Simon & Patrick’s new Showcase Rosewood Concert Hall guitar hits a sweet spot in the marketplace. Its size and voice will appeal to folk and fingerstyle guitarists, yet it has the timbral potential to suit most any style of acoustic music. And though the Concert Hall features some stylish design flourishes, there’s nothing precious about it. It’s a smallish bundle of eye candy designed to provide maximum ear candy. While tone and functionality are what separate truly great guitars from merely good ones, let’s face it—first impressions usually come from an instrument’s appearance. Here, the Concert Hall does not disappoint. The solid spruce top is a lustrous shade of “new guitar” blonde, the striking rosette is made from tiny strips of dark wood, and the position markers are offset to the bass side of the fretboard—an unusual twist. The rosewood back and sides are richly colored, like alternating layers of melted milk and dark chocolate. It’s a shame to keep wood this beautiful essentially hidden from view, but there it is. A three-piece wooden accent stripe (light/dark/light) runs down the center of the back, and both top and back feature natural wood binding. Voiced for Storytellers The Showcase Concert Hall’s sound is more evenly balanced than you might expect from a rosewood guitar. (Many such instruments project lots of bottom end without much midrange.) This S&P; has the tonal depth of rosewood, yet speaks with the immediacy and midrange punchiness usually heard from mahogany guitars, with a remarkably long decay time. The instrument is dynamic and responsive to different types of plectrums and varied fingerstyle techniques, so it may appeal to players of many ilks—folk and beyond. The scale length is 24.84 inches—shorter than most other models in the current S&P; product line. (The Canadian company’s standard is 25.5 inches; only its Folk model guitars share the shorter scale.) Still, this dapper, OM-sized flattop doesn’t feel small when held and played. Its string spacing is wide enough to comfortably accommodate fingerstyle playing, though it’s not overly wide either. If you prefer to strum with a pick or to use some combination of pick and fingers, you’ll have no trouble getting your musical point across. The satin-finished mahogany neck is nicely contoured, so you can play an awfully long time before feeling fatigued. The guitar comes equipped with a sophisticated B-Band A6T pickup system, which features two sound sources—an under-saddle transducer (labeled UST on the side-mounted control plate) and a second transducer (AST) mounted beneath the soundboard. A mix slider finesses the blend between these two sources, another slider controls volume, and three more adjust EQ (bass, midrange, treble). Two small knobs serve as notch-filter controls, which can help minimize feedback, while the phase button can also thwart feedback by changing the phase relationship between the pickup system and your amp or PA’s speaker(s). With EQ and mix controls at a neutral setting, the sound is a little, well, neutral, but if you’re after a more colorful tone, it’s easy to dial it up with a couple of minor tweaks. S&P;’s Showcase line of guitars, considered the company’s “upper echelon,” are built in a “separate, secluded acoustic studio where each guitar can be individually and meticulously crafted.” Judging by the review model, the Showcase Rosewood Concert Hall seems to actually deliver on the company’s promise, at a truly modest price point. Clearly, the crew at S&P; are aiming to make a stage-ready guitar for working players that’s easy on the eyes, ears, and wallet. Mission accomplished. BODY 14-fret OM size Solid spruce top Solid rosewood back and sides High-gloss finish electronics B-Band A6T (optional) NECK Mahogany neck with slotted headstock and satin finish Indian rosewood fretboard 24.84-inch scale length 1.72-inch nut width Gold-plated, open-gear tuners (14:1 ratio) Tusq nut, saddle, and bridge pins EXTRAS Godin A6 LT phosphor-bronze strings (.012–.053) TRIC lightweight hard-shell case Limited lifetime warranty PRICE $1,575 list with A6T electronics ($1,379 without) Made in Canada simonandpatrick.com Adam Levy is an itinerant guitarist based in Los Angeles, where he is the chair of the guitar department at Los Angeles College of Music. Read more of Levy’s writing and hear his music at adamlevy.com. - See more at: http://www.acousticguitar.com

• published: 20 May 2015
• views: 257