When you pick up the Recording King RD-227 dreadnought, it’s hard not to think of John Fahey. Fahey, after all, made a lot of his early recordings on an old Recording King slope-shoulder dreadnought (before he smashed it in a fit of pique), and the struggling young artist was no doubt drawn to the Recording King’s quality and fair price. And though The Music Link—which also makes Johnson, The Loar, and AXL guitars—is connected to the Recording King of old in name only, the company is aiming to achieve the same balance of value and performance that made the Recording King name famous.

The Recording King brand is a minor legend among vintage connoisseurs. During the 1930s, it was the house brand of Montgomery Ward and featured guitars built by Gibson, Gretsch, and Kay among others. The new Recording Kings aren’t copies of the brand’s vintage designs; in general, the guitars adhere to a design path that’s a lot closer to the C. F. Martin and Co. tradition. But they do pack a lot of vintage vibe and burly, classic dread feel into an affordable package that could appeal to many traditionally minded dreadnought fans.

VISUAL FEAST AT BARGAIN PRICE

In a nod to the prewar era that birthed its predecessors, the RD-227 is liberally—and attractively—dressed with abalone. The top is made with straight-grained, even-colored Sitka spruce, while the back and sides feature lovely, dark chocolate-colored Indian rosewood. A very cool old-fashioned torch-style inlay dresses the peghead face, and open-back machine heads also add to the old-time look and feel. The soundhole is bound with an abalone rosette that lends an additional air of old-style luxury.

The craftsmanship inside the instrument wasn’t as clean as I’m used to seeing on modern production-line guitars in this price range, however. Glue was visible in several spots, and the scalloped braces seemed heftier than necessary. Overall, the finish appeared quite thick.

JAMMING WITH THE KING

Like many dreadnoughts, the RD-227 is a loud guitar when strummed or flatpicked, yet it exhibits several sonic qualities that are atypical of a dreadnought. Where players usually count on dreadnoughts to deliver a boomy, bass-heavy sound useful for accompaniment, the RD-227 accented midrange and treble tones. The guitar’s tone also has a somewhat compressed quality and its bright voice worked better for strumming than for playing fingerstyle, where it projected less well. Like all acoustic guitars that are made from solid woods, the RD-227 does have the potential to mellow significantly as it “opens up” over time, and indeed, the guitar possessed a fresh-from-the-factory “newness” that left me wondering what it would sound like after a year or so of regular playing.

The RD-227’s neck is large but surprisingly comfortable, and it will likely be a delight to players who enjoy the substantial feel of many mid-century and prewar dreads. Passed around an open mic—where the RD-227 was sampled by a broad cross-section of players, from bluegrass pickers and singer-songwriters to fingerstylists—most players found the rounded V–shaped neck quite playable and remarked that it helped eliminate fatigue over longer jams.

Recording with the RD-227 also proved satisfying. I captured it using a Marshall condenser mic and a Shure SM58 dynamic mic running into my Pro Tools LE rig and was delighted with the results. In this context, the RD-227’s controlled bass attack proved a real asset, eliminating much of the boxy boom that can excessively color and weigh down acoustic recordings. The guitar also possesses a distinctive country-ish twang that came through loud and clear on recording, occupying a very distinct and welcome space in the mix.

THE WRAP

The RD-227 will appeal to players on a budget who want a bright-sounding dreadnought for playing live or recording. With visual details designed to evoke older instruments, it may also appeal to budget-minded players who are looking for some vintage-style flash at less-than-vintage prices. And assuming that the RD-227 mellows in the way a good spruce-and-rosewood instrument should, it may well remain a sturdy, reliable and prized companion—just like Fahey’s Recording King way back when.