High School Senior Projects

Every year I am asked by high schools seniors if I would be willing to mentor them with their senior project. A senior project must be a project the student is willing to take on outside of their comfort zone and must be successfully accomplished before they can graduate. Typically it helps the student learn skills they never tried before and possibly explore new territory in the up coming work force. When I take a student in, we work together learning basic woodworking skills and about music tonality. I do not charge the student for my time, but rather we exchange services or barter. The student will assist me with some of my woodworking needs in exchange for my time assisting them with building their own guitar. After their guitar is complete the student and I will go to an Open Mic night or school concert and perform several songs. Below is a sample of various student guitar projects.

Kettle Falls Focus - April 2009

HAND-CRAFTED WITH PATIENCE AND PASSION
by Peggy Mandin

The Workshop
When you enter the workshop of Dave Keeley you see wondrous things: traditional hand tools, a treadle sharpening wheel, instrument patterns, a variety of hardwoods, granulated gelatin, jars of homemade varnishes, abalone and mother-of-pearl, pieces of mastodon bone, turquoise, cow bone, antler sections, even the tail hair of a Mongolian horse. All of these items are used in the creation or repair of Dave’s guitars (both acoustic and electric), violins and mandolins. Dave is a luthier: one who makes or repairs stringed instruments.

This workshop, which started out as a garage for a Model A Ford and later became a well-insulated musician’s studio, is kept at 70 degrees with 45% humidity, the most stable environment for storing instruments. Located behind Dave’s house it is his retreat and his therapy.

The Work
Dave is a true craftsman, preferring to spend hours using his hands instead of machines to produce a remarkable and unique instrument. As he described the process of making an instrument, it became obvious to me that every detail is attended to with patience and care. None of Dave’s knowledge came from classes or school; he is entirely self-taught and says he is “constantly reading”. Before repairing an old instrument he researches the make, model and year it was made so that he can restore it to its original condition.

He has restored 12 violins that he put back together from a box of pieces discovered in Maine. Some of these had labels indicating they are copies of Stradivarius violins. According to Dave, “I purchased 12 violins from the antique dealer in Maine. I donated one to the Kettle Falls Library Auction and I have two on consignment at the Apple Warehouse. I’ve sold two. Not every violin had a label inside, but several did. Based on the workmanship and style of construction, these violins were all made in Germany in the late 1800’s. I suspect they came to America on a steamship many years ago. The ones with labels say Antonio Stradivarius with a date of construction of 1726. But this means it is a copy of a Stradivarius which was common back then to produce copies. All of Stradivarius’ works are accounted for and are in museums or private collections and worth millions.” Dave also has in his possession a 1634 Jacob Steiner violin, and he has built a copy of a 1920’s Lloyd Loar mandolin.

Creating an Instrument
Even though Dave enjoys working on all stringed instruments, he said that “guitars are my passion”. All of this started when Dave picked up his mom’s Stella guitar at the age of ten; he liked playing it, but he also liked to take it apart. There are a lot of pieces that go into making a guitar and Dave wanted to learn what they were.

Wood is the basic ingredient in the building of a guitar, and not just any wood. Dave searches for and cuts his own wood from our local forests including spruce, maple, walnut, cherry and cedar. These woods must be dried for many years before they are suitable for making a guitar or other instrument. He even has some old growth wood recovered from the bottom of Lake Superior. Today, dive teams are employed to salvage logs that sunk during the years of prolific logging, when floating logs to their destination was common. Old growth wood is often preferred when making instruments, and since there are no old growth sources left salvage is the only way to obtain this wood.

“In instrument building”, Dave reported, “we use hardwoods to create the body and neck, and softwoods such as spruce or cedar for the soundboard. The body and neck are rigid while the soundboard is soft and flexible.” This design is what allows the instrument to project sound.
After the wood is selected a template or pattern is used to cut out the body of a particular instrument; then Dave uses hand planes to shape it to his satisfaction. Once the body pieces are finished and glued (that’s what the granulated gelatin is used for) it is time to choose what kind of wood will be used for the fingerboard and the neck of the instrument. Again, these parts are hand carved.

Next, materials are chosen to be inlaid into the fingerboard and neck, such as the abalone, mother-of-pearl or turquoise mentioned above. Dave uses a jeweler’s saw to cut these delicate materials into various shapes. The nut and saddle (which hold the strings in place at the body and the neck of the instrument) are fashioned from bone or antler or other materials the customer requests. Because musicians are notoriously particular about their instruments Dave has a lot of supplies on hand to choose from. Dave reported that his wife is not fond of the days he prepares his cow bone. This involves getting the leg bone of a cow from a farmer, boiling it on the stove for eight hours to remove the meat, sitting it in a Mason jar of bleach for an extended period of time until it is white, then drying it until it is ready to be cut into blanks.

Dave prefers to make his own stains and varnishes to finish an instrument. Using an 1853 encyclopedia as a basis for his recipes, he experiments with ingredients (walnut husks, tree pitch, linseed oil, gum of Arabic and Ever clear alcohol) to create the color and viscosity he desires.

When asked about strings for the various instruments Dave replied, “There are hundreds of string choices for instruments. Each have their own sound. Electric guitars typically use steel or nickel strings. Acoustic guitars use steel and bronze. Some use nylon and silk. Violins use steel and silver. Years ago they used “cat gut” which is actually goat stomach.”

Violin bows use natural horse hair or manmade synthetic hair. Dave prefers bleached horse tail hair; he orders the best from Mongolia. When asked if he makes the bows to play his violins he stated, “I don’t make bows. But I do repair and rehair them. Bow making is an art itself. Many violin builders that learn to do bow making eventually become fulltime bow makers and leave violin making completely.”

About Dave
After that Stella guitar, Dave saved his lawn-mowing money and, at the age of 12 bought an electric Fender guitar. At the age of 13 he formed a band called the Glass Onion, practicing Beatle’s songs in the garage. During high school the band played gigs and dances in taverns and bars around Milwaukee, where Dave grew up. After high school he drove to California and worked in a gold mine until it closed, joined the Navy on submarine duty (for nine years) and returned to civilian life due to family, in Curlew. During his years living in Curlew, Dave made a living making guitars, teaching lessons and playing music. He and his band played in Washington State, Canada and Idaho.

From 1992-1995 Dave went into business with a friend in Republic making harps. Although he loved guitars, he realized he could make money building harps. His friend had made a prototype, which others saw and wanted. They created a business called Hamadryad Harps (hamadryad being “a wood nymph that lives in a tree, like a spirit, and makes music.) At first, friends’ wives and daughters wanted harps; then they set up a program where music teachers and students could order their harps. Over a three year period they sold or rented 250 harps; music teachers from Spokane, Seattle, Portland, Billings and Coeur D’Alene bought full-sized harps and students rented a smaller version. Dave still works on harps upon request.

Life circumstances caused Dave to take a day job to support family and self and in 2000 he moved to Kettle Falls. After a five year stint working for the Tri-County Economic Development District in Colville he accepted the job of city planner for the city of Kettle Falls in August 2004.

Today
Currently Dave makes about four instruments a year working evenings and weekends; he estimates that he could make one a month if he could do it full time. Of course the goal is to make instruments and music a full time way of life. He has clients statewide, both retail stores and individual musicians; he even has clients with the Seattle Symphony. Locally, he does repairs for the House of Music and individual residents. Mellad Abeid, of Irish band An Dochas, is a customer. Business usually spreads by word of mouth, but he does have an internet site: davekeeley.com. It is worth visiting this site to see photos of Dave’s instruments and understand his philosophy about instrument creation. Dave’s tradition is to smoke a celebratory cigar with his client upon completion of an instrument, sort of like toasting a new birth or marriage.
Dave has performed at Meyers Falls Market in the past, and hopes to resume playing there once a month starting in November. Also, every year Dave offers to teach and guide a high school senior through the creation of an instrument for their senior project.

Besides contacting Dave through his internet site, http://www.davekeeley.com/, he can be reached by mail at P.O. Box 304, Kettle Falls, WA 99141 or phone (509) 738-6491. Business is done by appointment only.

Shaping Music - Statesman Examiner July 2007

Dave Keeley of Kettle Falls crafts quality instruments by hand

BY SOPHIA ALDOUS
S-E Staff Reporter

Stepping into David Keeley’s instrument shop is almost akin to stepping back in time. There are no drills, no sanders or other gear that could be found in a conventional shop. But then, Keeley’s shop is not exactly conventional. Though the sign outside says Keeley’s Guitars, the Kettle Falls resident specializes in the building and repair of numerous instruments. Guitars, violins, harps, mandolins---if it’s got strings, Keeley can work with it.
“I’m up to my elbows in violin repairs right now,” said Keeley, who is also the Grant Writer and Project Manager for the City of Kettle Falls. “I’ve got six of them that I’m fixing, including one that I’m building.”
What makes Keeley’s work so unique is that it is his work---he does everything by hand. No machines, no designs on a computer. Even the majority of the wood he uses to make his instruments is local.
Music has always been apart of Keeley’s life. When he was 12 he started playing the guitar. As a teen¬ager he was always trying to modify and improve his electric guitar, an experiment that he was destined to turn into a talent.
“When I moved to Curlew about 16 years ago, I worked with this guy in Republic who built harps,” recalled Keeley. “I worked with him for three or four years and made around 300 harps. From there, I just branched out to guitars.”
Keeley’s hard work and expertise has paid off. He now does instrument repairs for the House of Music and averages a call every other day to either create or fix an instrument.
“The most challenging aspect of this is trying to build the perfect instrument,” Keeley said. “But that’s also the most rewarding part. You get to carve it, shape it, make it resonate and vibrate with music.”
The cost of one of Keeley’s handcrafted musical creations can start at $1,500 and go up from there, depending on what the customer wants. Repair costs vary on the type of mending that is needed.
“For people who are just starting to learn an instrument, I’d advise you buy a used one first,” stated Keeley. “Take someone with you who is experienced in that particular instrument. Then if you stick with it and decide that this is what you want to do, you can purchase something more luxurious.”
Keeley has been privileged to work on some rare instruments, including violins from the 1850’s and 1860’s and Martin Guitars from the 1920’s.
“Sometimes I get this instrument that comes in pieces in a box, something that was left in an attic and wasn’t found until grandma passed away,” Keeley said. “It’s nice to put it back together and hear it sing again.”
For more information, go online at www.davekeeley.com or call (509)738-6491.

Ferry County Ruralite Magazine July 1995

Musicians playing Dave Keeley's beautiful custom made guitars liken them to fine jewelry. "Dave takes pride in creating fine workmanship," says friend and fellow guitar player Buck Wilhite. "With Dave it is not a guitar, it is an art form. No two guitars are alike, and each one is unsurpassed in quality." Dave, who works as planning director in the Ferry County Planning Department, has been interested in guitars since he was 10 years old, and took apart a guitar to see how it worked. He began teaching himself how to play the guitar when he was in sixth grade.







Now he builds specialty electric guitars. Each guitar Dave builds starts with a perfect piece of hardwood. Fellow musician Courtney Wilhite says she once helped Dave search for a piece of bird's-eye maple. "We went through dozens of stacks looking for the right piece. Dave wanted one that was not only pleasing to the eye, but of consistent quality throughout." Dave says he can usually find the perfect piece of wood at House of Hardwoods in Colville. "They have had some of the finest wood we've gotten," says Dave. "Each guitar is different, the result of a combination of different woods and custom electronics.”We try to find the best wood to start with. I stay away from knots. We went through a stack sixteen feet long of walnut 3X3s, and six boards was all we got. That's typical." "Dave's guitars have a finer, tighter sound," says Buck Wilhite, who is himself a guitar, harp and dulcimer maker. Dave and Buck began building electric guitars together, Dave learning a lot from Buck. When Dave decided he would like to spend more time building specialty guitars, Buck encouraged him, and they still consult together. "We sat down and had an engineering session on guitars-what people want and how to design them," Buck says. "I branched off into my interest of dulcimers and harps with Courtney." Buck and Courtney now have a busy, successful harp business.


Buck and Dave designed a totally hand-crafted guitar with better access to the strings. "It fits like a glove!" says Dave. The guitars are clamped into one solid piece from the neck through the body, giving a better sound with a more sustained tone. "The first six guitars I built I made for myself, but every time I got one finished I'd keep it a couple of weeks and then sell it. I hated to part with each one, but I know it is going to somebody who will really love it. It's like sending music forth into the world." Each instrument takes a different setup. Dave prefers rosewood for the fret board. It has natural oil and a more comfortable hold. Deciding on a pattern, he cuts the wood, then glues and clamps it together. One recently finished guitar is a combination of African purple heart and maple, with Honduras mahogany and rosewood on the fret board. It is a stunningly beautiful instrument. "Purple heart is very heavy, so it is used mostly for the color on the neck," Dave says. After the guitar is finished, he wires it and puts the strings on. Some guitars have ivory nuts, but Dave says he is "going toward graphite nuts, which keep the strings from binding and keeps the tune better." Some of his guitars come with a tremolo or "whammy" sound. The first guitars were sold for the cost of parts- about $300. Now a Keeley guitar sells for around $1,000. Each has a Keeley brand on the head, and a unique Keeley feature- a curved headstock for hanging the guitar. Dave builds his guitars at home, where he also stocks supplies for musicians, catering especially to guitar players. He also takes students and does repair work. "I love guitars!" Dave says. "It is exciting to get the whole picture of what you are working with. It is more than just playing. From beginning to end, you build your soul into these things." His finely-crafted guitars are played together when Glass Anvil, a new classic rock band, performs every weekend. The band, playing together since the spring of 1995, performs around the area. "We picked up a contract recently to play at the Grand Forks Hotel in B.C. After that we will tour a small circuit of clubs and lounges in Canada," Dave says. Lead singer is Karen Hamel. Sean Foley plays lead and rhythm guitar, Art Hamel plays bass guitar, Dan Haynes drums, and Dave Keeley lead and rhythm guitar. "Glass Anvil is a top-forty hard rock and classic rock band. The music ranges from Great White to Melissa Ethridge to Foghat and Dokken. Using an Outdoor Venues sound system, we sometimes get up to 135 decibels. We approached it last Friday night," Dave laughs. After six hours of hard playing, the nickel strings have to be replaced. Dave goes through so many strings he usually buys them by the case.

Funk-caster

This baby is my personal guitar. The body is spec’d after an early 1950’s vintage Telecaster with the added nuances of a custom hollow-body. The body is a single slab of Black English Walnut stump topped with a select piece of European violin grade highly figured Flamed Maple. The guitar stouts a matching Flame Maple neck and is finished with a vintage amber nitro cellulose lacquer finish. This baby is wired with a pair of Lindy Fralin Blues Special custom wound pickups set into a custom made snakeskin pickguard. It plays like a dream, and only weighs a couple pounds. Get out your platform shoes and bell bottoms. This guitar is great for playing funk.