NGD: JoeCharter reviews a $139 guitar

[JoeCharter]

Inspired by noledog's GS Mini (or should I say his ex's GS Mini), I went to music store down the street and came back with...

http://youtu.be/AL6YlkiaOFY

Some of you will be happy to hear NO REVERB on this video.

[steveh]

Very interesting vid Mau. The guitar sounds OK and that guitar is CHEAP. Very impressive for the price.

Last year I bought myself a CG to leave at my holiday place so that I didn't have to be continually carrying guitars in the car, so I bought a cheap guitar that had been extremely well reviewed by a UK mag; it was a pile of c**p. It was cheap (I guess about 300 dollars equivalent) and it really sounded it.

I've had a few nylon guitars and none of them did anything for me until I got a really good one - then I was blown away by the difference between it and the others. Ever since, I have been resisting the temptation to "get into" high-end CGs. I am clairvoyant and can see the future - after "getting into" steel-strings I ended up dropping too much cash on steel-string guitars. If I expose myself to high-end classicals, the same will happen, so I'm really holding off visiting a high-end dealer; don't take the heroin! It's really difficult because I play nylon 90% of the time now and I'm really itching to try more.

As a man who's partial to his Krauts and Olsons, I'd recommend you stay away from Guitar Salon International or Classic Guitars International and the ilk. It's the same deal; there are nylon "Krauts" and "Olsons" out there, they sound every bit as good as their steel-string equivalent, and they are every bit as expensive! Stick with the Yamaha...

Cheers,
Steve

[wcap]

I've not been particularly impressed with the Yamaha classicals I have played (though I have liked the Yamaha steel strings) - actually, some have been simply awful. But this guitar sounds good in your hands. Maybe I've just not played the right Yamahas.

And you are getting some really nice sound in your recordings in general!

I'd be interested in hearing a recording of your Olson with no reverb too. Its not that I don't like the reverb. I'm just interested in hearing more of a raw sound to get a better feel for what the guitar sounds like.

[noledog]

Mau,

I can listen to you play Si Bheag Si Mhor all day bro, whether it's on your Kraut, (which I have stored in my likes), or even on this lovely lil' Yami. You have the gift of makin' them all sound like "Mau".

As far as the Yami nylon goes, I've played a few tho I'm not a classical player, but found them just as you reviewed this one; to be nice for the $$$.
This one looks to be a nice find to add to your stable, tho its a beater no less, its pretty, sounds nice and plays well...sounds like a winner to me!

Well done and always with class my friend,

eric

[Bob1131]

Nice review, Mau....although I suspect this video reveals less about the Yamaha than about your skill! I think it shows that you could make a cigar box guitar sound great!! Well done, sir!

[rmyAddison]

I agree with Bob, what this mostly proves is a very good player can make almost anything sound good. But give that player a great guitar and there is another dimension added.

It is the Golden Age of acoustic guitars, a LOT of inexpenisve guitars sound good to very good, but they don't sound "great". You do need to pay a little more to get that............

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by steveh

Very interesting vid Mau. The guitar sounds OK and that guitar is CHEAP. Very impressive for the price.

Last year I bought myself a CG to leave at my holiday place so that I didn't have to be continually carrying guitars in the car, so I bought a cheap guitar that had been extremely well reviewed by a UK mag; it was a pile of c**p. It was cheap (I guess about 300 dollars equivalent) and it really sounded it.

I've had a few nylon guitars and none of them did anything for me until I got a really good one - then I was blown away by the difference between it and the others. Ever since, I have been resisting the temptation to "get into" high-end CGs. I am clairvoyant and can see the future - after "getting into" steel-strings I ended up dropping too much cash on steel-string guitars. If I expose myself to high-end classicals, the same will happen, so I'm really holding off visiting a high-end dealer; don't take the heroin! It's really difficult because I play nylon 90% of the time now and I'm really itching to try more.

As a man who's partial to his Krauts and Olsons, I'd recommend you stay away from Guitar Salon International or Classic Guitars International and the ilk. It's the same deal; there are nylon "Krauts" and "Olsons" out there, they sound every bit as good as their steel-string equivalent, and they are every bit as expensive! Stick with the Yamaha...

Cheers,
Steve

Hi Steve,

I actually played several high end classicals at a local shop as well as in Toronto. I am mostly taken by the Spanish sound and have been thinking of getting a Ramirez 1A from the 12th Fret in Toronto.

I'm also considering a build from Paulino Bernabe, who I was in contact with a couple of years ago.

Although I would love to indulge in one, I'm not crazy enough to go with the "true" high end like Dammanns and Smallmans. I won't live long enough to become a decent classical player so it would be a waste.

But it's highly likely that you will see me with a quality nylon string in the not so distant future...

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by wcap

I've not been particularly impressed with the Yamaha classicals I have played (though I have liked the Yamaha steel strings) - actually, some have been simply awful. But this guitar sounds good in your hands. Maybe I've just not played the right Yamahas.

And you are getting some really nice sound in your recordings in general!

I'd be interested in hearing a recording of your Olson with no reverb too. Its not that I don't like the reverb. I'm just interested in hearing more of a raw sound to get a better feel for what the guitar sounds like.

Budget guitars are less consistent than higher end guitars, that's for sure.

I'm not a classical player so I don't have the "finer" skills to detect anomalies on a nylon string -- but most of the recent and cheap Yamahas I played seem pretty ok to me. I also bought one for my goddaughter (although hers has a solid top) and it sounded and played very decently.

As for the Olson "sans reverb", there is actually one dry recording in the build thread. It is a more faithful reproduction of the guitar's tone -- but frankly my home is the last place where I would want to record a dry guitar signal.

I will see about recording the Olson at a church here in Montreal or in Toronto. Now that will be a good natural environment for the guitar and I will be more than happy to turn off the digital reverb...

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by noledog

Mau,

I can listen to you play Si Bheag Si Mhor all day bro, whether it's on your Kraut, (which I have stored in my likes), or even on this lovely lil' Yami. You have the gift of makin' them all sound like "Mau".

As far as the Yami nylon goes, I've played a few tho I'm not a classical player, but found them just as you reviewed this one; to be nice for the $$$.
This one looks to be a nice find to add to your stable, tho its a beater no less, its pretty, sounds nice and plays well...sounds like a winner to me!

Well done and always with class my friend,

eric

Thanks for watching, Eric!

There are so many different versions of Si Bheag Si Mhor out there -- but my biggest influence was Todd Hallawell. I didn't care for this song until I heard Todd's rendition. What a sensitive player.

As for the guitar, in all seriousness, you won't see videos of this puppy very often and it will most likely head its way to my parents' house very soon...

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by Bob1131

Nice review, Mau....although I suspect this video reveals less about the Yamaha than about your skill! I think it shows that you could make a cigar box guitar sound great!! Well done, sir!

Thanks, Bob! It was mostly tongue in cheek as I'm sure you have noticed.

It's crazy when you realize that you could buy 100 Yamaha C40s for the price of one Kraut OM...

[JoeCharter]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

I agree with Bob, what this mostly proves is a very good player can make almost anything sound good. But give that player a great guitar and there is another dimension added.

It is the Golden Age of acoustic guitars, a LOT of inexpenisve guitars sound good to very good, but they don't sound "great". You do need to pay a little more to get that............

Hey Rich,

To be honest I could not play this guitar as my main instrument. It's really nice for the price and all, but it would not be suitable for a serious student.

If I were a classical student, I would want the best instrument I can afford to practice my scales and arpeggios on -- which means it would have to respond sensitively and evenly across the board (which is definitely not the case here).

Besides, in a concert setting, this guitar would get ripped apart...

[williejohnson]

Mau,
Great review! The guitar sounding good in your hands comes as no surprise for me.

Willie

[gibbyguy]

Nice review Mau. I liked the sound of the Yamaha, of course the player had a lot to with that!
The advantage is that you could play a number of those budget guitars and walk out with one that feels good, has great sound and great cosmetics.
Love the contrast from the 5 figure guitar in the background too!
Ed

[Claytone]

Ditto about the comments above Mau...You can make a silk purse out of a pigs ear with your wonderful playing... I guess it's not about the size (price) that matters after all!!!
At least that's what I tell the Senoritas anyway!!!

[usb_chord]

This was so cool! You really should consider doing more reviews!!