MusicRadar Acoustic Reviews | RSS Feed

SubZero 25W Acoustic Guitar Amp with Chorus

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:51:00 GMT

Read more about SubZero 25W Acoustic Guitar Amp with Chorus at MusicRadar.com

When it comes to electro-acoustic amplification, there are two givens: electro amps are expensive compared to their electric guitar counterparts, and you only need to plug straight into the PA if you want to play a gig.

The Subzero 25W Acoustic Guitar Amp with Chorus proves both these assumptions wrong.

From the off, this combo is impressive. Its classy styling belies its budget friendly price. It oozes classic, retro cool thanks largely to a cream grille and top with navy Tolex sides.

An angled top at the front hints at the SubZero 25W's ambitions of being more than just a practice amp – you could also use it as a monitor for your sound at gigs.

Features

The potential for this combo to be your gigging friend on the small stage is further underlined by the inclusion of a line-out control that could be plugged straight into a venue's PA.

There's even an auxiliary LR input, which means you could jam along to your MP3 or CD player, or even play a backing track. Clearly the SubZero 25W has got it going on features-wise, but how does it actually sound?

Impressive, is the answer. A mahogany dreadnought equipped with a Fishman entry-level Sonitone preamp is the instrument given the task of putting the SubZero combo though its paces. We plug it into the jack input in channel two (there's an XLR input for the amp's first channel) and try out the SubZero's three-band EQ settings: bass, mid and treble.

All three controls set to '12' proves a good starting point for strumming and provides an inspiring, sparkly zing. Turn the mid up a little and the sound is spot on for some delicate finger-picking. It's so good, in fact, that you have to wonder if you are really playing an amp that costs a very affordable £65.

The bass response is also satisfyingly deep, though it's worth noting that this will depend largely on your acoustic guitar and its inherent sound.

Chorus

As is clear from the amp's name, chorus is also part of the package here. While it's good to see an effect such as chorus included on a budget practice amp, the lack of a depth control makes it a frustratingly limited affair.

The only chorus parameter changeable with a control knob is the speed, so you're stuck with a rather unsubtle default chorus depth. And as far as the chorus speed goes, anything past five on the dial is probably going to be too much for most of us pickers and strummers.

This - and the inclusion of a fixed, non-detachable power lead through the SubZero's closed-back casing – is, however, the SubZero's only significant downside. Though a bit of a lost opportunity, the somewhat-lacking chorus still feels a minor gripe in the bigger picture of this compact combo.

Serious value

If you want to hear your electro-acoustic songs amplified before you brave the stage, then this combo would be just the job to plug into in the bedroom. But its eight-inch speaker easily cranks out enough volume to make it ideal for jams, too.

Once you're ready for your intimate acoustic gig, there's the added bonus of being able to use this as a monitor. Just plug straight into the PA and tweak away at your tone.

So, multi-use, stylish looks and serious sound performance for a piffling price tag; we'd say that's great value for money.

Read more about SubZero 25W Acoustic Guitar Amp with Chorus at MusicRadar.com

SubZero 60W Acoustic Guitar Amp

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:00:00 GMT

Read more about SubZero 60W Acoustic Guitar Amp at MusicRadar.com

The quintessential vision of a true acoustic troubadour is one musician and their guitar. Unfortunately, if that particular singer-songwriter wants to be heard in a venue larger than their living room, they'll need some amplification. It's all well and good turning up and hoping there's a PA to play your acoustic anthems through, but you can't always rely on one being there.

Enter the SubZero 60W Acoustic Guitar Amp. This rather sharp-looking, well-constructed combo has enough power to carry your sound across a packed club, while two inputs enable you to plug in both an electro-acoustic guitar and a microphone. A 3.5mm auxiliary-in jack for your mp3 player also makes this amp ideal for use with backing tracks, whether that's on stage or practising at home.

For enhanced live polish, SubZero has included three acoustic-orientated effects, chorus, delay and reverb, which should lend a professional sheen to your sound. There's also a phase switch, which is designed to prevent the feedback issues that often plague gigging acoustic guitarists. Standard gain and EQ controls on both guitar and mic channels, plus XLR and 1/4-inch jack line-outs, complete the picture.

Before we get into the sounds, it's worth noting the amp's speaker combination: a 6.5-inch woofer and a 3-inch tweeter. If you're used to electric amps equipped with 12-inch Celestions, this might come as a shock, but this hi-fi configuration provides a more balanced sound that is not only ideal for wringing more bass out of your acoustic, but also means your backing tracks are represented more faithfully, too.

Sounds

Plug in an electro-acoustic and the SubZero 60W greets you with a clean, honest reproduction of your playing. This can be easily tweaked to your desired tone via the three-band EQ. The woofer ensures that bass frequencies come through loud and clear, giving real weight to your strumming, while boosting the treble coming out of the tweeter adds a touch of sparkle for fingerpicking.

Effects-wise, the range of chorus and delay settings on offer is ideally suited to acoustic players, and offers sonic polish without dominating your sound. However, the reverb, which is fine in small doses, does tend to get a little clinical and fizzy at more intense settings.

Fortunately, the phase switch is more successful, and effectively reduces feedback at higher volumes via a bass frequency cut. It's a handy feature because it can be easy to overload the woofer with too much low-end when you're really cranking the amp.

The mic and auxiliary inputs work well, and with the volume available from this compact combo, you'll have no problems singing and strumming along to backing tracks across a crowded room or street. Indeed, if you can get hold of external power, this would make an ideal busker's combo for bigger outdoor performances.

It's a shame, then, that the amp's reverb isn't applied to the mic channel, leaving vocals sounding a little raw in comparison with the effected guitar. This omission may also scupper any notions of using an external mic on your acoustic, since you'd need a separate reverb pedal to add ambience to your sound.

While it may be petite, this combo can project your playing to a wider audience with ease, and it will let you sculpt your acoustic's tone, too. Plus, the line-out jacks mean it can function as a DI unit for a PA, or as a monitor on stage, making for one versatile little amp. The reverb doesn't quite deliver, and the lack of mic channel effects is a tad disappointing, but for small gigs and large-scale busking, SubZero's 60-watt combo could be an acoustic troubadour's new best friend.

Read more about SubZero 60W Acoustic Guitar Amp at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music Mandolin

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:05:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music Mandolin at MusicRadar.com

The adage: 'you get what you pay for' does not always ring true where musical instruments are concerned. After all, there are more quality instruments available at budget prices than ever before. Retailing at £59.99, the Gear4Music mandolin is certainly a budget instrument, but is it a quality one?

First impressions are good and the mandolin is very attractive. The spruce top is finished in vintage sunburst; the subtle wood grain is visible from the centre, right out to just a few millimetres from the edge where three-ply plastic binding is tidily mounted.

The vintage sunburst look continues on the sapele sides and rear of the body, and also up the mahogany neck and to the rear of the headstock. The front of the headstock is finished in opaque black. The neck binding is slightly less impressive than the body binding, but is adequate enough.

The instrument has a beautiful high gloss finish, indicating a decent level of craftsmanship at Gear4Music. Only on the side of the headstock does the sunburst finish look a touch too busy, with lots of colour changes in a small area, but we really are splitting hairs.

Aesthetically, then, this instrument is a winner. Only the contemporary looking Gear4music logo on the headstock interrupts the traditional look of the mandolin and alludes to its budget origins. Ignore the logo and you'd be forgiven for thinking this instrument was worth many times its actual price.

Tuning

As with many budget mandolins, the intonation on the Gear4Music instrument is a bit suspect when you get beyond the 7th fret. The dual-adjustable bridge really only alters the action and has little effect on the overall intonation. Still, the tuning is manageable for the most part, unless you're a more advanced player with a keen ear for pitch, in which case you'd be better off saving up for a more expensive instrument.

With tuning issues sorted as far as possible, it's time to put the instrument through its paces. First up is Rod Stewart's Maggie May, followed by a set of Irish reels that hark back to a drunken youth. Melodic playing is definitely where Gear4Music's mandolin is at its best. The sound is bright, particularly on the treble strings, while the fourth string is a touch quieter and mellower. The mandolin has got plenty of volume to accompany other unamplified acoustic instruments and this is a really good sign.

Spirited playing reveals an unfortunate flaw in the design of the instrument, though. Only two screws affix the essentially triangular pick guard to the body. Its third corner rests against a small block of rosewood, but remains unattached. As the mandolin resonates, the loose corner of the pick guard vibrates and creates a loud buzz. This can be easily fixed with drill and a screw, but it's a shame Gear4Music hasn't spotted the problem. If you don't fancy drilling into your new instrument, you can stop the buzz by pressing down on the pick guard with a spare pick-hand finger, but that's hardly ideal on an instrument that is intended to be flat picked.

Entry-level only

You may forgive the shortcomings of the Gear4Music mandolin when you take its exceptionally cheap price tag of £59.99 into consideration. If all you want is an instrument to lay down a few simple lines on your home recordings, this will suffice.

Likewise, if you are a beginner who wants to try out the mandolin without parting with too much cash, this one certainly fits the bill. However, if you are a keen mandolin player looking for a high-end instrument, be realistic and remember, you get what you pay for.

Read more about Gear4Music Mandolin at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:59:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar at MusicRadar.com

Acoustic guitarists are a fairly discerning bunch. Solid woods and sophisticated electronics are the order of the day, while more affordable instruments made from laminate materials are often dismissed without so much as a single strum.

But we can't all afford the price tag on such high-end instruments. Step forward the Gear4Music single cutaway electro acoustic, which sets out to provide a rather more basic acoustic option.

Some manufacturers cover their instruments in fake pearl and gaudy inlays to disguise their budget origins. There's no such 'dressing up' here from Gear4Music, though - this is a guitar that wears its simplicity with pride, leaving the sound to take centre stage.

It's clear from the outset, then, that this is a budget instrument, and the obviously laminate top and cheap-looking paper label on the inside of the guitar are rather less pride-worthy. The gloss finish, though, is reasonably slick and not too plastic-feeling, making runs up and down the mahogany neck a pleasure.

Frightful fretwork

The intonation and action are spot-on – we managed to execute accurate sounding, complex chords all the way up the neck. What's not so nice, however, is the quality of the fret work, which unfortunately lets the playing experience down. Every fret feels scratchy and unfinished, which means that string bends and vibrato are unpleasant and generate excess noise. That's something that can be fixed by a decent guitar tech, of course, but it will cost you an extra £40-60.

Aside from the poorly finished frets, you can't help but be impressed at how much tone this acoustic is hiding in its unassuming frame once you get down to playing. Budget dreadnoughts and jumbos have a tendency to sound muddy or overpowering, but the Gear4Music electro's smaller body produces a bright, chiming and clear tone that sparkles on the top strings and clangs like a bell on the lower notes.

Strumming sounds balanced and colourful, but fingerpicking is where it really comes alive, responding brilliantly to changes in attack. Even though the woods are laminate you can still feel the top, back and sides resonating independently and giving your ribs a good shake as you play.

The other cool thing about this guitar is the fact that it also comes with a battery-powered preamp and under-saddle piezo pickup. This enables you to record direct or plug into a PA or amplifier when the guitar's acoustic volume doesn't quite cut it. The resulting tone is admittedly a tad processed and artificial, but the four-band EQ helps shape your tone adequately, and the presence control, in particular, helps tame the high end.

It would have been nice if Gear4Music had built a tuner in the preamp to complete the electro package, but at this price we can forgive them.

Lots of tone for your buck

We rather like this guitar. For the asking price there's a lot of tone on offer - far more than on the budget acoustics of just a few years ago. The finishing on the frets is the only black mark against an otherwise admirable effort.

Even taking this into consideration, for a guitar priced on the right ride of £90, this is a real bargain and is a great place for any aspiring singer-songwriters to start their musical journey.

Read more about Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 23:59:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar at MusicRadar.com

But we can't all afford the price tag on such high-end instruments. Step forward the Gear4Music single cutaway electro acoustic, which sets out to provide a rather more basic acoustic option.

Frightful fretwork

It would have been nice if Gear4Music had built a tuner in the preamp to complete the electro package, but at this price we can forgive them.

Lots of tone for your buck

Even taking this into consideration, for a guitar priced on the right ride of £90, this is a real bargain and is a great place for any aspiring singer-songwriters to start their musical journey.

Read more about Gear4Music single cutaway electro-acoustic guitar at MusicRadar.com

Yamaha THR5A

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:16:00 GMT

Read more about Yamaha THR5A at MusicRadar.com

Few understand the electro-acoustic musician more than Yamaha. Its electros have long been the choice of players, and that may be why it sees a slot for the compact THR5A, the first THR amp for the electro-acoustic musician.

"The THR5A features four mic simulations (Condenser, Dynamic, Tube and Nylon) and one amp model"

It doesn't have programmable slots and only has a one-knob master tone control, but at £199 it's more affordable than the rest of the range (the THR10 has an RRP of £299) and offers the same USB deep-editing and recording, not to mention superb stereo sound.

The THR5A features four mic simulations (Condenser, Dynamic, Tube and Nylon) and one amp model (EG Clean). For effects, we have compressor, chorus, delay, reverb, and via the THR Editor, you can get flanger, phaser, tremolo, spring reverb and noise gate.

"With a laptop and USB mic you have an extremely portable recording setup"

It all adds up to a superb unit that, since we received it, has been constantly used for practice, writing, recording and general monitoring. With a laptop and USB mic you have an extremely portable recording setup, while the choice of mic models provides highly usable and accurate mic'd tones when DI'd. The effects sound rather classy, too.

We hope Yamaha extends this concept to include performance features, such as a line output, and perhaps even a range of mini cabs.

Read more about Yamaha THR5A at MusicRadar.com

Yamaha THR5A

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 11:16:00 GMT

Read more about Yamaha THR5A at MusicRadar.com

"The THR5A features four mic simulations (Condenser, Dynamic, Tube and Nylon) and one amp model"

"With a laptop and USB mic you have an extremely portable recording setup"

We hope Yamaha extends this concept to include performance features, such as a line output, and perhaps even a range of mini cabs.

Read more about Yamaha THR5A at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic at MusicRadar.com

At just a shade over £80, Gear4music's electro acoustic dreadnought guitar is aimed squarely at beginners and guitarists on a seriously tight budget.

Assuming that you get what you pay for, you have to wonder whether corners – and quality – have been cut, and just how good a guitar of such a modest price can be?

First impressions of the dreadnought as it comes out of the box are very good; the curvy rosewood bridge looks classy and the high gloss natural finish of the laminate spruce top has an impressive sheen that belies the guitar's meagre price.

The sides, rear, neck and headstock, while similarly lustrous and glossy, however, have been coloured with what appears to be a dodgy spray tan brown wood stain. Colour choice aside, this isn't a bad looking guitar. It's a classic shape, and we've seen less tidy finishing, binding and dot inlays on guitars at more than twice the price.

Bold and forthright

The unamplified sound of the DN-10E-NT is bold and forthright, perfect for outdoor jam sessions and house party sing-alongs, with plenty of booming dreadnought-style volume. This guitar gives a full, rounded sound on strummed parts but communicates enough detail and rich harmonics to please fingerpickers too.

The overall tone is very even with no exaggeration in any part of the frequency range, making the dreadnought a decent all-rounder.

Intonation is excellent thanks to the compensated bridge. That means you'll be in tune whether you're playing open position chords, mid-neck barre chords or upper position melodic licks, and you'll still be in tune come the end of the song thanks to the dreadnought's sealed die-cast chrome machine heads, which feel steady to the turn and durable too.

Minor gripes

Although the fretwork on the dreadnought gives accurate intonation, a touch of vigorous vibrato and string bending reveals the limits of Gear4Music's workmanship as the strings grind against imperfect fret surfaces.

It's a small gripe though, and is easily and cheaply sorted by any good luthier. With basic build quality being so good and the price being so low, we think this is a fairly minor issue issue.

The neck is a chunky, rounded 'C' shape; great for taking a solid grip on when you're learning those challenging early chords, but still comfortable for more intricate melodic and arpeggiated playing. Any bigger would be too big, but as is, it's fine.

The quality of the binding on the neck isn't quite up to the standards of the body binding, but this is purely cosmetic and doesn't affect the playing. The bottom line is that quality hardware and decent intonation make the DN-10E-NT a satisfying guitar to play for guitarists of all levels.

Pickup and pre-amp

It's impressive that a guitar of this price has a pickup and pre-amp. It's an under-bridge piezo transducer pickup routed through a preamp with four-band EQ and volume control, and it sounds perfectly adequate.

The bass is satisfyingly full; if you're a beginner guitarist you will have a blast the first time you plug in, turn up your amp and feel the boom of the bottom end.

Admittedly, there's a slight lack of midrange and treble detail that the guitar so readily conveys in its unplugged state; we found ourselves frequently twiddling those preamp knobs to find the best sound.

This is a quibble though; the EQ is responsive and the tones you can get from the dreadnought are good enough to gig. Gear4music's website reports that there is a phase reverse function on the preamp, but we couldn't find this, however hard we looked.

Taking everything into account, the DN-10E-NT is an excellent guitar that plays well and sounds great both acoustically and plugged in.

Read more about Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic at MusicRadar.com

Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 11:11:00 GMT

Read more about Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic at MusicRadar.com

At just a shade over £80, Gear4music's electro acoustic dreadnought guitar is aimed squarely at beginners and guitarists on a seriously tight budget.

Assuming that you get what you pay for, you have to wonder whether corners – and quality – have been cut, and just how good a guitar of such a modest price can be?

Bold and forthright

The overall tone is very even with no exaggeration in any part of the frequency range, making the dreadnought a decent all-rounder.

Minor gripes

It's a small gripe though, and is easily and cheaply sorted by any good luthier. With basic build quality being so good and the price being so low, we think this is a fairly minor issue issue.

Pickup and pre-amp

The bass is satisfyingly full; if you're a beginner guitarist you will have a blast the first time you plug in, turn up your amp and feel the boom of the bottom end.

Taking everything into account, the DN-10E-NT is an excellent guitar that plays well and sounds great both acoustically and plugged in.

Read more about Gear4Music Dreadnought Electro Acoustic at MusicRadar.com

Faith Neptune

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:42:00 GMT

Read more about Faith Neptune at MusicRadar.com

Looking at the Neptune's spec sheet, you wouldn't expect the actually quite reasonable price tag. On the shelf, this acoustic guitar from Faith has little visual pizzazz, with the Engelmann spruce top looking a little bloodless. But don't be shallow…

"The 'baby jumbo' tag might refer to the body contours, but physically, it's not unlike tucking an infant elephant under your arm"

Consider instead the fact that this entire guitar - top, sides, back, the lot - is made of solid spruce and mahogany. Factor in the smaller touches, like the elegant abalone rosette and the understated binding (plus an admirably neat-and-tidy Indonesian build job), and there's nothing to suggest this model is a poor relation.

As chance would have it, this reviewer keeps a cheapo Faith Venus kicking around the house for drunken jam sessions, and is therefore well placed to judge whether it's really worth coughing up (a lot) more for the executive version. Our first impression: it's big. The baby jumbo tag might technically refer to the body contours, but physically, it's not unlike tucking an infant elephant under your arm.

This is a whole lotta axe, with a top that's about 403mm (15.87 inches) at its widest, with a deep-pan 115mm (4.52 inches) rim depth and no cutaway. Really, the performance is saved by the smooth satin ride of the neck, which is a palm-filling, position-shifting winner and lets you focus on the tone.

Sounds

Ah yes, the tone. Our first impression: it's big (again). Even without a pick, there's a listen-to-me boom as you walk through arpeggiated riffs and stroke open chords, but ultimately, it's the character of the sound that really struck us.

This model scores with its sunny-side-up jangle factor, which means that open chords - plus a skinny plectrum - truly shimmer and shine, while never negating the option to shift gears and deal out mellow, thumbed walking blues passages. This guitar sounds like the records, and by extension, would make an excellent studio guitar.

People sometimes liken more expensive guitars to overpriced wine, and argue they're all the same. They're really not, though, and this model is the proof.

Read more about Faith Neptune at MusicRadar.com

Faith Neptune

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:42:00 GMT

Read more about Faith Neptune at MusicRadar.com

"The 'baby jumbo' tag might refer to the body contours, but physically, it's not unlike tucking an infant elephant under your arm"

Sounds

People sometimes liken more expensive guitars to overpriced wine, and argue they're all the same. They're really not, though, and this model is the proof.

Read more about Faith Neptune at MusicRadar.com

PRS SE Angelus Standard

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Read more about PRS SE Angelus Standard at MusicRadar.com

Right about now, we can feel your cynicism burning through the page: 700 quid for an acoustic guitar in the middle of a recession? We hear you, friend, but this is no everyday log. The PRS SE Angelus (Latin for 'angel') doesn't just look heaven-sent, with a body like honey on toast, but it's also a slam-dunker on the spec sheet.

Most serious strummers have a solid top, but this model matches the Sitka spruce soundboard with a solid mahogany back for a tone that should bed in and keep improving. Frustratingly, you can't quite call it all-solid, because the sides are laminate, but it hardly feels like a model befitting the utilitarian 'Standard' designation.

"Inside, you'll spot PRS's signature fusion of X and classical bracing transplanted from the US acoustic range"

Inspect the goods and, barring a bit of cosmetic staining on the binding and minor glue smears, the Korean branch has done a tidy job. Inside, you'll spot PRS's signature fusion of X and classical bracing transplanted from the US acoustic range, alongside touches including the iconic bird inlays, which flap up the fretboard to that traditional headstock, and momentarily fool you into thinking it's a real PRS (which it should be, probably, for £699).

With a tighter-pinched waist than a dreadnought, hopes are raised that the Angelus will be a good physical fit - and so it proves. It's not so much the neck, although that's certainly a cracker: it's not too skinny, and with a good wide profile that welcomes fingerstyle. It's more the relatively svelte body (about 110mm/4.33 inches deep at the bottom strap pin) and compact soundboard, which clocks circa 390mm (15.35 inches) at its widest point. Best of all is that cutaway, which gives comfortable access to the higher frets.

Sounds

"When you really dig your fingers in, this model reacts with the kind of snap 'n' pop that "

There are a million spruce/ mahogany guitars out there, but this one just sounds a little different. From the moment you roll a fleshy thumb over an open chord, you'll appreciate the warmth and rounded mids, and when you really dig your fingers in, this model reacts with an characterful snap 'n' pop.

It's the kind of tone you'll want to mic up and run unadulterated through an acoustic amplifier, especially because, raw, we felt it lacked a little bit of presence and welly. It's also a little less convincing with a pick, where the gulf between this and the massed ranks of cheaper guitars out there closes a little. These are minor criticisms, though.

Read more about PRS SE Angelus Standard at MusicRadar.com

PRS SE Angelus Standard

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:15:00 GMT

Read more about PRS SE Angelus Standard at MusicRadar.com

"Inside, you'll spot PRS's signature fusion of X and classical bracing transplanted from the US acoustic range"

Sounds

"When you really dig your fingers in, this model reacts with the kind of snap 'n' pop that "

Read more about PRS SE Angelus Standard at MusicRadar.com

Martin DCPA5K

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:12:00 GMT

Read more about Martin DCPA5K at MusicRadar.com

Yep, lots of letters and numbers: D is 'Dreadnought'; C means 'cutaway'; PA means 'Performing Artist' series; 5 means the fifth tier (1 being the highest, most expensive); and, finally, K means koa back and sides. Got that? Then you'll be able to work out the dreadnought's code, too.

Of course, it's not solid koa wood at this price. No, the '5'-tier Performing Artist series guitars use HPL (high pressure laminates) with a koa-pattern top layer to make it look pretty. The material has been used in Martin models for well over a decade - 1998's DXM was the first - and has been accepted as a reliable, environmentally aware alternative to solid and laminated woods.

Atop the HPL is an unbound solid spruce top. Viewed with traditionalist eyes, it jars worse than John Wayne in a shellsuit. Widen your view, however, and there's no absolute reason why acoustic guitars have to have bound tops; a music-obsessed teenager cares about as much for classy binding and purfling as they do personal and domestic hygiene.

"The neck features the Performing Artist (hence the name) profile, which in the hand feels roomy"

With little or no finish, it's going to damage it quickly, however, both in terms of chunks out of the edge and picking/strumming marks on the top. More serious, the top of the dreadnought is actually starting to come away minutely from the body - do check carefully if you're thinking of buying one.

The PA5K uses a Stratabond neck (with brown stripes) joined with the 'A' block, mortise and tenon, and with a hybrid 'A'/ scalloped X-brace pattern underneath the top.

Back to the neck, it's the Performing Artist (hence the name) profile, which in the hand feels roomy. The nut is fairly wide at 44.5mm (1.75 inches), which translates to an impression of more wood in the palm, too. A moderately high action enables you to dig in quite hard. It might be a tiny aesthetic point, but we really like that sharp headstock angle, too.

Electrics here are via Fishman's F1 Analog system. Two classy looking knobs and an LED screen give you access to volume, tone, a phase option and, most usefully, an onboard automatic chromatic tuner: neat and practical.

Sounds

Immediately, the PA5 lacks depth. And by depth, we don't mean bass; we mean a richness and timbre of notes and chords. Instead, we have a pleasing spread of bass and treble - what it lacks in punch and authority, it makes up for in a sound and response that doesn't require you to work too hard as a player.

"It's a dreadnought that sounds somewhat 'hi-fi' and would sit well in a layered recording"

In that respect, a top-end all-solid-wood guitar is often more demanding of your commitment and technique to get the best from it. So we have an interesting paradox: the lighter you play this guitar, the more it sounds like a traditional Martin.

Start to dig in with some serious picking/strumming hand force, and the construction and material choices limit the headroom and tonal range. It's a dreadnought that sounds somewhat 'hi-fi'; it'd sit well in a layered recording, but you'd have trouble punching out of an acoustic ensemble.

Plugged in is where this guitar makes much more sense. The lack of pure acoustic richness and timbre means fewer troublesome frequencies to feed back, as Fishman's F1 Analog does a good job via the jack output.

It's worth taking a moment to feel happy about how much onboard preamps have improved in recent years: more discreet in design, much less confusion for players, and better sounding to boot. It still has that piezo sound, but nowhere near as harsh as more rudimentary systems.

This PA5 guitar favours a light touch acoustically, but its plugged-in performance and sensible level of onboard control is stronger. We really like the Stratabond neck, too - super solid, with great feel and effortless playability.

Martin is already a byword for quality, traditional acoustic guitars. If those are your bag, the spec choice here will seem like sacrilege. Generations of new players, however, couldn't care less about all that and it's to them that this guitar will appeal.

Hand on heart, we're left unmoved, but there's nothing stopping anyone making meaningful music with this instrument - just look at Ed Sheeran with his LXM!

Read more about Martin DCPA5K at MusicRadar.com

Martin DCPA5K

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:12:00 GMT

Read more about Martin DCPA5K at MusicRadar.com

"The neck features the Performing Artist (hence the name) profile, which in the hand feels roomy"

The PA5K uses a Stratabond neck (with brown stripes) joined with the 'A' block, mortise and tenon, and with a hybrid 'A'/ scalloped X-brace pattern underneath the top.

Sounds

"It's a dreadnought that sounds somewhat 'hi-fi' and would sit well in a layered recording"

Hand on heart, we're left unmoved, but there's nothing stopping anyone making meaningful music with this instrument - just look at Ed Sheeran with his LXM!

Read more about Martin DCPA5K at MusicRadar.com

Martin DRS2

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:34:00 GMT

Read more about Martin DRS2 at MusicRadar.com

Martin Guitar, that bastion of flat-top history and tradition, has undergone something of a metamorphosis over the last two decades. Following the horrendous-for-acoustic-music 1980s, the 90s brought along with it the MTV Unplugged phenomenon, giving the Pennsylvania brand a whole new springboard into rapidly expanded waters.

Today, it's in a position of great strength, boasting higher end instruments that are built better and sound better than at any time since the pre-WWII 'Golden Era'.

Meanwhile, the company continues to push the envelope at the lower end, with cost-conscious guitars that use an increasing number of sustainable materials.

DRS2

Martin recently introduced its most cost-effective solid wood guitar to date: the mahogany-topped DRS1 as part of the Road Series. This '2' variant shares that guitar's principle spec points, including the solid sapele back and sides, though replaces the mahogany top with one of solid Sitka spruce; this particular one has some distinctive figuring across the grain that you'll either like or you won't.

Underneath that, you'll find Martin's A frame X-1 bracing that is partly integral to the 'A', mortise and tenon (and bolt) neck block... which is to say it's not fastidiously scalloped X bracing and a traditionally cut and adjusted dovetail. Now, that's not actually a criticism, but it does help to explain why the higher end guitars are so much more expensive.

"A point of note is an extremely sturdy Stratabond neck - a multiple lengthways laminate of wood that's impregnated with dye to make it different colours"

A point of note thereafter is an extremely sturdy Stratabond neck - a multiple lengthways laminate of wood that's impregnated with dye to make it different colours. Here, it's 'rust', which means sort of pinky red. If you're baulking at this point, then brace yourself, because: a) it feels really good to play - a kind of fast, satin surface that requires no finishing; and b) the fingerboard and belly bridge aren't 'proper' wood either. Instead they're Richlite, which is a composite material we're growing to like more and more as it appears on various Martin and indeed Gibson models.

It looks and feels more like ebony than rosewood. Martin refers to the neck shape as 'modified low oval'. In the hands that translates to a comfortable middle ground of enough meat to let you know its there, but not clubby enough to upset anybody. Dare we say it's borderline unremarkable, albeit in a good way.

The 42.8mm (1.69-inch) width at the nut is generally considered more comfortable for strumming, and coupled with a low-ish action, it makes for a very easy playing experience.

If there's a downside, it's that Stratabond is a heavy material, resulting in slight neck heaviness in the instrument, especially when you're stood and using the strap button in the heel.

Inside the soundhole is secreted a tiny control panel with two rotary pots - volume and tone - for the factory-fitted Fishman Sonitone system, fed by an under-saddle Sonicore pickup. There's a cloth nine-volt battery bag by the neck block, completing what is a very tidily built but understated guitar.

Sounds

"The overall impression of the DRS2's sound is of a bright guitar with a stoically new American voice"

Sapele is noted for its bright, enthusiastic tonality compared with rosewood, for example (and mahogany for that matter), and partnered with the other spec choices, the overall impression is of a bright guitar with a stoically new American voice.

Good bass, sparkly trebles, a notable dip in the mids: this is a Martin dread for sure. The low action will help you bond quickly - it's lovely to pick and strum lightly - but bashers will want it a touch higher to really let those strings vibrate fully without fret noise.

It lacks the punch, depth and dynamic range of the simply sublime new-version D-18 we reviewed a few months back, exactly as you'd expect, but it sounds more grown up than the firm's recently released PA5K guitars. Hands on heart, we preferred the tone of the all-mahogany D-15M but, again, it's more money.

Plugged in, the DRS2 has a typical modern, good-quality piezo tonality with enough range in the tone control to be nicely mid-scooped and hi-fi sounding for strummers, or with more midrange punch for single note emphasis.

You might bemoan the lack of mid-shaping bells and whistles, but the reality for a lot of occasional plugger-inners is that they (we) neither use nor understand all that stuff anyway. Just set it somewhere near the middle and let the sound engineer deal with it. No soundman? Well, you can't go far wrong with just two knobs!

Read more about Martin DRS2 at MusicRadar.com

Martin DRS2

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 11:34:00 GMT

Read more about Martin DRS2 at MusicRadar.com

Today, it's in a position of great strength, boasting higher end instruments that are built better and sound better than at any time since the pre-WWII 'Golden Era'.

Meanwhile, the company continues to push the envelope at the lower end, with cost-conscious guitars that use an increasing number of sustainable materials.

DRS2

"A point of note is an extremely sturdy Stratabond neck - a multiple lengthways laminate of wood that's impregnated with dye to make it different colours"

The 42.8mm (1.69-inch) width at the nut is generally considered more comfortable for strumming, and coupled with a low-ish action, it makes for a very easy playing experience.

If there's a downside, it's that Stratabond is a heavy material, resulting in slight neck heaviness in the instrument, especially when you're stood and using the strap button in the heel.

Sounds

"The overall impression of the DRS2's sound is of a bright guitar with a stoically new American voice"

Read more about Martin DRS2 at MusicRadar.com

Joan Cashimira 87BCE

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:28:00 GMT

Read more about Joan Cashimira 87BCE at MusicRadar.com

Aping a 'blanco' flamenco-style construction with a solid spruce top and laminated sycamore back and sides, this guitar has a clean Spanish-style build.

The dark (rosewood) binding makes for a strong contrast to the clean 'white' body woods. Internally, it exhibits its Spanish heritage with slipper heel, mahogany back braces and spruce top bracing.

The big difference between this guitar and traditional Spanish models is the thinline depth of 75 to 68mm (2.95 to 2.68 inches), intended to help with feedback rejection on stage.

String height is fairly generous (flamenco guitars traditionally have a lower, buzzier action), and the neck is quite flat-backed in profile.

Sounds

"With the trim body comes an explosive response that's not short on low-end despite its size"

There's room to the acoustic sound here, despite the trim body. With it comes an explosive response that's not short on low-end despite its size, and with a nice upper-frequency attack.

The under-saddle pickup suffers from slightly uneven string response when amplified. The sound is quite thin and bright overall, the preamp EQ effective on the under-saddle, although the internal mic produces a feedback-prone boxy tone that is of little use at higher levels, especially since it's a mono-only output.

Read more about Joan Cashimira 87BCE at MusicRadar.com

Joan Cashimira 87BCE

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 15:28:00 GMT

Read more about Joan Cashimira 87BCE at MusicRadar.com

Aping a 'blanco' flamenco-style construction with a solid spruce top and laminated sycamore back and sides, this guitar has a clean Spanish-style build.

The dark (rosewood) binding makes for a strong contrast to the clean 'white' body woods. Internally, it exhibits its Spanish heritage with slipper heel, mahogany back braces and spruce top bracing.

The big difference between this guitar and traditional Spanish models is the thinline depth of 75 to 68mm (2.95 to 2.68 inches), intended to help with feedback rejection on stage.

String height is fairly generous (flamenco guitars traditionally have a lower, buzzier action), and the neck is quite flat-backed in profile.

Sounds

"With the trim body comes an explosive response that's not short on low-end despite its size"

There's room to the acoustic sound here, despite the trim body. With it comes an explosive response that's not short on low-end despite its size, and with a nice upper-frequency attack.

Read more about Joan Cashimira 87BCE at MusicRadar.com

Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:54:00 GMT

Read more about Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW at MusicRadar.com

Designed primarily to be practice tools, Yamaha's Silent steel and nylon guitars are intended to be played with headphones and exhibit virtually zero acoustic sound.

"As many high profile players have concluded: Yamaha's Silent Guitars don't feed back when amplified"

But, as many high profile players have concluded (including Brian May, Lee Ritenour and even Rodrigo y Gabriela), not only do they look pretty futuristic and cool, but when amplified, they don't feed back.

This guitar is very well engineered and the neck is beautifully shaped, too. The 'board is ebony like a high-end classical and, bulk aside, the cleverly designed frame makes it feel as though you're playing a classical guitar.

Sounds

The Yamaha features a good low classical string height and wide bridge spacing, although its nut spacing is a little cramped.

There's enough acoustic sound for practice in a quiet environment, but that's not really the point. Plugged in, it sounds very good, and although there's a more electric-like sustain, especially from the lower strings, you can see why numerous players actually use these guitars live.

The EQ is basic but effective, and the effects are usable, especially the two reverbs and echo. Of course, if your style includes any percussive body slaps, you can't do them here.

Read more about Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW at MusicRadar.com

Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:54:00 GMT

Read more about Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW at MusicRadar.com

Designed primarily to be practice tools, Yamaha's Silent steel and nylon guitars are intended to be played with headphones and exhibit virtually zero acoustic sound.

"As many high profile players have concluded: Yamaha's Silent Guitars don't feed back when amplified"

Sounds

The Yamaha features a good low classical string height and wide bridge spacing, although its nut spacing is a little cramped.

The EQ is basic but effective, and the effects are usable, especially the two reverbs and echo. Of course, if your style includes any percussive body slaps, you can't do them here.

Read more about Yamaha Silent Guitar SLG130NW at MusicRadar.com

Manuel Rodriguez MCR11

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:56:00 GMT

Read more about Manuel Rodriguez MCR11 at MusicRadar.com

The MCR11 is one of the most Spanish looking flamenco/flat-top hybrids we've seen: it's a full classical-depth solid cedartopped cutaway electro with a quite startling rosette.

Construction is respectable, although the finish seems a little over-thick and is not the flattest you'll ever see on this type of guitar.

"Unplugged, the guitar exhibits a well-balanced, crisp tone that's not bass-heavy"

Internally, bracing and jointing is very clean. The MCR11's neck-block construction is a Spanish-style slipper heel with an unusual, but comfortable cutaway heel shaping. There's a slightly asymmetrical feel to the neck shape, with a shallower shoulder on the treble side, while the bass side feels more rounded.

The reasonably spacious nut width actually feels a little cramped, whereas string height is roomy, though a little lower than classical standard (like all of our foursome), and the fretting is nicely polished.

Sounds

Unplugged, the guitar exhibits a well-balanced, crisp tone that's not bass-heavy. That said, it's certainly not the most responsive we've played and also sounds a little tight, like it needs a fair bit of playing in.

Plugged in, the acoustic sound is replicated, the preamp is effective and performance is only let down by uneven string outputs. A shame, because this is otherwise a very nice guitar.

Read more about Manuel Rodriguez MCR11 at MusicRadar.com

Manuel Rodriguez MCR11

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:56:00 GMT

Read more about Manuel Rodriguez MCR11 at MusicRadar.com

The MCR11 is one of the most Spanish looking flamenco/flat-top hybrids we've seen: it's a full classical-depth solid cedartopped cutaway electro with a quite startling rosette.

Construction is respectable, although the finish seems a little over-thick and is not the flattest you'll ever see on this type of guitar.

"Unplugged, the guitar exhibits a well-balanced, crisp tone that's not bass-heavy"

Sounds

Plugged in, the acoustic sound is replicated, the preamp is effective and performance is only let down by uneven string outputs. A shame, because this is otherwise a very nice guitar.

Read more about Manuel Rodriguez MCR11 at MusicRadar.com

Ortega Coral-NY

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:57:00 GMT

Read more about Ortega Coral-NY at MusicRadar.com

The original gut, now nylon-string, 'classical' guitar has been used by countless highly influential non-classical players, yet is still seen by many as a secondary choice. However, today, its cache has arguably never been higher on numerous pop, rock and world music recordings and stages.

"With a clean build and a satin finish, the solid spruce-topped Coral-NY is typical of the modern hybrid steel/nylon"

In its cutaway electro guise it's a rarer bird and what has gradually emerged is a new hybrid instrument, a crossover between the steel-string flat-top and the concert or flamenco-style classical guitar.

With a clean build and a satin finish, the solid spruce-topped Coral-NY is typical of the modern hybrid steel/nylon. It's certainly unrestrained by tradition, with its inverted headstock tip, steel roller individual tuners, small neck block, 14-fret neck join, truss rod and oversized tie-block bridge.

A pointed Florentine cutaway adds to the modernist air, likewise the subtle non- Spanish soundhole decoration and 12th fret 'squiggle' inlay. Its body is a bit thinner-depthed than the Rodriguez (90 to 84mm, or 3.54 to 3.31 inches). Although the nut width is the narrowest on review and its deep C-section neck is very steel-like, it plays very well.

Sounds

Reflecting the guitar's style, the Coral-NY's unplugged tonality is light, as is its projection. It's certainly not a Spanish sound but, like other modern hybrids, it's a very usable sound for jazz and more modern Latin styles.

"Plugged in, we heard a nicely balanced output, and that brings the guitar alive"

Plugged in, we heard a nicely balanced output, and that brings the guitar alive. It's actually quite Taylor-like in its modern, brighter tonality.

And although the preamp only features treble and bass EQ, it's neat and very usable, and overall, the Coral-NY provides the best amplified sound of our electro-acoustic trio.

Read more about Ortega Coral-NY at MusicRadar.com

Ortega Coral-NY

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:57:00 GMT

Read more about Ortega Coral-NY at MusicRadar.com

"With a clean build and a satin finish, the solid spruce-topped Coral-NY is typical of the modern hybrid steel/nylon"

Sounds

"Plugged in, we heard a nicely balanced output, and that brings the guitar alive"

Plugged in, we heard a nicely balanced output, and that brings the guitar alive. It's actually quite Taylor-like in its modern, brighter tonality.

And although the preamp only features treble and bass EQ, it's neat and very usable, and overall, the Coral-NY provides the best amplified sound of our electro-acoustic trio.

Read more about Ortega Coral-NY at MusicRadar.com