Cole Clark Fat Lady

Dreadnought style acoustic with pickup, no cutaway. My cole-clark has a solid bunya top, and solid queensland maple back and sides. The neck has a spanish heel neck-body joint (very old-school construction technique) and is also made of queensland maple. The interior of the body, on both front and back, is carved to provide maximum acoustic response with the minimum of bracing and weight, i am told some violins also use this process. It has Chrome grover machine heads and a cole-clark pickup system with 3 band eq, volume and blend, the last control lets you blend the bridge piezos with secondary piezos placed on the soundboard, this really gives a good range between bassy and bright signals. The Fat Lady has 20 frets with the neck joining the body at the 14th. My guitar has no binding (which can be a hassle as the construction of the guitar is very lightweight and its easy to dent the edges) and simple dot marker inlays.

I play mostly blues and roots music, and for acoustic styles you cant beat this guitar. It sounded better than the matons and even the Fat Lady 2 guitars i tried in the shop. Very responsive and you can get nice ringing picking sounds or a very satisfying bassy strum out of it. When its plugged in I normally DI it to the stage PA and the pickup is brilliant, better than anything i have heard short of top-range guitars like Martin and Taylor... These guitars blow most matons away and at about half the price. Lately I havebeen plugging into my Fender Super 112 valve combo, on clean, and the Fat Lady sounds good like that, a little muddy and swampy like a resonator.

I actually ordered this guitar to be custom made, the one at the shop had a cutaway and I didnt want it, and so it came literally fresh from the shop about four weeks later. The strings that came with it (elixir brand) are pricey but in my opinion pretty shite. I replaced it with some inexpensive ones and the guitar sounded better. New strings settle in almost immediatly...
Action is reasonably high but I sometimes drop down to a d tuning so i wanted that, when the strings are looser in d the tone suffers a bit but you would expect that...
The Bunya top is great, its pretty much only used in Australia, and it has beautiful grain. Top and back are bookmatched perfectly, with the back having a lovely dark stripe that makes my guitar look beautiful and unique. The tuners are good quality and she can sit for a week or two and when i pick her up its still plum in tune. (that doesnt happen often, tho) Has a plain, satin nitro finish, which feels a bit thin, after 6 months you can see where my pick arm has buffed away some of the finish. As i said above, binding on the body would help toughen her up a bit; the FL1 seems very light and fragile for an acoustic.

See above... the finish seems a bit thin etc. Ive gigged a dozen times with her and I wouldnt just prop this guitar against the amp or anything, needs a padded stand. Still, I play damn hard, my gigs always end with blood sprayed across the board and my fingers sticky, and she has been up to it so far. I play every day, detune it, have drunken singalongs for hours and no damage yet. I think it looks more fragile than it is. I never bring a backup, sold my (six or so) other acoustics when i got this one.

Never needed it but they are local to me and I have heard Cole-Clark will reset the action or whatever you want "while you wait".

Ive been playing for eight years and gigging for three of those...THis is the first decent quality acoustic i have owned, and no plans to replace it. I wouldnt mind another cole clark thats a bit more solid for live work, though. If she broke id happily buy another one.
I also use a Maton Tasman electric guitar, a fender Super 112 60watt valve combo, and a self-built lap slide, but the acoustic is the core of my instrumentation.
I cant recommend this baby enough...go try one and youll see what i mean.

I've got a Fat Lady 1 with pickup and cutaway. I choose the solid bunya top and qld maple back and sides.

I play alot in church so and this guitar is considered the best instrument u can get for church use! Compared my guitar with many many guitars in the shop (matons, taylors, martins, fat lady 2 also!) and I loved the sound of my guitar the most. It has a very nice bassy sound and also clear and crisp highs. Would say it's perfect for strumming and also finger picking.

The action isn't all tat low and I reckon it could go lower but I'm satisfied with it for now. Might get it reset after a few weeks of 'burning in' the guitar. Besides tat, I love the natural look and finish of the bunya top!

Not sure bout this yet. Owned the guitar for only 1 week now. Also cole clark is only 3 years old but i reckon they make great reliable guitars!

not sure. haven't had to contact them

Like I said before, I tried various other guitars and all of them are of a higher price so I've got to say that the cole clarks have got the best value! But if u wanna spend more money, u've gotta get a guitar which is at least twice it's price to beat the sound of this guitar.

Someone told me that the FL1AC had an inferior finish but I disagree. It has everything I am looking for and if feels great. I have been looking for a new guitar to be a backup for my Maton but now the Maton is my backup as this seriously rocks.

Awesome - the pickup is the best I have ever used and the sound is the best I have ever had. Cannot fault it.

Felt like I had been playing it for years. Played three sets the day I bought it and couldn't fault it. Everything was exactly how it should be.

Only had it for four weeks but I can't see why it would not withstand. I play three nights a week (nearly 7 hours) and it definately holds up.

Have met a few people who work there and they have been nothing but helpful.

I have been playing for 20 years and it is the best in that price range I have ever played by far. If it was stolen, I would by another one. If my Maton as stolen I also would by another Cole Clark. I just love how it feels and how it sounds.

Makes playing all the more enjoyable, bring it on!!

I like the fact that it was made with Australian wood. It looked great in the shop (Music Park, Vic Park. WA) and the style that I have stood out from the rest.

Because it is noe, I have only used it several time. Some through adn amp, some through PA and some unplugged. It offers a quality sound in all situations even thoug I prefer unplugged, the range is sound is unmistakable with no amplification or effects.

The only thing I notices was when I first restung the guitar, the white peice in the bridge, above the pickup was loose. I am not sure if this is ment to be but I have never seen this before on any other guitar. The volume and eq adjusters could have been better rather than brown plastic.

I find it fragile and a bit lighter than previous guitars. I would definently use it at all gigs though, she just needs a little more TLC.

Never needed it just yet.

Basically I wnet shopping for months to find "the" guitar for me. I found my Cole Clark in the first week and after that nothing else compared. The only problem for me is that it causes grazing to my forarm after a lengthy gig/rehearsal. There is a fine line between pleaseure and pain.

Made 2004 Melbourne Australia.

Full Dreadnought (no cut away) with the pre-amp Fat Lady. Satin Finish Solid Spruce Top, Queensland Maple Neck Back & Sides, Rosewood Fretboard.

Pre Amp has Volume, Pickup position fader and 3 band eq. controls.

Would give it a 10 rating if the preamp controls looked better, but it is a cheap looking plastic. The controls are also not recessed so it is possible for them to be bumped unintentionally.

I would have preferred they used the tail piece hole for the cable instead of drilling another hole in the body.

Very large sound with lots of bass even when unplugged. Suits strumming and finger picking.

I tried out a variety of other models with and without the cutaway including the more expensive FL2 models. I preferred the sound of the FL1A over all the others in the store but identical models sounded different, very similar to how I remember eary Seagull models. For this reason I would NOT recommend purchasing from an internet retailer, buy the model you like in the store after playing it.

The pickup fader provides an interesting variety of sounds when plugged in.

Very well finished inside and out. A beautiful looking instrument.

With the minimal satin finish and no binding this model would not be a good choice for heavy abuse on the road.

Also the catch on the battery compartment and the non recessed controls look to be a weak point but time will tell.

No need to use so far

Very real value and I suspect the (new) prices will rise accordingly over time. Equal to Maton or Martins of twice the price in my opinion.

2004 Fat Lady 1 - no cutaway or pickup - deadnought, Grover heads made in Melbourne Australia.
Well i bought the base model - i dont need else but sound...

I play fingerpick and some rock, this guitar sounds fabulous. Tried it against the Maton range and Takamine and IMHO the FL1 is superior to anything less quality than a Maton CW80 at twice the price. And even then the FL1 seems to me to have a fuller mid range and nicer tone.

Action spot on for me - finish is beautiful for a plain instrument. By that i mean that it is plain without fancy bits but is beautiful in its simplicity and form.

Hardware seems good - this is a very vibrant instrument with a lot of life - i dont expect that if it were made like a truck it would sound like this.
The finish is matt without any gloss - but again part of why this is such a nice sounding guitar.

Been playing off and on for 10 years - medium capability guitarist playing classical gas and fingerpicking mostly with some rock.

If it were stolen or lost i would search the 4 corners of the globe - this is a hand made guitar and has a hand written ID#... Failing that i would cry and buy another.

Love the sound - actually love its simple good looks.

Compared against Maton 325, 525, 808, CW80 (new and old), Takamine and some other rubbish stuff =p The FL1 sounds fantastic against all comers - better mid range than a CW80

2004 - FL2AC - Made Melbourne Australia
Solid Top and Body - Spruce Top with QLD Maple Back and Sides. Rosewood fret board with mother of pearl inlays.
Active pick-ups - Pickup/PreAMP control panel is probably the only donwfall as it just looks a little cheap. The sound it produces through the PA (Straight into the DI) is amazing.
Matt Finish - this is one hot looking guitar.
Grover Tuners

I play 100% acoustic music when playing gigs and it suits my style to a tea. Very happy
No fret buzz which i have endured on a lot of my other guitars.
It can achieve a really nice bassy sound.

Set-Up straight out of the factory has no complaints from me. So easy to play.

Will definately withstand live playing and the hardware will be everlasting I reckon.

Cole Clark are onto something with these Fat Lady's!

No need to deal with them as yet! Have heard good things though!

Bargain - this guitar with a well known brand name would be over the 2K mark easy!

I have a FL1AC with a Bunya Top, Queensland Maple back and sides.
Made in Melbourne, Australia.
I purchased it 1 month ago. It is a 2004 model (straight off the production line). It has red writing in the headstock and a tortise-shell scratch guard (these features have only seemed to start appearing on their guitars from about March '04 onwards).
All Solid wood.
Fancy pickup configuration. Only down side would be that the control box looks a bit cheap (please note that the looks does definately not effect the performance).

Bliss. Unplugged, this guitar provides a wholesome, rich and full sound that it still punchy enough to hear all individual strings if needed. The harder you play it, the sweeter it sounds. I like to play all areas of acoustic from Folk to rock and classical. It covers all areas well. The elixer strings that it is shipped with seem to match well with the guitar.

I found that the Bunya top provided a livelier sound than the Spruce and blackwood tops that were available. But that said, I must say that every FL I played sound different. I haven't played two that sound the same. You need to try them all to find the one that you love.

Plugged is where the guitar really stands out from the crowd. It is very diverse in the sounds that can be produced from a rich "twang" to a full mellow chorus, and everywhere in between. The large volume body of the CC means that amplification is often not required. But if need be you won't be let down.

The factory action is quite high. Given the good strings, it doesn't seem a huge problem. I will probably ask for the action to be lowered slightly at my first service. This doesn't seem to be a problem for guitar techs.

No flaws have been seen, one friend questioned the durability of it due to no binding running around the outside of the guitar. That could be an issue for some, but I feel if you are careful it will be fine. The lack of a plastic binding (or any plastic for that matter), it a good thing on such a great looking guitar.

The finish is excellent. I can't fault it. The look of grains in the topsheet are really sweet and natural. It adds to the quality look of the guitar. The block inlays on the FL2 look even better if you are prepared to pay the extra money.

I have seen no indication that this guitar will not last. The lack of binding could be an issue to people who don't respect their guitars, but it won't bother me.

They are supper quite at replying to queries and answering questions.

I have been playing guitar on and off for over 15 years. Never really seriously, but I know that it is somthing that I will always have sitting around the lounge room. If guitaring was my life and only hobby, I would have lashed out and got the FL2, but the FL1 exceeds my needs. I have played the Maton CW80C at the same time as this, and I would still prefer the CC (yes I know that this is a big call, but its personal taste).

This is a beautiful looking and sounding guitar. I get overwhelming comments whenever someone hears it. I can't play that well, so I owe it all to the guitar!.

This guitar makes me want to play more, learn more and be a better guitarist.

I have no reservations in recommending this guitar to all levels of players and can not see why people would need to pay more for a guitar.

Everyone in the world needs to know the beauty of the Fat Lady! We should all be doing our bit to spread the word.

Made in 2004 in Melbourne Victoria, satin finish and dreadnought in style. Looks classy but not overdone. Lovely Australian woods. Makes me proud of our timbers.

I just love the sound, its so full bodied and has plenty of settings. I play through a Fender Princeton via a RP 50 pedal that fills it out even more. With a bit of extra reverb and delay (just a tad) I get a lovely Australian country sound.

I thought the action was set a bit high, only had to contact Cole Clark and they explained the methods in lowering. It was a simple task. No flaws at all. If I had a negative it would be the control panel looks cheap, its plastic and I know many are, surely in this day and age something "posher" could have been used, I mean this is not a crud guitar, this is the best. I'm taking away a point for this little shortcoming.Probably could have a scratch plate covering the plug point too, this would avoid localised scratching there.

I reckon anybody could play this thing all night and never get tired of it. Hardware and electrics are brilliant. Everything is strong.

No warranty, but they are helpful on the end of the line or email. I am sure that if a buyer had a genuine problem Cole Clark would work something out. They believe in their product and do the little things to satisfy the customer.

I own a Gibson Les Paul, ES 335, Fender Strat & Telecaster. Although the CC is a different axe altogether it the one first in the van to go a playing.

The Fat Lady 1 with cutaway is my first all solid guitar. It's got solid Bunya on top and solid Queensland maple on back and side. other Specs are similar to other reviews.
I compared it with other gutiars such as Ayer, Alvarez... I can say that the Cole Clark is out standing. Unfortunately there was no Maton at the shop, however, I used to play Maton from other shop, what I feel is that the Cole Clark is better than laminated back and side as 325 series of Maton. Although It may not excellent as ECW80, Fat Lady 1's price is almost half of it.

Excellent sound. You pay AUD995 and got all soild acoustic guitar. I don't think I can find any other soild guitars at this price except guitar from Asian contries. I wanna pay a little but more for a better quality.

Its action is a litlle bit too high but no buzz. So I told the seller to adjust it to me. God! it's much easier to play but got a lot BUZZ!! Finally I told him to change a new saddle. Besides, I found a lot of sawdust inside its body, real habd craft!! Other things are well done.

It looks strong but satin finished is quite thin. However, this makes the Cole Clark feel easy to play.

It has 1 yr warranty. They reply every email I sent.

I've owned it for 3 weeks. I love it so much.