Goodall

It is always such a joy to play a Goodall guitar!  James Goodall would certainly be counted among the vanguard of luthiers who redefined the landscape of the modern steel string acoustic guitar.  We are particularly fond of his aesthetic sensibilities, where there is a clear emphasis on the beauty of natural materials that are tastefully combined in an understated, yet elegant manner.  For instance, it is easy to lose yourself in the shimmering curl of flamed maple binding set against the rich chocolates and caramels of Indian rosewood back and sides.  (WARNING: a nerdy Lord of the Rings reference approaches!) And, one is certainly at risk of falling into a “chatoyance stupor” when gazing at various artful shell appointments, where color and luster have a mesmerizing playful quality that, like the Palantir draws the viewer ever deeper until they are drooling and oblivious to the passage of time.  

Meanwhile, the sonic signature of a Goodall guitar is equally engaging.  The player is greeted by crisply-defined, powerful, and well-supported notes that leap from the soundboard with ease and grace.  The overall tone of Goodall guitars is manifestly balanced and composed, yet there is a certain frivolity present in the voicing that impels you to explore and have fun.  In many ways, this approach to voicing and response is emblematic of what we often describe as “contemporary voicing,” in that the innate clarity and nuanced response live up to the demands of the modern acoustic guitar player, especially those in the fingerstyle realm.

An earlier example, this 1994 RS (Rosewood Standard) is a classic Goodall through and through.  Moreover, for us here at Maple Street Guitars, it is exciting to handle such a time capsule guitar, as it was made right after we began representing Goodall Guitars.  Being a Standard body with slightly larger dimensions than a traditional dreadnought, this guitar has a powerful and broad pianistic projection that is perfectly matched with a classic tonewood pairing for such a guitar: a Sitka spruce top for strong dynamic range and clarity, and Indian rosewood back and sides for a rich, dark, and harmonically complex backdrop. Indeed, this Goodall RS lives up to its builder’s legacy, as it is capable of delivering all the explosive presence one could ask for while still offering a high degree of acoustic refinement and expressiveness.

Condition:

At a glance, one would be hard-pressed to accept that this Rosewood Standard is a used guitar that is approaching 30 years of age.  Upon close inspection, we do note some areas of lacquer sink/settling, as well as several insignificant and shallow pin-head-sized top dents, primarily concentrated on the bass side upper bout. The most apparent cosmetic wear to note is a small archipelago of light finish mars on the back along edge of the treble-side waist.  This could perhaps be attributed to a case of “keys-in-the-pocket, but thankfully the extent and impact of this encounter was extremely limited.   EXCELLENT+ to NEAR MINT condition

• “Standard” Body Size
• Solid Sitka Spruce Top
• Tapered X-Bracing
• Solid Indian Rosewood Back and Sides
• Flamed Maple Body Binding and Heelcap
• 3-ply (B/W/B) Wooden Top Purfling
• Single Ring Abalone Rosette
• Gloss Body Finish
• Mahogany Neck with C Shape Carve
• Ebony Fingerboard
• Abalone Solid Diamond Fingerboard Inlays (Long Pattern)
• Indian Rosewood Headstock Veneer
• Flamed Maple Headstock Binding
• Abalone “G” Headstock Logo with Mother of Pearl Wings
• Satin Neck Finish
• “Wing” Ebony Bridge
• Ebony Bridge Pins with Abalone Dots
• Chrome Schaller Tuning Machines with Ebony Buttons
• Clear Pickguard
• Bone Nut
• Bone Saddle
• 1 3/4” Nut Width
• 25 1/2” Scale Length
• Original TKL Double Arch Case