ACOUSTIC GUITARS SECTOR SPOTLIGHT
Hagstrom Elfdalia Grand Auditorium CE £395
Elfdalia models use a solid cedar top with mahogany back and sides, designed to provide a livelier tone as cedar brings out the upper-mid range, and has a tendency to be ‘harmonically active’.
AriaASP 100 £249
The Aria ASP 100 CE has a solid cedar top, mahogany neck, rosewood back, sides, fingerboard and bridge and X-TN 4band EQ with auto tuner.
Eko Rio Bravo £399.95
Rio Bravo is an instrument close in technical and wood specification to the El Paso, but with double zero styling and the Fishman Presys Blend system.
Lastly, the Aria ASP 100 CE has a solid cedar top, mahogany neck, rosewood back, sides, fingerboard and bridge and X-TN 4band EQ with auto tuner. All for £249. Hagstrom, distributed by Rosetti has two acoustic ranges in this price bracket – Elfdalia and Siljan. Elfdalia models use a solid cedar top with mahogany back and sides, designed to provide a livelier tone as cedar brings out the upper-mid range, and has a tendency to be ‘harmonically active’. Cosmetically darker than spruce, cedar often has a much tighter wood grain. This allows the top of the instrument to vibrate more, providing a more responsive tone. cedar works very well for both flat pickers and finger style techniques.
Models include a Dreadnought for £303 and an electro cutaway version for £395.
The Siljan models use a high grade
sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides which provides a warm round and well balanced tone. Sitka spruce is considered to be one of the more prestigious spruce types originating from the US. Tonally, it is known for producing higher output and responds well to flat
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pickers looking for a full and substantial tone. The range includes a Dreadnought
electro cutaway at £347, Grand Auditorium at £255 with a cutaway at £347 and electro cutaway at £374. The Eko Rio Bravo (£399.95) is an
instrument close in technical and wood specification to the El Paso, but with double zero styling and the Fishman Presys Blend system. The double zero is currently in demand by finger picking guitarists, as much for its practicality as it is for its intriguing tone and presence. The dreadnought-shaped Conero, for
£204.95, has a solid sitka spruce top with mahogany back and sides and rosewood fingerboard. It also features the firm’s patented FastLok system, which allows easy neck adjustment. The Ibanez Artwood series AW3000
dreadnought acoustic guitar (£416.40) features a solid Engelmann spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides for superior natural sound. The neck is wide mahogany with a rosewood fretboard for resonance and tone, a bone nut and saddle, and a wooden binding on the neck and body for a luxurious look. For the same price, the Artwood Series Ibanez AW3050 LG is a six-string steel
dreadnought acoustic with a solid cedar top, solid mahogany back and sides and mahogany neck. The Ibanez Artwood series of acoustic guitars combine the traditional designs of classic guitars with modern features. The mahogany neck with dovetail is fitted with a rosewood fingerboard, with 20 frets and dotfret markers. Other features include a natural low-gloss finish, Abalone rosette, bone nut and saddle, and gold-plated tuners. Slightly cheaper (£391.20) is the six-
string AW370ECE NT. Both back and sides of the Ibanez AW370ECE NT cutaway dreadnought electro consist of rosewood and are fitted with a top made of solid cedar. Other features include a Fishman Sonicore pickup with Ibanez SST preamp, a mahogany neck with dovetail joint, rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets, dot inlays as fret markers, bone saddle, contoured rosewood bridge, and chrome Grover tuners. At £416.40 the AC3000 NT is a steel-
string grand concert body-style acoustic featuring a solid Engelmann spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Lastly, the AW250ECE-LG, going for
£355.20, is a cutaway dreadnought with Fishman Sonicore pickup and Ibanez SST preamp.
Crafter, whose main strength lies in its mid-priced acoustic guitar offering, has recently announced the introduction of the Crafter DV250 all solid wood model. The Crafter DV250 is a purely acoustic guitar having a solid Engelmann spruce top, with a Vintage Burst finish, and solid maple back and sides. The recommended retail price of £489.99 includes a deluxe padded bag. Previously available in other markets, demand has been stimulated in the UK by adverts featuring US endorsers Jason Krause of Kid Rock and Damon Johnson of the Alice Cooper Band, resulting in Sutherland adding the model to the UK range. Recording King’s pre-war style acoustic guitar, the RD-17 has a warm, classic acoustic tone, with a solid Engelmann spruce top, rosewood back and sides, fully scalloped forward cross- bracing and a mahogany neck. It also has a ‘damask’ pattern M.O.P. headstock inlay and abalone snowflake position markers. Traditional features include a
vintage-style bevelled pickguard and classic butterbean tuners. It retails at around £295.
miPRO JUNE 2011 47
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