Wonderful wenge: Chasson Concert

Trevor M · #1 08-31-2012, 09:39 AM

There has been some discussion about wenge and Kent Chasson's new concert model so I thought I would post some photos of this beauty.

mikealpine · #2 08-31-2012, 10:15 AM

It is a beautiful guitar. However, the Wenge looks (to me) a lot like EIR, although with a bit more straight grain. Am I correct in that? For some reason I expected it to be darker in color, more blackish-brown, as I believe I have seen in some other build pics. How does it sound? Any sound comparison to EIR? Thanks!!

Kent Chasson · #3 08-31-2012, 01:36 PM

Trevor, thanks again for letting me hang on to that for awhile.

Mike, Wenge is one of the most consistent looking and sounding woods I've come across. I've seen some EIR that is close to that color but most of it is more purple. Wenge has a distinctive appearance when you see it in person. The winter growth lines are dark coffee colored but the summer growth lines are more like coffee with cream.

To my ear and with the way I tend to build, EIR contributes more low overtone content while Wenge contributes more clarity on the low end and more articulation across the board. Wenge tone really does compare well with Brazilian, particularly on the high end. Not quite as dark as Brazilian on the low end but on the same street in the neighborhood.

Coincidentally, I'm stringing up another Wenge guitar today and a nylon string one next week. I'll update those threads when I get time.

mikealpine · #4 08-31-2012, 02:04 PM

Kent, thanks for the info on Wenge. Sounds like a great wood! One of the reasons I haven't found a Brazilian guitar I thought was really fantastic (gasp - did I just say that!!) is that I often find it too dark for my tastes and lean toward clarity and separation. I like hearing the chime of deep bass, but like sparkle as well. Wenge might be an ideal wood candidate for that. This guitar is clean and classy!

Thanks again, and have a great weekend,
Mike

marty bradbury · #5 08-31-2012, 02:30 PM

Stunning guitar!!

roberts · #6 08-31-2012, 05:44 PM

Beautiful, Kent. Love the lines of the new Concert and the leopardwood accents.

Robert

Welshboy · #7 09-02-2012, 05:29 AM

I'd be interested to try this one. My feelings about wenge have varied quite a lot. i had the opportunity, recently, to play some more guitars made with it by makers I regard highly, and, as a result, I'm not too keen.

In one case, I had the opportunity to play a wenge guitar alongside similar models with BRW, Mad rose and Malaysian blackwood back and sides. The wenge one was the one I liked least. Interestingly, the BRW one was way ahead of the wenge and Mad rose ones, but I thought that the Malaysian blackwood one had the edge. Of course, this is just a personal response and reflects my own "taste" in tone, but it was an interesting and useful experience, to be able to spend quite a bit of time comparing very similar guitars by the same maker, which differed in the back and sides wood.

Trevor M · #8 09-02-2012, 05:32 AM

Richard,

I would be interested to know who's guitars you compared in wenge BRW, Mad rose and Malaysian blackwood.

steveh · #9 09-02-2012, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Acoustic Music Co (TAMCO) UK

Richard,

I would be interested to know who's guitars you compared in wenge BRW, Mad rose and Malaysian blackwood.

I'm guessing someone from Hexham?

I'm probably wrong.

cheers,
Steve

Welshboy · #10 09-02-2012, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Acoustic Music Co (TAMCO) UK

Richard,

I would be interested to know who's guitars you compared in wenge BRW, Mad rose and Malaysian blackwood.

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveh

I'm guessing someone from Hexham?

I'm probably wrong.

cheers,
Steve

I'm not sure that it would be particularly helpful to identify the maker. Each of the guitars is currently for sale, I believe, and although I was careful to stress my comments as a personal response, I'm wary of them being taken as an entirely negative judgement on the guitars. None of them were "bad" guitars, but the wenge one wasn't for me. Interestingly, I met with several other makers over the last couple of months, one of whom had recently started using wenge and liked it, the other two were not keen, having similar impressions to my own (incidentally, I didn't solicit any of the views expressed - they just came up in conversation about guitar making). The reason I mention it here is because I am curious to try more guitars made with the wood. I don't think that there are many in the UK, so the sample size of what I've played so far is probably close to the entire population, I suspect! I'd be interested to try this one of Kent's having played the dreadnought that TAMCO had in a while ago and liked Kent's more contemporary take on the dreadnought, I'm interested to see what Kent has done with this.

In fact, I'm increasingly of the opinion that it's the maker, first and foremost when it comes to guitars. For example, I've disliked almost every guitar made of bubinga I've played (a Beneteau OM being the exception), but played the best bubinga guitar I've encountered so far last week (a Brook Taw, in fact).

Trevor M · #11 09-02-2012, 11:17 AM

Agreed on the luthier being the most important factor. I have a bubinga MJ coming from Trevor Kronbauer soon.

Welshboy · #12 09-02-2012, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Acoustic Music Co (TAMCO) UK

Agreed on the luthier being the most important factor. I have a bubinga MJ coming from Trevor Kronbauer soon.

Another guitar for me to try, then!

steveh · #13 09-02-2012, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welshboy

Another guitar for me to try, then!

Personally, I wouldn't: If it's anything like the Kronbauers I tried at TAMCO the other week, you'll end up buying it, and you already have too many guitars!

Seriously, unbelievable value. The guy must survive on thin air to be able to offer such quality for the price.

Cheers,
Steve

Welshboy · #14 09-02-2012, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steveh

.... and you already have too many guitars!

....

Steve

You are absolutely right. I have far too many guitars - though I'm sure Trevor would disagree

I have two up for sale, but I really should sell more. I'll probably sell my Les Paul Speciall soon (currently awaiting a repair) and my Epiphone Wildkat (cheap, but enormously cheerful). I should sell my Sobell NW as the neck is too wide for me, but I'm loath to part with a guitar that sounds so good. Maybe I'l seel my Martin 000-28ECB instead.

Kent Chasson · #15 09-02-2012, 01:28 PM

Thanks Marty.

Robert, glad you like the lines. It's the only body shape I've ever been happy with on the first try but it was a long time in the making. It (and my Jumbo) are based on my Auditorium which went through at least 5 tweaks before I got it where I want it.

Richard, let me know if you make it down to Trevor's. I'd be curious to know what you think of this one.