New Edwinson Performance SC Multiscale!

[theEdwinson]

Here is a brand new Edwinson Performance SC Multiscale guitar, up for adoption to a good home. This is the largest model in the Edwinson lineup, at 16" wide in the lower bout. It has a great deal of power and range, and as the model name promises, this guitar is a real performer, with a world-class voice.

This year, 2020, is my twentieth year as a luthier, and this guitar is one of several very special instruments that will mark that happy milestone. More coming, stay tuned!

I am offering this guitar for $2000 below the spec price; details below.

I had originally intended for this Performance SC to be one of my show guitars at last year's B.I.G. show in Spring Branch TX, hosted by the AGF's best friend, Tom B'Sox. However, rather than stretch myself too thin and have to cut corners on my other concurrent builds, I put this one on the back burner for awhile. I wanted to make this guitar very special, and that is hard to pull off under a big time crunch. So this one, which I named "Rapunzel", became a labor of love, for me to finish building in my "spare time".

It has been a fully built guitar for a short time now, enough to have opened up brilliantly and formed its own identity. It has a Multiscale architecture, with a scale spread of 25.25" to 25.75", so it excels for both standard tunings, and D- or C-based open tunings. It is set up with a low, fast action, and is very supple and responsive, no matter how you play it.

Before I load you down with too many details, here are some photos of Rapunzel... And after you've had a good look, further information, specs, and asking price below.









As I mentioned above, I am offering members of the Acoustic Guitar Forum a special deal on this guitar, $2000 below list. It is a brand new, 2020 guitar, with full warranty, and if you want to test drive it, you can try it out for several days before committing the money, to make sure it's a perfect fit for you, with the caveat that you pay the shipping cost.

As you can see from the photos, this guitar is opulently appointed with almost every premium option I offer; Multiscale architecture, an Omega style open headstock, arm and rib bevels, a scoop cutaway, Style One binding and trim, segmented back seam inlay, upper bout sound port with inlay trim, and even a "Constellation" rosette.

The back and sides, and rear headstock plate, are Mastergrade Pomelle Quilt Sapele, and the top is Mastergrade German Spruce. The bindings, bevels, scoop cutaway, bridge, fingerboard, and front headstock plate are all exhibition grade Cocobolo. The neck is Honduran Mahogany, multi-laminated with Cocobolo, and Maple veneer lines.

The spec price of this guitar is $10,870, with a Guardian CG-044-OS vintage style hardshell case. I am asking $8870 USD.

I'll post the full list of specs and a comprehensive description of the Rapunzel guitar shortly, in another post. If you want to communicate with me, please either send me a PM through the AGF, or email at [email protected]. My phone number is (206) 271 8743; if you call please leave a short message if I don't pick up. I'm often running a noisy machine, or I've glued myself to a guitar and can't pick up right away.
Thank you for looking!

[theEdwinson]

Here are some more detail shots of Rapunzel:

[billyg]

Very, very beautiful guitar. Wow.

[theEdwinson]

Here are the pertinent specs on the Rapunzel Performance SC:

The size of this guitar is closely equivalent to GA or SJ. This is the largest model I make.
Lower bout: 16"; Waist: 9 1/2"; Upper bout: 11 5/8"
Body length: 20";
Depth @ neck join: 4 1/8"; Depth @ waist: 4 3/8"; Depth @ end graft: 4 1/4"
Yes, the waist is the deepest part of the box- an element of Edwinson design since the beginning. I find that this configuration helps the vibrational excursion inside the sound box project more toward the sound hole, so the midrange and bass don't create standing waves down in the lower bout, but project more forward, with nice balance and clarity.

This is a multiscale guitar, with a scale spread of 25.25" to 25.75"; The 10th fret is perpendicular, which makes the fan of the frets extremely ergonomic. It does not feel any different in playing position than a standard single-scale guitar.
Advantages of the multiscale configuration are: Improved intonation from string-to-string; The ability to tune down to D- or C-based tunings with light or medium/light gauge strings, while maintaining good tension on the bass end for clean, buzz-free response. This guitar also responds beautifully with Standard tuning at A440, with light gauge strings.

The trebles, at the shorter end of the spread, chime with overtones and clarity, while the midrange and bass end of the spectrum are fat and punchy, but well-focused and clear.
This guitar has exceptionally even tonal balance from low to mid to high. No part of the range is particularly dominant. The full spectrum tone has a lot of clean sustain, blooming overtones, and a 3-D presence that sounds like the notes swell and expand after they are picked. The tone is very colorful, in other words.

The upper bout sound port on the side really opens up the tonal response from the player's perspective, and gives the guitar a more spherical (as opposed to linear) projection. It can really fill a live room with quality sound!

The frets are my standard favorite wire- Evo Gold, medium. This alloy is harder than nickel silver frets, and wears a lot longer; but it is not as hard as stainless steel, which is very harsh on fretting tools. The gold color is very subtle, looking more like so-called "German silver".

The tuners are Gotoh 510 Mini, Cosmo Black, 18:1 ratio. These are among the best tuners made, in my opinion. I've used them for many years, and never encountered a single one of them with slop in the action. I've used custom handmade tuners from Alessi and Robson, costing over a thousand bucks a set, and these Gotohs are as good or better. These tuners can also be dressed up with custom wood buttons.

I have kept this guitar tuned mostly down to C-based tunings, with light gauge strings (.012-.054), with a low, fast setup for fingerstyle, and it plays clean with a medium fingerstyle attack. This guitar also responds very enthusiastically to playing with a pick. It has plenty of power in reserve, due to the excellent German Spruce top and the Sapele back and sides.

The Sapele has a strong Mahogany vibe, but it tends to add a rosewood-like nuance to the bass end, instead of heavily favoring the midrange, as Mahogany is known for. Most Sapele is denser and harder than most genuine Mahogany. The back and side set used on this guitar is quarter sawn, with beautiful, shimmery Pomelle Quilt figure. The photos above, shot with studio strobe lighting, don't really show the depth and chatoyance that you see in person.
The reason I named this guitar "Rapunzel" is a reference to the Grimm's Fairy Tales character, Rapunzel, who had extraordinarily long, beautiful wavy hair. I remember a book of Grimm's Fairy Tales we had in the family, about a thousand years ago when I was very young, that pictured Rapunzel with long, wavy red hair, that reminds me so much of the wavy, reddish, Pomelle quilt in this Sapele.

But I digress- again...

About some of the high-end features on this guitar:
I LOVE making scoop cutaways. I think it's a good look, and it is so ergonomic! If you like to play all the way up the neck, the scoop gives you as much reach as any deep cutaway, and makes a nice cove for your left hand. It also only reduces the air volume in the box about half as much as a conventional cutaway. Scoops are a bit tricky to make, especially if the trim work is as complex as it is on the Rapunzel; but, properly executed, the result is very satisfying.

This guitar has both arm and rib bevels, so despite being a full-size GA/SJ size, it is very comfortable to hold and play. It just invites you to pick it up and make tunage.

The Omega open headstock design has become my 20-year trademark. Since I introduced the Omega as an option in 2016, it has become my most popular headstock. Folks really respond to the modern look; but there's a lot of function to the form as well. Notice that the string pull from the nut to the tuner posts is almost dead-straight. I think this improves the tuning stability, and may also help get extra mileage out of your strings, especially if you play a bunch of tunings, since there's no break angle, where the strings depart from the nut slots at an angle. All my headstocks share that feature, tapering narrower, instead of wider, toward the crest of the headstock.

Some people are put off by slot-heads and such, due to a mis-perception that they can be a pain in the tuckus to re-string. Not so! If you know the right way to change strings on a slot-head or an Omega, it is just as quick, easy, and accurate as changing strings on a conventional solid headstock. I made a video, where I demonstrate my method in detail, and it takes all the clumsy fumbling OUT of the procedure. It will take seven to ten minutes to change strings and tune up with this method. I send this video to everyone who buys one of my guitars with a Omega, or Pogoda slot-head.

I'm offering this guitar with a Guardian brand CG-044-OS vintage style hard case, which is a good fit, a decent, well-made off-the-shelf case, which should be perfectly adequate for gigs around town and light travel. If you would rather have a custom case, I can order either a custom-fitted Ameritage case (about $550) with a broad range of covering and interior fabrics, and hardware options; or a Custom Hoffee carbon fiber flight case (from $1200- $1450). You'll definitely want the Hoffee if you are taking Rapunzel on a world tour!
Custom cases take about 6-8 weeks from order to delivery; so if you decide to buy this guitar, and you want a Hoffee or an Ameritage, I will ship the guitar to you in the Guardian case, and will pay for return shipping of the Guardian when your new custom case is delivered directly to you.

I hope this tells you what you need to know. If you're curious and want to know more, contact me and I'll try to fill in the blanks.

Thanks again for looking!

[theEdwinson]

I don't know about you guys, but at times like this, when it seems like the whole world is going crazy with panic and worry about this Covid-19 thing, I sure am glad I build guitars for a living, and I always have at least one or two of them around that I can play. Especially if at some point I have to self-quarantine. I'll be at home, working on a new arrangement of the ancient traditional Japanese folk song, "Sakura", in C-minor tuning. After that, I'll be studying Calum Graham and Dustin Furlow to see what they are doing.

And PLEASE, folks, don't worry so much about the toilet paper shortage!!!!!!!!! That's ridiculous! How is buying 100 rolls of toilet paper going to save you? Geez.

There's always going to be a positive side to every negative. That's how the universe keeps from imploding.

Please, everyone, be safe, and be well. And if you're stuck in stir over this calamity, stay calm, stay focused, and stay home. Catch up on those YouTube tutorials, and learn how to play your favorite songs in a new tuning. Or get a Rosetta Stone course, and learn another language. We're all in this together; now more than ever.

Make music, keep a positive attitude, and love the ones you're with.

Lemons = lemonade, y'know? Or even better, lemon moringue pie.

Jus' say'n.

[theEdwinson]

I guess this Corona virus crisis is going to be our "new normal" for awhile. I hope everybody who sees this stays safe and stays healthy. What better way to self-quarantine than staying home, playing guitar, watching tutorials, learning something new, making something with your hands...

I feel inclined to drop the price on this Sapele Performance SC an additional $870; so, $8000 firm, and it's yours. That's $2870 off list, for a lifetime guitar.

Also wanted to mention, two of my next custom build clients have decided to postpone their builds until the situation outside stabilizes. So I now have a couple of uncommitted build slots, ready to start a custom build in April, and another one in late May or June. If you have been wanting to co-create your dream guitar, but are put off by a lengthy wait time, this is a great opportunity.

I'm going to keep doing what I always do-- self-quarantining in my workshop, building guitars, and counting my many blessings.

Everybody, be safe, and be well!

[fitness1]

That port is SO cool!!!

[Dustinfurlow]

This guitar looks absolutely amazing!! Wow...it could be my eyesight which is starting to probably go from all the time spent in front of a screen lately but is the nut width and bridge spacing mentioned? Beautiful build, man. Geez

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by Dustinfurlow

This guitar looks absolutely amazing!! Wow...it could be my eyesight which is starting to probably go from all the time spent in front of a screen lately but is the nut width and bridge spacing mentioned? Beautiful build, man. Geez

Thanks, Dustin! I'm a huge fan of your music, Joel and I listen to you a lot while we're in the shop. Also following your new Beneteau build, and feeling sad that you have to part company with some of your beloved guitars. I feel the same about this Performance SC-- this one will be dearly missed when it finds a new home.
But, heh heh, I can always build another one! And I just did- a brand new Zephyr 00, just strung up on Sunday. I'll be listing it soon too, when I get my studio photos done.

To answer your question: The nut width on this Performance SC is 1 13/16", with string spacing at the nut set in a little, so it feels like a 1 3/4" nut. The string spread @ saddle is 2 5/16". Those are my typical fingerstyle specs.

Stay safe, be well, and best of good fortune to you, Dustin, and thanks so much for sharing your gifts with the rest of us!

[theEdwinson]

I'm having too much fun playing this Rapunzel guitar in C-minor tuning! It sounds awesome tuned down. Someone please take this guitar off my hands so I can get back to work making more of them!

Stay safe, be well..

[theEdwinson]

This Performance SC is still available... If you have been considering it, I am amenable to considering reasonable offers. This is a wonderful instrument, and will make some discerning player very happy. It continues to mature with more complexity, evenness of tone, and a very colorful and mellifluous voice. I will be sad to let Rapunzel go, but that will just mean that I need to make another... and another... And I have about six more sets of this amazing waterfall quilt Sapele, and various American, Canadian, and European spruces. And tons of other woods that I really look forward to working with.

I would also like to mention, during the Corona virus pandemic, I have had three postponements on custom builds this summer, and have a couple of available build slots with a very short waiting time. Opportunities like this don't come around often!

I hope you are all doing well, staying safe, and getting by OK. These are very challenging times for us independent small shop luthiers, as with so many other people. Please practice kindness and compassion with your fellow humans, and we will get through it all, triumphantly.

Thanks for looking at my Rapunzel guitar!

[theEdwinson]

This Special Edition Performance SC Multiscale guitar (Rapunzel) is still available, and sounding better than ever. I'll have another one of these, in Malsian Blackwood and Sinker Red Cedar, coming out in about six weeks. These guitars are very powerful, with fluent tone, awesome sustain, and amazingly even balance. The multiscale versions of this model are just perfect for open tuning players. I've had Rapunzel tuned to Standard for about a month now, and the sound she produces is mesmerizing.

If you've been tempted by this guitar, but still feel undecided, feel free to make an offer. This is a very sweet instrument. I'm glad I've been able to keep this one long enough to hear the maturing of the tone. Very satisfying!