obvious , the fact that Clapton and Simon are guitar strumming songsmiths is quite probably what beckoned Brooke to these instruments in particular . Whether you ’ re leading worship , writing songs , or just playing the blues , this guitar is a workhouse that is just as happy fingerpicking or rocking at a full gallop !
THE TONE The Sitka Spruce top and Indian Rosewood back and sides make for a well-focused instrument that is as consistent across the fingerboard as it is and up and down the neck , key to those who live by the capo . Having spent a LOT of time mic ’ ing this instrument up , balance is the operative word here .
THE ACTION The depth of tactile connection one has with an instrument is a fundamental part of being comfortable playing existing parts as well as developing new ones . The action was a key part of why I was able to come up with the ‘ overly caffeinated ’ pentatonic riffage that I included in the video . Again , given the DNA , it should come as no surprise that this guitar does fast just as well as it does chords .
CHORDS The aforementioned tonal balance and action are key to being able to play chords up and down the neck , with or without a capo . Where the capo makes a lot of sense for worship leaders , as an accompanist , I prefer to have access to the entire neck so I can best craft a guitar arrangement that fits the singer , key , arrangement , and musicians . An even action and voicing enables me to traverse the neck without having things jump out or disappear in the mix . This guitar does this with ease .
THE NECK The neck features a ‘ Modified V ’ profile which I love . Super comfortable for rhythm and lead playing alike , and it just feels like it was meant to shake your hand . The other thing that I loved about this guitar was how consistent the intonation was up and down the neck . Quite often I ’ ll find a spot on an instrument where it
just won ’ t play in tune which means I have to compromise how I approach the arrangement in one way or another . This guitar comes ‘ PLEK-ed ’ which is to say that it is placed in a $ 100,000 + machine designed to get the frets to play more in tune than even the most skilled guitar tech can .
NO PICKUP , YET The first run of these instruments comes in either a Sitka ($ 3,599 MAP ) or Sunburst ($ 3,799 MAP ) finish , neither of which is equipped with electronics , which we have heard are coming . In the video I used a DPA 4099 mic focused on where the neck meets the body and got great results . Once I found the sweet spot , I set it and forget it .
THE EXPERIENCE Ultimately , the experience is the sum of the parts , ideally one that has no detractors . Be it feel , playability , tone , or looks , this guitar delivers at every level . The experience is perhaps best described as refined luxury . Yes , you feel a bit pampered playing a guitar that has so many things that are actually done right , right out of the factory , but that ’ s actually how a guitar should be made .
Sitka finish : $ 3,599 MAP , case included Sunburst finish : $ 7,599 MAP , case included www . MartinGuitar . com