In a sense, all of Gibson’s flattop guitars are indebted to Martin designs, but with the CEO-7, Martin tips its hat to Gibson. Inspired by a mid-1930s L-00, this CEO is a no-frills flattop with distinctively sloped shoulders, a 14th-fret neck-to-body junction, and a sunburst soundboard finish.
the 914ce is made from a gorgeous selection of tonewoods, all solid—Sitka spruce for the top; Indian rosewood for the back and sides; and ebony for the fretboard, bridge, armrest, headstock overlays, heel cap, bridge pins, and bindings.
The satin finish and slender neck makes for a decidedly modern feel, but it also has a warm, honeyed sound characteristic of the classic 1940s flattop to which it pays tribute.
Parlor guitars are finding renewed interest among a broad spectrum of players, both professionals and those looking for small, lightweight instruments to take to beach parties or campfire singalongs.
Like all Faith guitars, the Classic Burst Mercury is made from solid, eco-friendly FSC-certified woods at the company’s workshop in West Java, Indonesia. It does have that imported-guitar vibe, thanks to its polyurethane lacquer finish and its chemical-rich aroma. But unlike the typical budget guitar, it’s very well-built. The frets are cleanly dressed and the sunburst finish is perfectly graduated—inside the box things are relatively neat and tidy.
Budget guitars once had a bad reputation: inferior instruments made from laminated woods, with poor playability and even worse tone. But things have changed.
The small-bodied LS16 likely owes its fine sound to Yamaha’s Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (ARE) technology, a form of torrefaction that brings a warmer, darker tone color.
In late 2013, Keith Richards told the Wall Street Journal how he came up with the right textures for one of the Rolling Stones’ most famous riffs: the intro to “Street Fighting Man.” He’d been experimenting with open tunings, recording his ideas on the fly on an early Philips cassette…
It might not dazzle with its looks, but this guitar’s excellent sound and playability make it a serious contender among much more expensive instruments.
This guitar has a low-end depth and looseness that makes it sound like a larger guitar, with super-low action and a relatively shallow, half-rounded neck.
How do you choose which guitars to review? Our writers are guitar fanatics, just like you. They’re always on the lookout for new or updated offerings to recommend. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t publish negative or one-star reviews – there are so many great guitars being produced today that we’d rather share our balanced opinions on the instruments we do think you should consider.
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