I love this guitar. Got it a year ago and I`m really pleased with it. I remember the first time I opened the case and saw it. The guitar looked gorgeous, probably one of the most beautiful guitars I have ever seen. The design is so simple yet so compelling. The black top is stunning, not completely black as you can see the wood beneath it if you look closely. Also very good pieces of mahogany have been used on the back and sides. The woods both look and feel good, really dry and the instrument is very light. The satin finish on the neck feels great. In terms of quality everything seems really good. Construction is light but really sturdy, the neck feels stable, no bumps on the neck, fretwork is good, no buzz anywhere. No glue stains on the inside, everything looks really clean and feels well made.
The guitar came set up really well. Action was low and felt good. It had a weird buzz while playing the lower strings tough. I brought it to a local luthier and it turned out it was because of a defect in the way the electronics were attached. This was the only defect I found on the guitar. He quickly fixed it tough so it was no big deal. Everything works like a charm now.
quality: 8/10
Now let`s get to the most important part - the sound. It`s FABULOUS. honestly I had set my expectations pretty high but this guitar surpassed them by a huge margin. The first thing I noticed when I played it for the first time was how much character there is this guitar. I have never heard or played a guitar which sounds anything like it. Sound is really strong with a really recognizable timbre. To me it feels really rough, but in a good way, as if the whole guitar is growling. You just feel every vibration as it gets translated through the guitar into your body (here we have to tank the solid wood construction).
The low end is absolutely huge and this is probably the thing I love the most about this guitar. The videos u can find of this guitar on the internet don`t do it justice. You have to play it yourself to realize how spectacular the low end is.
The mids are prominent but not overwhelming or abrasive. They just give nuance and character to the sound.
The guitar also has a lot of treble and a really good and sweet sound when you are playing high up the fretboard. The sound doesn`t lose its tonal qualities when going up in pitch.
It`s important to notice that the sound feels really focused because of the smaller body shape. The guitar works really well for both strumming and fingerstyle.
Overall the sound is exceptionally well balanced and after a year of playing it has opened up and developed so much more. It sounds sweeter with a more balanced mid range and more prominent treble.
And if you are hesitant because of the grand concert size you need not worry. The sound is big. Seriously the guitar is loud, close to a dreadnought even. I have to say that I`ve played guitars 3 times the price of this one and of a bigger size which fall short to this guitar in terms of both sound volume and sound quality. And these include guitars by respected brands like Martin, Furch, Takamine etc. So yeah sound is really something. Probably isn`t objectively the top of the top, but for me it`s perfect.
Sound 9.5/10
If I have to be completely honest I have a bit mixed feelings about the playability of the instrument. The body is small and comfortable, the neck is slim but I don`t get the desired feeling of the guitar disappearing in my hands. Probably because I kinda feel the neck fighting me a little bit when playing chords and especially barre chords. Though soloing and
playing scales feels really easy for some reason. This slightly slightly weirds me out. I have had professional guitarists playing it and shredding
on the guitar and they say the neck feels great according to them. So maybe it`s a personal preference. I have to say tough that if you have big hands and fingers the neck will feel cramped because of the small nut. I have slim fingers so for me it is just fine but it`s something to keep in mind.
Playability: 7/10
I also have to say that when i got the guitar it failed to stay in tune for more than a day or two. After a few months of playing tough it`s fine and now it stay perfectly in tune for at least 3-4 days, or even longer. I will still probably replace the tuning machines at some point as they are not of the best quality (which is fine with me at this price point). They still do the job but this guitar deserves better.
I also have a string recommendation. I tried a few options and found out that the best strings for this guitar in my opinion are the Daddario XS 11/52 phosphor bronze. They bring out so much of the guitars character, enhance the high end, and slightly scoop the mids, such a perfect fit. I know they are on the pricier side but they are so worth it and last for ages. Martin phosphor bronze also work beautifully on this guitar but their lifespan is absurdly small. I have also tried 12 gauge strings but there is way too much tension. Still the neck didn`t bend at all which is a sign of very good craftsmanship.
The electronics are also surprisingly really good.
I love this guitar and I plan to keep it for as long as I can!
