Product: Fine Resophonic Triplate Model 1
Price Paid: US $4000
Submitted
08/14/2003
at
05:12pm
by
Anonymous
Email: thomas at massengale<dot>com
Features
:
10
Mine is known as The Clapton Model as it is Eric's wooden reso of choice. Another well-known Fine Resonator client is Bob Brozman, though I suspect due to his marketing arrangement with National, he does not appear on the website. Other players include Johnny Hallyday, Louisiana Rd, Bill Wharton, Michael Messer, and...ahem...Margret and John Dopyera. See http://www.fineresophonic.com/ref.htm for more on that, or http://www.fineresophonic.com/ for more on their full line of wooden and metal-body resonators. Anyway, the details on mine...
Tricone resonator in the style of a National Vintage Tricone with solid curly maple top (sunburst or natural--mine is a 'burst), sides and back, maple neck, ebony finger board, vintage tuners, joined at the 12th fret, round neck bound with ivoroid (as is body).
Made in France
Sound
:
10
Great fingerpicking resonator, with a gorgeous subtlty and sustain that sets it apart from its brass-bodied cousins. This is not to say better, but just as great in its differences. As it is French, Vive La Difference! Think National Style 1 with a maple top, as that is really what this is, by one of the greatest guitar makers alive today.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Set up was perfect. Action a bit high, which is just how I like it. Beautiful woods and absolutely flawless construction. Nice bird's eye maple on the neck, and the curly maple body is just beautiful.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
If it's good enough for Mr. Clapton to haul around, it should do for me. As a fine wooden guitar, I will treat it with great care, but I treat my brass Style 2 with the same.
Customer Support
:
10
If you buy on from www.fineresophonic.com, be prepared to wait. These are custom instruments. My understanding from the dealer, whom I trust implicitly, is that if there is any problem, Mike will take care of it straight away. When I called to track my serial number (which is hidden somewhere inside), they tracked shipments and gave me an answer quite promptly.
Overall Rating
:
10
I've been playing some on and off for some 30 years. My other instruments include a Gibson LP Class V, MM Van Halen & Albert Lee, pre-CAD Collings OM2H, Santa Cruz 00, National Style 2 and Polyphonic, Gibson 57 Country Western (really something, this one) and an old L7. This guitar wasn't cheap (fortunately, it was a gift), but so good that comparing it to anything else makes no sense. It is what it is, and perfect in what it is.
