Hohner HW-90

Mine is the same version as the previous review. I bought it - in 2002 - because of it's solid spruce face and, of course, its sound and playability.

Fit and finish, relative to an expensive guitar, are not perfect - the neck wood is not a great match with the body - but for its price range are splendid. The look - ovangkol and gold and the shape of the bridge and inlays - are not to my taste, but the sound, which is what it's all about, is.

I got it for its fine Taylorish sound.

Once I got it home and played it hard I realized that it buzzed; that I hadn't examined its neck closely enough and that there was a downward bend where neck met body. Hohner happened to be near the in-laws in Richmond, VA, (Glen Allen, actually), so on one visit I dropped it off.

Hohner sent me a new one that had even better sound. Truly bright, sweet and full, though some Taylors are louder. The pleasant surprise was that with age and playing, in about a year, thanks to that solid spruce top, the sound opened up a great deal. Many thousand dollar guitars don't sound as good.

I use Elixer ultra light strings on mine.

See previous section. The first guitar's neck was bad but might have been fixable. The second, whether or not they fine-tuned the set-up on it for me, is as good as it gets. How do I rate two different guitars? I'll do this: I have no reason to disbelieve that sooner or later Hohner'll make it good for you.

I just used it with a pick-up band for a contra dance. There were moments I wished for my little Martin's solid bass over the Hohner's balanced Taylor sound, but I didn't even use the mike there.

After over three year's playing, no complaints on reliability/durability.

See second section above. They've been better than I could have asked for.

I've been playing 46 years. My other guitars are Martins. I would probably replace the Hohner, though I would also look at a lot of other solid wood face guitars for under $300.

I've since realized I could have gotten my Hohner somewhere else for maybe $50 less than I paid.

What put me onto the Hohner, and cheap solid face guitars in general, was an Acoustic Guitar Magazine article, 5/99, for the best guitars under $500. Check it out.

Once, since, I played a cheaper Hohner - $149 - that had a solid face and a tremendously powerful boomy Martin bass to it. And Martin look. Wish I'd bought it and taken it to the contra dance. But I like mine a lot. It's a 10, though to protect from being accused of a superficially glowing review I'll give it a 9.

2001 guitar, made in china,full fret dreadnought neck, solid top, acoustic no electronics, top is solid spruce, back and sides are ovangkol, gloss finish,tuners are gold plated shaller style with nice amber buttons, neck is a little thick but still comfortable if you are used to old martins, frets are good, came with neck wrench

great open sound, good for bluegrass lead and back up, I dont think it would work good for fingerstyle playing

good factory set up, workmanship good, nice wood, better setup than some high cost guitars I have owned

this guitar is well built, and I think it should hold up well, I take good care of my guitars I had had some for years, If you treated it rough I dont know

it has a lifetime warranty

I dont think you could find a better looking or sounding guitar for the money, I have been playing for years and owned and still own a lot of guitars, I would buy another one if something happend to it, a good blue grass or country guitar for the money