The guitar is finished and in my hands!
Ralph's brief was for it to have the clarity, separation and balance similar to a good Spanish sounding classical. It has all of that, plus some things I didn't ask for: warmth and, for want of a better term, a 3D quality. The guitar is loud and responsive, yet focused and is more akin to an OM, not a hint of boxiness. Trebles are fat, especially past the 12th fret. The bass matches the treble and is full and rich, but not overpowering.
Someone commented on the photo of the bracing that it was too heavy, maybe that has something to do with the full rich sound, especially the trebles; the body is also slightly deeper than a usual 00, so that helps too.
I think I'm a nightmare customer, with really precise demands and Ralph has pulled it off. He's pleased with it, which speaks volumes as he is always striving for more.
We've all read guitar reviews: "best sounding guitar... chiming trebles... thunderous bass..." and usually to describe a laminate factory guitar; so, it's pretty clear that descriptions are subjective - it is in actually playing it that a sense of the sound can be formed, but for now, Youtube vids will have to do. I'm working on a few which will be up in the next few weeks. I was thinking some crowd pleasing rags (which it excels at), but that would be like nipping to the shops in a Rolls, so I've got some Bach, York and Brouwer in the pipeline.
I'm really pleased to own a steel string guitar that allows me to explore my repertoire with new possibilities and one that will enable me to play with minimal impact on my problematic LH thumb.
Jonny
