Astrand Acoustic

BigLicks67 · November 2017

Anyone had the pleasure of playing one these guitars;

.

AliGorie · December 2017

lots of interest in his work a few yrs back, check out AGF ‘Custom’ shop’, where his work was seen as ‘investment grade’.
Nice clean (looking and sounding) modern instruments with more than an apprentice’s nod too ‘The Wizard’, in this case via a very short spell with Jason Kostal.
Other than the obvious external aesthetics - in the ‘build' threads you never get to see a picture of the finished top bracing system - never. I’m sure the wizard gets them to sign something.
There is a uk retailer who heavily touted 'Apprentices' work all very entertaining marketing tactics.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=418772
https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/astrandguitars/posts/?ref=page_internal

BigLicks67 · December 2017

Interesting, thanks for the links.

steveh · December 2017

I've played three or four, including the one in your clip (the guitarist is a friend of mine and perhaps the most talented "amaterur" I've met; unbelievable skills, especially when he's warmed up).

What is it you want to know about them? They're nice guitars for sure, and, as a sole luthier built instrument, a defiite notch or ten up from the usual factory guitar suspects.

earwighoney · December 2017

steveh said:

I've played three or four, including the one in your clip (the guitarist is a friend of mine and perhaps the most talented "amaterur" I've met; unbelievable skills, especially when he's warmed up).

What is it you want to know about them? They're nice guitars for sure, and, as a sole luthier built instrument, a defiite notch or ten up from the usual factory guitar suspects.

Yes, Chris is an amazing guitarist.

I myself prefer this guitar to the Astrand...

BigLicks67 · December 2017

steveh said:

I've played three or four, including the one in your clip (the guitarist is a friend of mine and perhaps the most talented "amaterur" I've met; unbelievable skills, especially when he's warmed up).

What is it you want to know about them? They're nice guitars for sure, and, as a sole luthier built instrument, a defiite notch or ten up from the usual factory guitar suspects.

When judging purely by looks I iexpected the guitar to sound bright and European,
however it seems quite warm sounding. So is this the guitar the player or both?

AliGorie · December 2017

earwighoney said:

I myself prefer this guitar to the Astrand...

I played a very small 'Dittson' copy by that maker - late '70's IIRC made for a pop artist from Paisley. It had a large elongated 'star' inlay's on the back in MOP and badly in need of a 'setup' but could hold it's own jamming with it's owners D35 - I was so impressed I still remember the experience.

whilst we're on about the Nordic Noir guitars
a maker that stands out is Loef guitars.

http://www.loefguitars.fi/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHTVFTNq4cE
http://https//youtu.be/MHTVFTNq4cE

steveh · December 2017

BigLicks67 said:

steveh said:

I've played three or four, including the one in your clip (the guitarist is a friend of mine and perhaps the most talented "amaterur" I've met; unbelievable skills, especially when he's warmed up).

What is it you want to know about them? They're nice guitars for sure, and, as a sole luthier built instrument, a defiite notch or ten up from the usual factory guitar suspects.

When judging purely by looks I iexpected the guitar to sound bright and European,
however it seems quite warm sounding. So is this the guitar the player or both?

It is pretty bright and I'd place it a bit nearer the Californian coast than Europe (as has been said, Astrand has stayed a short while with Jason Kostal) - more string emphasis than wood.
I wouldn't describe that type of sound as warm. Chris' Bown is warmer I think.

steveh · December 2017

earwighoney said:

Yes, Chris is an amazing guitarist.
I myself prefer this guitar to the Astrand...

I'd have to go with this comment 100%. Of the two, I much perefer Chris' Bown OM. Bowns are also played by a fair few "names" if that says anything (I think it does). Ralph builds a far better "Martin" than Martin does, if that is the style of guitar you're after. Still has an emphasis on the fundamental but with more overtones, better sustain etc. Ralph Bown is also probably the best woodworker I've come across - his guitars are utterly flawless.

The Astrands are distributed by an intermediary in the UK which pushes their price up a fair bit whereas ordering one from Ralph means you deal direct with the guy building it.

Chris let me babysit his Bown for a couple of months and I really loved it; perhaps the best of Ralph's that I've played. Here I am making a hash of it:

AliGorie · December 2017

steveh said:

more string emphasis than wood.
I wouldn't describe that type of sound as warm. Chris' Bown is warmer I think.

a great indicator of how the some of the ’High End’ (another thread) market has evolved is to be found in this thread.
Many of the more recent offerings of ‘modern’ guitars go for a ‘precision sound’ with harmonic complexity and lodsa volume, a hifi sound that is suited to certain types of playing - and music.
These ‘on steroid’ guitars also fall foul of the same fate that has been recognized in the modern classical guitar making world, in the quest for something more - somethings lost.
as Stevie rightly points out, they're differently 'voiced' guitars.
Young players at the acoustic nights I attend sometimes ask me what kind of guitar to buy. I ask them what kind of music THEY want to play and to look out for what kinds of instruments are being used in the that style - should give a good starting point for what to try out.
Do this with guitars built with the currant acoustic philosophy mention above and you’ll find they are being used for quite a narrow band of musical ’styles’ and players - you’d be VERY hard pressed to find one being play’d at a typical gig - even solo.
Also typically owners of these instruments are not likely to "Gie it laldy" - (play with great gusto), I look forward to being proved wrong on this point, where as Clive Carrol can and will - let rip on his Bown.

mgaw · December 2017

good point by @AliGorie ; i had a tippin omt which was the best built, best playing acoustic i will ever own, but i moved it on reluctantly cos it wasnt getting the time spent on it.....now i have a J45 style guitar built by a local guy called Jame Millman, which i cant put down. The difference is neither the build quality, which is excellent, nor the playability but the fact that it has more soul to it, it has an organic woody quality that i love and now realise was missing from the otherwise brilliant Tippin

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