La Patrie ?tude

This guitar was made in Canada, presumably in the last year or so (2002). It's a standard classical body with satin finish. There were no accesories included. The craftmanship at first glance is reminiscent of a talented high-school shop student, and yet there is something very appealing and straightforward about the instrument.

I was amazed by the sound of the La Patrie. It is well balanced and projects extremely well. I compared it with a number of other instruments, some costing twice as much, and there was nothing that came close in tone. Interestingly it also sounded much better than another La Patrie in the same store! Until I read other reviews of this guitar I thought that perhaps the quality of sound was a fluke, but maybe the weaker sounding La Patrie was the exception. The guitar has a real punch when attacked aggresively, but there is a complexity of tone that was absolutely absent from the other axes I tried.

The guitar was set up quite well, there was no fret buzz, even under aggressive playing. Again, as far as looks go, this guitar is a plain Jane. But there are no rough edges. It's unpretentious, it knows what it's about: sounding terrific.

I haven't had the guitar long enough to see how it well hold up, but it seems quite solid.

I haven't discovered if there is such a thing as customer support. There was no warranty with the instrument.

I've playing professionally for almost forty years both in the studio and on tour. My other acoustic guitars are a herringbone Ditson from the 20's and a Taylor H-14. I live in Kauai, but I'm staying in Honolulu for the next month and a half and I wanted something to play on to keep my chops up. Plus, I wanted a guitar that I could take to a beach party--something I wouldn't dream of doing with my other axes. I love this La Patrie. If something happened to it I wouldn't definitely want another one, although, as I said earlier, the other Etude in the music store didn't have nearly the sound as the one I purchased.

This is a Canadian guitar. I got it in spring of 2000. I don't know when it was made. It has 19 frets and a non-glossy finish. Classical neck. Nice binding around the body edge. Neck has an adjustable truss rod, and I think it has a bolt-on neck. Pretty simple, but nicely executed. I have no clue what kind of tuners it has, but guitars costing over $1000 seemed to have the exact same tuners. It smells, like cigar box wood, really aromatic. I think its cedar. Its a pretty guitar. No flaming, birds eye. Just simple wood. It looks fabulous from 10 feet away. It has kind of a modern 50's look to it.

I bought this guitar sort of on whim to take to summer camp with my Boy Scout troop. (I'm forty something). The previous year, I'd taken my Gibson archtop and well, all the adults who knew what it was--thought I was nuts. Anyway, I'd gone into the music store expecting to spend close to $1,000 for a decent guitar. The guitar talked to me from the wall. It just looked right. Anyway, I played a couple of flamenco guitars and a few classical guitars from famous spanish makers. And I couldn't get away from the Etude. It just felt right and seemed to have a balanced tone. Anyway, I narrowed it down to two guitars, a Ramirez and the Etude. I told the saleman, I'd pay for new strings for both guitars. I wanted to test how much the strings might impact the tone and feel. He was really cooperative and we put the same Augustine strings on both guitars. It was the best $24 I've ever spent. I called up a friend who plays professional flamenco guitar to come over and help me select a guitar. We had both guitars strung by the time he got there, and I had him play the same material on both guitars, while I turned away, I took the price tags off both guitars. Etude really has a balanced tone and all three of us were impressed. The Ramirez was a little cleaner in the highs and had a very slightly more complex bottom, but the Etude sounded better in the middle where I usually play. We were all amazed with the performance. We agreed it had a bossa nova kind of sound. I pulled a tab book on Bossa Nova guitar off the wall, and there was the sound! Its not a flamenco or classical guitar, its a bossa nova guitar!

The tuners appears to be the same used on guitars priced at over $1,000. The wood work is fine. No gaps. I thought they could have done away with the simulated inlay around the soundhole--that's personal. I like the satin finish. One of the frets needed a little dressing-- I took the strings off and honed it with a tool sharpening stone from the woodcarving/craft lodge at Camp Chawanakee. It took about two swipes to clean it up. Most players wouldn't notice. I use hard classical strings for better projection. I think Augustine black. If anything classical strings are the weak part of the system. This is my first all acoustic guitar, and well the intonation on all of them suck. This is not a Stratocaster with all kinds of adjustments. I've never been picky about electric guitar strings. However, on a classical/bossa nova guitar the strings make the noise, and they are really fragile. I've never broken one, but the plain ones seem to go bad in about a week!

This isn't a telecaster. So I don't use it as a cutting board or anything other than a musical instrument. It sounds better now than it did when I got it. It has been played in the rain, left in tents that got up to over 100F. Left in my tent when it was 16F. I've heard the cedar tops are prone to cracking but so far no. I don't have a humidifier in the case. DURABILITY. I don't know what would break that I couldn't fix with super glue. As I mentioned before, the tuners seem as good as they get for these kinds of instruments. Tuners are usually what fail on guitars for me, and I'm really picky about them. I try not to abuse this instrument, but it is outdoors a lot. And due to its low cost, I don't "fret" over it. A Scout asks if he can play it, I let him "just put it back in the case when you're done". I usually find it on top of a picnic table with a partially finished basket on it. It gets bonked on picnic tables, belt buckles, logs,etc. Amazingly no dents or scratches yet....

I have not had any problems, so I can't rate the support. I suppose it would be better with a Canadian company than a spanish one. I never thought about the warranty. I was looking for good cheap guitar that would last through a couple of summer camps. What I got was a good guitar that will probably outlast me.

I've been playing since 1965, (and still haven't gotten any better). I have several other guitars including a Gibson archtop electric jazz guitar kind of thing.

I would buy this guitar again. With the SKB case, test strings, and a book on bossa nova guitar, I think the whole package was under $250 with tax. I've seen the same guitar package for more, and it would be worth it. I don't think I have ever gotten more value for the dollar for anything I've bought--ever. With the money I din't spend on a "magic sticker" I bought lots of strings, and change them often.

My snobby guitar friends who are not familiar with the brand think its something special. When I tell them what I paid for it they tell me I'm lying to keep my wife from killing me for spending $1000 bucks on a guitar!

This is a Canadian guitar. It has 19 frets and a non-glossy finish. Nice wide neck for fingerstyle and high action.

I love the sound of this guitar. I play it fingerstyle blues and also bang away at it with a pick and get good results.

The action is pretty high. The fit and finish are superb. I was impressed with the value. The main thing I noticed at first was that it didn't have the glossy finish that most guitars have.

This guitar could easliy withstand live playing. I used to get drunk and play this guitar for hours trying to learn Nirvana songs. It has never failed. There are quite a few pick scratches and I've knocked it over many times but its a sturdy guitar and has held up well.

I believe mine is a 1999, but I can't say for sure. I bought it used. This classical guitar has a solid cedar top, laminate mahogany sides and back, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard and bridge, gold colored tuners with plastic knobs. I believe it is 19 frets top to bottom meeting the body at the 12th fret. The neck is not quite standard compared to other classical guitars I've owned or played (it feels more rounded and not quite as flattened on the back side like the Guild Mark II I once owned). It has a transparent/satin laquer finish on the whole guitar. If you need a guitar with a glossy finish knock a couple of points off the rating. I got a fairly nice hard shell case with the guitar.

I like the sound of this guitar. The Guild Mark II I previously owned was quite thrashed and sounded a bit better, but this guitar has better sound than almost all the inexpensive classicals I have played before. The sound is fairly balanced, nice low end with fair highs on the upper end. Nothing to write home about, but great for the price.

The guitar is used, but the action is good (better than most anything in this price range). The only flaws I can see are from the previous owner using a pick on the guitar, even this was only visible from an angle. You wouldn't see it from the front view. The solid top looks great and the back and sides are nice enough for this guitar. Again, I wouldn't rave over the guitar, but it is very good. The fret work is good. The neck is not what I would call standard, but I usually play steel string acoustics, so I like the size and shape of the neck. Those trained in the classical style may find the neck less desirable, but maybe someone with this background can address this point in another review. Again knock a point off the rating if you need the flat board style of neck.

The guitar is solid enough. Having a transparent finish is not as flashy as the glossy look of other guitars. The top withstood some previous pick strumming, so I think it is solid enough. Would it last a long time? Maybe, maybe not, but ask yourself why you are buying this guitar? If it is to practice, take lessons, kid's first guitar, or maybe even intimate recitals, then it should meet your needs. The tuners should be adequate, and I haven't noticed any trouble tuning the guitar.

I've not had contact with La Patrie, but I've been impressed with these Canadian guitars as a true value for guitar players. This guitar had a 1 year warranty which I imagine is enough time to figure out if something is wrong with the workmanship.

I've been a typical mid-life crisis guitarist. I've followed Gruhn's vision of a guitar player that now can afford (to some degree) all the guitar(s) that I couldn't when I was younger. This guitar was a replacement for the trashed Mark II I used to own a while back. I actually like it better than the Mark II, but not because it is a better guitar. It is a good guitar that meets my needs as a non-classical guitarist. The sound is good, the neck is more enjoyable than the standard classical flat board for me. I have played cheaper guitars in the price range of this one as new (around $250 to $275 for the Etude without a hard shell case). None of these sound as good as this one. I rate this as a 9 overall for the value it represents to the entry level player, student or someone looking for a good knock around guitar with nylon strings. I would replace this one with a similar La Patrie, but I think I would wait to find a used one like this one I now own.

This is a Quebec made classical guitar with a solid top and standard frets. I had a Fishman Matrix bridge pickup installed since I play live all the time and I had some strap button placed on the heel of the neck. The neck is great for someone with big hands like mine. I have super long stubby fingers so this guitar is right on for me. The tuners suck since they are plastic and already show cracks in the plastic, but at least it's not out of tune all the time, so I don't have to tune it every song.

This guitar sounds great. It has great projection, really great tone acoustic or plugged in with the Matrix. It has a round tone and works great played with a thumbpick to bring out the bottom strings punchiness. The sound is very bright and with a sweepable mid on my studio, I can make this guitar sound a million different ways. The frets don't buzz and the action is low enough to not give me tendonitis.

This guitar is played something like 3 hours a day. I busk with it, write with it, record with it, play smoky bars with it. I assume this guitar will become like a Willie Nelson guitar with the big hole worn in it if I don't have a clear pickgaurd installed, but that may add to the whole charm. The thing stays in tune even if I strum hard, and I hope the tuning pegs don't snap off during a show if I'm tuning a new string.

I accidently fell against this very model, I had a Deville I was carrying onto an elevator at a hotel, and I fell backwards with my soft shell case on my back with my old Etude of five years. The next day I bought the 2000 model on credit. How's that?

I used to play 12 string, but my lyrics can be heard better over this guitar.

My guitar was made in Canada ( well more precisely in Quebec) in 1999. Its a handmade classic guitar who has 19 frets and a solid-top...I think the neck is made in cherry and the tones in ebony but not sure...Sure it doesnt have that much feature....it's a CLASSIC guitar!

Well i'm playing all kinda music on it ( even if it's not made for it... it works VERY well!!!) It has the best sound i have ever heard...( well at least for its price!!!!) This guitar is PERFECT!!!!! i've been playing this guitar for on whole year and never had problem with!!!!!!!! It has a deep low sound....perfect for ALL style!

I,m known to be a very fast player and this guitar has an incredible neck just like the wizard of the ibanez rg series....The only problem i have is that because it has nylon strings....It doesnt stay tuned when it's warm......so.....dont play when it's 100 outside! ahahhaha

it will last believe me....It's supposed to be a classic guitar and i'm playing it with a pick and I've never broke a string in 1 year of playing......

there's a small waranty of one year on it and it's a bit hard to deal with the compagny cuz it's a small bussness...

this guitar rulez!!!!!!!!! believe me this one really has everythign a GOOD guitar needs!
email me if you have trouble!