Month: January 2017

Paul Reed Smith guitars (official site) are seen by many as a holy grail guitar; in other words, something you strive for, but may never be able to afford. And let's be honest, there are some models that command big prices. But there are also a bevy of models with very reasonable prices and all look, feel and sound excellent. (Pics and video below) The bottom line here being that for literally a few hundred dollars(*) you can have one of these finely crafted machines. [caption id="attachment_188" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Image Credit: PRS Guitars[/caption] Now what's the (*) all about?  Why am I caveating this statement? It's simply because to find Paul Reed Smith guitars for under three hundred bones, you may need to buy second-hand. I picked up a second-hand…

Part of why we love guitars is how they look. It's often said that when we eat, we eat with our eyes first. This is why top restaurants focus so much on the presentation of their food. And so it is with guitars. D'Angelico Guitars ( official site ) knows this well and takes great efforts to ensure you love what you're about to play. (Photos and videos below) They have a unique look with styling based on Art Deco design cues. If you like that kind of industrial design esthetic, D'Angelico Guitars will appeal to you. They are well balanced, the action is almost perfect as delivered, the finish is exquisite and the tone is sublime. These guitars are conversation starters wherever they appear with an ideal blend of…

You like to play guitar. And you travel frequently. You need a travel guitar! Whether it's on a plane, bus, train or even by car, hauling a full sized guitar around can be a bit of work. You can be forgiven for thinking we're on a path to compromise as, technically, we are. After all, an acoustic guitar gets much of it's sound from the size of the body. So when you shrink that, naturally, you'll lose some volume and the tone will change. With an electric travel guitar, however, size matters a great deal less. As long as you can house the electrics and other necessary bits (tuning machines, bridge, pickups, etc.) you're only limited by making the unit easy to handle. (Pics and Videos below.) Hofner Shorty Travel…

Larrivee Guitars is a company I can love. They started life in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and are now, after many years, located in Oxnard, CA. They still build their guitars by hand, and unlike many others, there are no plys or laminates used. it's all hardwood and full sections of tone woods. And, as we all know, you CAN hear that difference. (Website here, video of a Larrivee in action below - video is an older review, but aside from the prices noted, it's representative.) They believe in making quality guitars at affordable prices. While this is subjective, as of this posting, I'm seeing prices ranging from just under $1500 USD to just over $5,000 USD. You may scoff at a multi-thousand dollar acoustic, but we're talking about a hand…

Diamond Guitars might be a smaller manufacturer. And chances are you've never heard of them. But damned if they don't put out some beautiful gear. If you want to see their full collection, hit the Diamond Guitars website. (Hint, its worth it!) (Video down below if you want it, too.) They're based out of Texas, so you can feel good about supporting "local", though no doubt some of the hardware is sourced form other locations. Still everything is designed here and built to their specs, so that's gotta count for something. Plus, these guys are turning out custom-finish guitars and "we can afford them" prices. The driver behind the guitars is the same person behind Diamond Amps. The bottom line here is Diamond Guitars are hitting the sweet spot. Obviously…

Another series from Cole Clark in Australia. Simply magnificent guitars from these folks. Great wood selections! http://www.coleclarkguitars.com

Such beautiful guitars coming from down under. Awesome choice of woods! Cole Clark Guitars Specs: FL3EC-RDRW – Redwood Top with Indian Rosewood Back and Sides. All solid timber cutaway dreadnought with internally carved top and back. Cole Clark 3-way pickup system Finish: Nitrocellulose (natural satin) Neck: Queensland Maple Silkwood Top: Australian grown American Redwood Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood Inlaid timber binding, purfling and rosette. Bridge/Fretboard: Ebony (with ebony bridge pins) Inlays: Abalone (fretboard, waist and rosette) Machine Heads: Grover Gold Nut/Saddle: Graph Tech Tusq Strings: Phosphor Bronze 12-53 Nut Width: 44mm/1.73″