HeyMikey
Enlightened Member
Ok, so I’m the one who bought Rich’s (formerly Blake’s) F47 special. First, let me give a big “thank you” to Rich for offering up this beauty and for the Fort Knox level of packing! It is soooooo nice to not have to explain to someone how to properly pack and ship a guitar.
I’ve been wanting to try something slightly larger than my F30 size guitars but the Guild choices are very slim because of my preferred 1-3/4 nut size. So, I started looking at some with 1-11/16. I really admired this particular guitar with its unique features when it first came to market, and had to pull the trigger when Rich offered it up to raise cash for his archtop GAS.
The Brazilian is gorgeous and to me looks like it’s from the same or similar batch Tacoma used for the 2003 D-55 Anniversary models. The custom level of build quality of this guitar is top notch. The Adi spruce, RW headstock, ebony, abalone and MOP appointments and Parisian eye bridge pins add a classy amount of bling. The tuners are fantastic! Yes, that abomination of a pick guard must go, without a doubt. I’m getting very close to removing it. The rear finish scratch (not a through crack) and lower side gouge can be repaired but honestly they don’t bother me much because it plays so well.
I’ve been playing it a few days and it sounds pretty darn good. The neck is comfortable and who doesn’t love a good smooth ebony fretboard. The note clarity and volume from string to string is very even. The tone is clean, very well balanced from the bottom to highs, and is I guess for lack of a better word “refined”. I think Rich described it as mesmerizing. Surprisingly, I don’t find it louder than my F30 size guitars, but it does have a more polished sound.
There are two things that I don’t care for. First is the 1-11/16 nut width, which I can play but not well. It is just not enjoyable for me. Second is the overall size which is just a bit large/deep for my arthritic shoulder – but not a problem for 30 minutes or so of play.
The bottom line is that I like the guitar very much, but don’t think it’s going to be a keeper for me. Ultimately, I will probably end up selling or trading it for something with a wider nut width like an Orpheum OM-R, DD6-R or maybe F312, which are high on my want list.
Blake’s pics
I’ve been wanting to try something slightly larger than my F30 size guitars but the Guild choices are very slim because of my preferred 1-3/4 nut size. So, I started looking at some with 1-11/16. I really admired this particular guitar with its unique features when it first came to market, and had to pull the trigger when Rich offered it up to raise cash for his archtop GAS.
The Brazilian is gorgeous and to me looks like it’s from the same or similar batch Tacoma used for the 2003 D-55 Anniversary models. The custom level of build quality of this guitar is top notch. The Adi spruce, RW headstock, ebony, abalone and MOP appointments and Parisian eye bridge pins add a classy amount of bling. The tuners are fantastic! Yes, that abomination of a pick guard must go, without a doubt. I’m getting very close to removing it. The rear finish scratch (not a through crack) and lower side gouge can be repaired but honestly they don’t bother me much because it plays so well.
I’ve been playing it a few days and it sounds pretty darn good. The neck is comfortable and who doesn’t love a good smooth ebony fretboard. The note clarity and volume from string to string is very even. The tone is clean, very well balanced from the bottom to highs, and is I guess for lack of a better word “refined”. I think Rich described it as mesmerizing. Surprisingly, I don’t find it louder than my F30 size guitars, but it does have a more polished sound.
There are two things that I don’t care for. First is the 1-11/16 nut width, which I can play but not well. It is just not enjoyable for me. Second is the overall size which is just a bit large/deep for my arthritic shoulder – but not a problem for 30 minutes or so of play.
The bottom line is that I like the guitar very much, but don’t think it’s going to be a keeper for me. Ultimately, I will probably end up selling or trading it for something with a wider nut width like an Orpheum OM-R, DD6-R or maybe F312, which are high on my want list.
Blake’s pics
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