NGD: Montuoro Style 8 "Special" 000-12 Koa

justonwo · #1 12-27-2013, 10:44 PM

I recently purchased this guitar from a fellow AGFer, and it's my first foray into Larson Brothers guitars. I've played one or two examples at Schoenberg and really liked them.

It's a European spruce top with koa back and sides, 000-12 size, with Montuoro's flashy Style 8 treatment. There is a fair amount of bling, but I find it classy and evocative of the era it is supposed to represent.

I've put 6-7 hours of playing time on this guitar so far. It has the great focused sound I like in smaller bodied instruments, that special fullness and "springy" quality you get to the notes from a 12 fret. It's a very touch responsive and intimate instrument, but can handle hard picking and strumming.

True to its vintage roots, it has no truss rod, so the relief is set. Action and relief are just about perfect for me, and I've discovered the guitar plays very impressively in dropped tunings. Playability and comfort is outstanding all around. Overall, it's a more versatile instrument than I was expecting, and the sound is breathtaking. Not totally unlike a Martin 000-12, but still different.

The styling is very classic looking, from the shell inlays, to the slot head configuration, the dark tinted neck, and the bridge with the quatrefoil inlays. Absolutely stunning to look at. The finish is a spirit-based varnish, which is new to me. It's clearly very thin, though perhaps also a bit delicate. That's ok because I tend to go pretty easy on my instruments (aside from my fingerpicks).

I'm very happy to be playing it . . .

justonwo · #2 12-27-2013, 10:45 PM

Eclectichick · #3 12-28-2013, 12:57 AM

Beautiful guitar, and beautiful photos

jackaroo · #4 12-28-2013, 01:58 AM

My favorite traditional style builder. I love that guys work.

I have two Montuoro builds coming due this year...so excited. I thought I might grab this one, so very tempting... but just figured I'd wait. Frankie is such a great guy and luthier, but he is so swamped building that he never has time to market himself or do the guitar forum thing. I guess it's working for him, he booked out 3+ years.

Congrats, that looks to be a splendid guitar.

Haans · #5 12-28-2013, 11:50 AM

Nicely done...

BBWW · #6 12-28-2013, 12:36 PM

Very sweet looking guitar.

kirkham13 · #7 12-28-2013, 01:11 PM

Yes!...... No other words come to mind.

vintageparlors · #8 12-28-2013, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclectichick

Beautiful guitar, and beautiful photos

+1 on that!
FABULOUS.

usb_chord · #9 12-30-2013, 10:45 AM

Man, you've really fallen for the vintage-style guitars! This Juston wouldn't recognize the one from a few months ago.

Congrats!! Looks like the same guitar on his homepage: http://www.montuoroguitars.com/ Super cool...

jackaroo · #10 12-30-2013, 11:06 AM

It is the same guitar. I've always been shocked at Frankie's low profile considering how talented the guy is. He's pretty old school at heart, but has such an open mind at the same time. I know he's done some CF laminated braces and a prairie state style Larson with a chrome rod through the body. He also does awesome Martin style reproductions.

Best guy in the biz in my experience...he's just really quiet about it.

Enjoy!

J

justonwo · #11 12-30-2013, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by usb_chord

Man, you've really fallen for the vintage-style guitars! This Juston wouldn't recognize the one from a few months ago.

Congrats!! Looks like the same guitar on his homepage: http://www.montuoroguitars.com/ Super cool...

Ha ha. Yeah, I guess that's true. I have expanded my horizons,
I believe. Being able to visit Schoenberg regularly has helped the progression along. Of course, this Juston visiting the old Juston to talk about guitars would break the space-time continuum.

justonwo · #12 12-30-2013, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackaroo

It is the same guitar. I've always been shocked at Frankie's low profile considering how talented the guy is. He's pretty old school at heart, but has such an open mind at the same time. I know he's done some CF laminated braces and a prairie state style Larson with a chrome rod through the body. He also does awesome Martin style reproductions.

Best guy in the biz in my experience...he's just really quiet about it.

Enjoy!

J

Yeah, I must admit I still don't know much about Frankie. I had to do quite a bit of research after seeing this guitar in the classifieds. Ultimately, an endorsement by a trusted fellow guitar nerd convinced me to take the risk on this guitar (and a builder I didn't know).

justonwo · #13 01-05-2014, 12:00 AM

I'm really enjoying this guitar immensely. The voicing and tone are VERY different from my other guitars. I know very little about vintage tone and vintage guitars in general, and I've had only one very brief experience with a real Larson, but I love the direct voice, the clarity, and the projection.

Although the tone is "dry" by comparison to a more modern voice, it is by no means lacking in sophistication or complexity (or sustain, for that matter). The focus is really on a dynamic, punchy, and projecting fundamental, and it puts the melody of the song right out front and center. Many have opined that the Telecaster is one of the electric guitars that, when played cleanly, it can be very unforgiving, as it puts out exactly what you put in. The same can be said for this guitar, I think, and it requires more careful fingering and execution because of the high level of clarity and projection.

It's ultra light, has tons of liveliness, and the characteristic "springiness" I have come to expect from 12 fret guitars. It will be interesting, as my experience with vintage Martin 000-12s expands, to compare the sound and dynamics to this Larson-style Montuoro. I'm very impressed with Frankie Montuoro's meticulous work and the tone and playability of this (absolutely stunning) guitar.

I should mention, by the way, since it came up in another thread . . . Frankie is one of the very few to use a "spirit varnish" finish, which understand to be more or less a shellac finish (according to Bruce Sexauer, something you'd be likely to find on a violin). I am told it is delicate, though time will tell. I presume Montuoro is trying to recreate the finishes used by the Larson Brothers. I can say that it seems quite thin and creates a stunning visual effect.

For those of you not familiar with Montuoro, here are a few photos of his other work. He focuses exclusively on recreations of Larson Brothers guitars, using the same techniques and standards.

jackaroo · #14 01-05-2014, 03:59 PM

Those are some nice photos for sure...however that's all stuff from like 5+ years ago.

While I would say that one of the things that separates Frankie from other builders is his deep knowledge of the Larson and Chicago pre war style, I wouldn't say he's exclusively loyal to that approach. Though it has left it's mark. He also does very exacting Martin repros based on exhaustive caliper analysis and repair work from the last few decades, the guy just lives and breathes the stuff. He also has been known to mix and match for clients. Larson looks, Martin braces etc...

As to the violin style finishes, yes he does that too, very, very old school. He offers some other finishes too...pretty time consuming I'm told.

Other particulars...All HHG construction, NOS Tbar stock from the 30's, real hand cut pearl (no abalam) no CNC or outsourced/premade parts, ad nauseam. The dude is hard core about the old ways...but a real nice guy, not pedantic or dogmatic. I think he just respects "the recipe" and doesn't need to dilute the end product by taking a modern approach. Granted, these are vintage style/voiced guitars, he'd be the first to say that's his bag I think. It's been a pleasure getting to know him and I'm looking forward to my guitars this spring/summer.

One is a pre-war D-28 'bone replica BRW & Adirondack. The other most likely a larger euphanon jumbo from Honduran RW or machiche, again with Adirondack top.

Maybe I can drag him kicking and screaming onto this forum. Though maybe I won't as I'd be afraid of interrupting his work!

Cheers and congrats on the 000!

J

justonwo · #15 01-05-2014, 08:59 PM

Jackaroo, thanks very much for the additional detail. He sounds like he's really passionate about guitars, so I don't know if he'd fit in here.

I guess his website is only the tip of the iceberg. I'd love to see more recent photos if you have them.