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Composite Acoustics GX Performer
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AUDIO:
Composite Acoustics GX played through microphones.
AUDIO:
Composite Acoustics GX played though pickups.
Guitarists can be surprisingly conservative when selecting instruments; it's not often that we stray far from a few common body shapes or wood choices. Composite Acoustics (CA) is a Louisiana-based company that's not afraid to challenge those stereotypes. CA takes an innovative approach to construction, focusing on the use of exceptionally rigid and durable carbon-fiber materials. All the company's guitars are made of carbon fiber and other proprietary composite materials using CNC and laser cutting machines. CA's lineup previously consisted primarily of dreadnought body styles, but their new GX Performer offers a sleek modern twist on a grand auditorium shape that deserves a look from even the most die-hard traditionalist.
Paint It Black
The GX Performer looks quite striking right out of the case, with its all-black carbon-fiber body, and CarbonBurst top, which is also made of layered carbon fiber. From the front, the GX looks deceptively traditional and its elegant body shape is combined with a distinctive, sharp cutaway. A look at the back, however, reveals more radical design elements, starting with a heel-less neck joint that provides completely unobstructed access all the way to the 20th fret. The beautifully sculpted and beveled back eliminates sharp edges against your body and makes the guitar extremely comfortable to hold. Combined with its light weight, the curved edges make the GX feel smaller than it is.
Other than the L.R. Baggs iMix pickup and the Gotoh 510 tuners, every element of the GX is made from composite materials: the body, bridge, internal braces—even the fretboard. The neck has no truss rod, and CA says it will never need adjustment. The composite materials make the guitar impervious to weather; the instrument is also immune to humidity changes, a real benefit for travelers and touring players who visit radically different climates in quick succession. A look inside reveals an unusual array of braces—ultra-lightweight and thin, and clearly constructed from composite material. CA stresses that the braces are there primarily to control resonances, not to support the top. Construction, inside and out, was flawless.
A Tone All Its Own
The GX is truly fun to play. Its neck is fast and smooth, and the thin, rounded profile, along with the 1 �-inch nut width, translate into a roomy feel that should appeal to fingerstyle players in particular. The action on our review model was comfortably low and easy to play, yet remained buzz-free when driven hard. The heel-less neck design makes an startling difference in playability, opening up an entire region of the fretboard that is usually reserved for electric guitars. Light construction of the body creates a very resonant instrument—you can feel the entire guitar vibrating as you play, and the sound seems to emanate from every part of the instrument, not just the soundhole. Placing your ear near different parts of the body produces a remarkable range of tonal colors.
My first strum left me pleasantly surprised at how good this guitar sounds, and how well the GX compares to its wooden cousins—especially similarly sized grand auditoriums—while simultaneously having its own unique character. I was immediately impressed by the warm, fat sound, excellent sustain, and clean separation between strings. Running through a few melodic fingerstyle tunes in D A D G A D, I was pleased by the responsiveness and sweet, round sound that sounded full even when played lightly. The GX tends toward a fundamental sound with fewer overtones than my usual instruments of choice, but this was offset by its rich sustain and sympathetic vibrations. Notes seem to ooze out of the guitar, making it a pleasure to play. Tone is remarkably consistent throughout its 20-fret range—there seem to be no dead spots, and notes continue to sustain smoothly from the lowest open strings all the way to the highest frets. The GX also responded well to a light touch and sounded excellent when flatpicked, with plenty of headroom, even for heavy strumming. When fingerpicking, I detected a slight bit of compression, a pleasant effect that added a smoothness to the sound, yet the GX produced a nice sharp attack when I switched to a pick. Unlike a traditional wood guitar, the GX will not open up or change over time, so if you like the sound of a new GX, you can be fairly sure that the tone will stay consistent.
Plugged in, the GX really comes alive. It sounded excellent both through an AER AcoustiCube II and through my studio monitors. The onboard L.R. Baggs iMix pickup system—which blends an iBeam and an Element undersaddle pickup—seems to be an excellent match for the GX. I liked the warm, deep tone of the Element, but the iBeam sounded exceptionally good in this guitar and added some air that I found appealing. An onboard blender let me quickly dial in a tone that balanced the best of both. The pickup can also be placed in stereo mode via an internal switch, which allows each pickup to be sent to separate channels for even more flexibility.
The Wrap
The GX's construction and good sound make it an ideal stage guitar, especially for traveling guitarists or those who live in wood-unfriendly climates. With showstopping looks, a virtually indestructible, maintenance-free body, top-notch electronics, excellent playability, and tone that's unique yet competitive with many traditional wood guitars, the GX Performer is well worth a close look.
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