ordon GiltrapE2000GG 12-string

PRICE:£499

e 6~stringversion of this guitar was so amazing our::-'iewer actually purchased the review modelI Can this=-string live up to that standard? Paul Brett finds out.

e intonationspot on alle way up theck, whichnot alwayse case with-strings"

~:::>pisclose-grained- Americancedar,

appreciate the fact- : isnot covered in-=- of lacquer.The::. ·smahogany,the~"Ooard

7 ,ood with:: ·nlays

With the plethora ofnew guitars hittingthe world marketevery year in all

shapes, sizes, numbers and priceranges, it becomes harder forreviewers to remain impartial,and many just comment on thetech specs and surround themwith views that they may notactually feel comfortable with ina one-to-one situation, off therecord. We reviewed the newsignature 6-string model thatGordon Giltrap has just releasedvia John Hornby Skewes. Thereviewer was extremely impressedwith it, and now we have its12-string brother up for review.

Build QualityI must be honest at this point andsay that I haven't been impressedwith many modern 12-stringsthat come on to the market, as inthe main they are too brittle andbuzzy - plus the fact that theydo not take to a lowered tuningthat well. So with this in mind, I

took out Gordon's 12-string fromits box and started to explore itspossibilities.

This guitar, like its brother6-string, was designed byrespected luthier Rob Armstrong.We have already reviewed the6-string model and the samedesign and build quality areinherent in the 12-string. In fact,you can have these two great

guitars for under a grand! I likethe shape of Rob's design, andno doubt Gordon had a positiveinput into how he wanted it tofeel, sound and play.

The top is close-grained NorthAmerican cedar, and I appreciatethe fact that it is not coveredin layers of lacquer. The neckis mahogany, the fingerboardrosewood with MOP inlays, thenut and compensated saddleare NuBone, and the tuners areGrover 102s. For the inquisitiveamong you the string spacing isperfectly adequate. I know this isa bone of contention with manyplayers who tryout 12-strings,but if I can play it, so can you.For those of you with 'shovels' forhands, you may need to string upa cricket bat!

Sound QualityI'm always apprehensive of tryingout a new 12-string, becausemany I try just rattle and fart

GEAR I GORDON GILTRAP VE2000GG 12-STRING £499.......................... . - - , .

straight out of the box. Most12-strings these days seem tobe add-ons to a manufacturer'sinventory, just to prove theyhave one. Very few bother tounderstand that the instrument isnot a 6-string guitar and shouldnot be considered as such.

In normal tuning (E), thestring tension is fairly taut. Theintonation is spot on all the wayup the neck, which is not alwaysthe case with 12-strings. Theaction is between low and midon the review model. I found thistuning perfect for strummed rockor chordal work. It is a powerfulsound that would arrest attentionin a live venue. I can easily see thisin a band situation, where a singercan lay a solid layer of amplifiedacoustic 12-string to enhance hisor her songs. Dropping the overalltuning a tone in pitch, then tuningto open G, I put a capo on thesecond fret and tested a sectionfrom one of my solo pieces frommy 12-string tablature book. Ithandled it very well, indudingthe low notes, and was bright andclear on the trebles. The arpeggioswere easy to play too. Back up tonormal tuning for a slow ballad,using a picking accompaniment,and again it was performing as Iwould expect. The real test was

Gordon GiltrapVE2000GG 12-stringVisitwww.acousticmagazine.comfor all the latest guitar reviews

Price: £499Top: SolidNorthAmericanred cedar,high grade, closegrainedBackand sides: MahoganyNeck: MahoganyFingerboard: Rosewoodwithabalone inlaysSide position markers: AbaloneBridge: RosewoodTop nut: NuBoneSaddle: NuBone,compensatedScale: 642 mm (25.27")

Preamp: FishmanPresysBlendPickup: FishmanSonicoreTuners: Grover102Strings: Highquality,USAmadeFinish:ClearsatinCase: Suppliedwith Kinsman'GordonGiltrapSignature'hardshellcase

John Hornby Skeweswww.jhs.co.uk(0) 1132865381

"Fora guitarist who wants a good 12-string thatwill do more than strwn, at an affordable price,then this one is perfect"the final one in the blues genre.Dropping pitch again with theE pairs dropped another tone,I hammered out Blind WillieMcTell's famous 12-string song'Statesboro' Blues: This songalways highlights the failure orsuccess of a 12-string's ability tohandle blues. This was extremelycapable of providing both thedriving backing required underthe vocal and the instrumentalpiano-like dimensions in thepicked solo passages.

I always find it difficult as areader myself to hear soundsfrom the written word. ThereforeI have put a video on YouTubewhich demonstrates four styles- three with vocal and oneinstrumental - for you to makeyour own mind up. Have a listenat http://www.youtube.com/

What We ThinkWhat did our test results reveal?

Overall: Noproblems as faras I'mconcerned - try one yourself.

watch?v=tSeWxgD_ULE. The firstrock-style track is recorded Drvia the on-board Fishman system.This consists of their Presys Blendpreamp and a Sonicore pickup.I'm not usually a fan of on-boardelectronics. Plus they always makethe guitar heavier. However, theFishman kit does kick out a greatand powerful noise, but you haveto be careful as the controls arequite sensitive. It's especially goodwhen recorded with an additionalmicrophone blended in. Therest of the styles on the videoclip - solo instrumental, balladand blues - are recorded withmicrophones, as are my vocals.

ConclusionFor the price and versatility, itrates, in my opinion, on a muchhigher scale than many far higher-priced models, even handmadeones. I know there is a debateraging about Chinese-madeguitars, cheap labour etc etc. Wehad the same debate years ago,when the Japanese started makingguitars, then the Koreans and soon. For a guitarist who wants agood 12-string that will do more

than strum, at an affordable price.then this one is perfect. I wouldcertainly recommend you test 0[;=

of these 12-strings to see if it sui=your requirements, as I haven'tcome across another in its pricerange, or beyond, that flits acrossthese many styles. And, like its6-string brother, it comes with afitted GG case.Excellent.Paul Brett

Acoustic Test ResultsOur ratings explained

5 Stars: Superb,Almostfaultless.4 Stars: Excellent,Hardto beat.3 Stars: Good,coversallbases well.2 or 1 Stars: Belowaverage,poor.

Rating out of fiveHow well did this guitar fare?

BuildQuality 00000Sound Quality 00000Valuefor Money 00000