Atkin NGD

stickyfiddle

Something just arrived. 

Unfortunately it’s 40C outside (and in the UPS van!) so I’m going to have to let it sit and cool down for at least an hour or two before I open it… AAARRRGGH

Hottubes

Oh Sweet, i know you've been gassing for one.

TheMadMick

At least you know you've got a box

VimFuego

nice box!!!

stickyfiddle

I’ll, well I gave it an hour and the outside of the case felt room temp for half of that. Considering the finish is already aged I opened it…

First impressions: honestly quite possibly the best acoustic I’ve ever played. It’s utterly immaculate and sounds like an old friend. 

I’ve bought this with some inheritance from my grandmother, who we lost on my birthday last September. We have a weekend away for this year’s birthday and I’ll be bring this one with me. It’s just wonderful

tone1

Is that a 43? Looks amazing 

stickyfiddle

tone1 said:

Is that a 43? Looks amazing 

Forty seven - a tweaked LG-2. I was tempted by the 43 but I already a Martin HD28 so wanted to get further from the dread thing

Better pics and more comments later but I have a lot of work to get done this evening  

DB1

Very nice. I had a 43 which was a nice guitar, and I have an LG-2, which I think is a really sweet, manageable size. Lovely!!

stickyfiddle

I just read the tag - it's strung with elixirs. I can only imagine how good it'll be with proper strings  

malcolmkindness

Congratulations, Atkin makes great sounding guitars, the necks just don't suit me.

crunchman

malcolmkindness said:

Congratulations, Atkin makes great sounding guitars, the necks just don't suit me.

I had a chat with Alister Atkin at the Guitar Show in 2020.  He said I could do a custom order with a different neck profile.

stickyfiddle

Man this thing is so good. I've played it enough in the 18 hours it's been here that my fingers are hurting. Which is actually a little odd as it's got 12s on and a shorter scale than my Martin. Anyway, will throw some Reros on this evening and see how those feel. I could probably bring the action down just a smidge as well but I won't look at that until after it's settled with new strings in case the tension is any different

In any case, I'm super happy. Better pics to follow after new strings

Chris Stapleton on the stereo this morning...

TimmyO

Nice. I first played some of them in Ivor Mairant's in London where they also had a fair few Collings and preferred pretty much all the Atkins over the Collings - lovely guitar 

stickyfiddle

Yeah, I've never played a Collings acoustic (I think..) but did try a few electrics in Nashville a while back. They were really nice instruments but really genuinely perfect. I know it's stupid but I like guitars to feel a little more handmade. Not to the point of obvious defects, but a little unevenness to binding, hand-sprayed bursts, etc. 

This thing definitely does that very nicely. Everything mechanical is basically 100% but the ageing also helps just nudge it towards having a little more character I guess. 

Arktik83

Saw them when I was looking for like a pre-war Gibson style last Christmas.  Sounded bloody brilliant, sadly £2,600 outside of my price range but unlike most guitars north of £2k it sounded like it was worth every penny!

Happy NGD!

meltedbuzzbox

TimmyO said:

Nice. I first played some of them in Ivor Mairant's in London where they also had a fair few Collings and preferred pretty much all the Atkins over the Collings - lovely guitar 

All the collings acoustics I have played all felt and sounded very stiff for want of a better word. 
I was surprised as I was expecting them to sound glorious with the easiest of actions

stickyfiddle

It's only been here not-quite 2 days and already I feel I know it super-well. What's really impressed me is this little thing is sweeter and louder (?!) than my HD28. 

I might have to see about trying an Atkin dread next time I'm in the UK... 

octatonic

Very nice.
A friend of mine does the finishing for Atkin.
He's is super detailed so I am sure it is immaculate.

stickyfiddle

octatonic said:

Very nice.
A friend of mine does the finishing for Atkin.
He's is super detailed so I am sure it is immaculate.

It's genuinely astonishing. I went for the aged one largely because I'm shallow but it's a really impressive finish, down to the way the yellowed topcoat is worn down and the edge slightly softened on the binding at the natural contact points when you sit playing it. I also love the wider burst they're doing at the moment over the smaller tighter one in the models on the Atkin site.

I was terrified before I opened the case in case it wasn't quite what I was hoping for but somehow it seems to be even more than. 

AND.. the case has blue fluffy insides! 

DavidR

Stickyfiddle. For what it's worth - I bought an OM28 in 2018 and drove it from Colchester to Boston on an extremely hot day in an unairconditioned car where the external temperatures were 34. The OM28 has been fine since.

One wonders just how many other of the carriers packages might have been vulnerable to the temperatures you describe!

Nice guitar. Have fun.

stickyfiddle

DavidR said:

Stickyfiddle. For what it's worth - I bought an OM28 in 2018 and drove it from Colchester to Boston on an extremely hot day in an unairconditioned car where the external temperatures were 34. The OM28 has been fine since.

One wonders just how many other of the carriers packages might have been vulnerable to the temperatures you describe!

Nice guitar. Have fun.

Good to know. This has settled in nicely and the relief just needs a very slight increase, but that's probably more a humidity issue than one of temperature. It'll be kept at a pretty consistent 22-ish in our apartment now so it's all good.