January 12, 2020: picking up Kostal #165.

[Flat5]

Originally Posted by ericcsong

Congrats on the Kostal and thanks for sharing your experience! Can't wait to hear more about it!

Thanks Eric.
It’s going to take some time before I can put into words what I’m experiencing.

Here’s a little intro, though.

[Flat5]

Jason Kostal has said a few times that the difference between a high-end industrial made guitar and one luthier-made is the same difference that you have between a good car, say a Mercedes, and a Bugatti Veyron. The Mercedes is a very good luxury car, while the Bugatti, well..

That made me think of an experience that I will never forget: I was fortunate enough to have a special plant tour at Lamborghini , in northern Italy, a few years back, and the chief engineer (yes!) was showing me around. At the time they had two models in production: the Gallardo and the Murciélago. He would explain to me that the Gallardo was the kind of car everyone can drive, like the car you buy for your wife to go grocery shopping (his words). The Murciélago, on the other hand, was a totally different beast, in a league of herself, and of a different sport. They would make just 50 a year of those, in a very careful, artisanal way. Just as an example, every single leather surface in the car interior would come from a single cow, so that, with aging, the appearance would remain uniform. And the customer got to pick the cow skin, among all other appointments (I actually saw their stash, hanging in there).
Before they delivered it to you, you’d have to undergo specific training, as it was so powerful you’d kill yourself if you didn’t know what you were doing.

I’m experiencing a very similar situation.

This guitar is so responsive that I can actually do stuff with her sound that I couldn’t before. Everything is so much clearer and so much fuller, and the available palette is orders of magnitude wider. I find what Michael Watts taught me (or tried to) on the right hand techniques in the one Skype lesson I had with him to have a much clearer sense.

On one hand this is really exciting, on the other, now I will have to learn how to control all that power, in order to start negotiating some of her capabilities.
That’s a new playground and it appears I now own the right equipment.

...

[TomB'sox]

That was a fantastic analogy! You have two of the world's best at your disposal, a guitar built by Jason and a friend and teacher in Michael...you are living the dream!!!!

[jaymarsch]

Yes, a wonderful analogy and I completely understand what you mean about learning what a guitar can give you and improving techniques to maximize what a particular guitar offers. Very exciting!!! Congrats, again!

Best,
Jayne

[Flat5]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

That was a fantastic analogy! You have two of the world's best at your disposal, a guitar built by Jason and a friend and teacher in Michael...you are living the dream!!!!

Thanks Tom! Well, go big or go home, right? [emoji6]

[Diamondave]

Very unique color concept for the rosette, I dig it...!!!

[Guitars44me]

What a stunner! Have FUN!!!

Playing MW's new Maple Kostal while he played my new Maple JK was one of the highlights of my trip to B.I.G. Last year... we jammed on some Elvis stuff. MW has a great voice! Haha.

Enjoy

Paul

[CoolerKing]

What a stunning set of rosewood. Congrats. I'm on the list for the end of this year (I think) and we're doing MDW with pernambuco and german.

Apropos of nothing the Murcielago is my favorite Lambo. Translates to "Bat" in Italian, named after a particular bull. Nice touch that it was featured in The Dark Knight, a little double entendre.

[cigarfan]

What has become possible with my MDW seems endless. I'm amazed at every turn.

[Flat5]

So it’s been a few months since I picked up my MDC from Jason.
I wanted to post a review, but the more I play it (almost every day since early January, and definitely everyday since the quarantine stranded me at home), the more I realize I still can’t wrap my head around her.
For one, this is a tool of extreme power and precision. In my case, it’s like putting an extremely sharp scalpel in the hands of a toddler: there is a steep learning curve.
I’ve had another online lesson from Michael Watts, which again pointed out to me (among so many other things) how rich and extensive the palette of tones is and suggested ways to start exploring it.
So, trying to grasp the breadth of possible nuances that are offered to me is a gigantic task, per se.

Then there is the pure joy of just playing it. She is everything Jason promised: even, powerful, full, precise, warm... her voice has been maturing, and -as Michael put it to me- she’s learning that she is a guitar, instead of a bunch of wood.

I’m not ready to post a video of myself playing it, I know I will, in due time, when the result will be at least presentable, but you can get plenty of sound samples from Jason’s work elsewhere...

I would probably repeat what every other person experiencing it has reported: a haunting bass (I know the adjective sounds worn: let me tell you that the low E - or D- or C, depending on what tuning you’re in, is at the same time a punch in the gut and a scream...), a mid spectrum very full and human-like, a high register strong and almost reminiscent of a classical guitar. The dynamic range is very large, and pianissimo works as well as fortissimo, in terms of expressiveness.

All of these things are true, but, to some extent, besides the point, in my opinion. Probably the best way to describe this guitar is “transparent”.
As far as you’re able to muster her powers, a short circuit happens, and she simply gets out of the way: it’s so easy to make music with this guitar, and also so very rewarding. Also, so very distracting....

Someday I’ll get to the point where I can manage a proper review.

[ericcsong]

I saw this on Facebook too! Thanks for sharing. I get the same kick in the chest feeling with my kostals too!