Boom Chuck
Ten top-flight $2,500 dreadnoughts put to the test

C.F. Martin and Co. introduced the dreadnought in 1929, and it has since become the most popular, oft-copied acoustic steel-string of all time. Designed to satisfy the growing demand for a louder guitar, the dreadnought was considerably larger and more powerful than any guitar manufactured before it. Dreadnoughts can now be found in the hands of a wide variety of musicians, and they’re practically a requirement among bluegrass pickers. In fact, the ubiquitous dreadnought has become the standard against which every steel-string guitar is measured. In past issues we’ve reviewed dreadnoughts that list for under $1,000 and budget models that go for $500 or less, but in this article we’ll examine models featuring such high-quality craftsmanship and materials that their owners should never feel the need to upgrade to a better ax. We asked manufacturers to submit dreadnoughts with list prices between $2,000 and $2,500 and told them that tone and playability would be given more weight in our assessment than flashy appointments. Since I’m primarily a fingerstyle player, I called upon Acoustic Guitar’s managing editor, Scott Nygaard, and music editor, Andrew DuBrock—who specialize in flatpicking and backup strumming, respectively—to put these ten guitars through their paces. I restrung each of the guitars with D’Addario EJ17 medium-gauge, phosphor-bronze strings, and Nygaard brought along his 1956 Martin D-28 to calibrate our ears. After listening to each other play the guitars for several hours, we agreed that this was the most fun we’d ever had reviewing instruments. While all the guitars are similar in size and materials (with the exception of the Taylor, all follow the Martin D-28’s lead with rosewood back and sides and a spruce top), some would make great bluegrass guitars, others were better suited for strumming behind pop songs, and some were versatile enough to appeal to players who do a little bit of everything.
Breelove SD20		Breedlove SD20 $2,149 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, catalyzed polyurethane finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.5-inch scale. Known for its radical designs, the Breedlove Guitar Co. has carved out a niche in the often conservative high-end, small-shop guitar market. With unique body shapes, the JLD bridge system (a device mounted under the bridge that transfers string tension and vibrations to the back and sides through the tailblock), and easy-to-play necks, Breedlove’s instruments have become favorites among fingerstyle guitarists. The SD20 fuses some of the company’s original ideas with a traditional dreadnought shape. As part of its entry-level S series, the guitar features basic appointments, a simple bridge design, and a price well below Breedlove’s Premier and Master Class guitars. The craftsmanship on the SD20 we received was of the high quality we’ve come to expect from Breedlove. The edges between the parts were clean, the kerfing inside the body was perfect, and the fretwork was smooth. A great setup combined with a shallow neck profile made the guitar very easy to play. We found that the SD20 is not a hard-driving bluegrass machine. It sounds compressed when strummed with any force, and it’s difficult to get much character out of flatpicked single-note runs. Surprised by these disappointing qualities, I tuned the guitar down a whole step to release a bit of tension on the top, and a rich voice with considerable range emerged. I also tried the guitar with a set of extra-light strings and found that they were a better match for this instrument. In the end, the SD20 proved to be a capable fingerstyle guitar and also worked well for soft strumming.
Gibson Songbird Deluxe		Gibson Songbird Deluxe $2,307 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.5-inch scale. While Martin is credited for inventing the dreadnought, it wasn’t long before Gibson was offering a similarly sized guitar. Singer-songwriters in particular have long appreciated such Gibson models as the Advanced Jumbo, J-45, and Hummingbird. The Songbird Deluxe combines the wide-X bracing pattern found in vintage Advanced Jumbos with Gibson’s current aesthetics and a modified square-shoulder body shape. Like many new Gibson acoustics, it comes with an active Fishman Acoustic Matrix under-saddle pickup, which doesn’t affect the guitar’s appearance or acoustic sound since there are no on-board controls. The Songbird Deluxe merges basic visual elements, such as an unbound rosewood fingerboard and simple plastic binding on the body, with a handsome wooden back strip, an abalone rosette, and gold tuners. Although there was nothing striking about the woods on the guitar we received, they were all of good quality. The finish did have some minor "orange-peel" spots, but overall, the craftsmanship was solid. The Songbird’s neck felt clunkier than some modern designs, but once I got used to its deeper and more rounded profile, it didn’t hamper the instrument’s playability. The guitar has the throaty midrange and thumpy bass most players have come to expect in Gibson acoustics; it sounds "like a Gibson." It also has a very even and fat-sounding treble, which makes it a great strumming guitar with a wide dynamic range. At the same time, it’s responsive enough for fingerpicking, and this combination of qualities makes the Songbird a reliable, all-around guitar.
Guild D-55		Guild D-55 $2,499 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.5-inch scale. Guild Guitars has always taken pride in offering a lot of bang for the buck, and the D-55 is no exception. In production since 1968, the guitar represents the top of Guild’s production flattop line. The D-55 is dressed up with multiple-piece abalone and pearl fretmarkers, multilayered fingerboard and headstock binding, and an abalone rosette of enormous proportions. Our review guitar featured a top with very tight and even grain, and all the materials were of consistent quality. As is typical of Guilds, the guitar was no lightweight, and the huge headstock contributed to a massive feeling. When we played the guitar, however, this hefty sensation was offset by a buttery-smooth setup and excellent playability. The D-55’s action was the lowest of the guitars in this review, making it extremely easy to fret. In addition, the D-55’s neck has almost no taper in thickness from the nut to the heel, a feature reminiscent of some archtop guitar necks that creates a feeling of consistency when playing up and down the fretboard. The guitar sounded great strummed except that its low action allowed the strings to buzz considerably with a heavier attack. It might not have the snappy punch needed to cut through a bluegrass session, but the D-55 performed well as a lead instrument, giving it a versatility that many players will appreciate.
Huss and Dalton D-RH		Huss and Dalton D-RH $2,530 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, catalyzed lacquer finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25 23/32-inch scale. At $2,530 Huss and Dalton’s entry-level rosewood dreadnought, the D-RH, is $30 over our specified price limit for this review, but we decided to include it because it’s such a good value. Built in much smaller numbers than most of the other guitars we received, the Huss and Dalton has the small-shop vibe longed for by many players. The company’s attention to detail could be seen in the meticulously compensated bone saddle, finely sanded bracing, and beautifully matched materials. The D-RH has a traditional herringbone dreadnought look with a few differences—flame maple binding on the body, an ebony-bound fingerboard, and a slightly enlarged soundhole. The guitar’s neck has a pronounced V shape, giving it a vintage feel. The D-RH is an incredibly loud and punchy instrument that was clearly designed with bluegrass pickers in mind. The guitar we tested seemed to have endless headroom, and the tone was consistent even with hard rhythm playing. Single-note runs were also rich and present, but there was a slight tonal imbalance among the first, second, and third strings. While this instrument probably wouldn’t be a first choice for timid pickers, it had enough dynamic range to be enjoyable for driving fingerstyle work. The D-RH does what a dreadnought is designed to do, and it does it well. Anyone in search of raw power and rich tone would do well to check this guitar out carefully.
Lakewood D-32		Lakewood D-32 $2,234 ($2,043 with satin finish) with hard-shell case. Ten-year warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, polyurethane/polyester finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.5-inch scale. Made in Germany, Lakewood Guitar’s D-32 represents a European take on the classic American guitar design. Although it’s described in the company’s literature as a "western" guitar, luthier Martin Seeliger and his team have built much more than an ax for imaginary cowboy crooners. With a superb selection of woods, high-quality craftsmanship, and minimal appointments, the D-32 should appeal to those who like clean designs. Considering that most players will want to flatpick this kind of guitar, the lack of a pickguard is a bit of a drawback, but one could easily be added by the dealer. The guitar’s saddle is installed at a slight angle to the bridge pins, which should result in superior under-saddle pickup performance if one were added. The D-32’s neck profile falls somewhere between a vintage profile and a more modern, low profile. The factory setup was a little tight, particularly in the upper positions, which required a strong grip, but the D-32’s versatile sound was impressive. Bluegrass players may not hear the bass response they dream of, but most others will find that the guitar has a very even voice when strummed. Hard picking caused it to break up a little, particularly in the treble range, but the guitar was generally responsive and loud, with excellent projection. Considering that its braces are barely scalloped, I was surprised that the guitar worked extremely well as a fingerstyle instrument.
Larrivée DV-09		Larrivée DV-09 $2,399 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, tapered braces, dovetail neck joint, polyester finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.5-inch scale. The Larrivée DV-09 is the only guitar we received with a cutaway. It featured exquisite woods, including a spruce top with an attractive cross grain, back and sides in a rich chocolate color, and elegant flame maple binding. Like most Larrivées, the DV-09 has a unique symmetrical bracing pattern, and the company’s classical guitar heritage could be seen in the absence of strap buttons. Construction was clean and careful, with the exception of a few cosmetically uneven fret ends and some glue drops inside the body. The DV-09’s factory setup was good but a little stiff. The overall action represents a nice compromise for a variety of playing styles, but lowering the nut would make the guitar more playable. It was a great strummer, projecting a bright high-end jangle that would cut through in a band situation, and I suspect that it would amplify well due to its lack of excessive lows. The guitar had a nice balance, but it lost some tone and sustain when played with a heavy attack. When fingerpicked, the trebles sounded a little brittle, but overall, the Larrivée would make a versatile player very happy.
Martin D-28		Martin D-28 $2,399 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, non-scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.4-inch scale. Martin’s classic, Nazareth, Pennsylvania–built D-28 is still an impressive instrument. It has gone through many changes since its introduction 60-odd years ago, but the guitar currently in production is essentially the same plain-Jane, workingman’s ax that the D-28 became in the late ’40s when Martin discontinued the use of scalloped braces and herringbone inlay. There’s not a scrap of abalone or fancy binding in sight. The D-28 we received was cleanly constructed and built of nondescript but high-quality woods. The guitar’s neck is thinner than vintage D-28 necks, and its medium-high action felt great all over the neck. The D-28 had a strong bass and responded well to a heavy attack. It wasn’t the loudest guitar of the lot, but its strumming and single-note qualities were both well defined. The guitar’s high end could have been richer, and its heavy bracing wouldn’t make it anyone’s first choice for fingerstyle playing or soft picking. But overall Martin’s basic D-28 is still a worthy contender in the dreadnought field, and while it does have some capable competition, I’d encourage anyone in the market for a dreadnought to play one. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was the only guitar in this review that truly felt and sounded "like a Martin."
Santa Cruz D/PW		Santa Cruz D/PW $2,250 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.4-inch scale. The Santa Cruz Guitar Co. was among the first of a wave of custom guitar shops to offer contemporary reproductions of vintage instruments when it opened its doors in 1977. Long respected for its high-end guitars, the company began offering a surprisingly affordable line of PW (prewar) guitars a couple of years ago. What’s striking about this line is that it’s a rare case of getting more guitar for less money. While the PWs have a much more basic appearance than most Santa Cruz instruments, they are built with the vintage-style, forward-shifted, scalloped X-bracing that was previously only available as a special option. The D/PW we received featured gorgeous woods and displayed the same quality craftsmanship seen on more expensive Santa Cruz instruments. The first thing we noticed was the guitar’s incredibly light weight, its beautifully crowned frets, and the vintage-style, open-gear Grover tuning machines. Playing this guitar led us to wonder why anyone would try to improve on the design of the classic vintage dreadnought. The D/PW has a huge dynamic range, a big focused bass, and above all, that "dry" vintage sound that makes most players reach for their credit cards. All this was paired with a well-rounded treble range that resulted in fat-sounding lead lines. The Santa Cruz wasn’t a "cannon," but its voice responded strongly with any kind of attack, including fingerstyle work. It’s not often that we’re this smitten with an instrument, but with its great value, vintage vibe, and incredibly versatile tone, this guitar deserves a serious look from any player, especially those fond of vintage sounds.
Takamine NV360S		Takamine NV360S $2,299 without case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, polyester finish. Nut width 1 11/16 inches. 25.4-inch scale. Long known for building midprice instruments that provide a lot of value for the money, Takamine has slowly been venturing into the high-end acoustic market. With all-solid-wood construction and no on-board electronics, these latest guitars represent a steel-string counterpart to Takamine’s well-respected line of Hirade classicals. The NV360S we received is an example of the success of Takamine’s efforts. With a bearclaw spruce top and abalone purfling, this guitar will appeal to those who equate subtle with boring. Its materials and craftsmanship were among the best I’ve seen on a Japanese factory instrument, and the NV360S features a split saddle designed to intonate the wound and unwound strings separately. The guitar’s comfortable neck made for smooth fingering in all positions, and the factory setup was a good compromise for a variety of styles. It had a nice punchy response and produced a good amount of volume with a lot of richness and warmth. The bass sounded a bit washed out at times, and single-note lines on the treble strings were somewhat thin in the upper register, but overall, the guitar had a nice strumming voice and held its own.
Taylor 510		Taylor 510 $2,258 with hard-shell case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Engelmann spruce top, solid mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, polyester finish. Nut width 1¾ inches. 25.5-inch scale. With mahogany back and sides, Taylor Guitars’ 500 series has been a mainstay of its catalog since 1978. Last year’s face-lift added a wooden rosette and binding as well as smaller fingerboard dots, giving the guitars a utilitarian look. The new 510 also includes Taylor’s new neck design, which features a wide, 1¾-inch nut and can be easily removed and adjusted. The guitar we received was constructed with richly colored mahogany and a tightly grained Engelmann spruce top. The ebony on the fingerboard and bridge was streaked and less attractive than a plain piece of black wood. Taylor’s deserved reputation for precision was in evidence throughout; there were no visible flaws inside or out. The new neck design feels slightly fuller than the shape in use a few years ago, and I found that it makes the guitar more playable. The guitar’s action was set about as low as a flatpicking guitar can go, allowing for effortless fretting. The guitar was very responsive and had a snappy attack, which, combined with its brightness, would work well in a recording or ensemble environment. Its reasonably large dynamic range made it satisfying for both fingerstyle and flatpicking techniques, but as much as we liked the 510’s playability, we couldn’t help wishing for more warmth and tonal dimension. Overall, the 510 struck us as a tool that would "get the job done" but didn’t knock our socks off.
		The Wrap Reviewing these ten guitars was immense fun, and it’s reassuring to find that spending this kind of money just about guarantees getting a great guitar. Our job turned out to be less about judging what was good and bad and more about determining the individual strengths of each instrument. The Santa Cruz was a favorite of all the reviewers, I particularly liked the Lakewood, and DuBrock and Nygaard were both impressed with the Huss and Dalton and the Martin. But we all agreed that each of these instruments has qualities that would delight many a discerning guitarist.

Excerpted from Acoustic Guitar magazine, November 2001, No.107. That issue also contained a feature story about the latest guitars and gear at NAMM, a look at the pickup and mic setups of the pros, and lots of music to play.

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