Turnstone TM-E Guitar - English Woods Series
Nov 25, 2018 16:59:46 GMT
jonnymosco, ocarolan, and 24 more like this
Post by Martin on Nov 25, 2018 16:59:46 GMT
After a (not too) long wait, I am now the very happy owner of a beautiful Turnstone English woods guitar by Rosie Heydenrych.
I actually got the guitar yesterday, but have been spending a fair bit of time playing so have only just gotten around to taking some photos.
As one or two of you may have noticed, I have spent the last six months or so buying, selling and swapping guitars like a maniac. Call it therapy, call it living large, call it fickle
Whatever it is, it is now at an end (I think). I think 'GAS' has finally given up on me, and this acquisition was anything but impulsive.
I've been deeply interested in RosieTGC 's instruments since I first tried a very sexy spalted maple example over two years ago, but have not been able to justify the outlay in any way up until now.
After selling a very silly, but somehow desirable private vehicle number plate, I have sensibly decided to invest the proceeds in this rather lovely instrument.
I approached Rosie about a month ago or so, initially to enquire about the Yew guitar she had on her website as available. It had disappeared, but I asked anyway. Alas, it has been sold, but the slightly smaller TM-E guitar that was there, in Monterrey Cypress and Cherry was available.
After not too much consideration and a consultation with a fellow forum member who had played this very guitar, a deposit was forthcoming and a short wait ensued.
Actually, it was just before Rosie went to the Woodstock luthier-thingmy, and so yesterday after much faffing from the courier, I at last picked the guitar up.
Went through the obligatory six hour fun acclimatisation period (the joy) but finally opened the case at 5pm last night.
Firstly, it looks beautiful. I'm of the opinion that woods and complementary wood choices are far better at communicating the beauty of an instrument than any amount of pearl or abalone can, and I'm also a fan of understated cosmetics (with a few exceptions).
This TM-E is almost perfect in this respect - really lovely cherry back and sides, the binding detail is gorgeous with some London plane worked in there and the headstock design/overlay is just exquisite.
This TM-E is almost perfect in this respect - really lovely cherry back and sides, the binding detail is gorgeous with some London plane worked in there and the headstock design/overlay is just exquisite.
I hadn't appreciated just how much work and attention goes into the headstock design and execution, but I can say that it's not wasted effort for me, I think it's wonderful.
I love the wood inlaid fret markers and the bog oak is so much more like real wood than ebony sometimes seems - I think that's why so many builders are favouring Richlite, as it's hard to tell it from ebony. Well, I don't want Richlite or anything like that, I like my wood to look like wood, and this certainly does!
If the description hadn't stated the finish was a French Polish, I might not have guessed - it's like a delicate, tactile nitro that looks gloss, but not plastic. Amazing work.
I honestly wasn't sure about the soundboard material. I'd never heard of cypress being used as a top wood before, and was more familiar with its use in flamenco back and sides. It looks great - so interesting and different to both spruce and cedar - I'll get on to the sound in a bit.
I honestly wasn't sure about the soundboard material. I'd never heard of cypress being used as a top wood before, and was more familiar with its use in flamenco back and sides. It looks great - so interesting and different to both spruce and cedar - I'll get on to the sound in a bit.
Playability is spot on. Without realising it, I've bought the perfect size guitar for me. Recently, I've been favouring larger guitars (mainly for the sound) and have just acquired a Larivee SD-60 which is HUGE. The only smaller guitar I have is a Waterloo, and this TM-E is just a bit bigger I think. It just sits so nicely in my lap, and the neck/body balance is very good, meaning I can lift my left hand from the neck and not have to worry about a strap (which I don't normally use). I haven't measured the nut or string spacing, and was too lazy to read any specs before I bought it , but the neck profile feels right - not too shallow, not too wide, and for me this is important as I don't have the biggest mitts for playing guitar!
Sound - the most vital element maybe - is lush. Rich and warm, not overly loud, but not lacking either, balance is there between the strings and the bass is resonably deep for a smaller body guitar. The trebles are where the guitar really sings, though. They are so sweet and just sustain forever.
Going back to the soundboard - when I listened to the sound clips on youtube, I couldn't really judge if I liked it. It wasn't as strident or forceful as the other (Yew?) guitar in the clips I watchd and seemed almost weak in comparison. That's not meant to belittle the sound, but I'm used to spruce topped guitars - all of the guitars I've even had have had spruce tops, and the one I play the most just now (J45) has an Adirondack top, so that's what I expect to hear.
This was gentler, more subtle.....listening closely and playing for quite a while I've realised just the amount of depth and complexity it has.
I did a comparison and played my Taran Tirga Beag (spruce/blackwood) and the TM-E back to back for a while, and the styles, while having some sonic similarities, do stand out from each other. The Taran is a touch more brash and in your face, the Turnstone a little more refined and delicate.
Shona did a blind test for me and she picked out what she thought was the Taran as her favourite, but it was the TM-E.
Great fun!
Shona did a blind test for me and she picked out what she thought was the Taran as her favourite, but it was the TM-E.
Great fun!
Hopefully if I get the time, and develop some ability I'll be able to record something on the guitar in the near future....I've a feeling it will record very well, even if i don't