It's funny, but when I think
of "firsts" in guitar design ... I just naturally think of Sergei de Jonge.
The first time I had ever heard the term "double top" was a discussion
with Sergei in the late '80s when he was experimenting with the concept.
I think that was around the time he finalized his adjustable neck angle
... one of those "why doesn't every guitar have this" innovations.
I'll never forget the first time I played a guitar with a side port.
You guessed it. It was on one of Sergei's instruments. There
are a lot of builders using spalted wood soundhole rosettes these days
but Mr. de Jonge was the one who conceived of this very organic visual
design detail. Lattice bracing? Sergei was doing it in the
'70s while working with Pat Lister. French polish finish on
a steel string guitar? It was unheard of in modern times until Sergei
and Joshia de Jonge revived it. There are leaders and there are followers
... and then there are artists like Sergei who throughout their career
are constantly breaking new ground, all the while with one goal in
mind. Make a better instrument for the musician.
Last week I'm sitting at my desk working on the
web site as usual. One of my colleagues comes in with a case and
says the words I always like to hear. "This just arrived from Sergei."
I look at the label on the case. Katalox? Is that what that
says? K . A . T . A . L . O . X. It's not often that
I'm stumped when it comes to identifying tonewoods but he's got me on this
one. I of course open the case and now I am really intrigued.
The bookmatched sapwood, the dark chocolate coloured heartwood with
rippling figure and extraordinary depth of hue ... and would you look at
the Sitka on this one! It has enough glittering cross flower to enlarge
the most jaded guitar-store-geeks retinas! What an absolutely astonishing
looking instrument!
I contacted Sergei to get details on this guitar
and he informed me that Katalox (Swartzia cubensis) is native to South
America and is known for its high density, strength and of course its beauty.
"I really love the sound of this guitar. Unfortunately I don't have
as much of this wood as I'd like. It's difficult to get your hands
on Katalox of the quality I need." I can hear what Sergei means about
the tone of this instrument. A dense back and sides wood in the wrong
builder's hands can make for a very contained overall sound ... sometimes
with less girth to the midrange than is optimum for my personal taste.
Not so with this instrument ... as a matter of fact just the opposite.
This really is one of the most open sounding new guitars I have heard ever!
Both the bass/mid/treble balance and the note-fundamental/overtone balance
is to my ear ... just perfect. There is a very solid foundation to
the note that overlaps nicely into the partials that positively erupt from
the soundhole of this instrument!
I definitely subscribe to the "it's the cook not
the ingredients" school of thought when it comes to guitar building,
but I have to admit that this stunning sounding instrument has me wondering
if Katalox is the next popular tonewood ... yes, another first
from the de Jonge workshop! |
