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#32
04-24-2015, 04:57 PM
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Great review, Brett and fun to read. You don't know it, but if I didn't already have one of Jason's MD's (Brazilian/German), an OO BRW/German in the works, and a Tree Mahogany on the way in the next year or two, I would have bought that OM!....It's a beauty and you are finding out what some of us have known for awhile. Jason builds amazing guitars.....at reasonable prices! His long wait list is the best testimony for the Kostal sound, as well as the man.
I am curious though....You never mention in your comparisons that you were comparing a MAPLE Somogyi with a BRW Kostal...(or did I miss it?)...It seems to me that your wife was describing the characteristics of a big-bodied maple compared to a bit smaller, deep bodied BRW guitar.....?? I admit to being drawn at some level to the sound of a hard maple guitar; however, I find that BRW guitars by a select group of builders are the ones that always "hit" me. (that 'thing' about the way a guitar sounds and feels when you play it that is hard to ever describe) I had to chuckle as you described what you were hearing with the OM and I would guess the Steve, Eric, Billyboy and others who have Jason's guitars knew exactly what you meant when describing the power, warmth, clarity, balance, depth that is part of the Kostal signature!!..... I've tried a lot of great guitars by some great builders..and a lot of others that are pretty "bleh". I think you're going to find that this guitar will be a keeper for the foreseeable future!.. .... IMO, Kostal's are hard to beat...right up there at the TOP!. Congratulations! 
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#33
04-24-2015, 08:08 PM
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Hey Brett,
Thanks for the great reply to my question about the manzer wedge. I am 5'6 and I think the tapered body would be a bit more comfortable to play. My current guitar is 4.5 inches deep on the lower bout ,just under my right arm (picking hand) and i have no issues with pain, but I'm 47 yrs old and I am thinking 20 yrs ahead. I should be receiving my Kostal OM in september so I appreciate all the info that you and everyone else has posted on AGF. Btw, my Kostal will be my first guitar I have ever paid over 4k. Never played a hand built guitar! NEVER! Talk about extremes! You're so lucky you can play and try out all these wonderful instruments. What a wonderful feeling it must be! I envy you in a good way my friend! Your KOSTAL IS GORGEOUS!!
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#34
04-24-2015, 08:29 PM
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Btw, I have been reading AGF threads for the past five yrs and I'm quite familiar with certain members owning and reviewing Jason's work. It's been a great experience learning about these high end/quality works of art! That's what prompted me to join AGF last week! I have also read many of your previous threads about other guitars you have owned and I have to say it's been entertaining! You really dig deep into each detail. Thank you buddy! Best of luck with your Kostal!
Neelix
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#35
04-24-2015, 08:35 PM
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It is a beautiful instrument, and one that I have visited the Luthiers Collection website a number of times to look at over the last several months. Given that Jason's wait list is closed, I assumed that that guitar would have sold very quickly, and I remain at a loss to understand how it was available for so long. Your good fortune.
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#36
04-24-2015, 08:46 PM
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Quote:
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#38
04-25-2015, 12:03 PM
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Quote:
Soon I'll be back at the keyboard... -Brett
__________________
Brett McLaughlin CF MARTIN 1930 OM-18 - Mahogany/Adirondack GIBSON 2018 Memphis Limited 1963 ES-335 - Maple/Maple MCCONNELL 2021 Electric Semi-Hollow - Wenge/Sitka [SoundCloud | YouTube]
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#39
04-25-2015, 12:30 PM
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Strings you used ?
Sounds like a string endorsement would be in line. LOL
What are the strings you use. The way you describe the sound you like in your guitars are similar to mine. Keep on playing !! ! Papa T
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#41
04-25-2015, 01:01 PM
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The saga continues…
I Believe My Wife… But Still… So we last left our little tale with my wife consistently preferring the Somogyi. I felt that some of this was me being able to play the Somogyi like butter, and the Kostal like… I dunno… slightly-frozen butter? (Yeah, OK, the simile breaks down pretty quickly.) In any case, this was my first experience where she was hearing something so consistently different than I was. We’ve had times where we differed on our opinions, but there was something more going on here. I wanted to know what it was for myself. So, I called in a buddy. Mark, who I’ve known for nearly ten years, is a totally different style of player than I am. He is a bluesy electric player who dabbles in the acoustic… and even then is a by-ear, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants player. He often laughs at me sitting for hours working a particular measure or phrase, while I secretly wish I was as happy cranking up an amp with a band as I am conquering that same measure or phrase. Heh. In any case, we’ve known each other for years, and I figured he’d be perfect to get an experience of listening to the guitar rather than playing it. So Mark came over. He knows nice guitars, too; he owned a Kraut for a short time and actually did all of Ray Kraut’s videos and a chunk of his website. He’'s also played most of the significant guitars that have come through my house, including the Traugott. Finally, for some context, he strongly prefers a more traditional sound; fundamental, fundamental, fundamental. (Bluesy player, remember?) So again, there are some differences, but still helpful. So Mark comes over, and we get to work. Two Remarkable Guitars… Two Remarkable Soundboards Mark interestingly did just what I did before starting: he played a little on the Collings O. Then he picked up the Kostal while he was saying how good the Collings was… and started laughing. This was BEFORE he played anything, mind you. See, as he held the Kostal by its neck and was moving it toward his lap, and he was talking, the Kostal soundboard started moving. Air got pushed, the air pump that’s a guitar got engaged, and the strings started ringing. Yes. By holding the guitar and talking, strings started making noise. It was CRAZY. (I believe the kids would say “cray cray,” right Brian Truesby? You seem way hipper than the rest of us around here…) The same phenomenon happened with the Somogyi. But this wasn’t isolated. Yesterday, I had the Kostal lying back-down on my desk while I was working and doing a conference call. The thing started vibrating and ringing, lying down on its back! THIS is why these are considered responsive guitars. So before Mark even began playing, we were just sort of laughing at the class of instrument we were getting to test drive. So Was My Wife Right? Then Mark played. First the Somogyi, then the Kostal. Then the Somogyi, then the Kostal. Fingers, then a pick (gently! I didn’t want to have the choice taken from me by an errant pick making a mark on one of these guitars!!). Lots of blues licks. Lots of John Mayer tunes. A few finger style tunes. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes of this? And I sat back and listened. And listened. And listened some more. And my wife was right… a little. First, you can read several of the earlier bits of this thread to get my overall impressions; these are a combination of what I heard behind the box (playing) and in front (listening). They represent what I heard here, so you already have a sense of my experience. But what about my wife’s specific points? I did –not– hear what I would consider additional clarity from either the Somogyi SJ or the Kostal OMC. I did not feel like the notes on one came out less muddied than the notes on the other, or that notes were lost in the shuffle. I did hear a greater separation in the bass of the Somogyi SJ–something I’ve now mentioned a few times–and that caused what I perceived as a wider spacing between notes. I also heard a more dramatic tonal change as the guitar played in midrange registers and the bass registers. As such, bass notes and the midrange “felt” clearer, but the more I listened, I realized were NOT clearer. They just had the quality of sounding like they were more separate. (This is hard to describe. I hope I’m doing it justice.) The trebles on both guitars were awesome, rich, and great. See earlier notes for fuller descriptions. So I hear what I think my wife was hearing. However, I did not find it to be of such a significant degree as to make the decision altogether. And here’s the other thing… …although I liked that additional perception of separation of mid and low, I also really liked the powerful bass of the Kostal, which was different. And I realized that while I liked the separation of notes in an absolute sense, I liked the bass in a “that’s my preference” (or subjective) sense. Mark actually liked the slightly airier bass of the Somogyi SJ better; I liked the Kostal bass. And even that’s not true; I liked both basses. I liked them each because they were different. (This is clearly why people buy multiple guitars, right?) So You Liked the Kostal Better, Right? Wouldn’t it be easy if I could now say, “Well, I liked the Kostal better! That’s it!” But that’s not it. I still wanted the separation I heard in the Somogyi SJ. I was intrigued by the Somogyi SJ bass; I no longer thought it was “better” but I liked it nonetheless. I could see how many describe that Somogyi thing as a three dimensional sound. And at this point, I hadn’t heard about Jason’s ridiculously cool policy of paying for or doing a setup. (To be fair, I know he’s not the only luthier that does this. But not nearly all do, and it’s really cool.) So Mark and I talked. A lot. Even this crew would have gotten bored at some point. I played some more and let him listen. His perceptions were similar to mine. And then Mark said something really pivotal. It was really important. Heck, it might have been the most important thing said out loud–even more important than talking to Jason later that night–during this whole thing. I’ll tell you what he said–what he asked me–next time.
__________________
Brett McLaughlin CF MARTIN 1930 OM-18 - Mahogany/Adirondack GIBSON 2018 Memphis Limited 1963 ES-335 - Maple/Maple MCCONNELL 2021 Electric Semi-Hollow - Wenge/Sitka [SoundCloud | YouTube]
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#42
04-25-2015, 02:20 PM
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Meanwhile, Brett's wife drags him in the kitchen and asks to speak to him privately. She reminds him that his Traugott is almost ready, that perhaps he could endure that Collings for another few weeks?
Brett quickly scans through all the possibilities. Perhaps he could be patient for now and send a deposit to Jason and Ervin? Jason could build him the OM of his dreams, voiced to his specifications -- while Ervin could build him a maple SJ with a Manzer wedge. Now that would be so perfect... Brett is confused and overwhelmed. He decides to go for a drive and steps in his blue Bimmer, pulls the windows down and just floors it. About an hour later, he comes back home with a bucket of KFC -- and announces his final decision.
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#43
04-25-2015, 02:48 PM
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Quote:
As much as my wife would've loved to have me wait on the Traugott, she knows I've been looking for an instrument that just roars and makes me happy for a long time. She's also very much in the Jason camp: "Find a guitar that EXISTS now, fall in love, and BUY IT!" Heh. In all seriousness, she HATES builds with luthiers that have any risk... which is almost any luthier out there. With Jeff, it works because we both loved his R, and I stayed out of any tonal direction. He just does his thing. I very nearly did commission a build with both Jason and Ervin at various times... but there was just too much risk. In fact, Jason flat out refused to consider it until I played--and loved--one of his guitars. Think about that: he would not consider a commission, with me having in money in hand, because of the same risk of poor outcome. (Am I gushing yet? I know I sound like it, but this is all true...) So I like the humor, Mau, but there was truth in there... I really did look at custom builds. But it would have been terribly risky. Now, with the Kostal, my list of builders I'd take the plunge with has reached 3: Jeff, Jason, and Kim. (Kim make the list because of reputation, but even then, because he's an unknown to ME, is borderline.) I'm worn out on the thrill ride of a build that's an unknown. Heck, I'm not sure what I'd even tell Jason or Jeff or Ervin or anyone else about my "voicing specs." It would be aesthetic and setup, and that's it. Oh... And I hate KFC :-) :-) :-)
__________________
Brett McLaughlin CF MARTIN 1930 OM-18 - Mahogany/Adirondack GIBSON 2018 Memphis Limited 1963 ES-335 - Maple/Maple MCCONNELL 2021 Electric Semi-Hollow - Wenge/Sitka [SoundCloud | YouTube]
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#44
04-25-2015, 03:19 PM
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I'm waiting for Brett to try a Porsche...I'd recommend a 911 Carrera 4S w/PDK and Sport Suspension. That's the Carrera, and not the convertible "Cabriolet".
Say goodbye to the BMW, and all the guitars... 
__________________
Larry Pattis on Spotify and Pandora LarryPattis.com American Guitar Masters 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists Steel-string guitars by Rebecca Urlacher and Simon Fay Classical guitars by Anders Sterner
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#45
04-25-2015, 03:26 PM
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Quote:
__________________
Greg Gwaltney
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