While the MG 3.5 may have all of the elements of a traditional build, it quickly proves to be anything but. A single request would be the inclusion of some nondescript fret markers on the fingerboard, but that’s just because this reviewer tends to get lost easily. Baggs RTS 2 electronics are kept out of the way, with the only real sign of its presence being the tiny volume wheel residing inside the kidney- shaped soundhole. Flamed koa binding traces the guitar’s body, but is never too much likewise, the gold Schaller tuners fit in perfectly with the MG’s regal-but-understated identity. The only inlay to be found is at the head cap, where mother-of-pearl spells out McPherson in a flowing script. The appointments are kept tastefully spartan, and match the company’s desire to let the guitar speak for itself. Featuring a top of Engelmann spruce, back and sides of East Indian rosewood and an ebony fingerboard, this guitar has all of the credentials needed to hang with the most traditional acoustiphiles. ".McPherson Guitars has stepped up to the plate, building high-end acoustics with an eye towards slick, innovative design that doesn''t require a second mortgage."įortunately, the folks at McPherson realized that innovation is only worth a damn if it is coupled with a good foundation, and the MG 3.5 is no exception to the rule. From the offset soundhole to the cantilevered neck, this acoustic feels like it was built for a select class of musicians who secretly knew what the acoustic was capable of all along. The MG 3.5, in particular, exudes a feeling of revolutionary thinking in its looks and curves – even the name sounds like a supersonic fighter jet. It’s a fine, treacherous line for luthiers to walk, and judging by a majority of acoustics on the market now, it seems that most builders have become content to fall in line with the safety of tradition.įor the true believers of acoustic reinvention, McPherson Guitars has stepped up to the plate, building high-end acoustics with an eye towards slick, innovative design that doesn''t require a second mortgage. Unfortunately, it never seems to stick – either the price is pushed through the stratosphere, or it comes off as gimmicky, whether it’s a fair assessment or not. That’s not to say that builders haven’t tried reinventing the acoustic – Babicz is regularly changing the face of the instrument and Boulder Creek Guitars went as far as eliminating the front soundhole altogether on their Solitaire series. Sure, pickups eventually made their way to the acoustic and modern designs are generally easier to play than earlier models, but the woods are familiar, the bracing patterns are recycled and the soundhole is still smack dab in the middle. And while the electric guitar has gradually evolved, introducing us to jumbo frets and 5-way switches, the acoustic has essentially stayed the same since Martin’s introduction of the 14-fret dreadnought in the 1930s. For all of the popular history embodied in Telecasters and Les Pauls, the acoustic can claim a lineage running back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. And while the science of electrified sound has come a long way since that humble, post-war decade, most players still lust after these classic slabs of wood, partly to experience a build quality that is rare today and partly because of the musical history they made (see: rock n’ roll).īut if electric guitarists are newly married to tradition, acoustic guitarists are celebrating their Golden Anniversary. These guitars were triumphs of technology and innovation, combining electricity and classic craftsmanship to create what many consider to be the perfect instruments. Some of the world’s most valuable guitars were crafted in a small historical window, dates that are endlessly debated but can be loosely defined as 1951 to 1964. It’s no secret that electric guitarists are enamored with tradition, and it is certainly not an unfounded obsession.
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