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Post by andyhowell on Jul 16, 2013 8:20:51 GMT
Anyone close to London — or visiting London for the day — might want to pop into Ivor Mairants in Rathbone Place (off Oxford Street). A legend of a store, this is in my view by far the best store in central London at the moment.
I was in there for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. They currently have a decent range of Santa Cruz guitars which are well worth checking out.
The Santa Cruz OM Grand is an instrument I have been interested in for a while (I own a Santa Cruz OM). The grand is the same depth but a bit wider and is recognisably an OM but with just a bit more depth. Great even tone across the strings and down the fingerboard. A lovely g which sounds great in a range of open tunings. A real winner this and at a very competitive price — £3K.
The other guitar which really caught my eye (or ear) was a Sergie de Jonge OO spruce and some kind of exotic rosewood combo. Although smaller bodied than the Grand the scale length was 25.4 and the fingerboard nice and wide. The next was comfortable although not as wonderful as the SC neck — SC necks are just superb. I was surprised by the clarity, sustain and projection of this small body. A very interesting guitar this at £5K! Completely knocked the Lowden Pierre Bensusan model I played recently into a cocked hat. A very interesting guitar. Mind you at £5K I still think an individual luthier commission is the way to go.
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Post by earwighoney on Jul 16, 2013 8:46:46 GMT
I played the Sergei De Jonge Palo Escrito guitar. Beautiful wood on the back, very light and responsive guitar too.
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 17, 2013 7:12:53 GMT
The de Jonge guitar in at the moment seems to be a OO with sound hole. Nice instrument
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