Chartwell Guitar

Woods: Indian rosewood back and sides and western red cedar top. Cedar neck. Nitro lacquer finish throughout.

Miscellany: 650mm scale, 52mm nut, and 44mm string spacing at the nut. Normal sting height. Truss rod and tall saddle extension over the bridge insures easy adjustment in the future. Sound port and arm rest. Braceless, moulded laminated back. Hard shell case. Lattice braced

Condition: new

Comment: the Falkiner line of lattice guitars is located in Sydney, Australia and this has the same big, rounded sound that Aussie lattices are known for, but without any nasal or sour intonation, as with carbon fibre bracing material. Priced as a student guitar, this instrument has a huge sound and endless sustain. Anyone who enjoys open tuning will love the guitar for that reason. I’m not sure if the back and sides are laminated, as the interior matches the exterior, but the weight is substantial. Once you settle this guitar in your lap it will not budge. The weight is aimed at the back and sides, which resists the thin vibrating top from bleeding energy into the timbers and decaying the sound.

The lacquer is has a gloss  finish on the rosewood and a very thin matte finish on the lovely cedar top.  Nitro lacquer is a good choice to prevent scratches and clouding from perspiration, problems that plague owners of French polished guitars. The workmanship on the guitar does not suggest student pricing. Most attractive and all the guitar an buyer of modest means could hope for and then some.