“I was going to wait another few days before writing back to see how the sound settled in after a few days of continuous playing, but it’s received pretty much continuous playing since i got it so here we go.
On first impression, what struck me straight away about the instrument was its power and clarity, you could hear every note and the sheer volume you could get out of this instrument terrified me. The action was perfect, it wasn’t too high, but more importantly, it wasn’t too low either.
After playing it for a few days, the attention to detail in this instrument really started to stun me. I found myself going slightly out of tune because i had tried to “correct” the tuning of the D string. The compensated nut and staggered bridge had given even the D string perfect intonation up to the high frets. The slightly wider neck really showed its use when doing awkward pull-offs on the high E-string.
This is all before even mentioning the sound. Often a powerful bass can have an overpowering effect on the trebles, but they remained clear even at a high volume. I had read that the clarity associated with the Lens Resonance System makes it very suitable for baroque music, but less so for romantic music. However, I found that this was not necessarily true. The clarity of course lent itself tremendously to any Bach at all, but the tonal and dynamic range possible on this instrument made it perfect for romantic music. Play anything high up on the guitar sul tasto and it really sings. A truly exceptional instrument.
Oh, and the tuners are great, and I presume I’ll find the 12-hole tie block really useful when I put on new strings. The only thing that could make it any sweeter was the customer service i got from you and Claire. Thanks for everything. I might send a few recordings of the sound when I get a chance.
On the subject of Ramirez, I’m still waiting for the letter to be delivered to Thomann, but if things don’t go well, any help would be really appreciated. I really appreciate the offer, and will keep you updated” Philip Lawson, 23/1/2009