Ted Thompson T1 Rosewood/Sitka

1999 Thompson T1C Custom Delux SN#2399

Beautiful East indian rosewood Back and sides with an extra deep bout for that added ooomph. Master grade Englemann spruce top for the warmth. The rosette around the sound hole is mohaganny bound in ebony with a georgous ablone ring in the center. The neck and body are Bound beautifully with flamed koa, and for an added touch a Kao back strip. The finger board is done in ebony with bright abalone dot inlays. The headstock is covered in rosewood finished with the "T" logo done in abalone. Gold Spertzle tuning machines.

This thing sounds as good as it looks. I would say it has a vey balanced tone. This is not as boomey as a Goodall.. Works well on stage. I added an LR baggs I-Beam active pickup. All I can say as it is a perfect match. Studio sound on stage, with no feedback. To my ear sometimes the intonation could be a lttle bit better. I had trouble finding the right strings. I ended up with D'addario Phosephor bronze Blue grass Medium light's.. this seems to do the trick

Fit and finish is perfect.. out of the case it looked as if it came straight from heaven. I wanted to put on white gloves before touching it.. The wood is incredible.

in 4 years I have never broken a string.. in extremly cold weather in low humidity, with light strings the action can get low. With Medium light strings I beleive it will do better.

I bought this through Jay at Harmonic Art's but delt directly with Ted the Luthier. Ted is great to work with.. He will do almost anything you want.. His prices are reasonable but they are going up as people discover what a great craftsman he truly is. He is mention in the likes of James Olson.. need I say more

as many of you I have owned many guitars. Guild, Martin, Ovation, Takminne, This Thompson I will keep! there are a lot of nice guitars out there such as Collings, Santa Cruz, Goodall.. But for half the price Thompson was a no brainer!

Canadian independent luthier Ted Thompson in Vernon, British Columbia. I understand he makes about 100 guitars a year. It is beautifully understated. A mahogany ring bound in ebony and a double mahogany ring bound in ebony inside that for a rosette.
Straight streaked Rosewood back and sides, deep coffee-caramel-cinnamon colored, matched at the centerline, no binding down the center seam.
The spruce is streaked with dark honey in the yellowing top. Very nice. Clear pickguard.
The body is bound in maple with mahogany purfling with ebony inside that on the top, while on the back and sides it is reversed so it's ebony next to the maple then mahogany next to the rosewood.
The ebony fingerboard has abalone dot fret markers. The fingerboard is bound in maple with the most interesting and surprising (to me) ebony underline binding upon which the maple binding sits. And at each fret marker there is sort of a setting ebony half moon that arches into the maple. I really like it.
Maple end detail bound in ebony then mahogany. No end button.
Looks like Tusq nut and saddle. It has a grey quality to it. The saddle is not compensated at the B.
Traditional Martin-like bridge with bone pins.
The Sperzel tuners actually have a cleanliness of line that suits the guitar's aesthetic. I can really get my fingers around the buttons.
The stylized 'T' logo looks like a decal but it is under the finish. The headstock seems to me to be a cross 'tween a Lowden and a Goodall headstock. Some of both and then again, not really any of each other. To me, it does not have a 'finished design' look to it. It looks 'in transition'.

TONE: It does not have the depth to tone, that soulful, darker sound. Not like a Martin 000-28EC that I have played. This is brighter sounding; more like the Bourgeois OM I have played at Mars.
The trebles are clear and strong up the neck. The mids truly trumpet. The B note, G string, 3rd fret, just rings out. I love anchoring my blues in E solos from there.
The bass is less prominent in the overall sound. The bass is resonant but not powerful, focused I guess would be used to describe the bass.
It is a clear sounding guitar. I don't notice the darkness that rosewood is supposed to impart to tone, but that may be because I've never owned or really played a rosewood for any length of time. I just may not know what to listen for.
VOLUME: Very, very loud sound. It really projects.
PRESENCE: The guitar does sound satisfying at low volumes.
BALANCE: I would say, as inexperienced as I am in terms of critique, that the guitar is not balanced. At least not as I have come to prefer balance, being a Dread player all my life. This is a fingerstyle guitar and as I understand that, it is made for the melody and not the rhythm, for the note and not the power.
SEPARATION: Distinct, individual notes along the strings when chords are strummed. It's a mixture of sounds, not a blend.
SUSTAIN: Good, long decay. And the notes remain as the sound diminishes. I would say that is evidence of the SEPARATION

Very fast and comfortable neck profile. Feels just like my Goodall with even better fret finish on the ends.
It is fun to play. Very comfortable. And it will take a pick. I like playing it hard. Perhaps it is then when I notice what some people call a "glassy" quality to the rosewood. Very clear .

This could be a very good club guitar. Solid construction. And that clear bass voice that would mike well.

I spoke directly to the luthier. He was very helpful and informative. I know that I could send him the guitar for any repairs in the future and receive wonderful service.

Playing 27 years. I have a Goodall Koa Standard and a Fender EC Blackie Strat. I would have the luthier build one for me to my specs. It has a bark to its tone that makes me play the blues hard and fast. I compared to Collings, Martin, Santa Cruz and Froggy Bottom OM models. The combination of clear, direct woody tone and price sold me on this guitar. I wish it had a Calton case.
Please look into this luthier. He is making an incredible guitar for and even more incredible price.