that the pulldown bar between the two saddles would need to be real tough to survive in the long term and possibly introduce tuning or string settling issues.

racman

Congrats Brent - so glad it has finally worked out for you :applause:

SvR65

What the heck is that thing? Looks like a kid's school project man!!

My opinion is that you must cut it up and braai with it - heard poplar as well as tasmanian blackwood are great fire woods!

Hahahaha, just kidding Brenty! ?

Congrats man, I feel honoured to be the second person to play it! haha! Looks good, sounds good, and as Bob said, the ergonomics are excellent on a Davis!

Many happy notes bro!

?

Squonk

Good stuff Brent

It looks good and I am sure we will be seeing you at TJ's soon 8)

DonovanB

Happy New Guitar Day Brent!!

Man those look funny but I still can't get over how good they sound.

Bob-Dubery

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Interesting bridge system - although I would think that the pulldown bar between the two saddles would need to be real tough to survive in the long term and possibly introduce tuning or string settling issues.

I haven't had those kinds of problems. Well... not since the guitar "settled down". When I got mine it was new, new, new, new and the neck joint took a while to settle down (I was forewarned about this by Mervyn). Generally it stays in tune well and the intonation is very good - though still prone to the capo weirdness at 2nd position that I described elsewhere on GFSA, and I'm starting to think that's to do more with uneven distribution of pressure by capos.

The saddles and pulldown bar are made from a very hard wood - IIRC it's the stuff they make railway sleepers from.

Bob-Dubery

guitarboy2828 wrote: It looks awesome, would love to play and hear one of these. I have heard Steve Newman (I think that is his name) play one, was a great sound!

Steve Newman it is. He once played on the same bill as Squonk. Fab player. He plays a nylon string Smoothtalker, a much earlier model than Brent's or mine (which is about a year old than Brent's).

Bob-Dubery

Brent, you got (getting) strap buttons on this baby?

Keira-WitherKay

hi ya brent ..... congrats..on the 'new baby" ..........

i heard and played many of the smoothtalkers but what makes the jaywalker different from the smoothtalker???
cos to my eye they look the same....... so where or what is the the difference ....... just keen to know..............

Jacquesg4j

Now would you guess... I usually make butcher's blocks out of the poplar, very very popular... hahaha love the word play! Never thought it could make a good sounding guitar though... We cut about 30m3 of poplar every day at the sawmill... Really does make a nice fire starter before letting the rhodesian teak burn! Would love to hear it! ... Poplar... a.k.a Aspen or Cotton Wood in other countries for those who didn't knew!

Bob-Dubery

Jacquesg4j wrote: Now would you guess... I usually make butcher's blocks out of the poplar, very very popular... hahaha love the word play! Never thought it could make a good sounding guitar though...

Don't try this at home! It can work for a Smoothtalker because the back and sides do so little for the sound - they're like half an inch thick.

AFAIK Poplar is an invasive species in SA, so the maker is not decimating forests of threatened tonewoods.

Warren

Wow, very nice dude! Grats, hope you get lots of joy from it ?

Do you need to fit your own pickup system?

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Had the the guitar tuned in some open tunings, still enjoying it.

X-rated Bob wrote: Brent, you got (getting) strap buttons on this baby?

Yes I did ask Mervyn to put on. We will sort that out when it goes back next month.

Keira WitherKay wrote: i heard and played many of the smoothtalkers but what makes the jaywalker different from the smoothtalker???

There is no difference other than the cosmetics... ?

I don't think there is an audible difference with the little slots cut in either...

I just prefer this look to the Smoothtalker...

X-rated Bob wrote:
Jacquesg4j wrote: Now would you guess... I usually make butcher's blocks out of the poplar, very very popular... hahaha love the word play! Never thought it could make a good sounding guitar though...
Don't try this at home! It can work for a Smoothtalker because the back and sides do so little for the sound - they're like half an inch thick.

AFAIK Poplar is an invasive species in SA, so the maker is not decimating forests of threatened tonewoods.

+1

This specific wood was apparently from a Poplar tree that was cut down along the Crocodile river, part of a project to eliminate the invasive trees in the area...

So its a 'green' guitar...

Brent is carbon neutral on this one... ?

Warren wrote: Do you need to fit your own pickup system?

No it has a Baggs Active Element system fitted.. haven't tried it out yet, will hopefully get round to that the weekend.

MikeM

Very nice - keen to hear it. And now you can sell the Vox and go all acoustic (To me of course ?)

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MikeM wrote: And now you can sell the Vox and go all acoustic (To me of course ?)

Not a chance... ?

~~I swing both ways~~ I like acoustic and electric equally!