Product: Giannini AWN70
Price Paid: 200 (Pounds Sterling) used
Submitted
06/12/2006
at
01:17pm
by
Sam
Features
:
8
I think this model (AWN70) is the Giannini "Cadiz" classical guitar.
Made in Brazil. Mine was made Feb 1975. Standard size classical. Solid spruce top. Rosewood back and sides. The rosewood is a South American rosewood, either Brazilian (pre the export ban?) or Bolivian. Very VERY nice looking superbly book matched back with fairly dramatic dark and light grain in magnificent swirl patterns. Nice inlaid rosette. Standard looking tuners which do not work very well. This guitar does look beautiful and the back always draws the "WOW" comments. The tuners let it down, so only an 8.
Sound
:
9
Amazing sound. I never thought I would ever find a classical with too much sustain!! Rather a deep voice but very full and sweet . Typical rosewood "ring" with excellent bass. The extraordinary length of sustain takes some getting used to as you tend to walt for the notes to subside before playing on, however the guitar sounds very beautiful on slower pieces. Fast pieces require you to damp the strings to avoid too much sustain but better to have too much sustain than too little. Playing another classical straight after this one involves quite a marked change in technique!!
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
8
Action is fine. Very easy to play. Neck could be slightly better set
- had to raise the saddle a tiny bit to get rid of some slight buzzing. It is fine now. Have tried 6 different makes of strings to try and reduce the sustain. Currently using Hannabach strings which seem to suit it.
Reliability/Durability
:
8
Although this guitar is 30 years old, it is in immaculate condition.
Seems very robust and the top does not damage easily.
It has been well looked after but is tough enough to gig with
(with care).
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Never needed to contact them.
Overall Rating
:
9
Been playing 40 years. I have 12 guitars at present. All acoustics,4 of which are classicals including this one. This guitar changed my view about Rosewood. I now have absolutely no doubt that Rosewood's reputation as the best tonewood for acoustics is well deserved. For classical guitars in particular, Rosewood definitely has a much better sustain than any other tonewood and the sound is sweet with a good bass response. If there is a problem, it is getting an even balance across the strings because the lower registers can be rather loud with too much sustain, which can suit some pieces but certainly not all, so your technique needs to adapt to avoid the bass drowning out the trebles. It can be difficult to get a sharp punchy bass on a Rosewood instrument! Also, because of this, the choice of strings can be important. Very difficult to find another guitar as nice as this one. I would probably have to pay twice what I paid for this.
