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Old 11-17-2015, 09:27 AM
ericcsong ericcsong is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Falls Church, VA
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2015 Kostal Brazilian/German Review:

So I've had the guitar about 3 and a half weeks and I wanted to give the guitar some good time at home and many hours of playing before I posted my review. I've been getting a lot of questions about how does this compare to my Mod D, but that comparison will come later! As you have read, this guitar was AGF's Guitar of the year. J.R. Rogers made a post and his review here: http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=405977

Here is my review for my 2015 Kostal Brazilian/German OM.

Trebles, Trebles, Trebles!

You love those thick trebles, this guitar certainly has it! I'm not talking about a bright guitar by any means, but I'm talking stupid thick and very robust. We get notes that hit hard and sustain. I will be playing the guitar and hit a higher note and just say wow. As stated before, after I played a Tragott, I understood what people meant by an acoustic guitar with a crazy thick treble. I didn't want Jason to build me one of Jeff's guitars. I wanted a Kostal and he gave me more than I expected on this front! All of this and not taking away from the overall balance of the guitar.

Balance, Balance, Balance!

All across the board, this guitar is just so very balanced. Each and every note rings clear as a bell. When I try to say clear and balanced, on paper, that can mean the same on a Epiphone to a Larrivee to a Collings. In words, it can mean the same on a Taylor or a Martin, or a Bourgeois or a Santa Cruz. Balanced on paper is hard to convey because you don't have the guitar in your lap and feel it in your chest. So I'm trying my best to describe my balance.

If you ever made the jump from a $300 guitar to a $1500 guitar, you hear and feel the difference. If you ever made the jump from a $1200ish guitar to a $3000 guitar, you feel and hear the difference. If you ever made the jump from a $3000 guitar to a higher end boutique, its a different kind of feeling. When you make the jump to a Ryan or Claxton, you know there is something very different about this caliber of instrument.

And I am not bringing up these brands to talk badly about any of them because they are all awesome guitars and each guitar brings something great to the table! If you are into vintage guitars or less modern guitars, this analogy might not work for you. But to me, these are guitars I've played along the journey and it makes sense in my head.

The first time I played a Ryan, I had to have one. I didn't want just any Ryan, but I wanted this particular African Blackwood Cathedral that knocked my socks off (by the way, I am keeping my Ryan since I found a way to afford to keep it!). I have never played anything like it and it was incredible in every way. That higher end world class guitar had a clarity that was ridiculously awesome. That kind of feeling.

With the Kostal OM, I get that same kind of feeling. Something that words can't fully describe, but that incremental increase as you go up the acoustic guitar ladder and as you move up the handmade ladder. This guitar evokes emotion and inspires me to play more and more. The guitar sounds pre-eq'ed if that even makes sense and is hauntingly beautiful the more and more I play it.

COMFORT:

This OM seems a little bit bigger than your standard OM. Martin's OM is 15 inches across the lower bout where the Kostal OM is 15.562. Martin's upper bout is 11.25 while the Kostal is 11.375. The Martin's depth at the neck is 3 11/32 while the Kostal is 3.5. The Martin is 4 1/8 deep at the tail block where the Kostal is 4.5. It does seem bigger in every way compared to a typical Martin OM. While Martin's scale is 25.4, the Kostal has a little shorter scale at 25". When comparing to higher built luthier guitars, its close to a Traugott Model R or a Claxton EM.

The guitar has a wedge so that tapers the guitar in slightly on the bass side and tapers the treble side out a bit. This certainly adds to comfort. At first, I didn't know if I wanted a wedge on a "smaller" guitar. I'm a bigger guy so a guitar this size is plenty small enough for me. But the added comfort of a wedge is absolutely perfect. It is also transparent as well. You can't even tell that the wedge is there and that exactly how it should be executed.

PROJECTION:

This guitar is also LOUD! Just like a great OM should be, it projects extremely well. It responds to the slightest touch and it rings and rings and rings! I asked Jason how this guitar projects so well and he says that every little thing from the dome of the top to the height of the bridge to the bracing to the saddle height and much more that I can't remember! You can attack this guitar like an Adirondack topped guitar and it just wants to be played more! The German top gives is a little complexity in the tone and richens things up to my liking. Things just come together so very well!

AESTHETICS:

One of Jason's mottos is beauty through simplicity. I absolutely love Jason's design from his hand carved headstock to his carved bridge. From a distance, the guitar looks very simple and the bridge looks symmetrical. When you get a closer look at his bridge, it is carved with an asymmetric design on top of a symmetrical outline. The heel cap runs flush with the back of the guitar (which I absolutely love) and there is a carve out on the heel cap that mimics the cutout on his headstock. That headstock cutout mimics the cutaway on the body. The volute on the back of the headstock is unique yet simple. And his stained glass rosettes continue to amaze me. The straight grain Brazilian is ridiculously straight and some of the best I've seen. I think the top on this guitar is super special as well. The German Spruce is extremely white and creamy and there is a lot of silking going on. I love the piece of burled maple he uses on the end graft. He went with a simple asymmetric design where the pick up jack breaks up the maple with a simple piece of Brazilian on the other side. Even the grain on this Brazilian piece is running the same way as the back but contrasts with the perpendicular running of the sides. Simply beautiful and beautifully simple!


CONCLUSION:

I once was told that some guitars are just more musical. The same reason you can play 20 d28s and one of them really sticks out. The same reason that you can play 20 Olson guitars and even though all of them are world class instruments, that will be that one will be a knock out. I really feel as though this one is one that is that kind of special. The one that will haunt you for years and the one you can't get out of your mind. Again, it inspires me to play more and more each day. I absolutely love this guitar! I get lost in the tone, amazed at the balance, and frightened by the trebles. The complexity of this guitar is hard to put into words, but to me, Jason really did build the guitar of the year!

More recordings are coming tomorrow and here are some outside pics!

The next commentary will be differences I find between my new OM and my 4 year old Modified Dread. Stay tuned!





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__________________
Eric

Omega Braz MJ, 2011 Omega MJ Braz Baritone
Ryan Cathedral ABW/Bosnian
Build thread: 2011 Kostal Mod D Brazilian/German
Build thread: 2019 Kostal MDW Brazilian/German
Build thread:2019 Bigfoot Mod D

Last edited by ericcsong; 11-17-2015 at 09:50 PM.