A Tonare's Tale

[László]

Ever since getting home from the hospital, my maple-bodied Tonare Grand has been a stellar companion, since how much weight I can safely lift is limited for now, which restricts my ability to head down to the studio with my electrics to play through amps.

After two years, the guitar just keeps sounding better and better, and one thing I have to say about the carbon fiber reinforced neck is that it has never, ever needed an adjustment of any kind. It plays exactly the same way it did when I got it in the summer of 2013. The seasons don't seem to affect it at all. I have the feeling that I can depend on it forever (or at least as long as I'm around, anyway)!

Plus it records beautifully, plays easily with the 80/20 Bronze Bluegrass strings I use (medium bottoms, light tops), and is always ready to put a smile on my face. It never seems to have a bad tone day. And it doesn't constantly need new strings to sound its best, like some acoustics I've owned - a set sounds great for months. It works beautifully whether I use a pick, as I most often do, or play fingerstyle.

Other than keeping it clean, the only maintenance I do is put in a new Planet Waves Humidipack every so often (these were recommended by PRS in a video that CoryT posted last year, and they work as advertised). The ebony fingerboard has needed only a wipe down with a soft cloth, nothing else. And I keep it cased when I'm not playing it. That's it.

Between the absolutely stellar sound (I've had a number of high end acoustic guitars, and none compare), and its inspiring looks, I just love playing this thing.

Pardon the rant, but I just had to share.

Here's another look at my baby:

 

[CoreyT]

Beautiful guitar Les.
I just got out my SE Standard acoustic for the 5 day weekend.
Have not played mine in awhile.

 

[packy]

Hey Les - Hope that thing didn't get any scratches or dents when it fell from heaven!

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Now THAT is awesome!! I have posted/chatted/blogged various things about non adjustable graphite reinforced necks ( probably too many times), but I wanted to hear first hand how they hold up over time...and that's great to hear! Also glad things seem to be going smoothly for you, Les!! Enjoy that beautiful acoustic, sir!!

 

[László]

Hey Les - Hope that thing didn't get any scratches or dents when it fell from heaven!

Ha! The tone gods protected it!

 

[tabl10s]

My non-carbon hasn't needed adjustment either since getting it in May and three string changes and keeping it by the window tks faces the sun.

 

[Boogie]

Mmmmm...flamey. :angelus::adore: (Let's pretend that emoji doesn't have a cut-away) Mega-yum. Use a bib, drool marks are not good for he finish.

 

[László]

My non-carbon hasn't needed adjustment either since getting it in May and three string changes and keeping it by the window tks faces the sun.

Awesome! Solid guitars, aren't they?

 

[László]

Mmmmm...flamey. :angelus::adore: (Let's pretend that emoji doesn't have a cut-away) Mega-yum. Use a bib, drool marks are not good for he finish.

At my age, a drool cup is a mandatory fashion accessory...

 

[144742]

Les, would you say the tonare is much better than the angelus as a flarpicking guitar?

Also, is maple body better than brazilian body?

My angelus action is kind of high. Is it because it is designed as a fingerpicking guitar?

 

[László]

Les, would you say the tonare is much better than the angelus as a flarpicking guitar?

I bought the Tonare because over the years I've learned that I like playing a Small Jumbo. The Tonare's dimensions are similar to my former Collings SJ, a guitar I liked a lot, and just a little smaller in width than a Gibson SJ200, another guitar I've had good luck with on sessions.

So that's what I bought. However, I ordered it with the same nut width and string spacing as the Angelus. I honestly never thought about whether it was a flat picker's guitar or more suited to fingerstyle. My brain doesn't work that way.

Also, is maple body better than brazilian body?

Only if you like it better.

They sound different. Pick your poison.

My angelus action is kind of high. Is it because it is designed as a fingerpicking guitar?

One person's "kind of high" is another person's "perfect." If your action is higher than you'd like, any competent luthier should be able to adjust it and lower the action very easily.

 

[veinbuster]

Les, would you say the tonare is much better than the angelus as a flarpicking guitar?

From a playing point of view, not at all. The only aspect of the Tonare that might favour flatpicking is that has a somewhat bigger sound and some flatpickers are looking for the biggest sound they can get.
I play both with fingers and flat picks: the Tonare probably 60% fingers, the Angelus maybe 75% fingers.

My angelus action is kind of high. Is it because it is designed as a fingerpicking guitar?

I don't think it was designed to have a higher action than the Tonare. I have not noticed a difference in the action on mine, though they have never been in the same country at the same time.


And while I'm here, my Tonare with a carbon truss rod hasn't needed an adjustment in the 4 years I've owned it - all of them in Canadian winters.

 

[144742]

Les, Is the Tonare a lot deeper sounding than the angelus?

Does the lack of cutaway on the Tonare bother you as you?

 

[László]

Les, Is the Tonare a lot deeper sounding than the angelus?

It's been too long since I heard an Angelus live for me to be able to answer your question; my Tonare has a maple back and sides, so it's going to sound leaner and brighter than a rosewood Tonare anyway.

And it's been two years since I played my old cocobolo Tonare. I just don't have a good frame of reference to be able to tell you an answer.

Does the lack of cutaway on the Tonare bother you?

Nope. I generally don't buy acoustics with cutaways. I never seem to need them.

 

[tabl10s]

My last two acoustics were SJ's with one being and odd shaped affair modeled after an old J200. I've never played a maple PRS, but didn't like the maple J200 I tried. I need a second Tonare in something other than Brazilian....unless that's all that's available.

 

[144742]

Do you prefer adirondack top or euro spruce tops?

 

[László]

I've never played a maple PRS, but didn't like the maple J200 I tried.

It's very hard to find a really good sounding J200. Maybe one out of 100 are great. But I have played and recorded with some fantastic ones. A great J-200 sits in a rock mix so well...the quintessential examples I think of are tracks on The Who's Tommy album (Pinball Wizard anyone?), but there have been many, many artists who've use them on lots of different records.

With the PRSes I've played, all have been stellar. I'd never give up my Tonare for even a great J200.

Do you prefer adirondack top or euro spruce tops?

Depends on what I want the guitar to accomplish. Both are great.

My Tonare's top is Adirondack, because it's both loud and rich sounding, which makes a very good recipe for what I wanted in this guitar, which I primarily use for strumming in my ad tracks along with other instruments. Combined with the bright tone of the maple, it sits beautifully in a mix, doesn't take up more space than necessary, and doesn't add a lot of low midrange mud to the arrangement. Yet there's lots of sparkle and cut. Doesn't need much EQ.

Its ability to play with volume helps because I can get a variety of dynamic range out of it, plus I stereo mic it, so the mics tend to be a little farther away from the guitar than is typical with a mono setup.

I also often use ribbon mics with acoustics, and the brightness helps there, too. I like how natural a good ribbon sounds.

I might feel differently about the guitar's woods if I was, for example, going to play solo fingerstyle. Etc. In that case, I'd probably opt for a nice Braz or cocobolo back and sides, and I'd consider both European spruce and maybe even cedar.

Horses for courses.

I've stated many times that I don't think there's a "best" anything. There are choices, and choosing an instrument one has to consider how it fits one's needs, resources, and skills. A custom-built instrument like the Tonare gave me the opportunity to pick all the woods, and after 47 years of playing, it wasn't all that hard to come to some decisions about what exactly what I needed the guitar to do, and to pick a build that met that need.

 

[Quake17]

Les,

Congrats on finding the medicinal value in your Tonare! I have three myself and they are not going anywhere. I added an Angelus in Coco/Adi in May but lost my password so no NGD from me.

Grant

 

[László]

Hey, Grant - three of them! That's a heckuva stable!

Tell us more about the three you have, and also, the Angelus sounds really nice...my first Tonare was coco/adi.

 

[Quake17]

Les,

I bought a Tonare 4 years ago in Coco/Euro and was so impressed, I picked up a used Tonare in Mahogany/Euro a month later. A year later I bought a used Tonare advertised as Coco/Adi with the Celtic inlays. It turned out to be a Euro top but I liked it so much that I have no remorse; the Celtic inlays are something else as well. I found a used Angelus in Coco/Adi in May as well to complete the set! I don't have a picture of the Angelus but I'll get a group photo posted.