What makes an Ellsworth Gouge special?

The Name

The Crown 1/2" bowl gouge is the same thing, you just need to grind a Ellsworth profile.
BTW, before it was called a Ellsworth grind, it was called an Irish Grind
 
Last edited:
The flute shape is slightly different. You can't get the identical side grind and the depth of the flute is different as well.
e570980e.jpg

748a2b88.jpg

The difference is subtle, how you present your gouge to wood would adjust to it.
 
Can't argue with your profiles.

I knew a guitarist once who insisted that red picks sounded the best on his acoustic. One night he refused to go on stage because he had no red picks left. There was no convincing him it didn't really make a difference and he could play just as well with a brown pick.

I think a Ellsworth gouge is like that red pick.
 
I'd have to say that without David Ellsworth holding onto the handle it would be much like any other fingernail grind bowl gouge. But that's just my opinion. I've never used one.
 
Can't argue with your profiles.

I knew a guitarist once who insisted that red picks sounded the best on his acoustic. One night he refused to go on stage because he had no red picks left. There was no convincing him it didn't really make a difference and he could play just as well with a brown pick.

I think a Ellsworth gouge is like that red pick.
Well, that's pretty ignorant. Everyone knows the brown picks have better sustain. :rofl:

(I can relate, though. I really like using my stainless steel picks on an electric guitar. Stiff synthetics just don't have the same tone.)
 
Yeah, it's funny how it seems that most of us guitarists latch onto one type of pick and don't feel comfortable with anything else. Mine just happens to be the green dunlop Tortex pick. I'd lost too many picks from them slipping out of my fingers from the sweat. It doesn't have the attach that my (forgot the name but it was a smooth kinda thick stone pick) had, or the stainless steel ones like Vaughn uses for that matter.

Sorry for digressing.
 
Yeah, it's funny how it seems that most of us guitarists latch onto one type of pick and don't feel comfortable with anything else. Mine just happens to be the green dunlop Tortex pick. I'd lost too many picks from them slipping out of my fingers from the sweat. It doesn't have the attach that my (forgot the name but it was a smooth kinda thick stone pick) had, or the stainless steel ones like Vaughn uses for that matter.

Sorry for digressing.


For most part during, the last 45 years, I've used a medium plastic tortoise shell picks. If you play you've seen them all over the place with just about everyone's name imprinted on them. Last month, for the first time in 20 years, a friend asked me to join him on stage and he handed me his guitar. I grabbed one of his picks and was pleasantly surprised to find a pick that didn't slip. I do use metal finger picks, I'll have to try a SS flat pick one day.

367613.jpg




----

Back on subject.

I believe if you learn to use any type of bowl gouge with long side grinds, you will always prefer that type of gouge. Just human nature. :guitar:
 
Top