UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
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This forum is such a great place to hang out.
Had the pleasure of meeting up with forum member
@Shadow today, for a bit of guitar fun.
I own a McIroy and he owns a lovely new McNally guitar. As these both share some Lowden DNA (both builders worked with Lowden before they set up on their own) we thought it would be great to meet and compare the two. They're both spruce over rosewood.
Each is a really beautiful guitar; both builders are at the top of their game when it comes to finishing and build standards. Playability is exceptional on both.
And although they share that Irish build heritage, they have their own distinct voices without much overlap I'd say, and certainly neither sounds like a Lowden. The Mcilroy had a slightly fuller tone to my ears, but it has a deeper body and 17 years of playing on it. The McNally was more balanced with quite a modern, articulate tone. Both are fabulous and a joy to own.
A real pleasure to meet
@Shadow and have opportunity to compare these two lovely guitars.
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This whole Irish guitar theme is something I have yet to explore. We very seldom see any of them here in Oz.They sound great on You-tube but there is nothing like playing instruments in real life.
In the same vein I believe that @thomasross20 is going to drop in and have a go on my little collection of Matons as soon as he figures out how to get the Number 9 bus to stop in Tasmania.
(And per Tannin post, I've always wanted to visit Australia)
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and bring yer ££
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Oh, just discussing how fretboard radius affects playing and how Larrivee used to be quite flat fingerboards.
The McIlroy is a beautiful instrument, lovely full, rich tone, and the sitka top has aged wonderfully, a lovely deep honey colour which could hardly be more different to the light, creamy coloured top on my McNally... you'd hardly think they were the same wood.
The Brook Torridge is also a lovely instrument, OO sized and very easy to play. As it happens I'm looking for a OO at moment but unfortunately I'm going to have to set my sights a good bit lower, the McNally only having been in the house for three months and domestic harmony needing to be maintained!
Tom also got the seal of approval from the cat... normally when anyone visits she spends the whole time under a bed but she popped in to give him an approving sniff!
All in all a fun afternoon.
Most of the small questions I either know exactly what I want (e.g., scale length, nut width, no cutaway, no fretboard markers, flat headstock, modest decoration) or don't really care (e.g., bridge type, brand of tuners). It's only the big questions I'm still at sea on!
I think body type and timbers will have to wait until I can play a couple of examples and talk them over with Simon or Andy. But smaller rather than larger (probably 0 or parlour), and so far as possible, all-British timbers. I could end up with something like cedar on walnut, but first I want to talk to them about the options in a hardwood top. I suspect that hardwood tops work better on larger guitars, so that might push me up to a 00 or even 000. We will see.
Until I've played a couple - here in Oz I've never even seen a Brook, or any other British-made acoustic, let alone played one - I can't go much further. I am catching a midday train in Exeter, so my Monday morning visit to Brook is going to require some quick decisions. I am OK with that. It will be fun and I have every confidence in their craftsmanship - I'm sure that whatever it ends up being will be lovely.
By the way, @PCT57, two or three of your videos have been a very useful to me in learning about the make and the way it sounds. So thank you!
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Simon says I'll be able to play his own two plus whatever happens to be floating around in the workshop at the time. I'm actually buying via Project Music (but ordering direct) as the export paperwork is too hard for Brook.
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just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
just because you do, doesn't mean you should.
Nice to see how the other half lives though.