I thought I would wait 48 hours before I put down my thoughts about the
Stonebridge G23 CR leftie that has finally arrived. WOW. Like many of
us I expect, I have wistfully played £2500- £3000 guitars in shops and
then thought 'is this really that much better than my guitar'? But the
Stonebridge is something else. The finish is impeccable. The attention
to detail, inside and out is all there. She is quietly stunning. But
how does she sound?
It is like cleaning your glasses! Everything
that was hinted at is now there, without you straining, and in
abundance. The intonation is spot on at all points of the compass (that
might be down to Richards set up of course). The voice is full, round
and as clear as a bell. The sustain goes on into next week. The guitar
is powerful, so you can play quietly, but then move to a crescendo
without her losing grip. String separation is perfectly balanced, each
note is the same volume, clearly focussed and its overtones work with
the other notes being played rather than against them. The extra 2mm
width at the nut really works for me - there seems to be so much more
room to place cleanly and swiftly. The guitar is so easy to play, I do
not feel I am fighting in complicated passages (set up again?). She will
also take strumming comfortably, either with a pick or with fingers.
But this guitar is a fingerstyle players dream.
A word about
buying from Richard. It is counter intuitive. His website acknowledges
how easy it is to go wrong in music shops. Add to that buying unseen
over the internet! Insanity. But honestly, it does not feel like you
are buying a guitar from Richard. He is the bloke you take along with
you to make sure you don't lose your head. It will take longer than
most transactions because his judgement is cooler than yours. But I have
come to the conclusion that for most of us, he is our best chance of
getting the guitar of our dreams. All in all it is disconcerting. But
the result is amazing. Thanks Richard.
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Richards Guitars, 5 Tiddington Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7AE. Tel: 01789 263333
