Lace Music Products Acela Acoustic

Made in China, a 2003 Lacela thinline acoustic/electric 6 strings guitar by Lace, already famous for their nice pickups.

Here are the specs stolen right from the Lace website!

S P E C S
Pickup: Lace Acoustic Bronze
Scale Length: 25-1/2?
Neck: 21 Fret, Bolt on, Maple
1-5/8" wide at nut
2-1/16" wide at 12th fret
String Spacing:
At Nut 1-13/32"
At Bridge 2-1/16"
Weight: 4 lbs, 6 oz
Controls: 1 Tone, 1 Volume
Body Thicknes: 2.0"
Max Body Width:12-1/2"
Max Body Length: 21-1/2"
Overall Length: 42.0"
Body: Basswood
Strings: D'Addario, med-gauge, Bronze wound

Sorry kids, this model is already discontinued! But it still can be found regularly for sale on Ebay, which is where I got mine (Thanks to Warpdrivemusic.com).

Its got Lace Bronze Sensor passive (means no battery needed) pickup. there is a volume and a tone which is all that is needed on this guitar.

The finish is of a nice shiny black color. The shape is really something thought.It look like a space rocket, really modern and dynamic, I love it! Its unique to Lace and is modeled after another of their model, the solidbody Cybercaster. Some people even compared its shape to a famous Dali painting! It leaves no one indifferent. It came with standard strap buttons.

The neck is standard stratocaster-fender-like bolt-on maple with a satin finish. Really comfortable, in fact I think it feels alot like a strat neck. Fretwork is without a flaw everything is smooth.

Tuners a good quality, I don't know their brand but they do their job well. They have nylon bushings and there is a nice tension when tuning no slack at all! Mine came with a Lace branded Elite gigbag.

This guitar has all the right features for its category and is really well made considering its a made in China import. I give it a 8.

I play alot of different style so this guitar give me another sound to work with. I wanted an accoustic that plays like an electric, the Lacela is exactly that. I wanted a stratacoustic but could not find one that suits my need at the time, but when I saw the Lacela and compared the reviews, the choice was easy.

Now this guitar has two sound. Plugged and unplugged.

Unplugged:
Its a bit on the thin side because of the thin (!) body. But other than that, its very respectable its not just very loud. It make a nice backporch/bedroom guitar and still can be played alongside full bodied accoustic.

Plugged:
I first played it on my Crate gf-15 practice amp it got nice and clean accoustic sound! The maple neck give it a bright sound (but not too bright). I was really surprised because the guitar sure does not look like it can deliver this kind of sound, but it does and for that we can thank the nice Bronze sensor pickup that is really good at capturing the accoustic tone of this guitar with no hum at all. Quick response, smooth sound, this guitar really sings! Now I haven't had the time to try it on my other, bigger amp (Crate gfx 212) or an accoustic amp, but I'm confident that the results would be similar. Its also alot of fun to try different distortion pedal and combination of sounds with this one. Its all about the variety.

Again here are the Lace Bronze sensor pickup specs sheet from the Lace website:

The Lace Acoustic Bronze offers superior midrange tone and definition than other sound hole pickups within the same price range.
The unique design allows it to be mounted to compensate for the tonal characteristics of your guitar.

The Lace Micro Matrix Combs?, Radiant Field BarriersTM and AES Chassis work in concert to accurately reproduce your acoustic sound. Delivering better clarity and string definition, the hum-canceling, adjustable Lace Acoustic Bronze is the perfect solution for your flat-top.

Easy to install without modifications to the instrument. -- Switchcraft endpin jack is supplied.
- Adjusts to hole sizes 3.60" (91.4mm) to 4.25" (107.9mm)
- Fits odd shaped holes
- No electronics needed
- Can be rotated to enhance either the treble or the bass

# position: Sound Hole
# resistance: 4.0k
# peak frequency: 4650
# inductance: 1.3

(Note that the this spec sheet is about the removable Bronze sensor) The one on the Lacela is of the other "integrated" form factor. But its still the same pickup!)

Maybe a 7, which is not bad at all for its unplugged sound. But just to make it clear, this guitar is meant to be plugged and its on the plugged sound that I will rate it. So for its nice plugged sound I give it a 9.

It shipped with .13's D'Addario bronze strings. The action was a bit high for my tastes and I found these kind of strings unsuitable (too big) for the strat-like neck. I went with .12's of the same brand of strings and everything adjusted "automagically"! It had the effect of lowering the tension thus lowering the action and the intonation was dead on!No fretbuzz (wow) and no adjustment needed at all! Like as if this guitar was meant to be played with .12's. The neck is fast and it feel right at home. The only downside to this is that I broke two pins when trying to change the strings. No big deal, they were cheap anyways (hey , what do you expect of stock pins from a MIC guitar?). I purchased another set from my local music shop, end of story.

Like I said earlier, this guitar has no real flaws at all. Fretwork was A1, and the finish is looking good and will last. Neck is straight, nut is ok, maybe there is a couple of minor cosmetic error but I suspect that is why I got it that cheap. But no dings and scratches and it does not affect the sound of the guitar. I got it brand new and you really have to look close to try to detect any flaws. I do not consider cosmetic things to be flaws anyways, especially for guitars in this price range.It was listed at $399 usd.

The hardware will last. The pots feel rights too. No scratching noises at all when adjusting volume or tone. I just had to move the ugly wires that were apparent in the sound hole and stick them were they would not be seen (a matter of personnal preference) but that is normal as it might have displaced during transport. I did take the time to look inside and the wires and solder seemed allright.

Its so light (6lbs) its a joy to play. When sitting down on a stool I noticed that since the neck is heavier than the rest of the guitar, it has a tendency to go downward. Some might find it annoying, but its no big deal really, only if you let go the neck! Other than that you can't really feel it when playing so its ok. Playing with a strap and standing eliminate the "problem".

Beside the fact that the manufacturer choosed to use .13's and that to really make this guitar usable I had to change to .12's it lost a point. But everything else was as expected. I give it a 8.

This guitar WILL see some live playing so yes I would depend on it.I could gig with it without a backup, but who gig without a backup anyways? Some people in these reviews said that the upper strap button might be placed in a sensible place (prone to break), but since the guitar is so light that its not really a problem unless you really abuse this thing! Sure its fragile, but like any instrument: treat it well and it will treat you well. I give it a 8 here.

Did not deal directly with Lace, but the guys at WarpDrives music were really helpfull in answering my questions. Other than that I think the guitar is perfect and I will not have to deal with anyone else beside my local luthier if anything happens to it! No rating here.

Been playing for 14 yrs. This is my 4th guitar and will probably stay that way for a long time. I've found a really good little guitar and its really nice to be able to play unplugged with an accoustic sound and feel right at home because of the fast electric neck. If it was lost or stolen I would probably buy it again. Nice value, nice construction. Its a keeper! Overall its an 8!

Made 2002 in China.
Laminated Basswood body.
1 volume 1 tone.
Lace Acoustic Bronze (Passive).
Flatsawn Male neck with angular headstock joint above 3rd fret.
25 1/5" scale on mildly figured Maple fretboard.
Uniquely styled thin hollow body.
Sealed generic tuners.
Came with cheapo cable.

I play blues, country, rockabilly and even some bluegrass (when nobody's around).
I will rate it plugged in because that's the only way you should ever play this guitar. Unplugged it is roughly similar to a Stratacoustic or a Ukelele. Plugged in it has great tonal range, thanks to the LAB pickup. The sound is not as muddy as my shallow body Ovation (cc057). Great for blues leads and 3 string power chords. When connected to a compressor and a vintage tube amp, this thing has endless acoustic sounding sustain like an archtop with a humbucker. It's the cat's pajamas!

I was concerned about having this rod shipped from Wisconsin to Pennsylvania in the middle of a winter cold spell, but to my relief the cool crew at warpdrive thought to loosen the strings and all is well. Tuned up smooth as silk probably because the tuners have nylon thrust bushings and no discernable slop. Action nice and low, perfect in fact. Frets and nut polished nicely. It's a second but I can't find a single flaw except for a drop of paint inside the body. I think it's the first guitar I havent had to modify setup on, and I have a lot of them.

I'm not sure what this means, if it can withstand playing in the studio it should withstand playin on stage unless I really suck and people start throwing ashtrays or something. I'm sure the finish will age like a woman. The strap buttons will be fine 'til I break them loose. I'd use it without a backup but I always have duct tape and a screw gun in the truck. It seems pretty decent though, I can't forsee any problems with it.

I've never dealt with any manufacturer for support and I hope I don't have to deal with Lace. The people at warpdrive are cool and I think they'll take care of any issues I run into.

Been playing for 25 years. I own a Steinberger GU Spirit, a Kramer ZX20, a Cort Ferrari II, an Epiphone PR-600, a '56 Deneletro U2, an Ovation cc057, a Yamaha bass, amps by Samson, Fender, Premier and Kustom, numerous effect pedals and lots of homemade stuff. My usual setup is a homemade fuzz/tone pedal and compressor into a homemade 70 watt tube combo amp with 2 12" alnico speakers. This guitar has a very distinctive presence and great sustain through this rig. I think it could use a set of Martin Marquee strings to warm it up but then it should be awsome.

Well, others have covered the specks. My experience with the guitar was initially bad, in that the action was extremely high. All the same, I love it's rocket-ship looks, and because I do set-up work, I decided to build a thin wedge to re-angle the neck. Bingo! It worked!
Should anybody else run into a similiar problem, Ill sugest the wedge be around .060 thousanths thick at the thick end, and tapering to zero at the thin end. My next project with this guitar will be to find, or build, a compensated bridge saddle. Oh yeah, the guitar was a "second" and the bridge showed gaps between it and the soundboard.

The passive lace sensor is fine! I would like to add a second microphonic, or piezo pickup with a blend pot. Any suggestions?

(see above) The neck mortise was a mess, with chizel marks, and a heel that droped off. It wasn't flat. It looked like someone was unsure of how to use a router. I planed it smooth, and that, along with my magic wedge did the trick.

This guitar is as strong as any thin-line acoustic, and the detatchable neck offers a second chance, and much easier repairs. I think it will make a great travel guitar.

I got it from Spidergear, via eBay. They delivered right away, and ansered all of my questions. They seem pretty nice.

I've been playing for 30 years, and have owned many "cheap" guitars, or in other words, guitars under 500.00 Granted, I bought a second, and I do basic repairs. I hope Lace keeps its standards up, because I know of at least one other owner who had similiar problems. I remain
fond of this guitar, and am satisfied with its value.

Thin body acoustic-electric made im China. Includes Lace Acoustic Bronze soundhole pickup wired to volume and tone controls. The body is an swymettical shape that looks a nit like some of Lace's electic models or a bit like the DeAtmond Jet Star. The soundhole is roughly triangular with the pickup mounted at the top. Maple bolt-on neck and fretboard, poplar/rosewood body. Tuners work well. Sunbutst finish;. It came with only a cable, not even a gig bag.

Better than I expected. Unplugged, the sound is not as full as a larger bodied acoustic, but excellent for a thinline. Plugged in, it is first rate. I had used the Acoustic Bronze in another acoustic guitar previously, so I expected this. I am primarly an electric player, and I was looking for sonehing that played more like an electric (smaller body, easy access to upper frets, easily accessible tone controls). This works for me.

Outstanding. I eas very skeptical of a made in China guitar, but I had owned and liked a couple of Lace electrics, so I gave this a try. Bo problems with looks or playability. No sharp fret ends, etc. The sunburst finish was beatuiful, and the wood had a nice grain.

The guitar should be relaible, but any bollow body acoustic should be treated with dare. The bold-on neck should make it a bit less fragile than most acoustics.

Two companies involved, both excellent. I got the guitar from www.aampselectricguitarstore.com. Bruce was very helpful, answering emails quickly and providing tracking info when FedEx chose to send my guitar on a couple of cross-country trips. I had previously dealt with another Lace dealer, spidergear, and MUCH prefer aamps.

Lace is also excellent for support. They have a great web site, and Don Mare seems to work overtime answering questions. He is also a regular on the FDP Forum, a Fender related site.

I've played for many years, but other instruments primarily, guitar only seriously for the last four. I play mostly electric - many of the usual suspects - Fender, Gibson, PRS, Parker, G&L, etc. Outside of travel acoustics (Baby Taylor), my main acoustic has been a Fernandes Palisade DC-50. While I like the sound of that guitar, I've come to really dislike the large body size. I wnated a guirar thar looked and played more like the electrics that I was used to , and the Acela was fine in that regard. I also liked that the pickup was a passive pickup, no need for batteries. I do wish it had a gig bag, but I had a bumber of spares, so no big deal.

High quality tuners, very responsive. Mfg in China. Poplar body with Maple neck. Lace Bronze sensor passive pickup (love the tone, very warm). Yes this is a basic guitar but a great value in my opinion, very well constructed and comfortable to play

I play blues and a little jazz so this guitar is great for me. For a thin line it has nice tone when it is unamped. Plugged in it sounds great, very fat sound with great sustain and response. I was pleasantly surprised with its sustain and response. Very comfortable with the level of control that I had.

The guitar is well finished without any observable flaws or problems. I might bring the action down a bit but this is a personal preference. Overall this guitar displays a quality fit and finish. I ordered the black lacquer version and love the look. None of the potential fit/finish problems that one can experience; this guitar was ready to play when it arrived.

The guitar seems to be well designed adn I would be comfortable to use it anywhere within its limits (it is not solid body). It feels very solid and comfortable. The design feels that I would not tire of it while playing. Finish is rich and lusterous, designed to last and look great. I agree that the strap button is in an odd place but this is truly a nit.

Best news here...guitar came perfectly packed (I ordered it from the factory) and ready to play. The best kind of customer support is the kind you don't need because they did right in the first place.

This guitar is great compromise between tone and flexibility. I am comfortable taking it anywhere. I would buy it again as I think it is very good value at the price. I love the black but if it were stolen (don't think I could damage it as it is very solid) I might purchase the sunburst. Don't get me wrong; the black lacquer is deep and rich but given the quality that they put in this guitar I would have faith that the sunburst would look great.

Wishes -- a hard shell case. Other than that, just what I was looking for, great sounding guitar that is easy to play.

Thin-line Acoustic/Electric, Poplar/Basswood Body with both front and back aged binding, 2 color burst, Maple 3-piece bolt-on neck with maple fretboard. High quality tuners, look like Grovers, no markings but tight and smooth. Lace Bronze Sensor noiseless acoustic pickup (passive) with one volume and one tone control (250k pots). Body is the new Lace Cybercaster-style. Cool look and comfortable as heck when sitting. Poly finish, rosewood neck. It's a really simple basic guitar so I'll give the features an 8. No bells and whistles here, just good tone.

I like to play finger picking stuff on my acoustics. Everything from Going to California to Dust in the Wind. Plus, I primarily play Blues and Rock stuff. Plugged into my Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, this guitar sounds fantastic. I do not have an acoustic amp, so I can't comment on that. Played through my POD 2.3 on "tube preamp" settings, I get a nice acoustic tone that I expect. Roll back the tone control and the jazzy stuff is there in spades. With the Tone on 10, I get a nicely balanced woody acoustic tone. Very versatile. You might not buy this guitar, but the Lace Bronze Sensor should be considered on it's own. Unplugged it sounds nice just sitting here on the couch. It's not terribly loud like my deep-bowled Ovation, but it's small and portable and comfortable to play. Plugged in or mic'd, you'd be okay to gig with it.

I really tried to poke holes in this guitar. I looked over the frets, they were filed down nicely. No rough edged to cut my fingers. The nut was cut well. The outer edges of the nut could have been filed down a bit. They were sharp. It'll only take me 30 seconds to file them down tomorrow. The finish on the body was just gorgeous. Whoever is painting their bursts has their act together. Just beautiful. The top coat was applied evenly, not too thick, not too thin. The strap buttons are okay, but the one on the upper bout looks like it could be the Achilles heel of this guitar. It's screwed into a potentially weak place, but I'm not sure where to have put it to make it better. But it's an acoustic and I don't plan on banging the crap out of it. There is no pickguard either and that is good. It'd hide too much of the finish. The bone bridge piece came to me high as I requested. I like to file them down myself. But it didnt' ship too high. The guitar was extremely playable out of the box. Lace seems to have a good grip on their QA/QC department.

The Acela is an acoustic/electric. It's a hollow body. you can't beat it around like a Telecaster. You could, however, drive a truck over the neck. It's a typical Strat-like silky smooth maple neck. I've always been a set neck kind of guy, but this bolt-on just feels perfect in my large hands. (and it's not a baseball bat neck or anything, typical C-shape strat neck) I'd treat it with care, like any acoustic. But it ought to stand up the the road.

The guitar arrived perfect, so no reason to call them. I've dealt with the Lace custom shop previously with tremendous success. I have no idea how long the warranty is. Never thought to ask.

This is an aggressively styled and priced acoustic/electric. I travel for a living. This guitar (24 1/2" scale neck) will fit nicely in an airplane overhead. I'll use it a lot this way. Much superior with better tone than any travel guitar I've played (Martin Backpacker, etc). I'm sure it was designed to be played plugged in where it shines the brightest. But, unplugged it holds it's own with any thin-line acoustic. The neck is pure sweetness. I'm shocked at how much I like the bolt-on. I had my doubts about it not being set neck. The Lace Website has various pictures on it... http://www.lacemusic.com/acela.html But mine looks prettier than the pictures of the burst on their site! I've discovered a real little gem.