Acoustic Guitar: Texas Heat

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Texas Heat
Guitar fans always look for a midyear fix with the goodies introduced at the Summer NAMM show. Here are some of the coolest guitars and accessories we found at this year's show in Austin, Texas.

By Teja Gerken

Photo Credit: Teja Gerken

This year’s summer NAMM show was held in Austin, Texas, for the first time. Given the new locale’s reputation as a live-music town, the musical-instrument industry had been looking forward to visiting Austin ever since the city was first announced as the show’s site a couple of years ago.

Arriving in town, NAMM attendees found many local clubs and live-music venues within walking distance of their hotels, and luthier Bill Collings—whose Austin-based company introduced its first-ever line of electric guitars at the show (see www.collingsguitars.com for more info)—gracing the cover of the Austin Chronicle, a weekly paper that was displayed all over town. Signals such as these set the tone for an event that stayed high-energy despite the July heat, and most attendees were happy to find their expectations met.

Acoustic Guitar roamed the exhibition halls to scout new trends and to catch up with representatives from most major manufacturers, and we were glad to see that many had brought new models to the show. Here are some highlights; stay tuned for more in-depth reviews in the months to come.

ALHAMBRA 4F
$643, www.alhambrasl.com
The Specs: Solid German spruce top, laminated sycamore back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard. 650 mm scale, 52 mm nut. Gold-plated tuners.
The Cool: Affordable, Spanish-made flamenco guitar.
The Story: The latest in Alhambra’s extensive flamenco and classical guitar offerings. Fishman electronics and left-handed versions are also available.

BABICZ IDENTITY ACUTE FINGERSTYLE
$1,695, www.babiczguitars.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge. 24¾-inch scale, 113⁄16-inch nut.
L.R. Baggs iMix Onboard electronics.
The Cool: Player-adjustable neck angle, torque-reducing lateral compression soundboard.
The Story: Designed for fingerstyle players, this guitar features a short scale and wide neck, and a specially voiced top.
A small-jumbo size version is also available.

BOURGEOIS DB JUMBO
$3,295, www.bourgeoisguitars.com
The Specs: Solid cedar top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale, 1¾-inch nut.
The Cool: Versatile 16-inch-wide small jumbo design.
The Story: The latest in Bourgeois’ small jumbo line, this guitar offers simple appointments, premium woods, and an optional cutaway.

BREEDLOVE AC25/SR PLUS 12-STRING
$1,499, www.breedloveguitars.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid rosewood back, laminated rosewood sides. 25.5-inch scale,
17⁄8-inch nut. Fishman Classic 4T electronics.
The Cool: Design includes JLD bridge truss system for reduced tension on the guitar’s top.
The Story: A concert-size 12-string addition to Breedlove’s Korean-made Atlas series, this guitar features a value-added “Plus” package that includes abalone top purfling.

DELL’ARTE RN-1
$1,299, www.themusiclink.net
The Specs: Solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, maple neck, ebony fretboard, rosewood bridge, Maccaferri-style tailpiece, Favino-style rosette.
The Cool: Gypsy-jazz star Robin Nolan signature model.
The Story: A collaboration between Dell’Arte, The Music Link, and Robin Nolan, this guitar offers a unique combination of features from both Maccaferri- and Favino-style vintage guitars.

CENTURY STRINGS DRALEON NOUVEAU 2 LE GRAND
$2,895, www.centurystrings.com
The Specs: Carved, solid spruce, flamed-maple back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge. X-bracing,
25-inch scale.
The Cool: Hybrid of archtop and Selmer-style guitars.
The Story: Made in China, Century String’s Draleon Nouveau line of guitars seeks to fuse the tonalities of classic American archtops with the vibe and looks of Gypsy-jazz instruments.

EASTMAN DREADNOUGHT
$1,250, www.eastmanguitars.com
The Specs: Solid spruce tops, solid mahogany, maple, or rosewood (pictured) back and sides. Ebony fretboard and bridge, maple binding.
The Cool: All solid woods, traditional dreadnought tone.
The Story: Previously specializing in violin-family instruments and archtop guitars, Eastman produces its first traditional-style flattop. OM- and jumbo-sized version are also available.

FENDER GDO-500
$857.13, www.fender.com
The Specs: Solid cedar top, ovangkal back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge.
25.23-inch scale, 1.6-inch nut.
The Cool: All-solid woods, orchestra-size body.
The Story: The latest in Fender’s Global Design Series, the GDO-500 combines attractive woods and comfortable dimensions in an affordable package. Fishman Classic IV electronics are available as an option.

FOGGY MOUNTAIN MASON WILLIAMS CONCERT MODEL
$1,060, www.foggymountainguitars.com
The Specs: Solid cedar top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fretboard, rosewood bridge. 650 mm scale.
The Cool: Designed in collaboration with the “Classical Gas” composer.
The Story: A flashy-looking cutaway classical guitar. For players on a budget, a more affordable model with a solid spruce top and laminated mahogany back and sides is available as the Signature model ($560).

FRANCISCO NAVARRO FN-1
$795, www.francisconavarro.com
The Specs: Solid cedar or spruce top, solid Spanish Cypress back and sides, cocobolo fretboard and bridge. 650 mm scale.
The Cool: Bone nut and saddle, wood binding.
The Story: Made in Paracho, Mexico, the guitar offers authentic flamenco tones at an affordable price. A classical version with palo escrito back and sides is also available.

GARRISON GLE-1
$3,000, www.garrisonguitars.com
The Specs: Solid bearclaw-spruce top, solid kauri back and sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and bridge. Fiberglass top braces, Buzz Feiten tuning system, Fishman Prefix Pro electronics.
The Cool: Back and sides made from ancient kauri wood.
The Story: The beautifully figured kauri wood comes form ancient, once-buried New Zealand forests and is up to 50,000 years old.

GITANE DG-330 TUXEDO
$1,395, www.sagamusic.com
The Specs: Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, ebony fretboard and bridge. 265⁄8-inch scale. Black finish.
The Cool: Based on a rare 1950s Selmer guitar with black finish.
The Story: The latest in Saga Musical Instruments’ collaboration with guitarist John Jorgenson, this guitar will add elegance to any formal Gypsy-jazz gig.

GUILD CV-1C
$2,699.99, www.guildguitars.com
The Specs: Solid spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck, Madagascar rosewood fretboard and bridge, D-TAR Wavelength electronics.
25.5-inch scale, 1¾-inch nut. Also available without cutaway and electronics.
The Cool: Completely new construction with bolt-on neck and graphite neck-block. Proprietary D-TAR “Load ‘N’ Lock” preamp provides 18 volts of power from two
AA batteries, which are accessible through the guitar’s endpin-jack.
The Story: Based on Guild’s classic F-40 body shape, the CV-1C is part of the company’s new Contemporary Series; a smaller model, based on Guild’s vintage F-30, is also available. With fingerstyle-friendly dimensions, light-weight construction, and state-of-the-art electronics, the guitars are poised to move Guild into a new era.

HOWELL AND FORSYTH STEEL ORCHESTRA
$4,000, www.howellandforsyth.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid Honduran mahogany back and sides, ebony fretboard. 25.4-inch scale, 1¾-inch nut.
The Cool: Steel-string with classical-guitar dimensions. Individual compensated saddles for fine-tunable intonation.
The Story: Handcrafted in California, Howell and Forsyth guitars combine classical and steel-string traditions (including a Spanish foot neck-joint) and are available with a myriad of custom options.

IBANEZ EW20KOENT
$785.70, www.ibanez.com
The Specs: Koa top, back, and sides, chrome tuners. Ibanez preamp with onboard tuner, B-Band pickup.
The Cool: Exotic looks; ¼-inch and XLR outputs.
The Story: An affordable acoustic-electric steel-string. Ibanez’ new “Ramparts” bridge design allows for better string angle over the saddle, resulting in more balanced sound.

LINE 6 VARIAX ACOUSTIC 300 STEEL
$839.99, www.line6.com
The Specs: Solid-body mahogany construction with tone chambers and a spruce top. Rosewood fretboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale,
111⁄16-inch nut. Built-in sound modeling electronics.
The Cool: Modeling technology is based on 1967 Martin 0-18 and 1954 Gibson J-45, and allows a seamless blend between the two.
The Story: The latest in modeling-pioneer Line 6’s guitar offerings, the Variax Acoustic 300 offers fewer sounds and features than the previous Variax Acoustic 700, but at a greatly reduced price. A nylon-string version is also available.

MARTIN DC-28E
$3,699, www.martinguitar.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, striped ebony fretboard and bridge. 25.4-inch scale, 111/16-inch nut. Fishman Ellipse Aura electronics.
The Cool: Acoustic-electric version of Martin’s most popular model.
The Story: The latest in Martin’s recent acoustic-electric offerings of high-end models, the DC-28E and its sister model, the OMC-28E, are the first instruments available with Fishman’s new Ellipse Aura system, which features the company’s sound-imaging technology in an unobtrusive, soundhole-mounted preamp.

SANTA CRUZ RS
$4,000, www.santacruzguitar.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides. Double-tapered and forward-shifted X-bracing and bridge-plate. 24¾-inch scale, 113⁄16-inch nut, 25⁄16-inch string spacing at saddle.
The Cool: 12-fret dreadnought inspired by Gibson’s classic Roy Smeck model.
The Story: The lastest in Santa Cruz’ ever-growing line of vintage-style instruments, the RS represents a type of guitar that’s otherwise difficult to find.

TAKAMINE EF417S
$2,715, www.takamine.com
The Specs: Solid bearclaw Sitka spruce top, solid koa back and sides, rosewood fretboard and bridge. Takamine palethetic pickup with discreetly mounted internal preamp.
The Cool: Gorgeous woods, vintage-style “New Yorker” body with slotted headstock.
The Story: The latest in Takamine’s occasional offerings of “New Yorker”-sized steel-strings, the EF417S matches vintage specs with premium woods and contemporary electronics.

TANGLEWOOD TW170-AS
$479, www.tanglewoodguitars.com
The Specs: Solid spruce top, mahogany back and sides, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge. Grover tuners.
The Cool: Wooden neck and body binding.
The Story: Part of Tanglewood’s new Premiere Series, the TW170-AS offers affordability in a solid-top instrument.

TAYLOR 414E-LTD
$2,468, www.taylorguitars.com
The Specs: Solid Sitka spruce top, solid walnut back and sides (with maple center “wedge”), mahogany neck, ebony fretboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale, 1¾-inch nut. Taylor ES electronics.
The Cool: Value-added limited edition model.
The Story: The 414E-LTD (and its sibling, the 410E-LTD) are the entries into this year’s edition of Taylor’s annual “Fall Limiteds” offerings, which also includes special editions of 700-, 800-, and 900-series guitars.

WECHTER 5730 PATHMAKER
$649.95, www.wechterguitars.com
The Specs: Solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, nato neck, rosewood fretboard and bridge. 25.5-inch scale, 1.7-inch nut.
The Cool: Setup finalized on Plek Pro (www.plek.com) machine.
The Story: Abe Wechter introduces a new, low-cost version of his unique double-cutaway design. An optional three-way pickup system is available.

YAMAHA APX900
$1,349.99, www.yamaha.com
The Specs: Solid spruce top, flamed-maple back and sides, nato neck, ebony fretboard and bridge. 1.7-inch nut. System 57 preamp with onboard tuner, three-band EQ, and three-way contact pickup system.
The Cool: Yamaha’s new pickup system is based on three specially developed, bridge plate–mounted, proprietary contact microphones.
The Story: Long Yamaha’s most popular line of acoustic-electrics, the entire APX series has now received an electronics update, which includes a single soundboard transducer for lower-end models and the three-way A.R.T. (Acoustic Resonance Transducer) for the flagship APX700 and APX900 models. Ag

Accessories
A well-designed accessory can make playing, practicing, or just owning a fine instrument more fun. The new TECHRA guitar stand ($33.50) uses a familiar A-frame design, but its support arms can be custom configured, resulting in a stand that can hold virtually any instrument, including those with odd shapes. If you’re into effect pedals, SKB’s new PS-15NP pedal board ($159.99) is worth checking out. With a secure Velcro-covered surface and a padded cover, the board will hold pedals in place and protect them in transit. BILI, INC.’s Footime Page Turner (starting at $59) is a two-button foot-switch that plugs into a computer’s USB port and can turn the pages of PDF-format sheet music. SAGA MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS now offers matching strings for its line of Gypsy jazz–style guitars. The new Parisian strings ($12.95) feature a silver-plated, copper-wrapped wire on a steel core for correct tension and sound.

Amplification and Recording Gear
BOSS has managed to build what may be the smallest multi-track ever: the Micro BR ($319.50) is not much larger than an iPod, yet it’s a full-featured digital four-track, with 32 virtual tracks, effects, and the ability to record directly to mp3 or 16-bit audio. The unit records to SD storage cards and includes a built-in tuner, mono microphone, metronome, and practice tools such as slow-down and loop functions.

ZOOM’s new H4 ($499) is also a tiny digital four-track, but with its built-in stereo mics and dual XLR inputs, the unit would also make a good choice for high-quality live recordings.

AKG’s Perception 400 ($559.95) is a new large-diaphragm condenser microphone for live and studio applications. A built-in switch allows the selection of cardioid, omni, and figure-eight pickup patterns.

AUDIO TECHNICA’s new Freeway 700 series ($379.95 for the ATW-701/G guitar system) is an affordable wireless system that’s available with microphone or instrument transmitters. An XLR output allows it to take the place of a DI box.TASCAM has updated its popular entry-level USB audio interface. The new US-144 ($269) connects to a USB 2.0 port, records at up to 24-bit/96kHz, and includes analog and digital audio connections.

FENDER has introduced the largest, most powerful version of its popular Passport line of portable PA systems yet. The new Passport Deluxe PD-500 ($1,999.99) offers 500 watts of stereo power, an eight-channel mixer, two microphones, and all the cables necessary to create a complete system out of the box.

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This article also appears in Acoustic Guitar, November 2006

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