Goodall RCJC Concert Jumbo

Finish is gloss top and body with satin neck. Jumbo concert style cutaway body. Tuners are chrome Gotoh with mini ebony buttons. Woods are Sitka top on EIR back and sides. Bindings are curly Koa. Ebony neck, bridge, and headstock overlay. Nicely done rossete in MOP. Standard position small diamond fret markers also MOP. Very, very nice looking guitar.

The neck is 1-3/4 at the nut. This guitar, played with a light touch, will give good volume. It has a fairly well balanced and somewhat shimmering sound using light gauge strings. It sounds better with medium gauge strings on it, in my opinion, as light gauge strings typically don't bring the highs into balance. I base my review on playing with a thumbpick and fingernails with little or no flesh contact. I do not use a flatpick and strum with the back of a fingernail. This guitar has perhaps a little too much shimmer for music requiring a more fundamental "thump" such as fairly fast pieces where shimmer and sustain don't work especially well. It is what it is and has exactly the sound I need for certain pieces I do. I will not say it is a guitar for all types of guitar playing.

Goodall sets the action a bit high. I had to lower the saddle to where I like it. The construction of this guitar is in keeping with the best I have seen.

The guitar is built very well. But, being a new guitar, and my first Goodall, I cannot give a review in this category.

The warranty from goodall is 5 years from date of purchase. I have no other experience in this category.

I have been playing for 35 years. I own one other guitar. It is a Breedlove Custom Shop concert with cedar over EIR. I have had all the upper scale Martins, Larrivees and one Taylor. They are fine instruments but this Goodall and the Breedlove eclipse everything else I've owned. These two guitars complete the spectrum of sound I have been looking for from guitars and I give them equal play time.

Your basic Goodall RCJC, with cedar top. The binding is Koa, and the headstock has a laminate of ebony. No pickup installed at this time.

This is an excellent fingerstyle instrument, with plenty of warmth, brilliance, and sustain. Most Goodalls tend to have superb tonal characteristics. It has more bass than my koa/sitka Goodall, but not quite as much projection. It does fine with light strumming.

I bought the guitar used, and it came with medium action. I adjusted the truss rod and lowered the saddle. The action now is very low, and well set up for fingerstyle. The top is excellent grade cedar, with some medullary rays. I've not seen medullary markings on many cedar tops before. The rosewood is AAA grade, meaning that is has a very nice, straight grain. If the stain were lighter, it would show some beautiful markings. The koa binding is very pretty.

I've not encountered any problems with previous Goodalls. The are well-constructed instruments, and I believe James Goodall would stand behind it. The warranty period is only 5 years, as opposed to Taylor or Martin's limited lifetime. But given Goodall's penchant for detail and design, I expect no problems.

I've asked a number of questions directly to James, and he is faithful to always reply. Customer support is excellent.

Been playing several decades. I'd replace this with another Goodall in a heartbeat.

New, built in 2003 on the 'Big Island'.
Best grade materials: Cedar top, rosewood back/sides, satin mahogony neck, ebony board
Koa perfing, abalone pearl rosette...NO PLASTIC on Goodall Guitars
Perfect flawless construction and great feel to the neck.
Beautiful hard-shell case with emerald crushed velvet lining

This is my second Goodall...their tone is among the best in the business

Perfect! Action was lowered slightly. The neck fits my hand perfectly

If its like my other Sitka top Goodall, should be no problem.
The only problem I have had was a nut replacement on my Sitka RJC due to using medium guage strings. I found light guage strings sound best anyhow.

Guitar Solo, San Francisco takes realy good care of me on any warranty issues. James Goodall phones Guitar Solo on a regular basis.

Been playing for over 30 years. I own a Martin 000-28EC, Taylor K-10 "Limited Edition", Goodall RCJ (spruce top), G&L Legacy, and PRS McCarty rosewood neck.
This is a fingerpicker's dream guitar...nothing I dislike about Goodalls...especially this one!
Compared to a Collings OM cedar top and Taylor cedar top (714ce?)
Neck and tone are what I like best...I love this guitar!!!

I bought my RCJC new about 4 months ago. It has rosewood back and sides, sitka spruce top, mahogany neck, ebony neck and bridge, gold mini Schaller tuners and curly koa binding on the body and peghead.
Also came in a nice hardshell case.

This is the most musical acoustic guitar I have ever owned. The tone, projection and balance are excellent. It is in my opinion one of the more versatile acoustics on the market. It's loud enough for bluegrass but responds exceptionally well to a light touch. Outstanding fingerstyle instrument.

James Goodall builds a very nice instrument. There are absolutely no flaws that I can find on this guitar. I give the action a 8.5, for me it could be just as bit lower, but it is very playable as is. Fit and finish are absolutely immaculate.

Would this guitar hold up on the road? Don't know...haven't tried, but the quality of this instrument tells me it would stand the abuse.
The finish on these guitars is considerably more durable than say a Martin. I know...I own a D18V.

I have only made one call too Goodall and all questions were answered promptly and to my satisfaction. Can't ask for more.

I have been playing for 10 years and have owned A Martin HD28, Taylor 710 and 612C. I also have a Martin D18V. All of these are fine guitars and I do like the D18V but none of them can compare one on one... feature for feature or overall tone to the Goodall. If I lost all today the Goodall would be replaced first...no question. There is not much you can say against my Goodall RCJC, it is about as good as it gets. I plan on buying another guitar next year and it will be a Goodall.

This small jumbo-sized acoustic guitar with Venetian (soft) cutaway was made in June of 1999 on the Big Island of Hawaii. 14 frets to the body, with 20 total. Back and sides are of bookmatched East Indian Rosewood and it has a beautiful Sitka spruce top. All solid of course. The one-piece neck is made from mahogany. It has an absolutely gorgeous glossy urethane finish. Schaller chrome tuners with ebony buttons. Ebony bridge, fingerboard, peghead overlay and truss rod cover. It has curly koa binding, including the fingerboard and peghead as well as a curly koa backstripe. This is one beautiful instrument! Even prettier than my Goodall koa/engelmann grand concert... It came with a very nice, solid hardshell case.

I play a variety of styles, acoustic blues, popular music, folksy stuff, both flatpick and fingerstyle, so I really needed a very versatile instrument. THIS IS IT!
This guitar is pristine, no holes other than the soundhole and I plan to keep it that way. Will be adding a Rare Earth blend soon, though, along with a California Blonde or Acoustasonic Junior...
By itself, it has a lot of punch, great balance, sparkling highs, great mids and powerful bass without being boomy. This is the best sounding guitar I have ever heard and it can only get better when that beautiful sitka top "opens up" over the next six months or so...
There is absoutely nothing I don't like about this guitar!

This instrument, as are all of James' guitars that I have ever seen was flawless when I received it. Very clean interior, no glue overruns, no dust, nothing! Beautifully finished, perfect setup, top quality woods used, beautiful ebony (no streaks...) no faults anywhere. It's hard to believe in this day and age that there are still folks out there who give a damn about quality. Yes! I know many of the other luthiers that hand build their instruments feel the same way.

Although this instrument is very solidly built, bracing, top, sides and back, I would be careful where I took it to play. Simply because I wouldn't want anything to happen to it...
All the components on this guitar are first class, from the woods used, tuners, fretwire, et al.

5 year warranty. Have had a lot of communication with James, his wife, Jean and their staff. Not on repair issues per se, but just general questions. They have been more than responsive. Friendly, prompt replies are the norm for them. Since their guitars are made in Hawaii, they have gone out of their way to have master quality repair folks available stateside. I have been referred to one of them for some specific questions about my other Goodall and was very pleased with the honest responses I got.

I have been playing off and on for 36 years. Have owned several guitars over the years, currently own a '97 Fender American Standard Strat, a 1986 Sigma DM-2, a Martin Backpacker, Baby Taylor and the Goodall Grand Concert.
There is no question that I would buy this same guitar again if it were lost or stolen. I am totally sold on Goodalls!