Cole Clark FL3AC

These are made in Melbourne Australia. The Cole Clark FL3AC is their top of the range guitar. This model comes in a range of woods however the one I chose has Blackwood back and sides with a Bunya top. It is made from solid wood all round with a satin finish. It has gold Grover tuners. It was made in 2008. The cutaway allows easy access up to the 15th fret.

It is a very fancy guitar with abalone inlays on the neck and top. I wanted a classy looking guitar for live gigs and this one fits the bill perfectly. This is definitely an eye catching guitar.

It also has three pickups, one under the bridge and two body pickups called face brace sensors. When I purchased it, I tried every guitar in the same price range including Martin's and it came down to a choice between the Cole Clark and the Larrivee. The neck on the Larrivee felt great to play but the decider was the sound of the pickups. The Cole Clark won that battle easily.

I would have rated it higher if it had a built in tuner and the pickup controls were clearer to see in the dark (everything is coloured black). It comes with a case that fits it like a glove and that is a plus.

I was after an acoustic for live duo gigs that had a big acoustic sound but would also sound good plugged in. I play a range of styles from blues, folk and pop. This guitar fits the bill as it works well both acoustically and plugged in.

It does take a while to get used to the sound of the pickups. They are really "full blooded" compared to typical peizio pickups. Of course, it has one of these under the bridge and you can change the settings to only use it if you want. I started at 50/50 but over the last few months and setting it at around 75% input from the face brace pickups.

It's sound has a lot of presence that is both powerful and clear whilst allowing for finesse. It catches peoples attention when I play it which is what I was after.

I wanted a guitar that was needed to feel good even with heavy strings. It comes with 12 - 53 gauge and I used these for 3 months. They were great when used acoustically but I found that the bass tended to boom when it was plugged in. They also made the action a little heavy and I found this a bit limiting for lighter playing.

So I recently changed down a gauge to 11-52. This change has made a big difference to the sound and reduced the bass boom to the point it is no longer a problem. I am finding it easier to play more delicate passages as well. The neck was spot on out of the shop and hasn't needed any adjustment. Overall, it plays very well with a medium/low action.

It comes with Elixir strings which is a good move as they match the guitar very well. The Martin I tried in the shop sounded dead by comparison. I had used John Pearse strings but have settled on the Elixirs as they sound better with this guitar.

The finish is very good with no noticeable flaws. It feels good to hold and I like the satin finish. I rate it as a 9 as it was not as good to play as the Larrivee I tried.

Very sturdy to date far and not a hint of any trouble. Despite its good looks, it really feels like a workhorse guitar to me which is a good thing.

I cant rate this as I have not had a reason to need any customner support.

I wanted to get the best guitar I could afford for up to AU$3k. There are a number of choices in this range but I was after solid woods and all the best features I could get. Buying a name brand meant I would not be getting the value for the dollar. The Martins in this range were not as good as the Cole Clark.
I have been playing for 35 years. I own a PRS, custom built Strat and a Maton acoustic guitar. I have owned top class Gibsons and Fenders.

This is a really good guitar in the mid price acoustic guitar range. I could not afford the top class Gibsons, Martins and Taylors in the AU$5k range. My first choice was a Yairi guitar however these are rare in Australia. I was also interested in a Maton however I have had a 1973 Maton C&W80 guitar for 30 years so thought a change would be in order.

I am still getting to grips with how the strings feel when playing on the neck but the change to 11-52 strings is big step in the right direction. This guitar looks like it was expensive. All the other guitars I tried (Martin, Larrivee) etc looked very basic given their price.

On a bang for buck rating, I rate this as a 9. My rating may move up to a 10 if it improves its feel in the coming years but for now, this is a great guitar for the price.