Goodall Concert Jumbo Rosewood

This guitar is beautifully finished with koa wood purfling, abalone soundhole and fret markers, ebony peghead veneer, ebony bridge, handmade ebony pins and others. Cutaway is nicely rounded. Neck is full but comfortable.
The only nit I can pick with this instrument is that the cover for the truss rod adjustment is very close to the strings. You can't even fit a shoe lace through for a strap. It does have a strap button near the body though, so no biggie.

I play everything from country blues to '60s folk to Brazilian jazz on this. The sound is very balanced, very clear, but warm, probably thanks to the cedar top. You can play four and five note jazz chords and every note is distinct.
Whether or not you like the sound of this guitar is purely a matter of taste, not craft or materials. The guitar has huge sound.

Action is low but durable -- no buzzing if you hit it hard.

This guitar was well setup at the factory and had no flaws at all. Wood is top notch, quite beautiful.

I've had this for about a year and it's only needed one slight neck adjustment. Stays in tune very well.

No experience with this

I've been playing for 45 years. This is far and away the best acoustic I've ever had, far outstripping my 1991 Taylor 410R. I played dozens of guitars in the $2k-$6k range and even a few above that before selecting this. I was seriously interested in a Collings, but after bringing it home and playing it for a few days, fell ou of love with it --it seemed a bit cold. The Goodall has all the clarity of the Collings but is warmer, more harmonics in each note. It also records well, both through the K&K Western I put in it and through a mic.
If this was lost or stolen, I would cry. And then I would find out how much my insurance company would give me, and if possible, buy a similar one to replace it.
This guitar has changed the way I play. In the first few weeks, I found myself spontaneously finding subtle ways to go from one chord to the next, because I was hearing the middle strings much more clearly and my brain could latch on to those voices just as easily as the highs and lows. Made me a better jazz player.
This is one of those "expensive but worth it" instruments. Compared to a $3k Martin, it's twice the instrument. And you won't get a better sounding guitar for twice as much -- it'll just be more highly decorated.

This guitar was made in 2000 in Hawaii by master luthier James Goodall http://www.goodallguitars.com/james.htm Measurements: Wide bout: 157/8 inches ~ Upper bout: 11 5/8 inches ~ Waist: 9 15/16 inches ~ Depth: 4 3/8 inches Length of box: 20 inches ~ Overall guitar length: 40 13/16 inches ~ Scale length: 25 1/2 inches. The Rosewood Concert Jumbo (RCJ) is slightly smaller than the Standard series and larger than the Grand Concert series. The neck joins the body at the 14th fret. The back and sides are made of solid book-matched East Indian Rosewood with a Koa backstripe. The top is made of Alaskan Sitka Spruce with very tight grain-many lines per inch. The neck is made of mahogany with satin finish. The nut is made of bone and measures 1.75 inches-ideal for fingerstyle players. The bridge and the fingerboard are made of Ebony and the peghead has ebony veneer. It comes with a clear pickguard. The tuning machines are gold Schallers. The saddle is made of bone. Curly Koa binding circumvents the front and back edges of the body. It has an abalone rosette, diamond fretboard inlays and the famous "Flying G" logo on the peghead. Some say the necks on Goodalls are too "fat" for smaller hands, but my hands are small and I have no problem. Goodalls have larger necks than Larrivees or Taylors and are about the same size as the neck of a Martin. Goodall offers custom neck options with either a slimmer or wider neck if that is your preference.

Goodalls are noted for their intonation. The RCJ has a complex Celtic-like sound-warm, clear, loud and with lots of overtones. Harmonics can be evoked anywhere on the fingerboard. There's a strong bass response that some may describe as "grand piano" but the mids and highs are also clear and strong, so the overall effect is one of balance. I play fingerstyle, but when I use a pick, the RCJ punches out single notes and double-stops at good volume. The sustain of this instrument is excellent- chords and notes ring for 12 seconds or more. When the RCJ is strummed, you hear each note in the chord. By far this is the best sounding acoustic guitar I have ever owned. Goodalls take at least 12 months to open up. When it does, it will truly be a tone monster!

It arrived with the action a wee bit on the high side. Mass Street Music thoughtfully included a truss rod adjustment tool. The truss rod of the RCJ is accessed at the peghead rather than from inside the soundhole. I prefer it that way since groping around inside a soundhole with a truss rod tool could cause some damage to the surrounding wood. After tightening the truss rod just a little bit, the action was lowered to the point where it was just right for my playing needs. Looking inside the soundhole, I detected no flaws in the top, bottom, or side bracing. The fretwork seems perfect as was the hardware.

The RCJ is a very solid guitar and you can tell that when you hold it. It feels like a high quality instrument. This guitar can withstand live playing without a doubt. The finish on the sitka top, and the rosewood back and sides is beautiful and will last a lifetime with periodic maintenance. A strap button is solidly attached at the tail. My only criticism is that it's difficult to pass the leads of my guitar strap under the strings above the nut because the truss rod cover gets in the way, but that's such a minor issue, it does not effect the rating at all.

I sent James Goodall an e-mail message and he promptly responded by
thanking me. I've heard from others that James is very responsive to the needs of Goodall owners, however since I only sent 1 message to him, I cannot rate this category.

I consider this my "Holy Grail" guitar and if it was lost or stolen, I couldn't afford another one. The only reason I could afford this one is because it was discounted by 50%, due to scratches and dents that which are really no worse than what most guitars sustaind over time. I plan to use it for praise music at church, for home-brewed jam sessions, and for the occasional coffeehouse gig. Goodalls are expensive, but in my opinion, worth every penny because of the love and attention that James Goodall puts into his work. If you're lucky enough to find a bargain on a Goodall like I did, it's worth your while to check it out. Good luck to you and keep on picking!

Gutar was made in 1998. All solid woods. Acoustic, 14th fret at body. Indian rosewood, sitka spruce, ebony board, bridge and head overlay, amazing abalone. Mahogony neck, Mini Schallers. A nice wide neck for a medium to large hand. Finished to perfection. This instrument is about the same size as a Taylor Grand Concert. No electronics. Hard arched top case. This is a brand new model for Goodall.

This instrument is absolutely clear, loud and crisp. It maintains warmth throughout the entire fingerboard. It has solid lows, clear mids and the cleanest highs I have experienced in an acoustic. It stays clean even when I get after it with a pick, but it really shines in the soft passages. I own two other Goodalls, a Jumbo and and a Standard, they are equally amazing, but for finger style, the Concert Jumbo is the best I have ever played.

I will have my luthier adjust this instrument to my likings, but it came flawlessy set up. Not a rattle or a buzz anywhere on the neck. The woods are all bookmatched. I have not found a flaw in the finish anywhere. Absolutely beautiful.

I have owned my Goodall Jumbo for five years. I am a professional musician and have never had the slightest problem with this guitar. These guitars are built to last for years. My new Concert Jumbo appears to be just as solid.

Warranty: 5 years. I have not needed any work done on any of my Goodall Guitars. My local luthier does do a yearly maintenance of these instruments. Mr. Goodall has answered (via email) my questions on an as-needed basis.

I have been playing for 43 years. Other guitars: Goodall Jumbo (Fishman saddle pick-up), Goodall Standard (Fishman saddle pick-up), Taylor 714 ( the new Fishman sound hole pick-up) If my Goodall Concert Jumbo were stolen...I would buy another one immediately. I love the tone, the volume, the finish, the appointments, and the versatility of this instrument. I compared this instrument to the similar Collings guitars. Collings are also incredible instruments, but the Goodall is the one that I chose. This quality of guitar is expensive, but I wouldn't trade the joy I get when I sit down to play on stage, or at home. I have bought and sold many guitars, (my friends call me "guitarded") but the Goodalls have stayed at my house.