Beneteau MJ Fanfret (Italian/ABW) *Video Added*

[dennisczech]

Yup, that definitely works as a musical partnership. Very satisfying sound emerging from that guitar, not brittle at all, it has a nice loose feel to the tone which complements your music. Lovely stuff.

[Dustinfurlow]

Originally Posted by dennisczech

Yup, that definitely works as a musical partnership. Very satisfying sound emerging from that guitar, not brittle at all, it has a nice loose feel to the tone which complements your music. Lovely stuff.

Thank you!

[Dustinfurlow]

I recorded this last night, there's no EQ here, just the tiniest touch of reverb for the sections with the high trebles. Loving getting to know this instrument, it definitely has a unique behavior to it and loves brooding, dark pieces like this one. Definitely recommend using headphones if you want a true idea of what the ABW is doing with this guitar....it's honestly crazy! Thanks everyone who has stopped by and shared their thoughts!

[theEdwinson]

Originally Posted by Dustinfurlow

I recorded this last night, there's no EQ here, just the tiniest touch of reverb for the sections with the high trebles. Loving getting to know this instrument, it definitely has a unique behavior to it and loves brooding, dark pieces like this one. Definitely recommend using headphones if you want a true idea of what the ABW is doing with this guitar....it's honestly crazy! Thanks everyone who has stopped by and shared their thoughts!

Dustin, it's so good to see you bonding with your new guitar so... mellifluously... I was really moved by this composition you played here. It is so evocative, and so emotionally fraught... Makes me recall bittersweet relationships from so long ago, with notes of dissonance, resolving into minor-key harmony... the silence in between phrases, that speaks with such deep meaning... I feel those old regrets, and then those moments of grace and acceptance... and careful, guarded joy... so artfully rendered under your hands.
You are a Mahatma, Dustin- a Great Soul.
What a beautiful, fluent guitar that is. You and your new Beneteau are very well matched.
Live long and prosper, both of you.

[Dustinfurlow]

Originally Posted by theEdwinson

Dustin, it's so good to see you bonding with your new guitar so... mellifluously... I was really moved by this composition you played here. It is so evocative, and so emotionally fraught... Makes me recall bittersweet relationships from so long ago, with notes of dissonance, resolving into minor-key harmony... the silence in between phrases, that speaks with such deep meaning... I feel those old regrets, and then those moments of grace and acceptance... and careful, guarded joy... so artfully rendered under your hands.
You are a Mahatma, Dustin- a Great Soul.
What a beautiful, fluent guitar that is. You and your new Beneteau are very well matched.
Live long and prosper, both of you.

Steve, your words mean a great deal to me. Being a master of your craft - and apparently good literature - I am thankful you took the time to listen and offer feedback. Hope you're safe and well, brother!

[Dustinfurlow]

Update:

I had my local guitar tech (who works on Phil Keaggy's Olsons) get the neck and action exactly how I liked and replace the standard Evo Gold with Jumbo and WOW. Huge, huge difference. I've been missing out for years, Trevor Gordon Hall originally was the one to recommend Jumbo Evo's to me that he has on his Schwartz and now I see exactly why. This guitar plays itself now and is sounding its best with Medium light gauge (54 44 32 24 16 12) strings (sometimes replacing the top with a 0.13 but not completely necessary). Here's some photos in my backyard today shot with a Sony A7.

[Kenny B]

I had Jescar Wide-Medium (47104) EVO's installed on the Beneteau CS I bought (via trade) from Matt. So far they are working out fine but were not the recommended size for the guitar because the fretboard radius did not match the recommended sizes. My luthier repairman finally got it right after one trip back to the shop due to buzz on the second fret. New fret #3 was not seated properly.

The old frets were quite worn, especially at the second fret. First thing the repairman said, "Wow, looks like someone played with a capo on the second fret quite a bit". I don't know if capos can cause abnormal fret wear, but it's safe to say that I will not be having such a problem with the EVO's.

The higher frets (because they're new) do change the setup slightly. I'm going with medium gauge strings for now and using it for lower C based tunings. Frets are so smooth, feel like the strings glide over the frets ice skates on slick ice.