Why? Because every time I satisfy my GAS, they come out with new stuff that gets me GAS-ing all over again, dammit! 🙂 Here I was innocently reading my e-mail this morning when I got Prestige’s latest newsletter that said they were about to release a line of acoustic guitars! Knowing the fantastic stuff they produce, and given that they didn’t release anything more than announcement that they were releasing a new line, I had to give them a call to get more information. I shouldn’t’ve done that. I’m now GAS-ing so damn bad that it’s killing me!
But I got the scoop on these guitars, and before you start thinking, “Yeah, here we go, another import guitar… How good could it be?” Well, let me just say that a major publication already reviewed it and gave their top-of-the-line model a very – excuse the pun – prestigious award. And after I heard the details of these guitars, it’s not a surprise that even before their official release, they already won an award. So here’s at least some preliminary information that I found out…
They will have three guitars in various price ranges. I didn’t get model names, but I did get the makes of each model:
- The top-of-the-line model has a koa body and koa top
- The intermediate features a rosewood body and Adirondack spruce top
- The lowest tier (and only by materials) features a mahogany body and Adirondack spruce top
Though not set, the guitars will range in price from about $1000 to $2100 street, so even the lowest-tier model isn’t anything to shake a stick at; and before you balk at the price, there’s a good reason for the pricing. Prestige didn’t skimp on the features that all three models share:
- Adirondack spruce X-bracing designed in partnership with Balaz Prohaszka, a well-known European luthier
- 12″ radius
- 25.35″ scale length
- 1 3/4″ nut width
- D-shape neck
- Split Bridge Saddles
- Bone nut, Bone Saddles
- Ebony Fingerboard, Ebony Bridge, Ebony Bridge Pins, Ebony Strap Pin.
- Ebony Headstock face
- Satin Mahogany Neck, Laser Etched Logo and Serial Number behind the headstock.
- Beveled Cutaway with Paduck inlay, Mother of Pearl Logo, Mother of
- Pearl Eclipse Fingerboard Inlay, Abalone Rosette
- Gotoh 501 21:1 Tuners with Ebony Buttons.
- Paduck/Abalone Body Binding, Paduck/Maple fingerboard binding.
An option for each guitar is the Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend pickup system. This is a very non-invasive soundhole pickup system that combines an undersaddle pickup with a gooseneck condenser mic. I’ve heard one of these installed in a Taylor acoustic, and it sounds marvelous!
So the pricing is really a reflection in the difference in tone woods used; otherwise, they’re all the same. That is incredibly COOL!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t have pictures, so here are a couple of the Koa/Koa model. These aren’t the pro pics as you can see the reflections of background objects – that’s how glossy the bodies are! Freakin’ awesome!!!
These are serious guitars, folks. Can’t you just DIG that beveled cutaway? Damn! I dig little things like that, and the outer bracing is absolutely superb! And another nice touch is the satin finish on the neck. I always prefer that because it allows me to polish it with my own body oils after time. For me, the ebony fretboard is a HUGE selling item! There is absolutely nothing like the feel of ebony; it’s smooth as silk and feels so nice to the touch!
I can’t wait to get a demo into my studio to give it a whirl! I TOTALLY DIG the Koa/Koa! Now do you see why I hate Prestige Guitars?!!! 🙂
For more information, please go to the Prestige Guitar web site!
Guitar teacher and guitarist extraordinaire Chuck D’Aloia has just added some new material to his instructional video arsenal, and I have to say that again, Chuck has hit another couple of homers. The first video, “Modal Studies,” covers the 7 modes of the major scale, the melodic minor, lydian b7, alt and the diminished scale. And in typical Chuck D’Aloia style, he teaches the concept then immediately demonstrates how it can be applied, with little “tricks” to help remember them. For me, I’ve always had a bit of a mental block with learning modes mainly because while I could intellectualize the note structure of each mode, I couldn’t immediately match that up with how it actually sounds and how to apply it. Chuck makes it easy! For instance, when explaining the Lydian mode, Chuck spelled out the note sequence, but he said something that really stuck: “…to get a Lydian sound, one way of getting it really easily is to take the root and play the triad one step above it.” Now THAT’S useful information, and easily remembered!
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