Simon & Patrick SP6 Cedar

Simple features already mentioned in other reviews.

I'm no expert, but this guitar sounds 10 times better than my old Epiphone 350. I'd say rich and full is accurate.

Setup was fine according to my instructor who knows what he is doing. One high fret was gouged quite badly, but it doesn't affect my playing. Could probably have taken it back. Other than that it seems flawless.

It doesn't get abused. I play mostly at home and some small gatherings of friends and it has stood up well. As everyones knows the cedar finishes scratches/blemishes easier that spruce, but I like that.

Not needed yet.

I've been playing for 5 years and it is the best acoustic I have owned or played in stores at it's price range. I'd would buy it again if it were stolen. I'm no expert, but this guitar is music to my ears.....just not my music.....

Specs on the guitar are well documented in other reviews.
Vanilla guitar with no frills

Mainly fingerpicking style with no pickup.
Guitar has a beautiful tone!

Bough second hand with low - medium action.

No flaws

Cedar top with satin finish is softish

Never used

Playing around 2 years
Always wanted a Martin but now happy to upgrade to another S&P

I live in Putney, London, England. I bought the guitar about five years ago and have really enjoyed this instrument.
I have recently bought a Yamaha LL6 (beautiful guitar) the SP6 cedar compares very near the Yamaha.

The tone from this guitar is something else, it's sharp as a knife. excellent response in high or low pitch.
the sustain is also very good compared to the SP6 spruce.

I had to lower the action a little. I replaced the 12 gauge strings supplied with a set of Martin 11 gauge, this made so much difference to the overall action, sound and ease of play, the guitar now rings.
The finish is the only thing that lets the guitar down, it's far too soft to protect the top wood. My Spaniel puppy soon proved this with her claws!

This instrument has only improved with age and playing, ( a bit like the owner)I wish!
I know this guitar will always be there for me when I want to play.

I had trouble with the neck of my SP6 spruce, difficult to tune, never staying in tune etc. returned to the reps for S&P over hear, repaired and returned free of charge within four weeks.
Believe me that's really good for England!

I've been playing for about 30 years, give or take a few breaks.
I would replace it with a Yamaha, this is by no means a slur on Simon & Patrick but because I think the overall workmanship and finish are better with yamaha given the cost of the instrument etc.
I would certainly miss my SP cedar.

I just bought a new 2005. Cedar with cherry back. Also got the hard case.

I first bought the spruce but took it back the next day because I already had a spruce top Alvarez and figured I wanted to have something more different. After I got the cedar home, I was a little bit disappointed in it's sound. I decided to take it to a local luthier and have him work on it a little. Holy smokes. He lowered the action a little and played with the neck. Then I added some Cleartone strings. I got this baby back home and I was shocked at the difference. This thing is an absolute joy to play and to listen to now. Now everybody else's guitars sound "dead" to me.

As I said, I had the action lowered a bit. It helped drastically. Also the neck had to be adjusted. Now It feels so good to play. I love the finish. I'm a bit of a naturalist. I don't like flashy guitars. I know it's going to get scratched easily, but I think it'll add some character to it.

I only play for myself, and I haven't had it very long, so I'm not quite sure of the durability yet.

no problems yet

I've been playing for about 5 years. I also own an Alvarez cutaway acoustic/electric. There is nothing I am regretting after buying this guitar. If it were lost I would definitely buy another one. It's perfect for me. I love the action (after having adjusted), I love the fret size, the tuners seem to work great, and the finish is natural. The sound is friggin remarkable. I compared it to Seagull, Martin, Taylor, Takamine, Alvarez Yairi, and Washburn. I chose this for the outstanding price and sound and the reviews. I hope this thing lasts me for years. I wanted a guitar that I could buy new and have it grow with me and gain a little of its own character. I think I've found it.

Great sound, it sounded better then a 600 dollar fender i tried. The frets are great and the finish pretty good, for the money i couldn't ask it to be any better, nice big tuners so fingers dont slip off (i hate that) but when i bought it i didnt get any accessories.

Best sound for the money i saw, it's nice and clean, no buzzes (except when i screw up) got some serious power to it, not as much as my nashive but not bad at all.

There is no visible glue in the inside so its slopily put together, strings perfect distance from fret board, and i think its a very good looking guitar, its unique but not too unique.

They made me buy this humidifier stuff cuz its a solid top and im not sure if i got shafted to buying somthing i shouldnt have cuz they said it would crack in the winter if i didnt, but i just got it so we'll see how it stands up, its a little light but still feels pretty solid.

Great Value, best i saw, it sounds great, looks geat, has some durablity issues cuz its a solid top but all in all if want a great guitar for not a ton of money this is it.

If anyone knows anything about those humidifier thinds emial me cuz i want to know

Canadian handmade dreadnought with solid ceder top, laminated cherry sides and back. Mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard. Beautiful satin finish. Grover-like tuners. Nothing fancy, but beautifully made with tastefully clean looks. I`ll give it a 8.

I`ll just sit around in my house doin' a little fingerpicking and strum some chords. It sounds quite loud and is very responsive. It's a little bit on the bright side. When I bought this guitar I compared it with cheaper Taylors, Blueridge BR70, Yamaha LL6. Well I found the Blueridge a little bit stronger in the low register but over all the SP6 just sounded so nice. Soundwise the SP6 performed better then the more expensive guitars. With a little more power on the low E it would have been a 10.

Very good from factory, with no buzzez anywhere along the neck. It had been over a year in the store so a new set of strings where needed. I got it for free at the musicstore.

A ceder top with thin satin finish is quite fragile but sounds realy nice. But this is something you know or should be told when you buy the guitar. The guitar is very well assembled and looks very solid. After all it's handmade and seems to be a good quality product.

I don't know.

I also have a Taylor 214, a Fender F 35, and a Blade Texas Special electric. If it where lost or stolen I will try to find one identical guitar if I can. I love this guitar and I think it must be one of the best guitars for the bucks. I also would like to try the SP pro with rosewood sides and back too.

Made in Canada this solid cedar topped handmade guitar has everything you'd expect on a typlical dreadnought acoustic guitar.
Nothing fancy but is a nice looking natural guitar with crome tuners.

No rattles and sounds ace. This might not be a Taylor or a Martin but you seriously won't find a better tone for under #300. It has the perfect balance of bottom end and top end, with a rich, natural sound. Beautiful!

I had a few to try in the shop, they all felt and sounded the same. The only differeance was the apperance due to the cut of cedar used for the top. The build again is unbelieavable for the amout this guitar costs. Perfect joints, no signs of glue, just a pucker peace of craftmanship.

I've only just got this guitar so havn't put it to the test but it feels like one of the most solid instruments I've ever held. Time will tell though.

Dunno

I've being playing guitar for about five years now. I've owned a Yamaha, Prince, Taylor Big Baby and now this. I've played Martins and many other acoustics. I was also going around in circles on what to which Simon and patrick to go for, Spruce top? Mahogony? with or with out EQ? In the end I decided that any would be better than my current #89 Prince, and just went for the cheapest S&P I could find. I'm buy no means disapointed either. This is honestly the nicest guitar I've every played, It looks, feels and sounds just right in every way and for #259 it's a bargan. You really don't have to spend #600 on a Martin to own a beuatiful instrument. This gutair was keeper than my Taylor Big bady and beats it hands down.

Wicked!

My simon and patrick was made in 2003 by godin. I have put martin thin accoustic strings on it. I worked a deal where i got a seagull case with the. No pickup. Dreadnought body style. Use a fishman accoustic pickup with the guitar.

Unbelievable sound. Normally play through a mackie pa and it sounds beautiful with the fishman soundhole pickup. The accoustic sounds that come from the guitar are absolutely amazing. I would compare it to a 1000 dollar martin. My style of rock accoustic fits perfectly with the guitar.

The guitar when i first got it had godin guitar strings. Im not sure about them, and replaced them only because i couldnt find another set when i needed new strings. Currently have martin light studios. Action on the lower frets in beautiful with absolutely no buzz. The action above the seventh is rather rough and could be lowered. The tuners are outstanding and my guitar is almost always in tune. The wood is absolutely beautiful especially the neck.

My guitar is 2+ years old and i have played it for countless hours. The wood still looks brand new, maybe this is because i take good care of it. Use in gigs without a backup. People constantly comment on the great lows that the guitar produces. Seems to be excellently constructed.

NA

The only complaint i have about the guitar is the action on the upper frets. Obviously the upper frets are also hard to reach due to the dreadnought body, but this wouldnt change in another dreadnought. I really wish i would have gotten it with a pickup, though the sound i get from the soundhole one i use is great. If you are looking for a quality, beautiful guitar with unbelievable sound for under 400 dollars, this is the guitar for you.

2004 build (I think) in La Patrie & Princeville Canada. Dreadnaught, solid Cedar top, 21 frets, pure accoustic (no electronics). Laminated wild Cherry back and sides, Indian rosewood neck, very thin neck, set for (very) quick action. Godin strings, no accessories.

I'm an all fingerstyle picker, no strumming as I played classical guitar for all my life (i.e. more than fourty years). As a Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, Adrian Legg, John Rendbourn, Pierre Bensusan fan, I was looking for a good sounding ?500 accoustic guitar. I tried Ibanez, Cort, Stagg and even Takamine. I have to say that nothing comes even close to the P&S 6 that I've tried. After about one nanosecond, I knew that this was THE guitar for me! Even tonal balance, very good sustain, solid, well defined bass and sweet, natural high. It even outperformed a ?700 Takmine (that's $900 folks). Don't know why people even bother considering anything else below $1000.

The guitar was properly set up at the factory, enabling (very) quick action, without any buzz all over the fingerboard. Nice uniform frets, very good proprietary tuning mechanisms. The satin, low gloss finish may not be to everybody's liking but to my it has a nice "classy" finish.

This guitar looks solid but I don't think it was meant to be used on stage nor to be taken to travel a lot. Unless you have a good hardshell case, I would leave this guitar safely at home. The solid Cedar top is very soft and the finish is very thin, not offering much protection. But then again, I think that this essential for the exceptional sound.

Never needed any support. Don't know about warranty either.

This instrument deserves to be heared and considered by anyone shopping for an accoustic guitar under $1000. At only ?415, it's a steal.

Hand made in Canada, circa 2000 I suspect. As an acoustic, it's perfectly specced, ie. six-strings, scratchplate etc.

Full & balanced sums up the sound of this machine. The bottom end is forceful yet subtle, and doesn't drown out the top end. I use it for everything from Radiohead & Who covers to gypsy jazz. Admittedly it's a v.difficult machine to emulate Django on due to the highish (7th fret upwards) action & 12 gauge strings, but generally it can turn its hand to most styles.
I've had this guitar for 4 years, playing it everyday, and I suppose I've come to take it for granted. However, I heard my cousin play it the other day & was staggered by the quality of the sound. It was BIG & bright, in spite of the aged strings.

The guitar played perfectly from the off; I've had to make no changes from the initial setup.
The action at the lower frets is low, and above the 7th fret more than acceptable. The machine is totally free from buzz along the entire fingerboard. The tuners are smooth & efficient.
The finishing & workmanship are excellent.

It would certainly withstand live playing. The hardware is robust & durable.
It is starting to pick up some dinks around the scratchplate area, but it is played daily & never cased, so this is inevitable. Anyway, I think it adds to the character of the guitar.

Never had a problem, so I can't comment on the customer support. In fairness, though, Simon & Patrick's eye for detail in other areas augurs well for their support setup.

I've been playing for 20 years. I own 2 electrics (70's Strat & Charvel), mandolin, & several acoustics. I would certainly replace this guitar if stolen, but I might invest more & go higher up the S&P range. In terms of sound it's the finest acoustic I've owned, and at a price that belies its quality.
In some ways, it's a shame the S&P6 isn't more expensive. I'm sure many people would never coutenance buying a sub #300 guitar. It deserves to larger audience.