Thursday, May 05, 2005

I have been playing a Lakewood acoustic at Guitar Center over the past couple of weeks. It's a beautiful instrument from Germany, dark chocolate brown rosewood back and sides, very white European spruce top with double rosette, a wide outer circle of abalone, inner circle dark rosewood. It is light of weight, which probably means scolloped bracing. The bass is deep and mellow, treble is clear and sparkly.
The fingerboard is extra wide which I normally do not like. My fingers are short and fat and a wide fingerboard makes it hard for me to stretch my pinky down to the bottom high E without bending the top bass E, making it sharp. But the extra room between strings does make for cleaner playing. The action is very easy allowing for precision notes. I really like this guitar. Starts out at $2400 but I could probably trade in my D02 and get it for $18oo. There I go, daydreaming again.

Monday, May 02, 2005

Didn't get the Birchwood. Still playing the D02. I shaved saddle a bit and improved the action.
I played a Koa Martin at Maple Street Guitars. The very loudest guitar I have ever heard! Too loud! Each note overran the one before. No way to sing while playing this bruiser, it's just too overpowering.