Happy New Guitar Day! (Technically yesterday- I've been busy playing).
Vintage Paul Brett 12 string. I got it for £320- awesome value! I'm VERY pleased with it.
My initial impressions:
It's a lovely wee thing, sounds great- very balanced. It doesn't quite "sing" like my old (now sold) S&P12 did, but I believe that it WILL once it's played in.
Fit and finish are generally very good, the satin finish feels great under my hands- I dislike gloss finishes.
Negatives- the fretboard was really grubby & there's a loose cable or something inside that resonates when you play hard- I'll fix this when I restring. Intonation & action are both good & the tuners are solid.
I've not plugged in yet, that'll happen tonight.
I'll report back once I've played the heck out of it for a month or two, but I'm massively impressed.
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I've been suprised by just how good the Brett 12 is. Don't get me wrong, I expected to like it, but it covers all the necessary bases to be my ideal guitar:
12 Strings- I usually play solo, so this enriches my sound, but the nut isn't too wide, so it plays easily & the action is good all the way up the neck. My hands don't get tired after playing barre chords in high positions.
Electro Acoustic- the unplugged sound is GOOD, but not as full as my dread 12 was (the Brett is starting to mellow- the top still needs some playing in, but that's to be expected), by plugging in and carefully tweaking the eq (and adding a touch of reverb) it sounds AMAZING.
Parlour size body- makes it really comfortable to play, I never feel I'm wrestling with it. Even when slouching on the sofa! Comfy playing = more playing. My old sofa guitar has been relegated to its case!
Satin finish- looks cool and I prefer this finish on all my guitars. Laquer can sometimes feel sticky after a long playing session.
Hard case- speaks for itself, but if you've got a weird shaped guitar it helps that the manufacturer includes a case to fit. It'd be a nightmare to find a case otherwise, the tiny body and LOOOONG headstock mean it won't fit any of my other hardcases.
My only criticism is that the top is a bit anemic looking. So pale its almost white, but that's a personal thing. I played 3 and took the one that played best, its a guitar not an ornament.
Oh, and the stock strings weren't up to much, but who doesn't replace those immediately?
All this for £320!
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