Moondog Spirit (Cutaway)

I received this guitar a few weeks ago, and fell in love instantly. Mine is an Economy Spirit (Non-cutaway), which doesn't have the electrics or pickup - so it has all the features I could have hoped. With it came a foam case which is quite cheaply made, hence the rating, but it does its job and I would've paid the ??200 for the guitar alone.

The music I play is incredibly sporatic but structured experimental rock with elements of jazz.. but I wanted to relearn the basics and get back to the purest songwriting I can muster. This guitar has helped me endlessly in finding my soul, as opposed to the pure cloudy emotion I'd been used to on the electric.

So far I've been trying to learn as much as possible as I've not really played any songs other than my band's in the past few years. I've been taking any song that strikes me and trying to make it into a simple solo acoustic number. This involves a lot of background melodies being played along with the chords and this guitar can tie the two together into a beautiful ball of wool but keep them both distinct and audible.

The sound could be described as bright but maintains its earthy, woody tones and can make any sort of fingercrime I throw at it sound as wonderfully delicate or thick and powerful as I want.

For these couple of hundred pounds I couldn't see someone making a piece of wood sound better - or even for double or triple that amount.

No flaws, everything works. The guitar was set-up the day before I got it and the action is better than I had ever expected from most acoustics, especially a budget model.

This guitar has a bone saddle and nut and I don't see them going anywhere fast. The grover tuners are smooth and seem very durable. The only gripe I have is with the plastic bridge-pins, which look a little flimsy, but they can easily be replaced.

I have the utmost trust in the guitar and would certainly gig it without a backup.

Lifetime warrenty, can't argue with that.

I haven't dealt directly with anyone at the offices, although before I ordered I emailed asking if they included Northern Ireland in their 'UK Shipping Only' and got no reply, but I'm sure if I had made the effort to ring them they would've been more than helpful.

I've been playing for somewhere close to ten years and this is only the second acoustic I've owned, the first being a terrible Westfield I got when I'd just started, so naturally I was blown away by the quality of this guitar, but it knocks down any acoustic I've played. The reason I didn't get another before this is that I thought I would've had to spend somewhere around a grand to get one this good and I couldn't be more grateful to Moondog guitars for the opportunity to own such a guitar on my wages.

It had reignited the old flame I had with 'pure' music, if you will, and if I lost it I would definately get another one a.s.a.p.

The finish on this guitar would be great on a guitar twice the price. Mine has wooden binding, abalone fret markers, bone nut and bridge, the only plastic is the string retainers. It has a condenser mic built in with the volume control neatly concealed just inside the soundhole. There are no eq controls on mine but you really don't need them and it's great not to have one of those ugly plastic control panels stuck on the side. The tuners are very smooth and the free case would have cost a mint on it's own.

At home I play a lot of bottleneck, some fingerstyle and am working on some Preston Reed style stuff. This guitar suits me very nicely. I have been using the Moondog for a few numbers at gigs every week since I got it. The guitar plugs straight into the PA, with the eq almost flat it sounds lovely, and I have had some very positive comments from the punters. Apart from a slight hum, which will hopefully be rectified by a new lead, it's great plugged in with no feedback problems. I haven't played a better sounding acoustic than this and for the price you won't be disappointed.

I am struggling not to write a 'Superficial, glowing review' here, so here goes. The padding inside the case has come slightly unstuck on one side, and the guitar initially had a slight buzz on the top string at the 10th fret. The buzz was sorted out with two strokes of an emery board. Apart from this the action is perfect, almost identical to my electric, and very fast for an acoustic.

This guitar will certainly withstand live playing, as I've been using it regularly, and the case seems very robust. The guitar has a lifetime guarantee which I'm sure I won't have to use, if only because I'm a bit worried Moondog will have gone out of business selling guitars like this at these prices. I use either an electric or acoustic at gigs for different songs, but I would rely on the moondog over the electric any day. I can't really say how well it will last, having only had it for 2 months, but I have gigged with it every weekend since I got it.

It has a lifetime guarantee if it stays with the same owner. I haven't had to deal with Moondog since I got the guitar, but they seemed very friendly and accommodating when I visited their workshop (with two small children in tow!).

I mainly play electric, I have a danelectro and a vintage silvertone so I am into quirky guitars. The Moondog however is a very usable instrument. I have looked at all sorts of Martins, Taylors, etc. in shops but with a price limit of ??500 there isn't anything I've seen I would compare to the Moondog for looks or sound. There is only one thing I would want Moondog to change, their horrible logo. This is a brilliant guitar and great value for money. Buy one now before the price goes up!

These guitars are handmade, but cheaper than you'd expect.

Nicked these specs from their website :)

Moondog Spirit Specification:

Top Solid Spruce

Back and sides Double composite Indian rosewood

Neck Mahogany

Fingerboard Rosewood

Bridge: Rosewood

Machineheads: Grover

Electrics: Schertler Condenser Mic under saddle pick up (this refers to the newer model, I screwed myself over and got an normal pickup on the slightly earlier model - however it was ??100 cheaper and its got an onboard tuner)

Nut and Saddle: Bone

14 'playable' frets (the cutaway model will give you access to more obviously)

The neck is fairly thin and easy to get your hand around.

You also get a quality case with it - fibre glass (they're available to buy from the site for over ??100 I think). It's amazing and fits the guitar very, very smugly. One small drawback is that the pouch inside isn't big enough to hold a spare set of strings - only maybe a slide and some picks etc, but you can fit a set of strings under the head if you want.

The case has a strap free, too. The guitar doesn't have a strap and only one bolt at the bottom so you'd need a strap that went around the bottom and the neck. Why do acoustics do this?!

Onboard EQ - i haven't plugged this into a decent amp yet so I can't comment on it - but it's loud enough unplugged!

Grover tuners...

I don't know what I'm missing, but its all great for the price (I paid ??300 and ??20 postage I think)

My music style would fall under rock (Stones, Pearl Jam etc), blues (Clapton etc) and some country (Gram Parsons etc). This guitar seems excellently suited to any style - lead or rhythm. If you're a fingerpicker (like I sometimes am) you're treated to a rich, clear sound on every individual note.

It has a very deep sound for your open chords and the closer you get to the soundhole, the brighter it becomes. It has a fantastic range. Nothing is flat.

You really do need to hear this guitar to do its sound justice. It has a strong sound - not particularly warm like an old, well aged guitar would but that'll just naturally take some time to come about.

The strings that come with it are gold plated (if only Goldfinger was a guitarist...). They're quite tough and sharp but their resonance is second to none. Just make sure you strike them properly... I find them harder to play than normal strings (I'm secretly praying they snap so I can replace them - that's a personal choice)

This was not set up in a factory. In fact there is no factory involved, it's all handmade.

The action was great - about 30mm from the 12th fret? I find it to be spot on, but obviously this is going to be higher than an electric so a little harder to play, but acoustics generally are.

The wood is finished beautifully - it just looks spectacular. The shape seems slightly shorter and not as bulky as a common acoustic. It's a very trim looking instrument (I got the non-cutaway). The fretboard is beautiful.

I'm not too clued up on the technical side of guitars so my comments won't hold much water but I will maintain this is an extremely solid, well put together guitar - no part of it has a "budget feel"

I haven't played this (or indeed) any guitar for gigging purposes as I'm not ready to unleash my (lack of) talent onto the general public just yet.


The hardware, I'm certain, will last the test of time. If it doesn't its all included in the lifetime warranty anyway (yep, lifetime).

The finish looks like it'll last too - I can't see it wearing off any time soon.

It would've been nice to have a second strap button - that's probably my only quibble.

This guitar is durable and the case is built so it could withstand a fall from a tall building (not an official endorsement)

The warranty is free and for the lifetime of the first user, so that's pretty impressive!

When you buy a Moondog guitar you get to trial it in your own home for 14 days. They deliver it to you by courier very quickly. If you don't like it they'll take it back, no questions asked and give you a full refund including the cost of the postage both ways. You really can't argue with that.

Other than that I haven't really dealt with an actual person in the company. But I've been so satisfied by them that this is my second Moondog guitar (my first was the excellent Moondog Howlin' maple resonator)

I've been playing for a few years since uni, and I'm by no means a professional but I've tried a fair few big-name guitars and I like this one the best. I'm a firm believer that all acoustics are different though.

I wished I'd asked them to put in a second strap button...

If it were lost or stolen, I'd replace it definitely - maybe even upgrade to the Grand Auditorium!

A friend of mine has a Martin acoustic from the 60s and that is amazing - probably worth at least a grand but I honestly believe that this ??300 model ranks in the same tier.

The other guitars in my collection include...
a Tanglewood AS35 Memphis (electric semi-hollow body),
a Stagg 12 String,
an Alvarez RDC electro-acoustic (I recommend those too as excellent budget guitars, but the non-cutaway is better and cheaper)
a piece of crap Earthfire acoustic with an action so high I use it for slide,
a Moondog resonator
and a very old and battered but beautiful Washburn acoustic I got from the Cash Generator in Blackpool for ??35! Bargain :)
oh and a mandolin

I chose this guitar because I needed a decent powerful acoustic that I could use professionally if I wanted to. I wanted a guitar that was better suited to a far superior player than I am in a hope that it'll inspire me to be become a better player in its presence. This is a guitar I know I'll still want 40 years down the line.

The value for money is excellent. I honestly recommend it and I'm not just saying that because I own one.

It's got a nice feel about it...

See the web site - but this guitar looks beautiful and like nothing else at the price, and is everything the manufacturers site says. The solid top, fret inlays, grover tuners - all quality. The built-in tuner is a real bonus for an ordinary bloke like me. I haven't tried the pick up with on board eq with a decent amp yet, but have no reason to doubt it. The case is as impressive as the guitar, which drew admiring glances and comments from musicians union professionals on its one outing in public with me so far.

At this price - or most - the best I have heard. I am not an accomplished player, although I've been getting better fast in the 4 months I've had this guitar. I bought it to accompany my girlfriend at new year singing "over the rainbow" eva cassidy style. She is a professionally trained singer - so no worries about anyone hearing the dodgy guitar accompaniement. The guitar was miked on stage, as was Sues voice with an OK PA. Sue's singing is awesome - but we got a lot of comments about the guitar - all good. Great projection, deep rounded bass, and clear bright treble, light easy action even for a feeble fingered wimp like me, and no hint of a buzz.

Class. As discussed - easy to play as any I've tried. It was set up by the factory and has played beautifully. No scratches, blemishes or flaws of any kind. I know it said be critical - but I'm struggling. There is a tiny chip in the edging which you can feel but not see, and the case takes the paint off walls if you lean it against them. Otherwise - nope.

Will it withstand live playing??? - Yup - even with me playing it. No questions - solid quality professional instrument - with a chance of survival in a tough as nails free case. I cannot conceive of the finish wearing off - and as said before it drew comment for its pretty appearance as much as its beautiful tone (they were some really lovely chords in that piece)

So why is there no 11 in this category?? Friendly available honest advice. Instant dispatch. 14 day money back guarantee (not that I imagine they've ever had one back. A friend wanted one for his son for Christmas after hearing mine, which was only days old, and still in its money back period, and I wouldn't part with it for a few days). Really fast response to queries. One of the straps lost a spring on the clip, and it was replaced free of charge with no questions- even though I hadn't really considered it a defect. I had reservations about trying this - because the obvious thing is to go to a shop and play and listen rather than chance mail order. I had 14 days - but never had the balls to take it into a guitar shop. Compared it against my guitar teachers Guild as a reference, and feel very pleased with the result.

OOps - this is where I should have talked about how relatively little I have played. If it were stolen or lost I'd buy another. I'd probably seriously consider the Grand Auditorium instead (might yet upgrade) the only 2 reservations being the risk that I look the classic naff schoolboy cricketer in new whites who can't catch a ball, with a guitar far too good for me, and I would miss that built in tuner. If you're looking at getting a guitar - try one of these, unless you just have to buy for the name. By the way - mine is the non-cutaway model - but this review seems to insist on referring to it as the cut-away.

This is a cutaway OM model with Grover tuners, built in digital tuner and 4-band EQ/preamp both with Hi-Z and Low-Z outputs.

The neck is a fairly standard profile and felt very similar to the 1 11/16" nut Martins I was trialling before settling on this guitar.

It comes with a very smart-looking fibreglass hard case as standard which has already cushioned the guitar from a fall very effectively without so much as a dent on the case.

As with most modern OMs it's 14 fret to the body, but obviously the cutaway gives access to the higher frets with the left hand.

It has a solid AAA grade spruce top with very tight grain and interestingly (and perhaps the thing which made me nervious at first) a 'double-composite' Indian Rosewood back and sides. However I am very happy to report that like everything about this guitar, the dedication to tone of Tim (head luthier of Moondog) has really paid off and I find it very very hard to differentiate between this neat 'double composite' and solid rosewood, except perhaps that this has greater projection than solid rosewood (which is a good thing).

Solid Mahogony neck with indian rosewood fretboard, truss rod cover and bridge.

Yep, all this for under ??300, oh and it's hand-made too. Yes, I was skeptical too, but I am completely and utterly converted.

Well, the sound. That's what I was interested in when choosing a new guitar. To that end I played everything I could lay my hands on, from ??500 Yamahas through to custom ??2000+ one-of-a-kind Brazilian Rosewood beauties from small independant luthiers. I was looking for something which was versatile enough that I could still play my blues but also learn fingestyle.

For that I needed a depth and warmth to the sound without losing definition and crispness in the top end. This guitar delivers, with spades.

When doing a casual strum, you can hear clearly each note composing the chord,, but when you want to break into a lick, the rosewood really maintains that resonance of the chordal notes which is a tell-tale sign of a great acoustic.

The only real downer is the compromise you make with the cutaway. As with all cutaways, you do lose a little bit of treble response up at the 14th on the high strings due to the loss of half the upper-bout. But then again it was a choice I made having heard the non-cutaway which was a lot more responsive up there, but at the cost of losing that bassiness when thumping out some 12-bar.

Life is full of compromises and this one, I think, worked well for me.

These guitars are all hand-made, there is no factory involved. They are set up but a master luthier before they reach you and the action was just perfect. Far far superior to any martin, taylor, breedlove or larrivee I've tried. No buzzing, but effortless fretting.

It has the split-bridge for correct intonation.

Now, the finish itself is perhaps the only place on this instrument you can feel the price tag. Instead of a wooden binding, it appears to have tusq, which is fine, but wooden would be even better. The fret markets and rosette were both good quality albalone, which more than makes up for this.

Equally I believe the bridgepins are probably tusq or resin. I will personally be replacing these with bone or ebony myself, which is cheap enough, and a small price to pay for the overall price-tag of the guitar.

As the head Luthier was a gigging musician for 25 years, he really understands the stresses that a guitar can come under, and to this end I am happy to report that the spirit appears as durable as can be.

The case supplied should by rights cost almost as much as the guitar itself, it's a perfect body-fit with plenty of strategically-placed padding. I've already dropped it once and there's not a mark, scratch ot other problem to the guitar (my nerves, on the other hand, are in tatters, which just shows the emotional bond I've already formed with this little gem).

As with all Moondog instruments, there's a full guarantee for the lifetime fo the guitar so long as it stays with the original owner.

Although most of his sales are by internet, I actually made the trek from Brighton all the way out to Cardiff (4 and a half hours on a train!) to meet Tim and see the Moondog range of guitars. He gave me a relaxed atmosphere and let me try every guitar in their range. So that I fully understood the instruments from a listening perspective, he gladly demo'd the same pieces on each guitar so I could understand the nuances of the sound and response.

When I was satisfied with my choice (although, I might add, I am seriously considering buying their dreadnought *as well* at some point) he made sure I was happy with the set-up, allowed me to pick the case I wanted and even gave me a lift back into central Cardiff afterwards. All in all and *excellent* example of one guitarist who knows what he's doing making great instruments and actually *caring* about both the instruments and the people who play them.

I've been playing guitar for about 15 years now. Pretty much all on electric. I currently own a Daion Power Mark XX electric which is truly a love of mine to rival my wife and kids. However, I can see that this new Moondog is gonig to be muscling in there.

Were this guitar lost or stolen, without a doubt I would replace it. In fact, I could replace it twice over and still not pay as much as the only other guitars which sound this good. Quite simply incredible tone for your money, and although Tim explained it all to me about keeping his costs down it still boggles my mind that I can pick up my guitar and sit next to a guy playing a Larrivee OM-5R or one of the OO Martins and have a listener prefer my guitar's sound (which I do).

The ONLY thing I really wish is that I could have afforded then and there Moondog's Grand Auditorium model, which was simply put - the BEST sounding guitar I've ever heard, and yes, I am including custom builds and ??4000+ models in with that.