Simon & Patrick Pro Rosewood

Already well described - nice appointments - especially the Mother of Toilet Seat tuner knobs - much better than those greenish ones turning up on some Asian-built guitars; not over-embelleshed, 'understated'.

Balanced with the power of the solid rosewood throughout - carries finger-picking tones and volume well throughout full range. Boomy in a nice way with a flat pick and the right strings - lights tend toward tinny.

Mine came with an unfortunate neck set that was remedied easily enough given the sensible bolt-on neck - this feature left this as a minor issue for me. After that it was a matter of tweaking saddle height and truss rod to get an optimum set-up - now it's my favorite guitar to play excepting the big dreadnaught body (I prefer a 000 size, but have none approaching this guitar as a favorite). The workmanship is quite good, other than the neck set issue and that the finish is a bit fish-eyed. The finish isn't bad, just not perfect - it actually suggests 'hand work' to me when I look at it (still very nice - just some tiny fisheyes here and there in the top - like finish applied over oily wood). The bridge fitment, headstock kerf and finish, hardware, all a very nicely done. Frets took a bit of dressing to get some buzz out after the set-up but are nicely set. Wood is extraordinary in this particular guitar - tightly grained spruce in top with resin streaks that make nice accent; rosewood back is very nicely bookmatched. I elected to not install the pickguard that came in the case with it - I love looking at it 'naked' and love the unfettered sound, for whatever difference it may truly make. The inlaid wood rosette is understated but nice.

Utter dynamite - never humidified, always stable and stays tuned weeks on end. Tuners are smooth and easy. Gets hauled around in its original fully lined FORT case (ugly but best case I've had now that used to it) but out for play often in all weathers. Would not hesitate to take anywhere without backup except extra strings - this is an incredibly tought guitar. I have her 12 string sister - one of the few I've owned that was happy at fully concert pitch tuning; the Pro has the same basic construction so I have had absolute confidence and have not been let down. I installed a locking strap button on the neck heel - good and solid. On that point - S&P has an excellent technical section on their web site where even how to do this properly is explained - important to avoid the neck bolt inserts and heel dowels (another nice 'hidden' feature).

Excellent. The S&P site provides a great deal of information and the company is friendly and responsive to e-mail.

I have played 40 years and have owned / do own many guitars of many types. I favor solid woods in all when possible and found this guitar to be a bargain by virtues of quality, sound and durability. The company's helpfulness with questions has been a plus. My favorite feature may be the innovative quality built-in - the doweled neck heel and bolt-on arrangement are durable and a forgiving way to build a guitar that will last and stand future adjustments well. I like the playability of the neck - it is 'right' for me in shape and size. A Martin or Gibson it is not - but it is not far from those in practical terms and it is one I have the least hesitance in taking out to parts unknown with no back-up without fear - it is never queasy. For the money it can't be beat.

Not sure of the finish, top is solid spruce, back is solid rosewood, sides are laminated rosewood. I believe the neck is mahogany, the fingerboard is rosewood. Had cheap tuners on it, replaced by Gotoh 510 Delta, 21:1. The rest of the guitar is stock. No electronics at all. Made in U.S.A. and Canada. Its a full sized dreadnought.

I know this isn't any kind of a prestige guitar, but I just love the sound of it. Its nice and loud--you can actually play rock and roll on it. It also has a sweet mellow tone to it too, its all in the fingers man. It has that rosewood flat top sound, not terribly bright but very pleasing. Strum it with relish and it just comes to life. The Delta tuners just make it better, fine control with ease. Stays in tune beautifully.

From the factory the action was a little high but okay, I like to really whack acoustics and so it suited me. One problem, the bridge started coming off and so I had to have it reglued. When the luthier fixed it he also lowered the action a little. Its even better now. The intonation is perfect. Well made guitar.

This is a solid guitar, I don't have any issues with it at all.

It was past the guarantee when it was repaired, so I don't really know about the customer support

I have 9 other guitars, all electrics so I won't compare it to anything else. Its a great guitar for the money. I think maybe L'Arrivee's are better but they cost quite a bit more. As for Gibsons and Taylors and all that other overpriced crap, they're all yours. If it were stolen, I'd probably buy a L'Arrivee, I'm a little richer now than I was when I bought it. I'm giving it a ten, not because its the very best guitar, but because it is fantastic value.

It is a very solid well built guitar (about 1995 vintage). Solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides.
This is a no frills guitar but that's why I bought it in the first place. (no pickup, no cutaway)

It's a great guitar for someone that doesn't want to spend the money to buy a Collings. It has mellowed quite a bit over the years. Very even sounding accross the board. The guitar is a quite a bit less bright then when it was new, with a warmer bottom end.
It's a great camp fire guitar.

I had the action set up professionally and is quite low. The action from the factory was quite high and needed a truss rod adjustment it was just to get it just the way I like. The top does have little swirl marks from sanding at the factory that have always anoyed me. They could have used finer sand paper for the final sanding.
The frets have been very durable and have minor notching from lots of playing. Overall a well built solid guitar but you can tell it's mass produced.

Again a very solid guitar, I've never humidified it and I live in a very dry place. I don't recommend not humidifying though, I took my chances and lucked out. No cracks...
I've alsways used light strings on it so don't know how the bridge would hold up with Med strings.

Been playing for about 10 years.
I have the Simon and patraick, a Collings D2H and a Taylor 25th anniversary Grand Auditorium.
The neck/frets/playability is great it just lacks the high end guitar sound complexity and volume. Sound is always subjective though, If you like it buy it and play it.

Purchased 1995, Guitar Works, Evanston, IL. Solid sitka spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back, laminated Indian rosewood sides, ebony bridge, clear pickguard, satin top w/gloss sides &nback, ivoroid binding & marquetry stripe down back. Ebony fretboard. No pickup. Gotoh tuners w/orange pearloid buttons. Ivoroid plastic bridge pins, black dot. Mahog. neck. Dreadnought. 14 frets clear of body. No accessories, heavy chipboard case.

Bought as learner guitar for son (a bassist); also as a spare for me to used miked for bluegrass (I play folk and rock). Sounds like a D-28. Use Martin SP Phos. Bronze Mediums, Fender M flatpick.

Nicely set up. No frills but not bad for the price (fancier than a basic Larrivee or certainly a Seagull). Don't like satin finish on the top. No flaws......till I had it for awhile (see below)

This guitar is a disaster in a low-humidity environment. Now, I admit that my son took atrocious care of it (left it out in a stand in his dry, overheated bedroom, and his girlfriend--who is not a musician--kept open-tuning it to some bastardized tuning of her own creation). Needless to say, it developed a severe separation down the back seam and a top crack. It spent a month sitting atop the luthier's humidifier before it could be repaired and stabilized and the neck readjusted. Brought it home, stuck a Dampit inside and sealed the (replacement) hardshell wooden flattop case. Opened it 2 mos later.....the cracks are back worse than ever, joined by a couple more--this time, in the back wood itself, not just the seam; and the high E and B are so low to the frets (another reaction to dryness) that they are unplayable. The lower 4 still sound great though. Never took this one out of the house to play--never gigged with it. I own a couple of Taylors, three Martins, a Larrivee Parlor, a 50-y.o. Gibson LGO, and a brace of dulcimers, all identically cared for (ever since the first Simon & Patrick repair--all stored in cases or gigbags with Dampits) and none of them are affected by dryness. All the more amazing because this thing weighs a TON. Can't believe my Taylors are stronger!

Never dealt with the company. Terry of the Guitar Works (a saint)was exasperated the first time around--I am embarrassed to bring it back, believing it will be irreparable. Has an odd truss rod socket--can't adjust it myself. Since my son maltreated it the first time, the warranty is irrelevant.

Should have asked if I needed to get a whole-house humidifier (have radiators, so I can't). Will not replace it--my son can either stick to bass or borrow one of my guitars (under my own watchful eye). Own Martin M36, 000-16GTCE, Taylor 614CE (trading these latter two in on a Taylor 814CE-LTD), Martin D12-20, Larrivee Parlor, Taylor 422R, several basses (Fender P, Peavey Fretless), dulcimers (Blue Lions, McSpaddens, Black Mt), coupla solidbody electrics (Fender Mustang, Danelectro), autoharps (Chromaharp 12-bar, OS 15), PA gear & amps. Gig & record locally with the M36 and 422R, will use the new Taylor 814 for traveling gigs, and the Larrivee Parlor for vacation noodling & open mics/sitting in on friends' gigs while traveling. Would recommend the S&P only to those with whole-house (ducted) humidfication and urge it be stored whenever not played.

read the others about the specifics on the features. no pickup.

it comes standard with an EPP case. I laughed when I saw that S&P ships the guitars in these disgusting styrofoam cases. I'm sure it does its job against various weather conditions and all, but it's sure is ugly. I live in New York, and I drove up to Montreal to buy this guitar (we ended up buying four). The border patrol stopped us while we were coming back to the States, to check out the EPP case, which looked like a bomb encasing or something.

I opted to switch the EPP case for a generic hardcase.

whew..

the frets kinda rattle a lil' bit for the E and A string, but only when I go into extremely hard strumming with my heavy gauge picks.

The sound is amazing. I tried out the model they had on display and saw that it had a repair on a crack. I demanded they take one out from storage.

I'm so glad I did because the one they brought out sounded so good. Rosewood tends to have a very bassy sound, but the guitar they handed me had an incredibly balanced high's as well. Right when I first played the first chord, I felt that this guitar had potential.

I was a bit worried after purchasing the guitar that the high's came from the new strings, but thus far, the high's are still there.

set-up could be redone to take out the rattle. but action is good.

finish is excellent.

this guitar feels very sturdy right when you pick it up. I bought a S&P Pro Mahogany along with this guitar for a friend, and my feels much more sturdy and sounds better than the Mahogany.

If I lost this guitar, I'd go to Canada (twelve hours, roundtrip), to go buy another one.

not deal with them yet.

I don't know if there's a warranty..?

I've been playing for eight years. Gone through my share of equipment. Started off with a piece of crap Korean acoustic guitar (Samick). Then traded it in for another piece of crap Korean guitar (don't even remember the maker). I said screw Korean guitars from that point on, and thought that I'd stick with American guitars. So, I went onto get an Ovation Legend. Sounded good, except it cracked from the bridge to the saddle. Replaced that acoustic with a Tacoma Chief C1CE4, which has the most unique sound. But that cracked too (poor construction, and cedar isn't too reliable of a wood). I also got a Clapton Strat in the process, and a Roland JC Chorus-120 to complement it.

I'm at my S&P now.. love it.. I didn't know something this good could be made from across the border.

I was trying to read some reviews about this guitar on harmony-central.com, but nobody really had any. Thanks for the few who did post something up.

I was thinking about getting a pickup for this guitar, but I'm scared of cutting any holes in this pretty thang. I have a decent condenser mic which seems to make my guitar sound even better.

Bought this dreadnaught in 1996, nice solid black case included. For the specs, i would like to refer to the previous reviews. Basically, i think the nice sound comes from the types of wood being used (solid spruce top and all the rest rosewood) and the craftmanship of the guys who made it.

The sound is what amazed me. In the shop, after playing for more than three hours various accoustic guitars made by Taylor, Martin, Ovation,
and other brands, I wanted to leave disappointed to not have found the sound I looked for (for the money I liked to spend). Until the guy in the shop said he had one lying in the back of the shop that he just received. It was this one. After playing the first chord, I was sold. It has THE SOUND; clear highs and deep warm bass, and beautiful harmonics ringing, lots of sustain and it is LOUD. And the price was half of what I wanted to spend. Perfect for outdoor barbecue gigs with friends. At home I don't always play it because of the loudness, but instead use a DeArmond X135 unplugged, which also gives a nice accoustic sound but at volumes which don't disturb neighbors. But for the true accoustic sound in a unplugged setting, this S&P does it for me. Used it once on a live set for regional TV, sitting and miced, and was pleased with the sound as it was broadcasted. It also gets good reactions from other musicians. There are better guitars available, like a Santa Cruz for example (drooling), but for this price... I thought it beats all the competition. Just recently I came back to the shop and saw a whole line of Simon&Patricks now, only my model was now priced almost the double of what I have paid then. I
think they figured out how good it is and what it's worth.

Set-up and intonation (always check that before you buy) were perfect for me. Action is fairly low but no buzzing at all,
playing with 11. or 12. gauge strings.
Provided with the guitar, there is a pickguard you can attach if desired. After playing it for a while with the pickguard, i again removed it since it affected the tone and sustain. You can see the difference in aging now, but it's fading. Probably will take some
damage from strumming over time, but I want to play it and not necessarily keep it in perfect, unscratched condition (resale value is not of interest for me).

I have been careful in treating it, though one incident gave
the finnish and top a crack at a corner (that hurts). But its still in good shape and hasn't affected playing or sound. I have a mice and piezo installed for playing in a band setting. This had in my opinion no noticable effect on the unplugged accoustic tone. Just miking a guitar, if possible, is in my opinion still better.

Never had to deal with the company. That's a good sign.

Been playing for about 20 years. Own a spanish classic guitar,
on hollow body DeArmond X135, a Gibson ES335 Dot Reissue, two
Fender strats (one maple, one rosewood neck), and a Telstar (German
made in the sixties, very bad intonation, but it's my first guitar so
i keep it for sentimental reasons). I owned several other guitars, but after a while I noticed they were not for me, and sold them again (or traded them in to buy another one - you know how this goes...the quest for the wholy grale thing). This one is a keeper. If lost, I would either buy another one, or may a Santa Cruz if I want to spend the money.

I own a guitar store, and was very excited to have the simon & patrick line on my wall. I sell several other guitars from the canadian made lasido company, but the simon & patricks are by far my favorite. After seeing this particular s & p on my wall, I knew I had to have it. Quite often, you will find Engleman spruce on a s&p, even though most are sitka spruce. This makes this excelent dreadnoght sound all the better. The back is crafted of solid indian rosewood, and even though the sides are layered, it does not inhibit the sound at all. A simple wood rosette in inlaid around the soundhole. Not a lot of visual flare, but if you are into the "wood" look, this guitar is perfect.

The combination of engleman spruce and rosewood give this dreadnoght a deep sound without letting go any treble. It is by far the loudest guitar I have played in it's price range (Which is surprisingly low: $900-1400) The b-band electronics give it very authentic acoustic sound, even when played though an electric guitar amp.(I use a Johnson Jm60) Although I can't give the sound a 10,( I can only give 10's to Morgan and Larrivee) it still sounds better than any martin or taylor I have ever played. (Believe me, owning a guitar store I have played thousands of different guitars.)

After Dealing with the Lasido company, I am convinced of there quality and attention to craftsmanship. Right out of the box, this guitar was perfect. I mean totally flawless. The frets were perfectly constructed, as was the entire neck. The truss rod had plenty of play in it even though I didn't need to tweak it at all. The deluxe bolt-on neck was perfect (you will now see a very similar bolt - on design on taylor guitars. Bob taylor use to work at the lasido factory. I bet now he's sorry he left such a great guitar company.) The action was great, even with the 13 guage strings I put on it. The gloss laquer was perfect and very beautiful. Overall, Most mass market U.S.A. guitars don't contain this kind of quality craftsmenship.

This is the perfect guitar for the road. It sounds totally perfect amplified, and the layered sides give it excellent resiliance. While playing live, this guitar cuts through the mix very well and has no problem maintaing it's tone. Although not quite as solid sounding as my Larrivee LV-05 (Which gets all 10's), again it sounds better than any martin or taylor. (martin and taylor are my generic terms for "so called" Handmade guitars.)

After selling Lasido guitars for along time, I have found them to be by far the easiest and fairest company I have ever dealt with. If I ever have a problem with one of my instruments (which is very seldem) they replace it very fast and with no questions asked. The warrenty is great. Lifetime warrenty. You don't often see that on guitars.

I have been playing my whole life, and I am happy that we finally have a guitar company that is not priced based on "name brand".
This guitar sounds and plays better than most "name brand" mass market acoustics you will find priced almost twice as much. I own Several guitars. A Larrivee LV05, a Morgan Jumbo, a tacoma DR20(another low priced value), and, I'm sorry to admit, a Martin D-28.(Which is OKAY but is severly OVERPRICED). Out of all of my guitars, I rate the s & p just under my larrivee and morgan. If you are looking for a High end guitar but don't want to spend a lot, get a simon&patrick.

six string acoustic,rosewood fretboard,21 frets dreadnought type body.nice bookmatched solid spruce top natural clear finished in gloss. darkstained rosewood sides and back,also book matched.can't tell what kind of tuners but they are goldplated with opaque keys.all on a mahogany neck.plain elegance,not unlike a martin or any other quality guitar meant to be used as such.

very rich sound with excellent sustain and presence throughout range,though its outstanding feature is the volume it carries .great for outdoors and campfires,goes well with the markley hole pickup except the high e is twangy,i play an eclectic range from folky to tull to zep through pearljam and its range far surpasses me and the sustain carries my clumsy fingering. i tried the mahogany pro for 3 or 4 months ,then went with a cedar top but it was just too soft a sound for me . you just can't beat the rosewood for a clear defined sound.

action is a little high but i've grown used to it.the neck is wide ,a little thick but i have large pudgy hands and it just felt right from the start and still does after 3 years.the finish is good with the exception of an inlay dot off center on the side of the fretboard and some runout of the board at a nearly unpalyable area near the bottom,as if it had been over sanded at the edge .it is a suberb looking unit in all its plainess

i've had it for 3 years through learning to play in all conditions of outdoors and climate swings and high humidity as we experience in southern ontario canada.it hasn't been babied and looks new with just a ding or 2.it is obviously well crafted and should hold up and improve with age as a good top ender will when played. i'm an amatuer hack and haven't used it in a gig enviroment but i can't see anything happening to it that would recquire a backup,they are sturdy guitars.

they have a good website at lasido .com. though i've not had to deal with them the music store where it was purchased thought a lot of the brand and the company

i've had the guitar for 3 years ,since i decided to really learn to play this time around.i bought a midrange yamaha in 1973 but never did learn and it went to a friend who lost it.i've had two other simon and patricks and a samick acoustic.i recently acquired a old strat japanese copy from the 60's and at nearly the same time a real strat a 62 or 63 from a deceased relatives estate along with an epiphone galaxy tube amp from the same period.i did compare the s&p to several others in the store and had the sales guy play them all,taylors,gibson,ovation epiphone you name it .the s&p just seemed to have the sound i wanted,it stacked up to them all regardless of price.i've played with a 50's gibson country and western and would say the tone and volume though brighter was nearly as good.i would certainly replace it with the same model if it ever came to that.a pick guard would be nice but i'm afraid it might change the sound.