Product: Antoniotsai Dragonfly
Price Paid: US $280.00
Submitted
10/06/2005
at
12:19pm
by
Rogue
Email: rogue_woman at hotmail<dot>com
Features
:
9
I assume it was made in 2005 in Taiwan, 21 frets, supposedly solid wood (and it certainly looks to be) spruce top, rosewood back and sides, nice fast neck for my hands, bone saddle and nut are nice, bridge is rosewood, machine heads are cheap but seem to hold a tune, and of course, the inlay is absolutely gorgeous and plentiful. Crap case, don't use it.
Sound
:
7
Each note quite well balanced for fingerpicking style, great sustain, good volume, though I think it could have more punch if the bracing weren't so heavy. Not a Martin but overall nice sound.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
4
The bookmatching, inlay work, and body finish were fantastic...but that's where the glowing report ends...the strings will be the FIRST thing you have to replace, the very end of the neck next to the soundhole is rough, the frets are really rough and need to be sanded, the action needs to be adjusted but it's not too bad, There's a few small pits in the neck where the inlay work is, the bridge looks terrible, almost like it was spraypainted? I dunno, but I think I'm either gonna have to replace it or sand and re-stain it. Just do me a favor and don't look inside the guitar, okay?
Reliability/Durability
:
8
I don't think the finish is going anywhere any time soon, it's thick and glossy, I may have to replace the tuners, they're not that great, the body bracing and neck construction should last well, and the bracing is thick enough to keep the top from cracking or pulling up.
Customer Support
:
2
Emails are fast, Tony's staff is nice, but this IS all the way around the world we're talking about here....you can't exactly just stop by for a repair, and it's gonna cost you an arm and a leg (and maybe a kidney or two) to ship it over.
Overall Rating
:
7
This really is a work of art...I don't think that most people could afford an American or Japanese made guitar with this much inlay work. The woods are really nice and it sounds pretty darn good next to my epi's and my takamine. However, it really really does need a setup as soon as you get it, and some of the finish work leaves a bit to be desired. Your best bet would be to have a good relationship with a luthier here, it's certainly worth the price you'd pay for a setup to get it just like you want it and fix any flaws, as the guitar really is a steal.
