Guitars Reviewed
Bourgeois OM Standard,
(207) 786-0385, www.pantheonguitars.com.
Breedlove SC25-MY, (541) 385-8339, www.breedloveguitars.com.
Dell'Arte OM Studio Plus, (619) 596-7739, www.dellarteinstruments.com.
Gibson LC-1 Cascade, (800) 283-7135, www.gibson.com.
Goodall Aloha Grand Concert, (808) 329-8237, www.goodallguitars.com.
Huss and Dalton OM, (540) 887-2313, www.hussanddalton.com.
Larrivée OMV-60, (604) 253-7111, www.larrivee.com.
Legend OM-302PW, (877) 422-6878, www.legendguitar.com.
Lowden S32, (800) 872-5856, www.lowdenguitars.com.
Martin OM-18V, (800) 633-2060, www.martinguitar.com.
Morris S-103, (707) 864-1442, www.morris-guitar.com.
Santa Cruz OM/PW, (831) 425-0999, www.santacruzguitar.com.
Tacoma EBZ24, (253) 847-6508, www.tacomaguitars.com.
Taylor 712, (619) 258-1207, www.taylorguitars.com.
The wealth of great smaller-than-dreadnought
guitars on today's market proves that good things can indeed come in
small packages. Long coveted by fingerstyle players for their balanced
sound and quick response, small-bodied guitars are beginning to show
up in the hands of flatpickers as well. C.F. Martin and Co.'s OM (Orchestra
Model) has had an enormous influence on the designs of contemporary
small-bodies. Measuring 15 inches across the lower bout and featuring
a distinct hourglass shape, the OM, introduced in 1929, is considered
by many to be the optimum choice for tone, volume, and playability.
Original Martin OMs have relatively wide string spacing (a nut width
of 1 3/4 inches and a 2 3/8-inch spacing at the saddle) and a long 25.4-inch
scale. While some of today's makers closely follow Martin's specs, others
have found more original ways to build guitars with similar dimensions.
This review focuses on factory-built
guitars with list prices between $2,500 and $3,000 that are sold through
dealers (rather than by the makers themselves). We invited manufacturers
to submit 14-fret small-bodies, preferably without electronics. The
instruments submitted by James Goodall Guitars and Larrivée Guitars
cost slightly more than $3,000 because they include cutaways, but each
can be ordered without a cutaway for a lower price. Germany's Lakewood
Guitars also makes guitars that meet these criteria, but the company
was unable to provide us with an instrument in time for this review.
It is also worth noting that several other companies (such as Alvarez-Yairi,
Takamine, Kiso/ Klein, and Collings) offer instruments that are either
slightly below or above our pricing criteria. In addition, certain individual
luthiers offer custom instruments in this price range.
The quality of this batch
of instruments simply astonished us. Their craftsmanship seemed flawless,
and the choice of woods was excellent throughout. The guitars' set-ups
varied, but we found each guitar extremely playable right out of the
box. To level the playing field, we restrung them all with light-gauge
(.012—.054) Dean Markley Signature Series phosphor-bronze strings.
I evaluated the guitars with help from Acoustic Guitar music
editor Andrew DuBrock and Bay Area guitarists Chris Grampp and Mike
Wollenberg. DuBrock specializes in accompanying his original pop songs
with a nuanced strumming style, and his main guitar is a Taylor 314K.
Grampp is a versatile jazz and folk guitarist who plays fingerstyle
and with a flatpick, both in bands and as an accompanist for singers.
His instruments include vintage Vega and Harmony flattops and a Gibson
Howard Roberts archtop. Wollenberg's specialty is solo fingerstyle jazz
guitar, played on a Gibson L-5 archtop and an Ed Claxton flattop. I
spend most of my time playing original fingerstyle in alternate tunings,
and one of my instruments is a Taylor 712c.
Bourgeois OM
Standard
$2,995 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Adirondack spruce top,
solid mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge,
scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, urethane lacquer finish, Waverly
tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String spacing
at the bridge: 2.2 inches.
Luthier Dana Bourgeois
first gained widespread attention in the 1980s through his involvement
with Schoenberg Guitars, a company that specializes in vintage
OM reproductions and adaptations. The OM Standard submitted
for this review is Bourgeois' entry-level guitar, and its specs
come pretty close to those of vintage Martins. It sports some
unique details, however, including an original bridge design
and, in place of a traditional dovetail neck joint, a completely
removable bolt-on neck that attaches to the body with two bolts
at the heel and four bolts at the fingerboard extension.
The first thing
we noticed when we played the Bourgeois was the neck's shallow
profile and pronounced V shape, a combination that had all of
us yearning for a little more girth. The guitar was a joy to
play, with stunning definition, particularly when played fingerstyle.
While not as responsive as some, the guitar's attack sparkled,
and it came to life when played more aggressively. This quality
made it work well when we pulled out our flatpicks. The mature
tone and clarity the Bourgeois displayed through a variety of
playing styles makes it an extremely versatile guitar that would
satisfy fingerpickers and songsters alike.
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Breedlove SC25-MY
$2,945 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid
myrtle back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped
braces, bolt-on neck, catalyzed poly-urethane finish, Grover
Mini tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String
spacing at the bridge: 2 1/4 inches.
The Breedlove Guitar
Co. is known for breaking with tradition, and the guitar submitted
for this review proved no exception. With its cutaway design,
distinctive headstock and bridge, and unusual position markers
on the edge of the fingerboard, the SC25-MY presents a striking
appearanceÐmade even bolder by its flamed myrtle (a species
native to the Pacific Northwest) back and sides. It is also
slightly deeper than a Martin OM (it measures about 4.5 inches
at the lower bout). Like most Breedloves, the SC25-MY uses the
JLD bridge truss system. Mounted under the bridge and connected
to the endblock, this device transfers string tension to the
guitar's sides, which allows for lighter top bracing. The SC25-MY
displayed lots of character, including a cool bell-like bass
and pronounced mids. We found the volume slightly out of balance,
however, particularly when comparing the somewhat muted sustain
of fretted treble notes with the great ring of open bass strings,
and heavy strumming caused the guitar to lose its focus. Wollenberg
liked the Breedlove's rounded neck shape, and we all felt that
its relatively wide string spacing made fingerstyle playing
easier. Overall, this is a great instrument for players looking
for something out of the ordinary.
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Dell'Arte OM
Studio Plus
$2,700 with hardshell
case. Five-year warranty. Solid German spruce top, solid Indian
rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped
braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose lacquer finish,
Schaller tuners. 25.4-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String
spacing at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
Dell'Arte Instruments,
headed by designer Alain Cola and luthier John Kinnard, is known
primarily for Selmer/Maccaferri—style guitars, but the
company offers a variety of other instruments as well. We checked
out a flattop they have loosely based on the Martin OM design.
With an outline a little wider than the OM's, the Dell'Arte
OM Studio Plus has a slightly stout appearance, which creates
a unique look when combined with the guitar's ultracool "vintage
Washburn"—style purfling and rosette. The Studio Plus felt
heavy for a guitar its size, and a look inside revealed fairly
heavy bracing all around.
Everyone commented
on the Studio Plus' squarish neck profile, which took some getting
used to. The guitar displayed a nice, meaty tone, especially
in response to a strong attack. Nimble-fingered pickers will
probably wish for a more immediate response, but when strummed
with a hint of force, the Dell'Arte really came to life, making
it an excellent choice for singer-songwriters who use a guitar
to back up their vocals.
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Gibson LC-1 Cascade
$2,489 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid cedar top, solid maple
back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces,
dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose lacquer finish, open-back
Gotoh tuners. 24.75-inch scale. Nut width: 1 11/16 inches. String
spacing at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
Recently introduced
as a contemporary design in the Gibson Guitar Corp.'s venerable
L-series of guitars, the LC-1 Cascade is part of a trio of instruments
that includes the walnut-bodied Sonoma and koa-bodied Caldera.
With its flamed maple neck (featuring a mahogany center strip)
and quilted maple back and sides, the Cascade looks a little
like a miniature J-200 with a cutaway. The guitar has a cedar
top, which is unusual for a Gibson. It comes standard with a
Schertler Bluestick pickup that features a volume control inside
the soundhole in lieu of knobs in the guitar's side.
The LC-1 Cascade
has the typical Gibson rounded neck profile, which is on the
narrow side. The guitar's compact dimensions and short scale
(it was the only short-scale guitar in this review) made it
quite comfortable to hold; it would be a great choice for those
who find themselves wrestling with larger designs. The guitar's
sound reminded us of older small-bodied Gibsons. While not offering
great complexity, its midrange-heavy tone had lots of character.
Some players may wish for a little more sustain, and those who
primarily strum might find themselves pushing the guitar's dynamic
limits. The LC-1 excelled on bluesy material, but we were surprised
by how much fun it was when playing more contemporary fingerstyle
in alternate tunings, a genre that brought out its great presence
and unique vibe.
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Goodall Aloha
Grand Concert
$2,845 with hardshell
case ($3,440 with cutaway, as reviewed). Five-year warranty.
Solid spruce top, solid koa back and sides, pheasantwood fingerboard
and bridge, tapered braces, bolt-on neck joint, catalyzed urethane
finish, Gotoh tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches.
String spacing at the bridge: 2 1/4 inches.
James Goodall Guitars'
Aloha series (which also includes concert jumbo and standard
sizes) is the company's entry-level line. Built with less elaborate
looking tonewoods (for example, the koa back and sides of our
test guitar had little figure and the top had a few streaks)
and simpler appointments, the instruments otherwise exhibit
the same design and level of craftsmanship as other Goodall
guitars. The Aloha's unusual pheasantwood bridge and fingerboard
gave it an appealing appearance.
The reviewers had
differing opinions about the Goodall's playability. Grampp found
the neck to be a bit too chunky, while the rest of us found
it comfortable and enjoyed the fingerstyle-friendly string spacing
at the saddle. Played softly, the Goodall would best be described
as sounding very mellow. It displayed great definition and warmth,
but it lacked some sparkle, and the balance between open and
fretted strings was slightly off in some positions. The guitar
exhibited a wide dynamic range, and it really came to life when
Grampp used it for some hard-hitting Django-style swing rhythm.
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Huss and Dalton
OM
$2,955 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid
Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge,
scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, catalyzed lacquer finish, Schaller
Mini tuners. 25.4-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String
spacing at the bridge: 2 7/32 inches.
The Virginia-based
Huss and Dalton Guitar Co. has become a notable presence in
the sea of small-shop manufacturers. We were impressed by the
company's dreadnought in a 2001 review and looked forward to
checking out a smaller specimen. Huss and Dalton's OM presents
a very clean, spare lookÐthe abalone "stingray" fingerboard
inlay its only hint of extravagance.
The Huss and Dalton's
tone was rich, clear, and flavored with chimey overtones, and
it had a certain tightness (which made for great note separation),
a quality that was particularly apparent in the lower mids and
bass frequencies. The guitar sounded equally good strummed,
used for picking out single-note lines, or fingerpicked. Some
players might be put off by the slick neck finish, but thanks
to the guitar's traditional look and very contemporary sound,
it ranked high on every reviewer's list.
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Larrivée
OMV-60
$2,799 with hardshell
case ($3,099 with cutaway, as reviewed). Limited lifetime warranty.
Solid spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony
fingerboard and bridge, tapered braces, dovetail neck joint,
polyester finish. Custom open-back Ping tuners. 25.5-inch scale.
Nut width: 1 11/16 inches. String spacing at the bridge: 2 3/16
inches.
Although Larrivée
has long offered OM-style guitars, the OMV-60 is a brand-new
addition to the company's recently introduced line of "traditional
series" instruments. Manufactured in Larrivée's California
facility, it combines some distinctly Martin-esque characteristics
(a square headstock with a diamond volute, herringbone purfling,
etc.) with unique Larrivée traits, such as a symmetrical
X-bracing pattern.
Larrivée also repositioned the top bracing a bit to accommodate
an enlarged soundhole.
The OMV-60 was among
the easier playing steel-strings I've ever encountered. It had
incredibly buttery action even in the higher positions, and
all of the reviewers found the neck comfortable. Although its
incredibly low setup kept the instrument from really coming
to life when strummed with a pick, the Larrivée was one
of the better fingerstyle guitars in the batch. It offered a
complex voice and had great presence without being overly bright.
A fast response led to good tone even when played softly, and
the guitar had a way of blending the notes in a chord without
sounding mushy. It wasn't the loudest of these guitars, but
setting the action slightly higher would almost certainly lead
to a measurable increase in volume.
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Legend OM-302PW
$2,965 with hardshell
case ($2,595 with Grover tuning machines). Limited lifetime
warranty, solid Sitka spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back
and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped braces, dovetail
neck joint, nitrocellulose lacquer finish, Waverly tuners. 25.5-inch
scale. Nut width: 1 11/16 inches. String spacing at the bridge:
2 1/8 inches.
A newcomer to the
U.S. market, Vancouver, Canada—based Legend Guitars prides
itself on a decidedly old-school approach to guitar building.
(For example, the company uses no CNC machines.) Legend revolves
around a team of three luthiers who value the term handmade.
Part of the company's prewar Era line of Martin-inspired instruments,
the OM-302PW adheres closely to traditional OM specs, although
it's a little deeper in the upper bout area.
The Legend's neck
has a rounded V shape and considerable girth. A couple of reviewers
noted that the guitar took more effort to play than some of
the others, and fingerstylists may find the string spacing a
bit cramped. The guitar sounded decidedly woody and organic,
and its mids and lows possessed great warmth and projection
and displayed an even tone. Some players might seek a little
more brilliance, but others will appreciate the Legend's versatility
and vintage vibe.
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Lowden S32
$2,995 with hardshell
case, Limited lifetime warranty, solid Sitka spruce top, solid
Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard, Brazilian
rosewood bridge, tapered braces, dovetail neck joint, acid-catalyzed
satin finish, Gotoh tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4
inches. String spacing at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
Northern Ireland's
Lowden Guitar Co. has built its reputation on unique instruments,
and the S32 is no exception. Featuring the company's smallest
body size and appointed with typical Lowden design elements
such as a five-piece neck (made from mahogany and rosewood),
split saddle, pinless bridge, and plain fingerboard, the S32
looks nothing like a Martin copy. Wood binding, a clear pickguard,
and a satin finish contribute to its warm appearance.
Although it's not
the easiest guitar to play (it's got a chunky neck and frets
that are slightly larger than usual, and it came set up with
medium action), the S32's tone has substance. At first strum,
the sound seemed slightly hollow and midrange heavy, but the
longer we listened, the more we came to appreciate its amazing
resonance, complexity, and abundance of overtones. We found
the S32 somewhat lacking in clarity and focus, but the wild,
diffused quality it offers would add character to many musical
contexts.
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Martin OM-18V
$2,849 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid
mahogany back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped
braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish, Gotoh open-back
tuners. 25.4-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String spacing
at the bridge: 2 3/8 inches.
Expectations ran
understandably high for Martin's entry into the OM field, and
the OM-18V didn't disappoint. Except for its adjustable truss
rod, the 18V hews close to the original Martin design, including
its chunky V-shape neck and a "through-cut" saddle, which features
a bridge channel with open ends that can make installing an
under-saddle pickup tricky.
The OM-18V exhibited
all the woodiness and warmth one expects from a good Martin.
While we marveled at the guitar's dynamic range, killer fingerstyle
string spacing, and overall vintage vibe, we also noted that—just
like many other vintage instrumentsÐit wasn't as balanced or
bright as some more contemporary designs. Still and all, this
is a package that's hard to beat.
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Morris S-103
$2,500 with hardshell
case. Three-year warranty. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid Indian
rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge, scalloped
braces, dovetail neck joint, polyurethane finish, Gotoh tuners.
25.75-inch scale. Nut width: 1 11/16 inches. String spacing
at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
One of Japan's largest
manufacturers of high-end acoustic guitars, Morris Guitars stopped
exporting instruments to the U.S. in the 1980s but recently
reentered the U.S. market. Morris offers a number of small-bodied
guitars specifically targeted to fingerstyle players. Some of
Morris' guitars feature a double-X bracing pattern, but the
S-103 relies on a heavily scalloped single X, and, interestingly,
another X-brace on its back. Like many Morris guitars, all S-103s
come with a built-in B-Band under-saddle pickup/internal mic
combination (with no external controls).
Tonally, the S-103
was perfectly suited to fingerstyle playing. It had superfast
response even with a soft touch, and its fundamental tone was
permeated with a smoothness that sounded like a high-quality
CD recording. These qualities worked well with alternate-tuning
contemporary fingerstyle material, where the slightly longer-than-average
scale length helped retain string tension. The setup was nice,
but the slightly narrow neck and tight string spacing seemed
like questionable choices for a fingerstyle guitar. All in all,
the Morris offers a very modern sound, and since it also comes
with an advanced electronics package, it's stage-ready right
out of the box.
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Santa Cruz OM/PW
$2,500 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Sitka spruce top, solid
Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and bridge,
scalloped braces, dovetail neck joint, nitrocellulose finish.
Proprietary open-back Grover tuners. 25.375-inch scale. Nut
width: 1 3/4 inches. String spacing at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
The OM/PW is one
of two guitars in the Santa Cruz Guitar Co.'s PW (prewar) series
(the other one is a dreadnought). Both offer vintage specs (including
forward-shifted X-bracing), austere appointments, and the lowest
prices of any of the company's instruments. The OM/ PW benefited
from Santa Cruz' meticulous fretwork, and the company's typical
attention to detail showed in such finishing touches as counter-sunk
bridge pins.
Santa Cruz found
an excellent compromise between vintage and modern profiles
when it settled on the shape of the OM/ PW's neck, and our reviewers
found the guitar comfortable to play. We were taken by the instrument's
fat trebles, which were complemented by a nice breathy bass
and a wide dynamic range. Heavy flatpicking generated a somewhat
piercing tone, but generally, the OM/PW handled strumming and
fingerpicking remarkably well, and fingerstyle technique revealed
great note separation and clarity. The OM/PW ranked as one of
the favorites in this roundup.
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Tacoma EBZ24
$2,649 with hardshell
case. Transferable limited lifetime warranty. Solid Sitka spruce
top, solid Brazilian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard
and bridge, tapered braces, bolt-on neck, polyurethane finish.
Custom Gotoh tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches.
String spacing at the bridge: 2 7/32 inches.
The Tacoma Guitar
Co. made a name for itself offering solid-wood guitars in the
mid-price range. Tacoma enters the high end with the EBZ24,
which features genuine Brazilian rosewood back and sides. With
its other specs similar to those of the LJ (Little Jumbo) line,
the EBZ24 uses Tacoma's original bridge shape, which creates
a strong break angle where the strings pass over the saddle
(which will be especially desirable if an under-saddle pickup
is installed).
The Tacoma was the
largest of the guitars we reviewed and felt noticeably heavy.
It sported a contemporary neck design with a shallow, rounded
profile, and the fingerboard was fitted with jumbo-size frets.
A first strum revealed a very clean tonal quality that had a
strong bass and high end but lacked a little complexity and
multidimensionality. The harder we played the instrument, the
more compressed the tone became, which could be an issue for
soloists. But the EBZ24 packed a punch when it came to volume
and offered a versatility that would make it work in a variety
of contexts.
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Taylor 712
$2,668 with hardshell
case. Limited lifetime warranty. Solid Engelmann spruce top,
solid Indian rosewood back and sides, ebony fingerboard and
bridge, scalloped braces, bolt-on neck, polyester finish, Grover
tuners. 25.5-inch scale. Nut width: 1 3/4 inches. String spacing
at the bridge: 2 3/16 inches.
Next to its legendary
12-strings, many people feel that Taylor's grand concert—
sized guitars are consistently its strongest. We compared the
high-tech, high-volume manufacturer's plainly appointed 712
with some of the more "boutique-type" instruments in this batch
and were quite impressed.
Even though the
712's lower bout approximates the dimensions of an OM-style
instrument, its slightly narrower upper bout and tighter waist
give it a more compact appearance. We all appreciated the guitar's
playable neck, tonal balance, and versatility. Wollenberg in
particular was impressed with how even the guitar sounded throughout
its range, and while other guitars had more high-end crisp or
low-end punch, the Taylor impressed with its confidence. Forceful
strumming slightly overwhelmed the 712, but a lighter touch
produced a satisfying rhythm voice. Thanks to its pleasing,
neutral character, the 712 would be a versatile choice for professional
and amateur players alike.
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Take Your Pick
After reviewing these high-quality
instruments it became clear that our job would be to identify their
individual strengths and give our opinions about which playing techniques
worked best with each. The Huss and Dalton, Larrivée, and Santa
Cruz guitars were particularly well liked, and DuBrock gave the Dell'Arte
the thumbs up as a rhythm guitar. We agreed that it was hard to beat
the Martin's vibe. The Taylor impressed us with its versatility, and
Lowden and Gibson got points for their individual characters. Ultimately,
there's no substitute for trying a few of these guitars yourself. Not
a single instrument in this batch would disappoint the serious player,
and any of them would stand up to professional use onstage or in the
studio.
Excerpted from
Acoustic
Guitar magazine, July 2003,
No. 127.
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