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| Allan Beardsell Model 4G X-Ray |
| How long has it been since we've been able to offer
a new instrument from Allan Beardsell? The short answer is "too long"!
I have been exhibiting serious withdrawal symptoms since this popular builder
moved to Winnipeg ... but this new Model 4G "X-Ray" has definitely stopped
the trembling in my hands!
So what is the "X-Ray" aspect of this instrument
you ask? Ever since Allan Beardsell made a guitar for Lou Reed with
this striking soundhole rosette made from holly & ebony with dyed maple
accents, he has nick named this aesthetic package "X-Ray".
As usual, Allan's highly developed sense of visual design has not
let him down!
Players who are exposed to Mr. Beardsell's instruments
for the first time are initially overwhelmed by the look ... the distinctive
body outline, bold peghead profile, unique impedance matching
bridge, built-in armrest bevel, handmade soundhole marquetry
and of course the double side ports with raised surrounds.
This luthier also seems to have a never ending supply of some of the best
tonewoods I've ever seen or heard ... this instrument being a case in point! |
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This is one of the most intensely figured set
of Hawaiian koa back & sides that I have ever seen. I am a huge
fan of koa as a tonewood for steel string guitars and am always on the
lookout for this species, but even I have never seen anything like
this! Allan used koa for this instrument as it imparts similar sonic
properties as mahogany or walnut ... the perfect tone-match for this quite
spectacular Redwood top.
It only took a couple of minutes of playing
before I knew that this was a very special musical instrument ... and that
this unusual looking Redwood was an integral part of the sonic equation.
When I asked Allan about the history of this particular top plate he responded
"It was harvested, pre-ban, around 100 years ago. The redwood log
would have been floated down a river and became water-logged and sank-
its own anti-pest qualities would have saved it from rot. Recently
recovered and dried, the logs revealed the not-recently-seen quality of
redwood of 100 years ago and also the beautiful water-staining that creates
a dramatic colouration in the wood ... everything from "black sunburst"
to a black stripe/marbled look. This is added to the fact that redwood
makes great sounding guitars, stiffer across the grain than cedar, darker
in tone than spruce, it can make a guitar that sounds older than its years
yet with all the clarity of a newer instrument. Also,
it develops well over time. Two years ago I built myself a redwood
guitar that has become one of the loudest, warmest sounding instruments
I have made." |
