| Any of the really outstanding luthiers that I
have know have a signature sound ... a sonic fingerprint that sets their
instruments apart from all others. I know for certain that in a blindfold
test, I could pick out one of G.W. Barry's guitars every time.
Twenty-five years ago, Gordon Barry was
making exceptional steel string guitars, very much in the tradition
of Jean Larrivee, his mentor. Today however, Gordon's
instruments have evolved significantly. For one thing, his
guitars have one of THE widest dynamic ranges of any being made today.
They immediacy of response when the strings are attacked lightly is astonishing,
but the fact that you can also dig in aggressively and not quickly hit
a 'ceiling' is in my mind, one of the marks of a great luthier.
G.W. Barry also has the knack of creating
a midrange with personality 'right out of the gate'. A lot of new
instruments start off with a very sterile attenuated midrange when new,
then develop midrange character as the years go by. Don't get me
wrong. Mr. Barry's guitars develop added response, projection
and mids as they are being played, but they are definitely NOT sterile
sounding when new. A new Barry has response, tonal complexity,
clarity and projection. Hey! What else is there? |
