Montana CL-141

The "Action, Fit and Finish" portion of my review of the Montana CL-141 acoustic guitar got lost, so I am submitted an amended review.

Kaman Inc. is well known for outstanding guitar design and manufacturing. Kaman imports the Montana line of student guitars from Romania, with both steel string and nylon string versions. Details on Montana guitars can be found at WWW.Kamanmusic.com, as well as information about their Ovation and Takamine acoustic-electrics. The CL-141 is far below expectations for a Kaman, Inc. guitar. The neck of the Montana CL-141 is well made and provided excellant playability. However, the 3/4 size (parlor guitar size) body had problems with both design and construction. The body is made from sturdy plywood. Four massive lateral braces under the sound board limit volume and tone. Two metal bolts that help postition the bridge had buzzing retaining nuts. The bridge came unglued and pulled up off the soundboard. A small section of the top was missing the pumpkin colored finish used on the soundboard. A thumb size portion of the body of the guitar was not stained the same dark brown as the rest of the guitar. I removed the buzzing nuts and reglued the soundboard. The bridge began to bend forward slightly when the guitar was strung and tuned, but now seems stable. The open tuners have a loose feel until the guitar is fully tuned, but stay in tune.

Children and students deserve well made, durable, affordable acoustic guitars. I hope Kaman Inc. will take steps to bring its Montana student guitar line up to the same high quality standards that their Ovation and Takamine guitars have shown.

The Montana CL-141 is a nylon string acoustic made in Romania for Kaman Inc., best known for their Ovation and Applause guitars. The CL-141 is designed for beginning students ages 10 to 15. The neck uses a 1 11/16 inch wide nut to obtain the same string spacing as Martin acoustics, but has a shorter 24 1/4 scale to make chords easier for smaller hands. There are 12 frets to the body, and 19 total. The soundboard is laminated Basswood and the body is laminated Beechwood. The neck is maple. The top is finished with what appears to be an orange plastic coating. The back is covered with an attractive brown finish, which might be plastic. The body and neck are a dull brown, with no visible lacquer or polish. The neck is typical of classical guitars, being much deeper than most acoustics. No strap pins are provided. The body is 3/4 parlor size and 3 1/2 inches deep.

The Montana uses four massive lateral braces under a small plywood soundboard. This design has not been used in good guitars since about 1850, because over bracing a small top limits volume and tone quality. As a result, the Montana has a very soft voice, with NO sustain on the treble strings. Playing six string chords, such as "E" can provide enough energy to produce some sustain. There is no deep bass, no high treble, and no harmonics. The strings must provide all of the tone, so a fresh set of strings greatly improves volume and tone. With fresh strings, the Montana's voice is still very quiet, bland, but pleasant to listen to. The sound is adequate for a student practicing in a small room.

Kaman Inc. is a leader both in guitar design and in modern manufacturing. I was surprised at the some of the flaws in the Montana. The bridge came unglued as soon as fresh strings were brought up to normal tension. Two metal bolts used to help position the bridge were loose and buzzing. A large area at the bottom of the guitar was missing the brown stain used elsewhere. The braces used under the soundboard are far too large for a parlor size body with a plywood top. The open tuners are loose and sloppy until the guitar is fully tuned, but then seem to hold position adequately. In contrast, the neck is very well designed and constructed. The action was perfect (after I glued the bridge back into position) and the guitar's "playability" is much better than I would expect from a cheap beginner's guitar. The 24 1/2 inch scale make chords much easier, even with the extra deep classical neck. The fit and finish is about the same as I would expect on a $30 guitar from Communist China. It is far below standard for a European guitar distributed by Kaman Inc.

I do not know how long the bridge will stay glued. I removed the retaining nuts on the bolts that postion the bridge, because they caused a loud buzzing. The tuners are loose and flimsy. In contrast, the neck is very well made. The plywood body is overly braced and may be TOO durable, as the heavy bracing seems intended to provide a very strong body at the price of limiting volume and tone. If the bridge repair lasts, I think this guitar will be durable for its intended use, which is for a beginning student's practice.

Kaman provides a five year warranty to the original owner of a Montana guitar. I bought mine used, and so I will take care of repairs on my own. Harmony-Central reviews of Ovation guitars may be helpful concerning Kaman's support for customers.

I bought the Montana as a entry level practice guitar. The 7/8 size neck and nylon strings make the Montana easier to play for children and adults with smaller hands. I had tried out some similar guitars from Asian makers and from Europe, and had found that student guitars under $200 tended to be poorly made, have high, stiff action, poor playability, and very poor tone quality. I expected Kaman Inc. to set a higher standard, but Kaman came up short. The Montana plays easier and sounds better than most cheap student guitars. However, the sloppy workmanship and construction flaws were worse than in some Chinese toy guitars selling for $30. I would suggest that anyone buying a Montana buy through a dealer who is equipped to make necessary repairs and adjustments. If the dealer is selling the Montana for less than $150, it would then be an acceptable choice for an inexpensive student guitar. I am still looking for a first rate guitar with a short scale for under $200.