Grand Gtrs Review VaultBack Halo March 2016

 Extratererrestrial 

What is this? Who does this and above all, what is this anyway? Looking at this object, one is speechless and after a subsequent test and an explanation from the Master one is quite baffled.

Twice I met DAR, twice I was allowed to play one of his instruments and I am still impressed. The instruments alone, looking at them from all angles and having a look inside, are breathtaking. The quality of the craft is unique and some of the details can't be found in the work of any other luthier. E.g. some of his backs are made of wooden strips which are not reinforced with struts but with little wooden squares. The sound board bracing resembles more an architectural model than a conventional strutting pattern. And then there are guitars which have their bracings on the outside instead of the inside. And the sound, ah yes the sound of the Vaultback Halo is in any event something completely different.

Milky way

The Scotsman David Antony Reid, is a walk-in, nice and thereby remarkably alert contemporary. His career hardly corresponds to that of a typical luthier, because he studied at the University of Perth / Scotland mechatronics, received awards for work themselves with physics and mathematics, and even though he suffers from dyslexia. In addition, he did teach guitar building at London's South Thames College and is regarded as an outstanding landscape photographer, who is represented in several publications. As Reid now suffers from an extreme wood dust allergy, he is currently completing only one guitar per year, in which, however, incorporates up to 400 hours of work. Otherwise, he is focused on first-class service work. As a doctor you can visit Antony every four to six weeks when he is in his London studio, sign up for consultation, but this must be done at an early stage, because it is often booked well in advance. Another workshop he runs in his hometown of Perth, also here he receives guitars worldwide for service and repairs. I absolutely recommend the visit of his website "http://www.darluthier.com/", here you get an insight into his work and there are some videos in which his physical-acoustic concept is visual - explains fully with pithy Scottish voice coloring.

Light years

The fineness of the artisanal work of Reid's artwork is reminiscent of surgical finesse. Sure, all guitars which are represented in our magazine are first class, and spotless, yet, in the Vault Back Halo you immediately get the impression that it came from another planet. The expected fine ingredients David builds with heavily rely on so-called " reclaimed woods", ie wood most of which were already installed somewhere in boats, furniture, etc, like stair cases, and timber, or trees that were felled by natural causes. Simply because no larger superlatives come to mind, I must check off the subject building materials and quality with the realization that I can best imagine. Without wanting to make too bad a judgment on a different guitar, against the Reid Vaultback, a normal price industry guitar would seems as it were the handicraft of a ten-year old child.

Intelligent life

The uniqueness of our Vaultback is that there is a distinct, visible perforation between the back and the sides. The art to craft this so cleanly is ingenious. What looks at first glance as a design feature, has a deeper function that Antony demonstrates to me impressively. Rubber-bands with nipples that fit accurately into those openings are supplied with the Vaultback. The back and sides look like they have a black plastic binding. The 'seal material' is available in different sizes. Therefore also only some parts can be covered. With completely open joints the Reid guitar sounds like a percussive, relatively bassless, explosive and penetrative Gypsy-Jazz guitar. When only parts are covered – for demonstration purposes David uses ordinary electrical insulating tape (because it is quicker) – the tone changes significantly. The basses increase, the overall volume seems to rise and the tone becomes thicker. It seems like you have two different guitars. With the joint between the back and sides completely covered, the Vaultback sounds like a monster Dreadnought, fat, loud, bassy, and in the single note range as well, sensationally strong but still wiry. The seals not only work like a mechanical equalizer but also like a switchable clean-boost and therefore countless sound characteristics can be realised. Its projection is enormous and a lot bigger that you would expect from an instrument of this size. Nevertheless, independently from the sealing of the corners, wonderfully sensitive, delicate and very dynamic gradations in tone can be realised. Anyone who has the expectation for his guitar to be mainly a functioning musical tool will be equally satisfied as someone who is a friend of extraordinary designs or innovative features. 2 soundholes in the upper side distribute the sound towards the player, so he has the same sound impression as someone who sits in front of the guitar. Everything is thorough and functionally perfect.

Class of spectrum

Extraordinary, unique, far away from any mainstream and artistically valuable. The Vaultback Halo of DAR is a masterpiece of contemporary lutherie – without ifs and buts. Its unbelievable value as a musical instrument competes with its artistic quality. I am honored to have been allowed to play a guitar that differs so much from anything known and which leaves such an impression. Considering how rare these creations are, how innovative, refined and special, I want to predict that they will also play a prominent role in the future.