Product: Levin W32
Price Paid: UNKNOWN
Submitted
02/22/2007
at
04:01am
by
Noud Koevoets
Email: noud dot koevoets<at>wanadoo dot nl
Features
:
8
As for the features. This Levin guitar has been finished partly satin,
(neck and headstock) partly high gloss (the body)
Used woods are solid spruce top and solid mahogany sides and back.
The neck also appears to be made out of mahogany.
As might be different from the other models this one has a lined ebony
fingerboard with later added medium jumbo frets. Rosewood bridge.
The original Levin marked tuners were apparently Schallers.
I mounted new ones as they were made out of some kind of black plastic.
This dreadnought sized model was made under the license of the Martin
company in 1975. You should check Levin serial numbers on the following site: www.vintage-guitars.se
Of course this one was swedish made and when it came to me it had some
loose bracings.
The feature that the fingerboard has been thickened above the soundbox is a little bit of a clumsy one. I really don't like it.
Sound
:
10
Being a bit comparable to a Martin D18 which also has mahogany sides and back the sound is really amazing! A little bit dry but thas suits
a way of fingerpicking and gives a nice separation of the notes.
Enough brightness and after having repaired the loose bracing the deep
bass sounds were there as well.
Indeed suitable for different styles of playing as well as strumming.
Very good balance: without losing too much bass support it is not as
boomy as the Martins sometimes tend to be. I owe a D28 and a D35 Martin, both from the late seventies.
Not as loud as my Guild F40 but that one is volumewise a stand alone.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Probably this guitar has been stored too dry. That explains the loose
braces. From time to time I would advise to check your guitar by knocking tightly on the soundboard and back.
I removed the individual bridge saddles and had a compensated bridge mounted. Though the idea of Levin really was a good one it affects
its sound.
The neckpin I really never needed. Beautiful straight neck with a really nice D-shaped profile. Allways keep (if possible) a little
tension on the neck as this really attributes a lot to the sound
of your instrument.
Furthermore a nicely built instrument! Finish maybe a bit strange
but maybe not original.
Reliability/Durability
:
9
It really is a reliable instrument. In it's 32 years lifetime it
never showed any detoriations and once saved in the right manner it
will last a lifetime, maybe more...
The tuners were not of a great quality but with a replacement of
the original ones you are there.
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Levin ceased to produce guitars so chances are little that there is
any customer support though mine's a Martin era one!
Besides that, most of the repairs I ratgher do myself. I really take the time for it!
Overall Rating
:
10
I,m a professional guitarplayer, electric as well as acoustic for more
than forty years now and have several brands of guitars in both styles. Gibsons, Martins, |Fenders, Guild, Ovation, Ramirez, Orozco
and of course my classical guitar: the Vicente Arias 1899.
Keep your eyes open for these high end Levin guitars as they are probably worth every penny they're asking for it!
