“This guitar represents one of the interesting stories in the guitar world. How instruments come to be is as exciting as the music they make. The story of Dave of England is a great one in the guitar world. You can definitely sense the commitment to Tony Zemaitis’ work in this Queen of Hearts guitar designed by artist and author Paul Schmidt and built by Kevin Parsons and Dave Brewis. Very lightweight and energetic, this one is a joy to play and to behold.” – Paul Heumiller
Dave of England "Queen of Hearts"
The guitars of the late great Tony Zemaitis are the stuff of legend! And with good reason too — they were played by some of the biggest names in the history of Rock and Roll. George Harrison, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Eric Clapton amongst them — Rock royalty does not get bigger than that! Sadly, Tony Z passed on in 2002, but before he did, a gentleman named David Brewis contacted him with hopes of commissioning a guitar. Tony explained that he was now retired, and he would no longer be building, but he graciously offered Brewis one of his official jigs in which to build a guitar. Within weeks Brewis was given 10 jigs and patterns, and permission to build guitars with them utilizing the talents of luthier Kevin Parsons. In so doing, Brewis was dubbed “Dave of England” and “Keeper of the Jigs and Keeper of the Patterns”!
Dream Guitars is fortunate to have one of these fine and rare guitars to offer. This is a Queen of Hearts guitar designed by artist and author Paul Schmidt and built by Dave of England guitars. With it’s distinct styling and imaginative lines, this guitar could easily have been built by the hands of the master himself. But it is more than an interesting piece, it is also an extremely toneful one. The neck is on the slender side, and the guitar itself is lightweight. It has a fine fast attack, superb for Townshend-esque strumming — but played softly, it has a sweet remarkable tone that is very responsive to dynamics. In all, it is a wonderful guitar with a distinct look and a truly special voice.
- Measurements
- Body Size: Jumbo
- Scale: 25 in. (635 mm)
- Nut Width: 1 5/8 in. (41.4 mm)
- String Spacing: 2 1/8 in. (54.1 mm)
- Body Length: 20 3/8 in.
- Upper Bout: 12 1/4 in.
- Lower Bout: 16 3/4 in.
- Serial #: One of Five
- Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 3/4 in.
- Body Depth @Tail Block: 4 3/8 in.
- Frets to body: 14
- Woods & Trim
- Back/Sides: European Sycamore Maple
- Top Wood: Sitka Spruce
- Fingerboard: Ebony
- Neck Wood: Mahogany
- Bridge: Ebony Smiley Face
- Rosette: Abalone Heart Shaped Rosette
- Binding: Maple
- Fingerboard Bindings: Ebony with Paua Perflings
- Headplate: Rosewood
- Headstock Bindings: None
- Headstock Inlay: Metal ‘Queen of Hearts’ Plaque by Danny O’Brien, Metal ‘Art of Music’ Truss Cover
- Top Trim: Wood Lines
- Back Strip: None
- Fret Markers: Paua Hearts at 12th Fret
- Tuners: Grover Imperials
- Tuner Finish: Chrome
For more information on this superb guitar, or any of the fine guitars listed on this site, please call Paul or Steven at (828) 658-9795.