SOLD
Imagine my surprise and elation when one of my all time favourite luthiers walks into the store with not one but two of my favourite models the Concert Cutaway with side port! It is similar to unwrapping a Christmas present and finding two slightly different versions of the toy you always wanted!!
As always Mr. Barry’s unparalleled attention to all the little details both sonically and visually sets these guitars apart at a time when scores of talented builders are at the top of their game. The core design of these two guitars remains the same with a tone defined by a full punchy bass response, articulate shimmering trebles, soft yet cutting midrange and layer upon layer of gorgeous overtones to support the note fundamental. These large bodied guitars feature a curvaceous 16″ lower bout but the tight waist makes it feel like you are holding a much smaller guitar and the cutaway gives the player great access to the higher frets. Both guitars also feature a side port which provides the player with a monitoring factor and augments the overall volume and tone production by allow the top to move more freely due to the increased rapid air movement.
What sets these two incredible guitars apart you may ask? Many of us may be aware that spruce and rosewood yields one of the most sought after tone combination’s in the guitar world but imagine the beautiful tonal variations that are possible by carefully selecting different species of these woods. One pairing features a master grade Engleman spruce top and master grade Madagascar rosewood sides and back while the other has master grade Sitka spruce top and Brazilian rosewood sides and back. Madagascar and Brazilian rosewood are very similar in visual appearance and tonal content which includes a zesty and sparkly articulation, scooped airy midrange and dark, punchy bass. In this case the Madagascar rosewood has reddish orange hues to go with its darker grain lines and the Brazilian is a more deep chocolate brown with some vertical dark grain lines running the length of set. The body binding and purfling on both of these instruments beautifully frame the wood sets while imparting a subtle yet eye catching design aesthetic.
While I am familiar with the tonal variations of Engleman and Sitka spruce I thought that I should ask the maestro himself for his thoughts on these two different species.
“Sonically Sitka Spruce has a higher “ceiling” volume-wise and tonally. It is capable of retaining nuance even when strummed relatively aggressively and is compatible with most playing styles. Engleman is a softer wood..unlike Sitka its darker growth lines (often referred to as winter growth) are much less prominent hence the clearer and creamier appearance. These dark growth lines are concentrated areas of cellulose and add a great measure of stiffness to the wood. Engleman has a softer, rounder attack with a slower overtone release. Overtones “bloom” behind the fundamental. Engleman tops are favored for more ambient fingerstyle playing.”
An additional structural and tonal benefit on both guitars is the use of billet split Adirondack spruce bracing. The billet splitting ensures a quarter sawn bracing without runout and provides more strength and greater stiffness with less deflection. This translates into better energy transfer which provides more volume, sustain and tone.
The Engleman/Madagascar guitar has a medium elliptical neck profile with a wider 1 3/4″ bone nut and 2 11/32″ saddle spacing and is geared towards the fingerstyle player. While the Sitka/Brazilian guitar has a lower profile neck and more narrow nut and spacing both guitars are very comfortable and I easily executed both fingerstyle and flat picking passages on both instruments.
G.W. Barry has been designing exquisitely elegant instruments which push the sonic boundaries of guitar building for over thirty years and each piece seems to be better than the last. As a guitar lover and flat top player I am inspired every time I pick up one of his guitars and I can hardly wait to see what he builds next!!
Mike Gray
Here are sound clips of Dave Martin playing these guitars:
Barry Concert Engelman/Madagascar
Barry Concert Sitka Brazilian
Special thanks to David Wren for the photographs.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GW BARRY GUITARS, INCLUDING PRICING, CLICK HERE.
Specifications
Concert Cutaway Engleman/Madagascar
* Concert cutaway
* 65cm/25.5″ scale length
* 16″ lower bout width
* Master grade Engleman spruce top
* Master grade Madagascar rosewood back and sides
* Flamed koa and Madagascar rosewood purfling/binding
* Paua shell rosette
* Billet split Adirondack spruce bracing
* Sideport
* Tropical Mahogany neck with medium elliptical profile
* Ebony fretboard with 12″ radius and medium high frets
* Ebony bridge with compensated bone saddle
* 1 3/4″ bone nut
* 2 11/32″ saddle spacing
* Gotoh 510 tuners with antique gold finish
* TKL hardshell case
SOLD
Specifications
Concert Cutaway Sitka/Brazilian
* Concert cutaway
* 65cm/25.5″ scale length
* 16″ lower bout width
* Master grade Sitka spruce top
* Brazilian rosewood sides and back
* Ebony and rosewood purfling/binding
* Paua shell rosette
* Billet split Adirondack spruce bracing
* Sideport
* Mahogany neck with low profile shape
* Ebony fretboard with 16″ radius and medium high fret wire
* Ebony bridge with compensated bone saddle
* 1 23/32″ bone nut
* 2 3/16″ saddle spacing
* Gotoh 510 tuners in black chrome finish
* TKL hardshell case
* Ameritage hardshell option
SOLD
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GW BARRY GUITARS, INCLUDING PRICING, CLICK HERE.
