Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2010 20:54:38 GMT
I received my new MM lightning today thanks Robin
First impressions:
(from a reso novice - I've only played budget resos, never a National, NRP or fine resophonic. I did recently order an Ozark, but returned it due to some terrible workmanship and dull sound.)
Looks: It looks great. The combination of binding on the neck and the Stew Mac tuners improves the overall look when compared to the photos here and on the busker website - more 'authentic'
Finish:
The body is superb, the sandblasted decoration is way better than on other budget resos I've seen.
There is one slight gap in one spot at the neck/body joint, but it is well filled, and for the most part, the join seems tidy. Again, this is better than on some other budget resos I've played.
The fingerboard is raised slightly where it meets the body. To compensate, the frets above this point have been ground town to make them level with the rest - a bit of a shame IMO.
I'm disappointed with the finish of the frets. Many have flat tops, they haven't been crowned or polished, so it 'grates' when I bend strings and apply vibrato, and generally feels pretty rough and a bit cheap - I've seen better fret jobs on many very cheap guitars. I guess for slide, that's not so important, but for me it is.
Action: This does seem like a good compromise. Just low enough to be playable fingerstyle, but high enough for slide.
Setup: I was very surprised to discover that there is no fingerboard 'relief'. When I fret at the first and 13th frets the string lies flat against the frets. Is this normal for a reso?
It's a bit of a concern to me because if I adjust the truss rod to add some relief, it will raise the action making non-slide playing more difficult.
EDIT: I have since noticed that the G string sits a bit low in the nut compared with the others, and that there is a shard of bone spitting away under the low E string.
Sound: Seemed good at first. I ran through some favorite tunes bare-fingered, and was pleased with the tone. Then I put on some picks. WOW, this thing really does sound amazing. Really loud but in a very musical way. I stopped playing when my fingers got too sore.
What I like best is that just at the point where if I play any harder on my acoustic, it craps out a bit, that's exactly where the lightning starts to open up and sing. Magic.
The case is better than I expected
And I'm finding the 46mm nut width manageable and the flat fingerboard really nice.
cheers
Col
First impressions:
(from a reso novice - I've only played budget resos, never a National, NRP or fine resophonic. I did recently order an Ozark, but returned it due to some terrible workmanship and dull sound.)
Looks: It looks great. The combination of binding on the neck and the Stew Mac tuners improves the overall look when compared to the photos here and on the busker website - more 'authentic'
Finish:
The body is superb, the sandblasted decoration is way better than on other budget resos I've seen.
There is one slight gap in one spot at the neck/body joint, but it is well filled, and for the most part, the join seems tidy. Again, this is better than on some other budget resos I've played.
The fingerboard is raised slightly where it meets the body. To compensate, the frets above this point have been ground town to make them level with the rest - a bit of a shame IMO.
I'm disappointed with the finish of the frets. Many have flat tops, they haven't been crowned or polished, so it 'grates' when I bend strings and apply vibrato, and generally feels pretty rough and a bit cheap - I've seen better fret jobs on many very cheap guitars. I guess for slide, that's not so important, but for me it is.
Action: This does seem like a good compromise. Just low enough to be playable fingerstyle, but high enough for slide.
Setup: I was very surprised to discover that there is no fingerboard 'relief'. When I fret at the first and 13th frets the string lies flat against the frets. Is this normal for a reso?
It's a bit of a concern to me because if I adjust the truss rod to add some relief, it will raise the action making non-slide playing more difficult.
EDIT: I have since noticed that the G string sits a bit low in the nut compared with the others, and that there is a shard of bone spitting away under the low E string.
Sound: Seemed good at first. I ran through some favorite tunes bare-fingered, and was pleased with the tone. Then I put on some picks. WOW, this thing really does sound amazing. Really loud but in a very musical way. I stopped playing when my fingers got too sore.
What I like best is that just at the point where if I play any harder on my acoustic, it craps out a bit, that's exactly where the lightning starts to open up and sing. Magic.
The case is better than I expected
And I'm finding the 46mm nut width manageable and the flat fingerboard really nice.
cheers
Col