Crafter Key West 99DE/AM

Dread with cutaway, LR baggs active piezo and pre-amp, Spruce top, rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck. Antique tuners. Abalone and wood decoration. Only the white plastic binding disappointed. Perhaps yellowing it or using maple would have been better.
I'm guessing that only the top is solid but you can't tell from the sound, which is really good.

Great tone. Full with good penetration and colour.
It's a dread, so will suit strumming and flatpicking best.
Put throgh an amp, the piezo pickup is good, with a top pre amp.
I replaced the D'Dario's it came with, with Elixer Nanowebs.

Came set up to my taste. Low(ish) solid action, for a loud and proud delivery.
Top class gloss varnish on some very tastey woods. Lots of nice grain to look at. I also like the antique finish on the soundboard and the soundhole rosstte is the best looking I have seen.
Nothing dropping off, so far.

It's solid and has taken to clubs and bars very nicely. It still looks special and attracts some attention from other musos.

Never needed 'em.

I've used Ovations and Taylors over 10 years or more. But this baby sounds better acoustically and just as good amped up. I might fit an internal mic, to mix with the piezo, to get the acoustic tone out through the speakers, more effectively.
I can't believe it was so cheap.

Dreadnought form with Cutaway. Made in Korea.
Solid Sitka spruce top with an antique finish (gloss)
New T-Brace
Back and sides are south american rosewood, that looks more like ovangkol (gloss).
Soundhole rosette from solid wood with double Abalone inlay
Rosewood bridge, rather stylishly shaped
Mahogany neck (satin finish)
Rosewood fingerboard, with 20 frets, joining the neck at the 14th.
Abalone Position markers, with the words "American classics" inlayed over the 12th & 13th frets.
Deluxe Vintage chrome-plated tuners
LR Baggs Element pickup
LR-S Plus Pro Preamp, which has sliders for bass, middle, treble and scoop, a rotary knob for volume and 2 buttons for mute and phase.
The headstock has a smaller, more stylish Crafter logo and is veneered with what looks like rosewood.

I use my acoustics for Rock ballads, prog rock and world/folk music.
The acoustic tone is very strong and quite punchy for a dreadnought. It sounds excellent for flat & finger picking, with quite a loud output.
The electrics are very capable and, with judicious use of the sliders can produce a very useable , amplified acoustic tone. Nice and warm, for a piezo. Acoustically or electrically this keywest model is direct and quite charismatic.

The shop had only unboxed this guitar a few hours before I bought it, so it must have come well set up, from the wholesalers. The action is just right for this style of guitar. Solid, no buzzes. High enough for tone, low enough for playability. It did have a new guitar tightness at first but is loosening nicely, the more I play it.
Overall the guitar came finished to a very high standard, especially considering the price. I couldn't find one flaw.

This is a very solid guitar with quality woods and components. It's made to be played and would suit most performers. So far, it is very reliable.

N/A

This guitar must have something because I don't like dreadnoughts, much prefer cedar topped guitars and have never been a big fan of Crafter. I also own a cheap Crafter electro and have owned one of their electro basses.
I have been playing over 30 years and at present own 9 acoustics, 3 basses and one solid electric. Again this low-mid priced intrument demonstrates how fantastic guitars from the far east are now. Cheap but great quality.
This guitar looks beautiful and sounds as good as it looks. Well done Crafter, you have well and truly got my attention.