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EDIT: https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Guitars/Acoustic-Guitars/cat-GITARRE-GITWEST?SearchTerm=&SortingAttribute=Price_ms_gb-asc&PageSize=30&ViewType=2&FollowSearch=&SourceReference=&SearchDirection=&SearchParameter=@QueryTerm=&SourceReference=&FollowSearch=&Manufacturer=Dowina
The New Albalonga is the one I have, and the Sauvignon is also all-solid and just under budget. The New Albalonga is a DV247/MusicStore exclusive model with African Mahogany/Khaya neck and back and sides, while the Sauvignon is a standard/non-exclusive model I think, with sapele neck/back/sides (both all-solid). Just bear in mind, it'll probably come from Germany, if that's a problem.
Now... whether it's quiet enough, I don't know. Mine sounds like an acoustic, so that might be too loud. And I've tried the electronics in mine about once, just to check they were working, so I'm not sure how good they are (I was pleasantly surprised, but I don't have much to compare against!).
THe main one from me would be it getting shipped without any kind of a case, if it was coming from Germany. But they seem interesting, without any potential baggage (Eastman).
I got mine shipped without a case to Northern Ireland. Mine was fine, but obviously that might not always be the case. You should (I think!) be covered even if anything does go wrong, but at the same time it's a lot handier if things don't go wrong- it's entirely up to you as to whether you're willing to take the risk or not, only you know what you're comfortable with.
No catch that I can tell. I think (judging by mine) they have a bit of a more modern type of tone, so as with any acoustic you have to like the tone it does.
These are great = make a cheeky offer?
I've been round the houses on this because I put more weight on the plugged in sound than many reviews and demos (understandably) do. In particularly I like the systems where you can blend piezo with an onboard or modelled mic.
So my effective shortlist is:
- Sire Larry Carlton A4 (£450)
- Yamaha FGX3 (£900)
- Yamaha AC3M/R (£700/£800)
I dig the Dowinas but I don't dig buying internationally without a case.
Eastman I'm torn on because, honestly, the LPs of theirs that I have played were incredible, high-definition instruments. So I'd be tempted but the above stuff about sustainability and governance does raise some questions and uncertainty for me. And, there are better deals to be had on Yamaha at the moment, compared to Eastman.
Contrast with filled pore finishes: with these the finisher fills the thousands of tiny pores in the surface of the timber before applying the final coats. Only some timbers have visible pores in the first place. Examples include rosewoods, mahogany and mahogany-like timbers, oak, and walnut. Others like maple and all of the common top timbers are described as "closed pore" timbers. In reality, all timbers have pores, it's just that the "open pore" ones have larger ones.
Note that the term "open pore" is used to mean two different things: (a) not filing the pores before spraying the finish on, and (b) timbers which have pores large enough to notice. An "open pore" finish on (say) a Sitka Spruce top makes no sense - it doesn't have pores large enough to fill in the first place.
Some people say that open pore finishes are sonically superior because you haven't weighed the timber down with heavy pore-filling crud. Theoretically, sure. But the difference, if any at all, is very small. The key thing to note here is that most of the sound quality (say 80% just to put a number on it) comes from the top, and the timbers normally used for tops - spruces, cedar, redwood, exotic pines - don't have visible pores anyway.
As for the instrument reacting differently to humidity, I can't see that. Remember that the inside of any acoustic guitar - almost 50% of the surface area - has no finish at all.
Long and the short of it is that it makes no special difference.
Delivery driver knocked on my door a few days later with two large boxes for me. Guitar in one, empty case in the other.
As @Tannin said, a lot of people (usually guitar manufacturers!) say that open-pore finishes sound better. FWIW any time I've been able to try even vaguely similar guitars with both types of finish I've preferred the gloss ones! Whether that's just because I prefer how they look or whatever, I don't know. That being said my Dowina sounds excellent, but I've never been able to try it next to a gloss one (which is a fair bit more money). My feeling (which could well be wrong and/or coloured by psychology) is that open/satin finishes sound more "raw" while gloss finishes sound more "refined", for want of a better word.
Oh now I think of it, whatever finish is on my Dowina back and sides, it kind of "catches" some microfibre cloths when I dust the guitar. That's a little annoying. I don't think it's doing any other harm, but it's a bit of an annoying noise/feel, a bit like nails down a blackboard!
FWIW I went with the Albalonga because it had African Mahogany back/sides and neck- I haven't tried that many acoustics, but of the few I have tried, I suspect I prefer the tone of African Mahogany (really Khaya) to Sapele. I could be wrong, but I think it's a slightly higher priced wood- the higher-end non-Master series Dowinas use it. On the negative side, the Albalonga is a MusicStore exclusive model, so I guess some people may figure that's less attractive. (Mine also came with Grover tuners, which was nice- not specced and maybe I got lucky!)
However... I've just noticed that Dowina is now speccing the Sauvignon with Khaya back, sides and neck rather than Sapele (although if you look at the Dowina website there's still one place on the Sauvignon page where it says "Sapele Mahogany"!). Whether the DV247 ones are newer Khaya ones or older Sapele ones, I don't know. (And whether it even matters I don't know either, having not tried both!)
EDIT: LOL @thermionic I've heard lots of stories along those lines! I wouldn't buy a separate case to protect a guitar in transit without checking they'd actually put the guitar into the case. To be fair- some people may want the original box of the guitar, and also it's presumably extra work for them to unpack it etc.. FWIW I've never had a (new, from a retail store) guitar turn up with any damage at all (touch wood!) whether it was in a case or not. But I may well just have been very lucky...
but it is a fabulous guitar in all aspects, not least the craftsmanship and details, but especially the sound. And I love it
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