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Post by scorpiodog on Mar 12, 2024 17:03:13 GMT
Evidently the moral here is that if you procrastinate, it will give you an advantage. The early bird gets the same worm as the late bird. Ah, but the early worm gets eaten… Other public schools are available. |
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Post by martinrowe on Mar 12, 2024 21:24:10 GMT
The last 3 or 4 posts: there's a possible new intro for you for the three points  |
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Post by curmudgeon on Mar 16, 2024 19:31:43 GMT
Back in the '90s I bought a Lakewood M-14 (their most basic OM sized guitar in cedar/Sapele, and later, a fancier 12 strng (same body shape). I fronted a trio double bass and dobro/mando player.
They worked perfectly and I loved 'em. but I got ahead of myself and replaced them with a Martin J-40 and J12-40 which were great disappointments. I wasn't aware of the winder fretboards at the time and how they benefitted me (the Martins being the thin "rhythm" necks.
Lakewoods were perfectly finished, and rather heavy/solid - perhaps a little Germanic, but they worked well.
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Post by newdave on Apr 4, 2024 11:47:44 GMT
I had a Cedar and Rosewood one. It was a beautiful guitar - massive sound, huge bass and beautiful tone. It was a 46mm nut and the neck was a bit of a club so I didn't get on with it very well. I think I'd probably do better with it now because in every other respect it was lovely - just that I struggled to use the fretboard because I'd not been playing long.
To my ears they have a distinct and pleasing timbre. I'm not averse to the idea of another one in the future but I'd definitely go for a 44mm or 45mm neck and maybe check the neck profile is comfortable (they offer 3 options on their guitar designer). This 00 size has a huge sound for such a small guitar.
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Post by newdave on Apr 4, 2024 11:53:59 GMT
Oh! I had an all Koa custom one too. I forgot I had that. It was a nice guitar but had the same issues with a 46mm nut and chunky neck. I forgot I had it which probably says something about it - although the guy who bought it from me said he liked it a lot.
Beautiful looking bits of wood and impeccably finished.
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Post by malcolm on Apr 4, 2024 12:52:21 GMT
I had a Cedar and Rosewood one. It was a beautiful guitar - massive sound, huge bass and beautiful tone. It was a 46mm nut and the neck was a bit of a club so I didn't get on with it very well. I think I'd probably do better with it now because in every other respect it was lovely - just that I struggled to use the fretboard because I'd not been playing long. To my ears they have a distinct and pleasing timbre. I'm not averse to the idea of another one in the future but I'd definitely go for a 44mm or 45mm neck and maybe check the neck profile is comfortable (they offer 3 options on their guitar designer). This 00 size has a huge sound for such a small guitar. That's obviously another of the wonderful ones but Ulli is a great player and it's beautifully recorded, so that has to be taken into account. I played another one recently belonging to a friend, Brazilian rosewood and spruce, very nice indeed but I wouldn't take a chance ordering one on line. |
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Post by newdave on Apr 4, 2024 13:04:05 GMT
I'm tempted. I like the idea of a walnut or cedar top and bi colour padouk back and sides. Admittedly that's more for the look than the sound - I have no idea what it would sound like. 12 fret 00 blues box. Slotted headstock. Plain soundhole. No bindings or bling. What could possibly go wrong?  |
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Post by Mike Fowler on Apr 14, 2024 7:35:29 GMT
Sorry, only just seen this. A Lakewood M32 custom has been my main steel string now since 2008. I had friends at that time who kept buying guitars and I remember thinking, and I still do, that given the playability and sound of the Lakewood, I would now never need to acquire another steel string guitar. To say that I was, and am still, pleased with it, is an understatement. I wanted to find a steel string guitar with a much wider neck and after a lot of research I found this. Martin Seeliger kept in touch whilst they were making it, and it has a nut width of 48mm. He got the action very low for me as well. It's European Spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides.
It has a very balanced sound with a deep resonance and sustain in the bass, with almost bell like trebles. It has aged well.
Almost all of my YouTube steel string videos have been recorded with it, and there's been a few. Some recordings more accurately reflect the sound than others. I tend to record John Renbourn type instrumentals, and in fact John played it once at a workshop and was very complimentary about it, asking me where I had got it from.
Here's a definitely non-Renbourn type instrumental which shows the range between bass and treble.
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Post by forestdweller on Apr 14, 2024 7:41:05 GMT
That was lovely Mike- lovely clear sound and separation. Loved the harmonics at the end. Just to update, I did approach Project Music in Exeter about a Lakewood, but was told "we have decided not to work with Lakewood in 2024". What a shame. I have noticed we are seeing less and less European guitars in UK guitar shops  Robbie |
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Post by ukpacker on Apr 16, 2024 17:54:48 GMT
I used to play a Lakewood. It had a 46mm nut which at that time I found great as everything else just seemed too cramped when learning to do finger style arrangements. I really liked the bass too, I was coming from a guitar that had a very insipid sound from the lower three strings and the Lakewood was very clear in the bass. When it was new the high treble strings at the top frets were a bit harsh but that mellowed after a few years and the tone was sweet. Everyone said it really sang and had a great sound, unfortunately I started getting a near constant pain in one shoulder from my arm being draped over the high lower bout and I grew out of needing the wider fingerboard as I started to use thumb wrap chords above the fifth fret.
Wish I had kept it now as it would be great for the way I mostly play now.
The cheaper Lakewoods are still made from great tonewoods so price should not make any difference to how good or not they sound, the more expensive ones just use harder to come by woods and a higher level of finnish but that won't make the sound better, I don't think.
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