Quote:
Originally Posted by colins
Very nice DT, glad you posted.
I am torn between the 00m and something a bit smaller for a new Baranik and you have avoided that dilemma by having one of each!
Sticking your neck out tonewise....would you say the higuerilla is similar to a rosewood in tone, or more in the koa/walnut or mahogany space?
Col
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Hey, Colin, always glad to scratch your Baranik itch.
For what it’s worth, to my ear higuerilla sounds quite similar to koa. My old Larrivée Parlor had koa back and sides, as does my Retreux, and there’s definitely a family resemblance to the timbre. The only mahogany guitar I’ve ever had a chance to get to know well was my first acoustic ever, an all-hog Gibson B-15, which sounded a lot darker than my 00m. Usual caveats apply, of course.
Didn’t you almost go for a koa 00m a few years back? I remember seeing a picture of you (I think it was you) playing that guitar at Mike’s shop. Between the 00 and Parlor sizes, he also has the PX. Have you ever tried one of those? I haven’t, they’re extremely rare. Mike’s work is very consistent, as far as I can tell. The 00m takes the wonderful sound of the Retreux and gives the low end more room to develop. The Parlor offers less bass but more immediacy. I love them both.
These two guitars have the same scale length, which I think has a defining impact on how they sound and respond. The only longer-scale Baranik I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing was a Meridian at The North American Guitar shop in London last year. It reminded me of what I’ve been missing since I got rid of the Goodalls, Taylor, etc. Since I can’t afford to have three of Mike’s instruments, if a trade for a Meridian came up, I’d swap the 00m and keep the Retreux as my small format picker because of the immediacy I mentioned earlier. If I were going to commission a new guitar from Mike, I might also go for a 25.25” - 25.5” scale length on a PX or 00 size.