Timothy Guitars S10J

A really beautiful guitar.
At $1,650 now, (used to be $1,200, then $1,500, now current price)
it's a really good guitar. The designer did a pretty good job with the wood and color combinations. The pale brown spruce top goes surprisingly well with the ovangkol back and sides. The headstock with the Timothy brand looks rather elegant, complemented with gold machine heads and ebony buttons. Trust me, looking at pictures doesnt do it justice. Go down to shop, and you'll find it's a really beautiful guitar.

There's also some rather nice abalone inlaying that's along the outline of the body. When the light shines on it, it shimmers just nicely, and the shimmer moves as the light or guitar or guitarist moves.

The soundhole is a bit plain, with a simple design around it. Would have preferred if it had an abalone inlaying design too, but the existing inlaying can do the job. Trust me, you cant see the inlaying clearly in the picture. Actually, you CANT see the inlaying in the photos provided at Sinamex's website.

I dont know if H-Central allows this, but if they do I will post up more close-up pictures of the guitar to show the abalone inlaying.

(You can tell I'm a sucker for intricate/flashy inlaying.)

Only thing I can comment: More inlaying!!! For people like me who like Blueridge style inlaying, or maybe the Taylor 812CE style inlaying, the S10J may prove just a TAD plain.

Also, no cut-away option. Simon, the main guy behind the brand Timothy (I think... I mean, the brand is named after HIS son...), told me that they dont want to do what they cannot do WELL enough yet. That shows me 2 things: Professionalism, and a high standard of expectations for themselves.

No pickguard too.

I'm a guitarist of about 8 years. This is my 5th guitar, and my most expensive yet. I mainly use it for church playing, and home playing in a Christian praise and worship setting. Also use it for playing radio songs, such as Switchfoot, Vindicated, Jars of Clay, Incubus, Bryan Adams, Tommy Emmanuel, etc.

It produces a rather loud soud, strong on the trebles and basses. The sound is rich, and the sustain is strong. A lot of people say this is comparable to a Taylor guitar, I have to disagree. No offence to Simon and the guys behind the "Timothy" brand, it's a really good guitar, but you have to consider this:

If a brand with 2 models in their product lineup which has existed for less than 15years can produce guitars comparable to Taylor guitars, what does that say? Either Taylor has a serious problem, or more likely a huge group of designers/manufacturers/luthiers/guitar-masters/and-what-not staged a mass walkout from Taylor and set up their own company, calling it Timothy. You get what I mean?

Dont misunderstand me though. The sound is truly rich, it's a sound almost to die for (it's price), but it cant compare to Taylors.

Sinamex does the final set up themselves.
Action is very low, but yet without any annoying buzzing. Makes it a joy to play on the higher frets.
Pick ups were HEAVENLY to play. Hardly any feedback detected except at high volumes, (which I then took the oppurtunity to test out the FREQUENCY setting on the controls, which supposedly isolates frequencies to cut off feedback.. Or something along that line, sorry Simon if I got it wrong!)
All parts were properly matched up, no problems there. The fretboard is a nice and in pristine condition.

I wished there could be more inlaying on the fret board too, if they had something similar to Taylor's Koa series inlaying on the fretboard, I'd be very very happy. As it is, it's the usual abalone dots.

Sinamex gives it a 10year warranty.
They highly advise AGAINST using any sort of de-humidifying equipment, whether it be the automated de-humidifiers, or silica gel, or Thirsty Hippo. They state that the guitar has been made to withstand Singapore's humidity, and as such, nothing should be done in the area of dehumidifying it, to prevent possible damage.

The hardware looks good and robust, gives the feel that it'll last for quite some time.

Only 1 note, the rings on the TRIC case they gave seem a bit weak, and there are reports that the rings have torn off the TRIC case before, online. Not sure about the authenthicity of those reports, but I would advise to just use the carrying handle. Dont risk damaging your case!

It's not like the case is incredibly heavy anyway, it's rather light.

10 year warranty.
Never had to send it for repair yet, well, I've only owned it for 3 days so far, but my friend has owned the same model for about a year, and no complaints there.

The staff, well, only person I saw there was Simon, was incredibly helpful and willing to share his knowledge and expertise with guitars.

Overall I'd just like to say: If you've got a budget of 1.5k, push it up a bit to get this guitar.

You can get a Taylor with 2.2k, yes, but well...
Personally when I buy my Taylor guitar, I don't want to get it just because it's a TAYLOR, understand? I want to get a Taylor that's truly elegant and beautiful. So, if you want to buy a Taylor, I'd recommend you up your budget to 3.5k, then you can get some seriously serious stuff. =)

Last note: Sinamex offers up to 24-month installment payment. If I had a credit card, I'd get that $8.800 Taylor Hawaiian Koa guitar immediately... It's just so beautiful...

This is a Timothy S10J medium jumbo model from Sinamex in Singapore with standard features. As stated on their website, standard features includes: Sitka Spruce top, Ovangkol back and sides and maple binding, ebony fingerboard, wood rosette, top abalone purfling, gold machine heads and ebony buttons.

Since 2006/2007, the newer S10J models now comes with Fishman Prefix Pro which is the one that came on mine. To me, Prefix Pro sounds pretty much the same (even though some claim it???s better). I just like the fact that the pickup is smaller in size so save a bit of wood on the guitar.

In the past, S10J models have had gloss/satin finish as an option, but seems like these days, it only comes with satin, which I am fine with.

If you really look into guitars in the price range of S$1000-S$2000, you will find out that it???s not easy to find a guitar that sounds as good as this. There are some good ones around (ie. Taylor DN, GC series) but with no on-board pickup installed. So after you factor in the pickup and labor cost, the final price comes out to be a lot more.

Ovangkol is becoming a more popular wood for guitar (as you can read from many online reviews). It is supposed to ???resembles the warmth of rosewood with the sparkling midrange of mahogany or koa.??? I agree with it and would add on to say that Ovangkol not only sounds good, it also ???looks??? good.

Comparing to my other guitars with different tone woods, this guitar has a much brighter sound and I feel the midrange comes out more. Strumming and finger picking both sounds good. The guitar has great sustains. I also like how the design of S10J is elegant and simple.

The neck and fingerboard is designed quite ok??? plays comfortably. I have however in the past played 1 or 2 S10J models that have slightly buzzing necks. So you should really play a few before picking one out. I also like the ebony buttons. They do look nice with the guitar.

Alternative tunings and open chords sounds great as well.

Action on this guitar is adjusted well. For some reason, the harmonic response on this particular guitar is VERY incredible! This is probably the biggest surprised I had when receiving this guitar. I???ve played about seven Timothy S10Js in the past and I feel that this is the best sounding one so far.

S10J has a standard limited warranty to the original owner. I hope I will never need to use the warranty for any reason. The guitar looks well-built.

The big complaint here is that the S10J comes with a free case called TRIC, made by Godin/Seagull guitar company of Canada. The case is suppose to be made with this very high-tech material (EPP) and suppose to provide very good impact protection. My wife tells me that she loves this case because it is very light. It is! But honestly, I am not sure if I can really trust the case! The latches on the case look very unreliable. The interior looks very cheap. I am giving the case maybe 1, the most 2 years, before it wears out. Another issue is that the S10J doesn???t fit all that well in it. First of all, since the guitar has a 16.5??? lower-bout width, you actually have to pull the case lightly to fit it in. Second of all, what bugs me greatly is that the headstock is a bit too big for the top area and so the first two tuners always ???touches??? the sides of the case, which means slightly out-of-tune guitar strings each time you take the guitar in and out!

Errr??? Sinamex, can you do something about this? Either take this case out and lower of the price of the guitar or pick a better fitting case?

Sinamex is one of the few high-end guitar stores in Singapore. I frequent their shop and have helped a few friends bought guitars from there. The sales reps are helpful in stores and usually quite prompt at replying emails.

I do have to give them a lot of credit for creating a great store with good selections of guitars and willing to allow people to play any guitar placed in the sales room. That might sound nothing at all??? but wait until you visit some other guitar stores in Singapore. Let???s not say names here??? but I have been to a few where they stare at you the entire time playing the guitar and give you this really annoyed face if you play more than 5 minutes on it. That???s just plain wrong!

I???ve played anywhere from 50-70 guitars in the last two years (mostly in US)??? everything from Yamaha, Tacoma, Takamine to Martin, Taylors??? I really like this guitar and would recommend it to other friends who have a budget around this range. In comparison, I think S10J sounds much better than most of the low-end Taylors and Martins.

There are however a few things I wish were different:
1. The price. I think for a guitar made in Asia and hoping to gain popularity locally or internationally, the price is a bit too much. By the time I received the guitar, it was already priced at S$1650. I think that price was more appropriate at S$1500 (a year ago). The $150 increase is really pushing it. The other S7 model, also a great guitar, used to be around S$900, now around S$1200 which is also kind of ridiculous. I think if they have stayed at S$900, I would have been able to recommend MANY of my friends for that guitar, but now at the price has gone up so much, it???s impossible! I don???t agree with their marketing.

Anyways, but the thing that REALLY kills me is that the sale person keeps telling me that they not only don???t make any money on these Timothy guitars. In fact, they loose money on it. It???s only priced at this level because they are ???promoting this brand???. Now, who in the world will believe that? That is just a lame excuse!

2. The pickup
The guitars I have own in the recent years all have dual pickup systems. Once I started using dual pickup, I was spoiled with it. I think the sound from a dual pickup system is much better and more natural. I tried to ask Sinamex in the past if they can customize a Timothy S10J with Fishman Blender and the answer has always been ???no???. So that has been quite disappointing!

I think many would be willing to pay slightly extra for a better pickup. But mostly, I believe S10J deserves a great dual pick-up system.

I have been playing for about 17 years. My S10J is currently being used as a second guitar. My primary one is a 2004 custom-built Rosewood Grand Concert (RGC6) by luthier Del Langejans of Holland, Michigan, USA. Though Langejans guitars are one of the best guitars I???ve ever played and owned, it???s difficult for me to drag it every where because it is so expensive. So I am very glad that I have the S10J now and very very grateful for my generous friends (a big group of them) who gave me this as a surprised birthday gift. Of course, one of my favorite part of this guitar is that it shares the same name as me. So people get a kick out of it when they see it.

It is amazing how my fellow guitar players are so jaded if ratings are all 10's. Must be the seller, looks like another guitar, etc. Well I am giving a 10!
Look at the price! At S$1,650.00, is there another that can stand next to it. The finishing is great, the boday is big and I was told that it gives a bigger sound. In fact, I saw this guitar way before Taylor annouced their GS modles. It is all solid, spruce top and ovagkol back and sides. Prefix Pro pickup.

The sound quality is very good. I have tried many guitars, some much more expensive.
I will give credit when credit is due and not be jaded like some others. The pickup sound is great too. Perhaps their Stillwater amp is good too but all good.
My playing is mostly Christian contemporary songs and it is perfect.

The action is fantastic! Besides a Taylor, which they carry too, I really cannot find another that can stand beside it.

I have just got this guitar and I have a good feeling about it. Watch this space.

Warranty is for 10 years and I was told that everything is covered except physical appearances and wear and tear. That alone should be a10 right? Where esle offer this?

This is a great guitar at this price. End of story.

Solid Wood Guitar and seems quite heavy and well-made. All fittings look top quality. Other details have already been mentioned by others

Compares with the high end guitars for finger picking. Did not find it very good for heavy strumming but I guess any good quality guitar is not for banging.

The guitar warped within 3 months in Singapore, and the strings at the 12th Fret were much much higher than at the 1st. This happened even though the guitar was always in its TRIC Case, when not played. It was already sligtly warped when I bought it second-hand. I bought it used, when it was only one month old!!. I got a good price for it so bought it. Unfortunatly the warranty is only for original buyers. I bought some heavy duty silica gel, dried the guitar, and am glad to say the guitar is now quite playable.

All fittings seem top-notch, but relatively expensive guitars should be well kept. As it is solid wood top, back, sides etc, it is also quite a heavy guitar.

Unfortunately the 10 year warranty is only for the original buyer and even though it is only 3 months old, I cannot have it fixed by them.

Always suspect someone who gives a 10 for everything, like some reviewers have. He/She is most probably the seller. Also suspect someone who gives a very low rating for a good guitar, as he/she is probably from the competition. This is overall a good guitar to buy, and if you go by sound alone you won't be wrong. Yes, it definetly looks very much like the Ayers MSO :-).

All solid wood, Spruce top, Ovangkol back and sides. This is just like the Taylor 4 series and made by the Taylor sole distributor here, Sinamex. Satin finish with Prefix Pro pickup. Very very good finishing. Many Singaporeans like to speculate making it in Vietnam, Indonesia, China, etc. and take away the fact that Sinamex made this guitar with help from sub contractors with their workshop (SGH) doing their part.... yet the fact that the standard and quality of Timothy guitars are so much better than anything that is made in Asia and even in the US speaks for itself!

Fantastic! I am amazed that at this price, this is possible!

The set up is really nice and with the 10 years warranty on everything except physical appearance, nothing here can match this!

Everything is so well made and feels solid. I am confident that this will last.

The sales people here is really friendly and they do no mind you trying guitars after guitars. I took plenty of time to decide...

Love it!

Medium Jumbo, Satin Finish Looks and feels well made with good quality stuff. Came with a Tric case marketed by Godin Guitars. Sitka Spruce Top. Ovangkol side and back. Mahagony neck. Ebony fretboard, gold tuners with ebony. Elixir strings

It sounded very good with each string clearly ringing out. I bought it with a bit of patriotism, as it was supposed to be made by s Singaporean company. I heard later that it is actually an Ayers MSO (MSO stands for Medium Jumbo - Spruce - Ovangkol) made in Vietnam by a famous Australian Luthier Gerad Gilet. The Timothy S10J is supposed to be only re-branded by Sinamex of Singapore.(I cannot confirm this, you can go to the Ayers Guitar website and see the MSO model, and also the Sinamex site with the S10J and decide for yourself.)

Did not find the action quite so good, but as Sinamex in Singapore will setup for free for 10 years there should not be any problem here.

This guitar was above my budget at over US$ 700, So I keep it very carefully and have no idea how it will fare with rough use.

The Sales guys at Sinamex were very pleasant, one of the best in Singapore. Even if they have not designed or made this instrument, they should get the credit for selecting a very good price - performance ratio instrument, and giving a 10 year warranty on it.

Clearly one of the best I have owned, however, I have not owned too many and do not claim mto be an expert. I do not like the shape of this medium Jumbo but that is personal preference. 'Sound for Pound $' perhaps one of the best in Singapore

This is my humble review after owning it for about 1 month now. Am no expert on guitars cos this is only my fourth guitar in about 15 years....have been playing with average guitars so this particular axe is pretty much a step-up for me.

i presume it was made in 2005 since I bought it in Dec 2005. Mid-jumbo with solid Sitka Spruce top and Ovangkol sides. Comes standard with the Fishman Prefix pre-amp.

I am aware that some purists are not in favour of barndoor pre-amps on guitars bcos they believe that tone is sacrificed when such a big hole is cut. I have tried the one without the Prefix installed and I must admit that (in my limited experience) I could hardly hear the difference.

Came with free case. Had a choice between a Taylor and TRIC EPP case. Choice went with EPP cos of its weight. Also am not particularly keen to carry a Taylor case but no Taylor inside.

I am an average player who plays in a worship setting mostly (and often unplugged) so the sound is just wonderful. It's loud enough and has a clear bright tone and the bass has a deep boom which suits me fine.

The tone of the Timothy left quite an impressesion in my head as I went round searching other shops and trying a number of guitars(established brands within the same price range and budget). Somehow, none came quite as close. And this is despite the fact I have never heard of it before this and I was a little skeptical bcos it's a local brand.

It handles strumming pretty well but I suspect it's strength lie in the fingerstyle/ plucking.

The next best thing is the Exlir strings which come as a standard so the tone of the strings stay for quite a while. Am not doing a review on the strings but you get what I mean.

I didn't really try it plugged in and have yet to try it through any house system. So I can't comment on the electronics. What I have been told is Fishman being an established name can't be wrong.

Sinamex always does the final set-up before they are put up for sale and so far I have no complaints. In any case, they told me if I needed the whole thing set-up again they would do it.

Again, am an average Joe so nothing I could see really flawed except a little imperfections in the finish. But nothing I would call bad.

Well, the guitar hasn't left the home yet so I can't say how it'd last on the road or live playing.

Sinamex gives a 10-year warranty on the guitar's playability so they must believe that it would last, at least, that long. Something we don't hear very often especially for such a price. I am totally fine with that.

They are a friendly lot and don't mind my endless questions. Even the doctor of their guitar hospital was more than willing to share some insights to guitar care.

As mentioned 10 year warranty for a local product. Seldom heard of nowadays.

A cool mid-ranged guitar worth the money.

All solid with Sprue top and Ovangkol back & sides. Fishman Prefix. Medium Jumbo, slightly bigger than the Grand Auditorium.

The best sounding guitar I have played at any price!

The action is really nice, the neck is straight, not like many other guitars found in our humid weather.

Sinamex gives a 10 years warranty. Just got it but I am confident it will really last....

Sinamex are the guys that made this guitar and they have a really nice showroom. The sales people are also really friendly. I tried the guitar for a really long time and they were really nice about it. As for after sales service, they have their Sinamex Guitar Hospital which has a very good reputation. It is the only professional guitar service centre in Singapore. It is also an authorized Taylor Guitar warranty repair centre.

I had a Martin and it really did not survive our humid weather in Singapore. The neck was already warped when I bought it not too long ago and it got worse aftera while. This Timothy guitar has renewed my joy of playing the guitar which I have lost owning the Martin guitar....

This medium jumbo is made in my homeland which is Singapore. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not biased to my local products. In fact, I tend to be more critical towards them. However, this guitar is one of those few products that make me proud to be Singaporean. Well, I'll cut the patriotic bullcrap, and continue. It features a solid Stika-Spruce top and Ovankol back and sides. Pretty good considering the fact that it's around 250 bucks more than Taylor's 110e which features a Laminate top. This guitar is string with Elixir strings which are simply orgasmic to my fingers. Also utilizes a Fishman Prefix pickup. Haven't really tried it hooked to an amp though... And yeah, Sinamex will throw in a Taylor hardcase into the package as well.

The guy at Sinamex told me that this guitar is comparable to Taylor's 400 series guitars. I was pretty skeptical at first, doubting my countrymen's lutiering abilities... until i picked it up and played it. Woof. I was complely blown away. The tone was so freakin awesome. I played some Dashboard Confessional, Story of the Year and Switchfoot. It was, dare I say it, better that brands like Simon & Patrick and Seagull, which was also in my vicinity at that shop.

At first, I really doubted that this guitar was locally made at all because of it's fit and finish; I thought it couldn't be THAT good! Didn't really play it plugged. Condition of the guitar was comparable to that of a mid-lever (400-500 series) Taylor or a low end Martin. I have only two words for the action: Freakin' AWESOME!!!

To be honest with you, I didn't buy this guitar at all. If i was earning enough, I would definitely buy it because I know this guitar will be a long term investment. The operational words here are "long term". When I play it, I can feel that it's pretty ridgit and tough.

Again, I didn't buy this guitar. Sinamex puts its bet of ten years on this guitar's head though.

If you love music in general, you'll love a Taylor or a Martin. If you love a Taylor, you'll love this one just as much. This guitar is a statement and is specially made for we the people of Sinapore as the majority of us are really afraid to lose out in a highly competitive society. Therefore, if you are thrifty, you'll love this EVEN MORE than a Taylor or a Martin. However, resale value still isn't as good as the above two brands.

2004
Solid spruce top / beautiful grain ovangkol body - mini jumbo
Fishman mixer
Does not have a pick-guard.
Come on - Sinamex - u should at least include that in with the such a great guitar! Im subtracting a point for that

I play mostly in church - has beautiful tone in fact it sounds better than my Taylor 410) The bass end is deep and full, and the top is rich and yet not muddy. Just the sound I was looking for when I tried it out.

Excellent set-up. The guys at Sinamex know how to adjust the action so that it plays really well - even with medium gauge strings. The finish was flawless except for some minor dings. I bought this second hand so it was expected.

No problems with live playing. The hardware is great. My only criticism is that the varnish off the top seems a little thin. I don't know if it wore out cos the previous owner strummed on it too hard on it or it's just not properly applied.

Have not dealt with them

For the money it seems to be excellent value.

It is a Singapore brand from SINAMEX with Spruce top and Ovangkol back and sides.
It comes with a Fishman Prefix pick up. Satin Finish. The folks at Sinamex call this shape a medium jumbo.

It sounds fantastic!! For double the price, you may not even get this kind of quality sound.

The set up is superb! The finish is Taylor standard but acceptable, similar to the kind of standard the Martins have....

This guitar has one of the best looking straight neck in our very humid weather. I only had the guitar for about a week but I have a very good feeling that this guitar will last.

The folks at Sinamex are offering 10 years' warranty. Looks like they are very confident that nothing will go wrong with this guitar. Anyway, their Sinamex Guitar Hospital has a great reputation for quality guitar repairs and they will not offer this unless they are very sure.

I have owned many average guitars and I think this guiatr belongs to the high end with me paying only a mid average price. I love the way it looks, the sound and it has a wonderful action. I am completely blown away by this guitar!