Maahantuoja: Musamaailma
Perjantaina: Blackstar Artist 15
Now on SoundCloud: T-Rex Replicator
• Genuine tape echo
• 100% analog signal
• True bypass
• Two playback heads for three modes of operation
• Tap tempo
• ”Kill dry” switch
• Expression pedal control of time and feedback
• Comes with second tape cartridge and soft bag
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Demo Track
• All guitar tracks recorded using the Replicator and a Blackstar HT-1R valve combo
• Rhythm guitars – Fender Stratocaster (left channel) & Fender Telecaster (right channel)
• Lead guitar – Fender Stratocaster
Maahantuoja: Custom Sounds
More sounds: Blackstar Artist 15
• Two-channel valve amp
• 15 Watts
• 2 x ECC83
• 2 x 6L6
• Channel 1: Volume + Tone
• Channel 2: Gain, Volume, 3-Band EQ, ISF
• Master Volume
• Digital Reverb
• Speaker-emulated line output
• Single 12-inch Celestion V-Type speaker
• Guitars used: Epiphone Casino (with Göldo pickups) & Gibson Melody Maker SG
• Recorded with a pair of Shure SM57 microphones
Maahantuoja: Musamaailma
Now on SoundCloud – Blackstar Artist 15
• Two-channel valve amp
• 15 Watts
• 2 x ECC83
• 2 x 6L6
• Channel 1: Volume + Tone
• Channel 2: Gain, Volume, 3-Band EQ, ISF
• Master Volume
• Digital Reverb
• Speaker-emulated line output
• Single 12-inch Celestion V-Type speaker
****
Demo Track
• Rhythm guitars – Kasuga ES-335-copy (left of centre), Fender Stratocaster (right of centre)
• Lead guitars – Kasuga ES-335 (Japanese ”lawsuit copy” from the Seventies)
• All guitar tracks recorded with a Shure SM57
****
Maahantuoja: Musamaailma
Review: Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid, Liekki 290-T Classic & 57HM-H Master
This spring is bringing exciting news from Flaxwood Guitars – the Finnish maker has given its model line-up a thorough overhaul.
One important change sees Flaxwood rearranging their models into three distinct series:
The (newly-expanded) Hybrid Series encompasses Fender-inspired electric guitars, which combine Flaxwood’s famous injection-moulded WFC-necks (Wood Fibre Composite) with wooden bodies.
Flaxwood’s bona fide classics – such as the Äijä, Laine or Rautia models – have now been grouped into the aptly-named Classic Series.
The brand-new Master Series is offering the guitarist ”factory customised” Flaxwood guitars. These models have received special finishes and/or hardware, in addition to pickup choices that differ from similar Classic Series instruments.
For this review we received one guitar from each series – the MTQ Hybrid (current RRP in Finland: 1.750 €), the Liekki 290-T Classic (current RRP in Finland: 2.054 €) and the 57HM-H Master (current RRP in Finland: 2.707 €).
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The Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid is the company’s beautiful take on the Telecaster Custom theme, with its wood-composite Flaxwood-neck and a swamp ash body with a bound flame maple top.
The MTQ’s gorgeous Honeyburst finish shows off some luscious wood grain.
The golden machine heads on the MTQ Hybrid are locking Gotoh H.A.P. units with height-adjustable tuning posts.
The bridge is a traditional Tele-ashtray design, but it comes updated with six bridge saddles for perfect intonation and action adjustment.
The MTQ’s pickups are made by Seymour Duncan:
The neck unit is a (PAF-style) Antiquity Humbucker, while the bridge single coil is a chunky STL-1B.
****
The Flaxwood Liekki 290-T Classic (liekki means flame in Finnish) is without doubt one of the best-known guitars from this Finnish maker. This slender and gracious f-holed beauty is offered in several cool finishes.
The Liekki 290-T Classic is an all Flaxwood-WFC instrument. This injection-moulded material – which was developed in co-operation with the University of Eastern Finland – is eco-friendly and fully recyclable.
The Flaxwood body is partially hollow, and capped from the back with a resonating back plate.
Flaxwood Guitars’ proprietary 3D neck joint is very smooth.
As you can see from this picture, newer Flaxwood instruments now sport a matte black neck, instead of the original, structured look of the early Flaxwood necks.
The company uses it’s own compensated X-Tune Nut on all Classic and Master Series models. The X-Tune Nut will make open chords ring out much more in tune than most traditional guitars.
The Liekki’s 290-T-version comes equipped with Schaller’s ingenious LP Tremolo vibrato bridge.
Two Seymour Duncan P-90-type pickups (SP90-1 Vintage Soapbar) have been installed on the Liekki Classic.
****
Flaxwood’s brand-new 57HM-H Master is a Metal guitarist’s dream machine.
The 57HM-H comes with a suitably moody matte black finish with golden pinstripes, Schaller Security Locks, and a pair of active EMG pickups.
The 57HM-H Master’s battery compartment has been installed into the instrument’s back plate.
The Gotoh hardware – locking tuners and a tune-o-matic bridge plus stopbar – has been finished in black chrome.
EMG’s 57/66-set comprises a pair of alnico-loaded humbuckers, and promises to deliver an intriguing combination of vintage warmth with active punch and clarity.
****
Even though Flaxwood Guitars’ brand philosophy is based on the ultra-modern use of injection-moulded WFC-composite material, there is still a surprising amount of traditional handicraft that goes into the making of each and every Flaxwood model. There isn’t a machine in existence that will churn out finished instruments from raw materials, you do still need lots of guitar-making skills to build a top notch instrument.
You can see and feel the touch of a craftsman when you pick up a Flaxwood guitar. Our review trio displayed excellent workmanship, and all guitars came with a top grade set-up.
Any old Telecaster lover will feel right at home with the Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid, because the most important design elements – like the vintage bridge or the control positioning – have been carried over from the classic to this new model.
The neck profile is slim and slightly oval, with a mere whiff of a V-neck’s spine along its back. The playing feel is fast, effortless and precise.
The tone of the Flaxwood MTQ doesn’t come as a surprise – this model offers an array of very tasty Tele-style sounds!
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Flaxwood’s Liekki 290-T Classic is a lightweight and compact instrument that balances perfectly on a strap.
In addition to the three-way pickup switch, most Flaxwood models traditionally feature a single master volume control and two tone controls (one per pickup).
I can’t understand why Schaller’s excellent LP Tremolo isn’t used on more guitars as a standard feature. I can only applaud Flaxwood for featuring the LP Tremolo on several of their models!
The Seymour Duncan P-90s give you a wide range of different tones on the Liekki, from jazzy warmth all the way to gritty Rock.
****
The Flaxwood 57HM-H is a fantastic addition to the company’s line-up in my opinion:
The playing feel of the 57HM-H is quite similar to the Liekki model, but the fatter frets and stable, non-trem bridge will be just the ticket for fans of detuned high-gain riffage.
The EMG 57/66-set is a great update on the US-maker’s original active humbucker recipe. There’s more than enough power and punch on tap, but you could never call these active humbuckers cold, clinical or sterile!
****
It’s really great to see Flaxwood Guitars expanding their line-up further!
In my view the new three-tiered model range makes a lot of sense, making it easier to find the right Flaxwood for any player.
The Liekki 290-T Classic has become a genuine classic over the years, while the brand-new MTQ Hybrid and 57HM-H models further widen Flaxwood’s appeal to include both traditional and modern guitarists. A test drive is highly recommended!
****
Flaxwood Guitars
MTQ Hybrid – 1.750 € (comes with a gig bag)
Liekki 290-T Classic – 2.045 € (comes with a case)
57HM-H Master – 2.707 € (comes with a case)
Pros:
+ made in Finland
+ workmanship
+ quality parts and pickups
+ playability
+ sound
Testipenkissä: Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid, Liekki 290-T Classic & 57HM-H Master
Tämä kevät on Flaxwood Guitarsille tärkeää aikaa, koska joensuulainen valmistaja on perusteellisesti uudistanut soitinmallistonsa.
Tästedes Flaxwood-kitaroita tarjotaan kolmessa eri sarjassa:
Laajentunut Hybrid-sarja koostuu Fender-tyylisistä soittimista, joissa Flaxwood-komposiitista tehdyt kaulat on liitetty ruuvaamalla puurunkoihin.
Meillä kaikille tutut Flaxwood-mallit – kuten Äijä, Laine tai Rautia – on nyt koottu uuteen Classic-sarjaan kevyesti päivitetyillä spekseillä.
Täysin uudesta Master-sarjasta löytyy ikään kuin ”valmiiksi kustomoituja” Flaxwoodeja, joilla on Classic-sarjasta poikkeavat mikrofonit, viimeistely ja/tai metallitavara.
Saimme testiin jokaisesta sarjasta yhden kitaran – MTQ Hybrid (suositushinta: 1.750 €), Liekki 290-T Classic (suositushinta: 2.054 €) ja 57HM-H Master (suositushinta: 2.707 €).
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Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid on firman todella kaunis tulkinta Telecaster Custom -teemasta, jolla on puukomposiitista valmistettu Flaxwood-kaula, sekä suosaarnirunko reunalistoitetulla loimuvaahterakannella.
Puiden syykuviot näyttävät hienoilta MTQ:n Honeyburst-viimeistelyn läpi.
MTQ Hybridissä käytetään kullanvärisiä lukkovirittimiä korkeussäädettävillä viritystapeilla (Gotoh H.A.P.).
Tallan perusrakenne on vintage-tyylinen, mutta koska tämä Tele-talla on päivitetty kuudella tallapalalla kitaran hienovirettä pystyy säätämään tarkasti ja ilman kompromisseja.
MTQ-mallin mikrofonit tulevat Seymour Duncanin valikoimasta. Kaulamikrofoniksi on valittu PAF-tyylinen Antiquity Humbucker, kun taas tallamikrofonina toimii Duncanin lihaksikas STL-1B.
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Liekki 290-T Classic on varmasti yksi Flaxwoodin tunnetuimmista kitaroista – erittäin sulavalinjainen, f-aukolla varustettu kaunotar, joka on saatava useilla eri viimeistelyvaihtoehdoilla.
Liekki 290-T Classicissa puu on korvattu kokonaan kuitukomposiitilla. Kitaran runko on osittain ontto, ja sillä on Flaxwoodin tyypillinen resonoiva takakansi.
Flaxwood Guitarsin 3D-liimaliitos on erittäin sulava.
Kuten tässä kuvassa näkyy, käytetään uusissa Flaxwoodeissa alkuperäisen, strukturoidun näköisen Flaxwood-materiaalin sijaan kauloissa nykyään mattamustaksi värjättyä vastinetta.
Classic- ja Master-sarjojen soittimissa käytetään firman omaa kompensoitua X-Tune-satulaa, joka parantaa tuntuvasti alanauhoissa soitettujen nuottien virettä.
290-T-versiossa käytetään Schallerin mainiota LP Tremolo -nimistä tallan ja vibraton yhdistelmää.
Liekki Classicin mikrofonivarustus koostuu kahdesta P-90-tyylisistä Seymour Duncan -mikrofoneista (SP90-1 Vintage Soapbar).
****
Flaxwood 57HM-H on Master-sarjan upouusi metallimiehen unelmakone, jolla on mattamusta viimeistely (kultaisilla vauhtiviivoilla), Schaller-hihnalukot, sekä aktiiviset EMG-mikrofonit.
57HM-H Masterin paristolokero on upotettu kitaran takakanteen.
Sekä lukkovirittimet että mallin tune-o-matic-talla (ja sen kielten pidin) tulevat Gotohilta, ja ne on päällystetty mustalla kromilla.
EMG:n 57/66 -setti koostuu kahdesta alnico-magneeteilla varustetuista humbuckereista, ja lupaa vintage-tyylistä lämpöä yhdistettynä aktiivimikrofonien voimaan ja selkeyteen.
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Vaikka Flaxwood Guitarsin filosofia pohjautuu juuri nykyaikaiseen WFC-komposiitin käyttöön (ja ruiskupuristukseen), käytetään jokaisen Flaxwood-mallin valmistukseen myös hyvin paljon perinteistä soitinrakennusosaamista. Ei ole nimittäin vieläkin keksitty sellaista konetta josta pulpahtaisi esiin valmis laatusoitin, vaan käsityötä tarvitaan edelleen.
Soitinrakentajien kädenjälki näkyy ja tuntuu jokaisessa Flaxwood-soittimessa selvästi. Testikolmikon jokaisessa kitarassa työnjälki on erinomainen, ja soittimet saapuivat testiin loistotrimmissä.
Vanha Tele-fani on heti kuin kotonaan Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid -mallissa, koska kaikki tärkeät elementit ovat tässäkin soittimessa paikoillaan, niin kuin esimerkiksi laatikkomainen talla, sekä perinteinen säädinosasto metallilevyllä.
Solakan kaulan profiili on mukavan ovaali, ja kaulan selkään on jätetty pieni aavistus V-profiilin ”selkärangasta”. Soittotuntuma on tarkka ja nopea.
Flaxwood MTQ ei sinänsä tarjoa varsinaisia yllätyksiä, vaan vakuuttaa täydellisesti Tele-maisilla laatusoundeillaan!
****
Flaxwood Liekki 290-T Classic on mukavan kevyt ja kompakti ilmestys erinomaisella tasapainolla.
Kolmiasentoisen kytkimen lisäksi löytyy Flaxwood-kitaroissa perinteisesti yksi master volume -säädin, sekä kummallekin mikrofonille oma tone-potikka.
Minun mielestäni on ihme, että todella laadukas Schaller LP Tremolo -järjestelmä löytyy niin harvassa kitarassa. Useisssa Flaxwoodeissa LP Tremolo on kuitenkin tehdasvaruste, ja erittäin toimiva sellainen!
Seymour Duncanin P-90-mikrofoneista saa hyvin monipuolisen soundikirjon lämpimistä jazzsoundeista purevaan rokkiin.
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Flaxwood 57HM-H on mielestäni myös täysosuma:
57HM-H:n soittotuntuma on periaatteessa sama kuin Liekki-mallissa, mutta tämän kitaran tune-o-matic-tallan ansiosta matalat viritykset on selvästi helpompi toteuttaa kuin vibratolla varustetuissa kitaroissa.
EMG 57/66 -setti on amerikkalaisvalmistajan erittäin toimiva päivitys alkuperäiseen aktiivimikkikonseptiin – voimaa ja potkua löytyy vaikka muille jakaa, mutta näitä EMG-malleja ei todellakaan vaivaa lämmön puute tai liiallinen kliinisyys!
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Todella ilahduttavaa nähdä, että Flaxwood Guitars on edelleen voimissaan!
Mielestäni malliston uusi kolmijako on looginen ja hyvin perusteltu toimenpide, joka selkeyttää Flaxwoodin kitaratarjontaa.
Liekki 290-T Classicista on tullut vuosien mittaan jo aito klassikko, kun taas MTQ Hybrid ja 57HM-H ovat mielestäni loistavia lisäyksiä suomalaisvalmistajan laadukkaaseen soitinmallistoon. Suosittelen lämpimästi Flaxwood-kitaroiden koeajoa!
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Flaxwood Guitars
MTQ Hybrid – 1.750 € (topattu pussi kuuluu hintaan)
Liekki 290-T Classic – 2.045 € (kova laukku kuuluu hintaan)
57HM-H Master – 2.707 € (kova laukku kuuluu hintaan)
Plussat:
+ valmistettu Suomessa
+ työnjälki
+ laadukkaat mikrofonit ja osat
+ soitettavuus
+ soundi
Ensi maanantaina – Flaxwood Hybrid, Classic & Master
Flaxwood Liekki 290-T
• Flaxwood neck and body
• 22 medium jumbo frets
• Gotoh HAPM locking tuners
• Schaller LP Tremolo
• Two Seymour Duncan SP90-1 Vintage Soapbar pickups
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Rhythm guitars – both PUs (left channel), bridge PU (right channel)
Lead guitar – neck pickup
****
• Amp used – Blackstar HT-1R
• Auto-wah/-filter plug-in added during mixing
****
Flaxwood 57HM-H Master
• Flaxwood wood fibre composite neck and body
• 22 jumbo frets
• Locking Gotoh SG360 MG tuners
• Gotoh tune-o-matic + stopbar
• Active EMG pickups – neck pickup: Model 66; bridge pickup: Model 57
****
Amp used: Blackstar HT-1R
Wah-pedal: Morley M2 Wah/Volume
****
Lisätiedot: Flaxwood
Preview: Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid
Flaxwood MTQ Hybrid
• Flaxwood neck
• Swamp ash body with bound flame maple top
• 22 medium jumbo frets
• Locking Gotoh H.A.P tuners
• Steel bridge with six bridge saddle (through-body stringing)
• Seymour Duncan pickups – neck: Antiquity Humbucker; bridge: STL-1 Broadcast
****
Amp used: Bogner Goldfinger Phi 54 in 66-Watts mode
Pedals used: Boss SD-1 Overdrive; Joyo JF-37 Analog Chorus
Mic used: Shure SM57
Contact: Flaxwood
Review: Tanglewood Sundance Historic TW40O-AN-E + TW40D-AN-E
This review could also carry the headline: ”Tanglewood brings vintage to the masses”. Tanglewood’s Sundance Historic guitars have been designed to give you plenty of that ”pre-war” charm at very player-friendly prices. Take the two models on review, for example, which have price tags well below 700 Euros, despite even coming with on-board Fishman pickups and preamps!
The TW40O-AN-E and the TW40D-AN-E are both quite reminiscent of certain legendary Martin-models from the 1930s and 40s.
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The Tanglewood TW40O–AN-E (current price in Finland 673 €) is the Sundance Historic series’ version of a Martin OM-18 model – the first Martin steel-string acoustic to feature a neck joint at the 14th fret when it was introduced in the Thirties.
Tanglewood’s TW40D-AN-E (673 €) is a tip of the hat to Martin’s D-18, which is the most copied, most referenced steel-string of all time. Even Gibson went out and bought a Martin in 1960, so they could use it to reverse engineer their own Hummingbird and Dove models.
Both of these models can also be had without the pickup system for 598 Euros each.
The necks of the TW40O and the TW40D have been built in the traditional fashion employed on classical guitars:
The neck is a one-piece mahogany affair – headstock and all – save for a separate, glued-on neck heel.
The bodies are crafted using solid spruce tops and laminated mahogany rims and backs.
The ”AN” in the model designation hints at the beautiful Antique Natural finish of these Historic Series instruments.
The nut is genuine bovine bone.
The machine heads are very decent copies of 1930s open-geared Grovers. They do a great job of keeping the tuning stable, but their action is a little bit stiffer than what you’re used to with modern die-cast tuners.
The slender and small frets fit the vintage brief of the TW40O and TW40D to a tee.
Here’s a good example of how different two pieces of rosewood can look:
The reviewed TW40O-AN-E’s bridge is a nicely-grained light example…
…while the dreadnought carries a much darker counterpart.
The compensated bridge saddle is genuine bone on both instruments.
Both Sundance Historics have been equipped with a Fishman Sonitone pickup and preamp.
The piezo transducer sits beneath the bridge saddle and feeds its signal to the preamp – featuring master volume and master tone controls – that has been glued to the underside of the soundhole’s bass side edge. The Sonitone is powered by a 9 V battery, which is stowed away in its own pouch that is velcro’d to the neck block. The downside is that changing the battery is a much more involved affair than with a quick change battery compartment, but the advantage of this Fishman system is that it doesn’t spoil the guitar’s looks.
Both Tanglewoods sport an end pin output jack.
****
The care that has quite obviously gone into building these two Tanglewood Sundance Historic guitars really puts a smile on your face. The workmanship is clean and precise, and both instruments look more expensive than they really are.
Even though both guitars are from the 500-800 Euro price bracket, Tanglewood have gone the extra mile to match the wood grain on the sides of both guitars. The tops of the shoulders look bookmatched.
The vintage brief extends to more than simple cosmetics on the TW40O-AN-E:
Vintage OM-guitars (OM stands for Orchestra Model) are known for their slightly wider necks with soft V-profiles. You will also often find a slightly wider string spacing at the bridge, which makes fingerstyle playing much easier.
Tanglewood has used these vintage specifications for their Sundance Historic OM:
The neck has a very nice, soft V-profile, with a width at the top nut of 46 mm. The low E to top e spacing at the bridge is a very comfy 58 mm, which is good news for fingerpickers, working equally well with a plectrum.
The TW40O plays like a dream with a nice set-up on our review sample (string height at the 12th fret: bass-E – 2.1 mm/treble-e – 1.9 mm).
There a lot of debate about the pros and cons of solid backs in acoustic guitars. Some claim that a solid back is almost as important as a solid top in a steel-string acoustic, while others point to the use of laminated backs in the legendary Selmer-Maccaferri guitars (and newer exponents of the Gypsy Jazz genre) or to the great sound of arched-back vintage Guilds.
My own position in this debate is that most (but not all) guitars with laminated backs a bit quieter and drier-sounding than their all-solid brethren. Nevertheless, I feel that a solid top and an overall well-crafted instrument are much more important to the sound as a whole.
An OM-sized steel-string will have a ”sweeter”, less bass-heavy tone than a Dreadnought of similar build, which is due in large part to its smaller and differently-shaped body.
Tanglewood’s TW40O has the trademark OM-sound – the guitar’s voice is open and well-balanced, with a projection akin to that of a Dreadnought, and it is very easy to record and place in a mix.
These two clips have been recorded with a pair of Shure SM57 microphones:
Fishman’s Sonitone system is a decent and easy-to-use choice to amplify your guitar on stage with the least amount of hassle:
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The original aims in designing the Dreadnought were the need for more volume and a fatter bass register. At first Martin’s D-models were aimed squarely at the ”singing cowboys”, which were so popular in the US in the 1930s and 40s. These musicians, such as Gene Autry or Hank Williams, needed loud guitars that would build a strong foundation for their vocals. This is what started the phenomenal success of the D-model, making it fairly ubiquitous in most genres of music.
Tanglewood’s TW40D-AN-E is a well-made homage to a 1930s-style D-18, both in terms of looks and sound.
The TW40D’s neck is virtually identical to the one on the TW40O – a nice soft-V affair, which is slightly wider and bigger than the neck on many contemporary steel-strings.
The craftsmanship displayed on this D is of the same high standard as on the reviewed OM, really leaving nothing to be desired in terms of the TW40D’s playability and set-up (bass-E: 2.2 mm/top-e: 1.7 mm).
We all know how a Dreadnought should sound: a big bottom end, coupled with a warm mid-range and chiming treble.
The Tanglewood TW40D doesn’t disappoint:
Fishman’s Sonitone system also works very well in the context of the TW40D-AN-E-model:
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In my opinion Tanglewood’s TW40O-AN-E and TW40D-AN-E really do offer something special in their price range:
Here we have a pair of steel-string acoustics at player-friendly prices, which take the terms ”vintage” and ”historic” above and beyond mere cosmetics. Thanks to the ”vintage correct” neck dimensions and neck profiles of these two instruments, and the wider string spacing, genuinely vintage-feeling guitars become available without custom shop price tags.
These are well-made, great-sounding guitars. Too bad I have to give them back…
****
Tanglewood Sundance Historic
TW40O-AN-E – 673 €
TW40D-AN-E – 673 €
Finnish distributor: Musamaailma
****
Pros:
+ value-for-money
+ workmanship
+ authentic neck profile
+ playability
+ Fishman pickup and preamp
+ sound
Kitarablogi.com – Finland's premier Guitar and Bass blog 