Fender ESV-10

Solid spruce top, solid Palo Escrito (a true rosewood) back and sides, natural gloss finish, auditorium style body, slotted headstock, Grover Vintage Style Tuners. Neck is bolt on with 12 frets to the body. Ebony fretboard. Nut is a very comfy 1 3/4 inches wide. Bone saddle. Wood binding. Ebony bridge and bridge pins. Abalone rosette.

I play fingerstyle and a bit of acoustic blues, and this guitar is absolutely great for both. It has a well balanced sound that's not too heavy on the bass and not too bright on the highs. Though a bit light, notes can be distinctly heard up the neck. I think she responds particularly well to fingerstyle playing. The 12-fret neck also contributes to the wonderful music you can make from it.

Action was great right out of the box. The guitar seemed very well put together and the finish was flawless (I also appreciate the fact that the poly gloss wasn't sprayed on in too many coats and thus weighing the guitar down as some manufacturers do). The only flaw I noted was inside near the heel cap where it looked as if a glob of glue got squished out between the bottom and the cap. No biggie, especially for a factory-made guitar.

The guitar seems very well put together. Everything seems tight and appears as if it'll last a lifetime. I would gig with it without a backup.

No warranty (I got this as a 2nd) so I never had to deal with them.

I've been playing about 30 years, with the last 15 or so fingerstyle. My other guitar is a Taylor 314 but I've owned a Martin, some Guilds, and various others. I would definitely buy another if it were lost or stolen. I really love the sound and the playability of this instrument. I had the same reaction that probably many people have when they see who the manufacturer is: Fender? But I decided to look at the guitar itself and found it had all the features I was looking for: a 12-fret neck, ebony fretboard, slotted headstock, and solid woods. I admit that I hadn't played a Palo Escrito guitar before, but I am very glad I took the plunge and bought it. The spruce/Escrito combo sounds wonderful. The PE rosewood isn't as bassy or as heavy sounding as East Indian rosewood, but I think it suits this type of guitar very well. The case is okay, but whoever designed the latches must have been asleep on the job or had never owned a guitar before. They're the worst I've used on a case in all my years of playing (they do latch, but you have to align the tab of the hoops to the fixtures on the case every time, otherwise they won't close at all). Aside from that minor imperfection, I absolutely love this instrument. I would recommend it to anyone seeking a low-cost, 12-fretter. I still can believe I paid $400 for mine. Yes, it was a 2nd and stamped "used" on the back of the headstock, but I can't find any flaws at all save for the extra glob of glue on the inside. Hopefully Fender will have a change of direction and pump a few more of these out, but I would recommend that players seeking the same features on a guitar buy one while they're still out there.