Art & Lutherie Cedar Left

Manufacturing Canada
21 frets
Mechanical oil bath
Cedar, cherry back and sides, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, maple neck.
Nut, bridge and pegs Tusq (synthetic ivory)
Satin
Bolt C
Bought new for 300 euros

Of good quality for that price, only downside, the cedar is a little fragile and brand quickly, to pay tribute to the coating that allows light, however, sustain a safe and outstanding.

The colors are not great (in my opinion, the satin finish does not displease me).

Finally, it is a left-handed model, poor me can try an average guitar music store (by the way, it's really crap to be different in this world, in any way either).

UTILIZATION

My only complaint, the action (string height) is too high. Not really annoying especially if you make good agreements on top of the big race, but to get into the solos at the Al Di Meola, that's another story ... Damage to this guitar overall well thought out, better not to have considered this crucial point.

The strings are original, I do not know their drawing, probably a little too strong for me, which is an additional barrier to playing comfort It's going better right away when I give a tone lower.

I ended up opting for XL strings, reducing tension, and thus the curvature of the handle, and therefore the action. This is the first step to reduce the action without touching the violin. As not enough for me, I very lightly "planed" the nut of the bridge with a knife. I get a space string / fret to the 12th fret of 2.4 mm for the low E, and 1.6 mm for the high E, which represents a good compromise between sound and playing comfort (for measure, it is best to use a feeler gauge found in hardware stores for about € 10). Always cheaper than the intervention of a maker that will do nothing more.

SOUNDS

It sounds a good potato rather balanced with a dominant bright.
I play a little bit of everything, but I reserve this guitar course directory blues-rock-pop.
I have a six-string nylon classical, flamenco, bossa, etc..
And also a stratovolcano in the enjoyment of neighbors.

OVERALL OPINION

Recent acquisition. I was looking for a guitar not too expensive, I can lug around without fear of forgetting a train (it happened to me in Yugoslavia), to see it end in a hard place, or even lend it to Pete Townsend (sorry , young people, I no longer reference current. but the contemporary equivalent must exist ...)

While playing guitar since 1980 and have had a lot of electrical and between the legs nylons, this is my first "folk". This is also why I opted for a model of this price. If I hang (and it's gone), I would spend a day at best (a seagull, no doubt, when found in the upper range a quality / price ratio still amazing, still well done Canadians, Chriss 'tabarnac of' balls of caribou!).

I have not tried 36 000 models (being left ...), but in my opinion, there is no better at this price, and she shows also a lot of models that cost twice as much. And in addition, made in Canada, where labor law is not that of China or Indonesia.
At the same price and with superior quality, what more?

I particularly recommend for beginners, although it is somewhat difficult to play (but as we have seen, it is not very difficult to improve this aspect). However, if I were to believe the music in my neighborhood grocery store (which does not distribute this brand), the little cedar interest only beginners, which he prefers to peddle the made in China with shiny varnish that flatter the eye. Yes, even in the world of sound, the eye goes first. Strange days, full of bloated eye. In fact, the eye is a con, Battle wrote.

In short, I recommend it to anyone who wants a very decent guitar without subscribing to a bank loan, and for which the virtuoso playing is not a priority. Anyway, when the dons of sextuplets quadruple to 120 in the eighth black, long ago that no longer plays on a guitar custom made.