Goodall Aloha Grand Concert

I received this guitar as a gift and it was used, so I don't know the specifics of the manufacture date or price. It has a spruce top, with koa back and sides, and a mahogany neck. The guitar came with a Martin thinline transducer pickup which burned out after a few months. I took the guts out and replaced the end pin jack with a regular wooden end pin, and now use a Seymour Duncan Woody single-coil soundhole pickup. I believe the reviewer below very accurately describes many of the features that this guitar has, so I won't repeat them.

This guitar is a head-turner. Everyone...EVERYONE...who hears this guitar stops in their tracks and asks me what I am playing. The sound is loud, fat, rich, and warm. It is so loud and clear that when setting up for a performance, some people had mistakenly thought that I had already plugged in and the sound was coming through the PA system. The rich tone and volume is consistent throughout the length of the neck, and the intonation is perfect. My friends play a wide range of high-end acoustic guitars: Martin, Gibson, Larivee, Froggy Bottom, Weber, Collings, Taylor, etc., and they all think this Goodall beats theirs in tone.

The broken transducer pickup was an aftermarket mod by someone else, so that doesn't apply here(see above). The finish and woodworking is flawless. The intonation is perfect.

I am ashamed to say that this guitar, although it is a beautiful and expensive piece of art, gets knocked around quite a bit because I have 3 young kids that love to play along (using Hot Wheels cars as guitar picks, or fingerstye with peanut-butter laden hands). Despite this, there is still no damage to the finish. This will be a lifetime guitar for me.

Not applicable.

I have been playing for 26 years. Other guitars I have are an American Standard Fender Telecaster, Washburn strat copy, and a Sigma Dreadnought. If this guitar were lost or stolen, I would love to buy it again...if I could afford it (see above - I received it as a gift). I love the sound and finish of this guitar. My least favorite feature is the clear pickguard, and that's only because I like those old-fashioned gaudy black pickguards.

The Aloha model is Goodall's lowest priced acoustic guitar, and features either Hawaiian Koa wood or Mahogany back and sides. The top is standard Sitka spruce, the neck is mahogany, and the fretboard is a dense Hawaiian wood called Pheasant wood. It has no electronics, and is not the cutaway version. The Goodall grand concert is similar in size to Taylor's grand auditorium model. The tuners a Gotoh brand, and hold a tune very well. Goodall necks, at least on mine, are a more traditional thicker feeling neck than say a Taylor. Width at the nut is 1 3/4, and the spread at the bridge seems a little wider than many other manufacturers. It is 14 frets to the body. The case is a standard TKL hard shell case.

While the guitar may be a somewhat spartan "entry level" Goodall, the sound is outstanding. As a dye-in-the-wool Taylor fan, I compared this guitar to two Koa grand auditoriums in the store. I went back and forth for several hours and came to a somewhat regretful conclusion that this Goodall sounded better...way better. The sound is very loud and resonant. It has adequate bass and is very punchy in the midrange section. Koa is not normally associated with a bassy sound. The highs are very fat. In fact, that was one of the major sound features that drew me to this guitar. Notes played up on the neck on the B and high E strings are round and full, like an old Martin. This has become my favorite fingerstyle guitar.

I've also recorded with this instrument with excellent results. It is not boomy like a rosewood dreadnought would be, but records with wonderful clarity.

The fit and finish of this guitar is typical Goodall...flawless. While the wood is not overly fancy, there is the beginnings of some good medullary rays in the Koa and the spruce top. I've seen much prettier Koa, but as an entry level instrument, I wouldn't expect Goodall to use their AAA stuff. The action came fairly high...too high for my playing style. I initially chose to live with it because the sound was so good. At home, I sanded down the saddle, did a slight truss rod adjustment, and installed medium guage strings. (it came with light guage) The action now is comparable to other Taylors that I've owned. I'm tempted to return to lights, but I'm liking this thing so much that I don't want to mess with it anymore.

Goodalls are exceptionally well-made instruments. While I don't see a lot of performers using them, it is more than adequate to handle the rigors of going on the road. I've owned the guitar just under a year with absolutely no problems.

I've emailed Goodall in Hawaii and received prompt personal replies...very impressive. I have absolutely no doubt that they would stand behind this instrument.

I've been playing for over 35 years, and I believe this is shaping up to be my favorite acoustic of all time. If lost, I would replace it with another Goodall...no question about it. I want to put a pickup in it. The only change I would make is that I'd prefer to have an ebony fretboard over the Pheasant wood. The latter has a little more porous surface and I tend to feel my fingernail tips scraping on it. It is not a huge problem, but that is the only thing I'd change.