Hi all….Sorry I’m a little late to the party. Life is crazy. Anyhow, I am the lucky recipient of this absolutely stunning guitar! This is the second guitar that I have received from Bob (aka augustwest1), my first being a Wolf replica that I got from him back in late 2017.
I really can’t say enough about this guitar, Bob’s work, and the craftsmanship that goes into these instruments. From the materials, to the build quality, to the fit & finish, and the set-up; absolutely everything is accounted for on these instruments; right down to the thickness of the top, back, and veneers so that they reveal themselves just right at the edge when they are rounded over some 137 steps later in the construction process. Combine with the fact that these instruments have so many intricate details and “layers”, creating something of this caliber is no small feat and I can tell you that they really do contend with the instruments out there that are two or three times the price both in detail, quality, and playability.
As you can probably tell, this guitar is a bit of a “Tiger in Wolf’s clothing” (or a “Wolf in Tiger’s clothing”?) and combines the details of each of those guitars that I like the most. I have always loved and admired Tiger (who here doesn’t…) but Wolf has always been my personal favorite and I wanted to create something that embodied both but was also something somewhat unique in itself. So when I approached Bob about creating something that was somewhat of a “hybrid”, I was overjoyed that he was on board for the project. And the result is nothing short of amazing!
One of my favorite features, as mentioned before, is the chambered body. I don’t think Bob or I could have guessed that it would have made much difference (being a smaller-sized/3-piece body)…but this guitar absolutely sings! Even when playing this guitar unplugged it resonates beautifully. (And to answer your question Neil, the overall weight of the guitar is somewhere around 9 lbs, which makes it an absolute treat to play for longer periods of time.) The neck shape/size is perfect to my hand and it is so comfortable to play. The action and fretwork is beautiful and smooth. Everything about this guitar is in perfect order. And then there is the gorgeous inlay work!!! All hand cut. And just amazing. It’s almost distractingly beautiful to play. I love the marquetry underneath the fret board…sort of like the pinstripe on a classic car, just a little something to catch your eye. I could go on and on…but the reality is that words just don’t do this guitar justice…it’s just something that you would have to play and experience to truly understand.
On a final note, I must say that Bob is an absolute pleasure to work with and patient beyond belief as there were far more decisions for me to make throughout the build process than with my previous guitar since it was a replica and many of the details were already spelled out for us. (And if the timing of this review tells you anything, I’m not the fastest moving creature on this planet. Haha.) He also offered some great ideas that really helped shape what this guitar has become. And I think the results speak for themselves. I have been thinking about this guitar for a long time, and it’s even better than I ever imagined. Thank you Bob!