A
Does the job?
Pros and cons: It looks pretty nice (though i don't like the black soundhole transfer much).
It's easy to play (though the string spacing is the same as a standard 52mm neck so 1st string is too close to the edge of the neck for me and it's easy to slip of the neck. Also the action needs to be set up by filing down the saddle a mm or so, and the fingerboard wasn't perfectly flat on mine, according to my luthier friend).
The sound quality is pretty good for a laminate-backed guitar (i.e. a little 'brash'). I'm hoping it will improve further as the spruce 'opens up' with playing. It's certainly loud (played acoustically), especially for a thinner than standard body.
The signal from the pick up seems a bit low - i might well end up playing it through the foot pedal 'booster' preamp i used to use with a passive transducer on my old guitar. I guess i'll try a new battery first. Not sure how good the mike blend will be till my first gig!
My guitar arrived with slightly protruding fret ends, sharp enough to scratch, but i think that was possibly dehydration - the fingerboard seems to have reabsorbed them as it's settled into a moister atmosphere.
Another issue i had was buzzes - it may have been resonance of other guitar parts (it's loud, remember); but i suspect it is the wire harness rattling around against the inside of the body.
Why didn't i send it back you may ask? Well i was going to, but as a package i think it'll do the job i want it to do (gigging latin and flamenco acoustic trio), and they seem to hold their resale value if it doesn't! I'll have to improve my technique so i don't slip off the 1st string, get my luthier friend to lower the action and take the 'wobble' out of the fretboard; and played through an amp you probably won't hear the occasional (acoustic) buzz so much. It was relatively cheap for a 'professional' guitar so i don't have to worry about it getting the odd knock, and what else is out there in the price bracket? (especially with an onboard mike and tuner, rosewood body, and a 'classical' string spacing). Sometimes it's best to stick with the 'bird in the hand' (as oppose to the two in the bush). Anyway, after 4 weeks of prevaricating i think i've about run out of time!
It's easy to play (though the string spacing is the same as a standard 52mm neck so 1st string is too close to the edge of the neck for me and it's easy to slip of the neck. Also the action needs to be set up by filing down the saddle a mm or so, and the fingerboard wasn't perfectly flat on mine, according to my luthier friend).
The sound quality is pretty good for a laminate-backed guitar (i.e. a little 'brash'). I'm hoping it will improve further as the spruce 'opens up' with playing. It's certainly loud (played acoustically), especially for a thinner than standard body.
The signal from the pick up seems a bit low - i might well end up playing it through the foot pedal 'booster' preamp i used to use with a passive transducer on my old guitar. I guess i'll try a new battery first. Not sure how good the mike blend will be till my first gig!
My guitar arrived with slightly protruding fret ends, sharp enough to scratch, but i think that was possibly dehydration - the fingerboard seems to have reabsorbed them as it's settled into a moister atmosphere.
Another issue i had was buzzes - it may have been resonance of other guitar parts (it's loud, remember); but i suspect it is the wire harness rattling around against the inside of the body.
Why didn't i send it back you may ask? Well i was going to, but as a package i think it'll do the job i want it to do (gigging latin and flamenco acoustic trio), and they seem to hold their resale value if it doesn't! I'll have to improve my technique so i don't slip off the 1st string, get my luthier friend to lower the action and take the 'wobble' out of the fretboard; and played through an amp you probably won't hear the occasional (acoustic) buzz so much. It was relatively cheap for a 'professional' guitar so i don't have to worry about it getting the odd knock, and what else is out there in the price bracket? (especially with an onboard mike and tuner, rosewood body, and a 'classical' string spacing). Sometimes it's best to stick with the 'bird in the hand' (as oppose to the two in the bush). Anyway, after 4 weeks of prevaricating i think i've about run out of time!
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