I currently have 4 instruments of the highest quality to choose from. There is a tendency for the latest squeeze to be the favourite for a while, and then I rediscover the pleasures of the others, but there’s something about this latest which has hit the sweet spot for me.
20 years ago Nelson Mandela visited the school where I was working and told a story to the kids about a man who travelled all around the world looking to find true love, only to return home and marry a local girl. As they left the hall, I overheard one of the kids say to her friend “I didn’t understand what he was on about, but he seemed like a nice old fellow”. My luthier journey started 23 years ago with a Brook dreadnaught: I vividly remember going down to this glorious patch of Devon countryside and picking out my first handmade guitar. Subsequently I have owned and sold guitars by Lowden, Martin, Armstrong, Kinnaird, Brondel, Ed Foley, Adrian Lucas, Al Beardsell, Frankie Montuoro, Larson Brothers, John Greven, Kevin Kopp, Tom Rein, Geza Burghardt, a few more I’ve forgotten, and I’ve played countless different brands in scores of high end stores. Always seeking for just the right match, the right feel.
This Branwell 00 is my local girl, as he’s based close enough to drive over for half a day’s visit. My 16 year old daughter has learnt to appreciate fine guitars, and this evening we played the current crop. She said: “The Branwell is the one that fits you best”. Over the years I’ve changed from strumming /flatpicking and needing something that can be played hard, to mostly fingerstyle and wanting something really responsive to a soft as well as heavy touch. My first few guitars had 1 11/16 nut, but I’ve gone gradually wider until I’ve settled on 1 7/8 and a wider string spacing of 2 3/8. I used to want larger bodied, now I prefer the 00 size, OM at the outside. I’ve also moved towards liking a slightly darker tone, but tonally some things have remained fixed: a need for strong trebles, a balance of sweetness and power.
Straight out of the box this Branwell 00 delivers: it’s incredibly punchy and powerful with a lively bounce to every note. The character of the tone is smoky, earthy and on the darker side. The tonal balance is excellent across the fretboard, I have yet to find a weak area and the trebles are plenty strong enough for my needs. There is plenty of sustain for a small-bodied guitar, and the Macacauba back adds a rosewoody reverb/chorus with enough angelic overtones for my taste without sacrificing a satisfying fundamental. I think we got lucky to source an excellent piece of 40 year old Italian spruce from one of the top classical builders in England, the sound is wide open straight away, and it’s huge, it defies logic that such a small guitar can sound so commanding.
The finish is a satin french polish, as thin as you dare, designed to let the wood sing without restraint. I love the shape and feel of the body, which is based on the 1888 Torres classical model with a lower bout of 14.2 inches (360mm) wide and only 4 inches deep. It sits just right in the lap, and the neck also feels perfect. Visually, I’m less bothered than most people seem to be, but I like the redness of the spruce, the back looks lovely, and the visuals on the RW bridge and fretboard work for me.
Everything seems to have come together in a way that I have been seeking all these years, so it has that Goldilocks vibe to it. I freely acknowledge that I am ridiculously picky, overly sensitive, prone to hype on early impressions, easily disappointed and fickle, with a chronic case of GAS and “the grass is greener” complex. I have played a few guitars over the years that have stood out as special ones: a Dudenbostel OM, a couple of Sexauers, the famous Amazon RW Bown OM. This one stands in that company for my taste, and I’m happy to admit that if I fall out of love with it, then I am truly a hopeless case beyond the reach of any therapy. I’ll record something as soon as I can get to it. On a final note, in terms of bang for buck, Nick Branwell is an outrageous bargain, his prices are absurdly low for the quality. Plus, of course, he's as decent and easy going a fellow as you're likely to meet. Happy days!
