Recording King Guitars

[Algonquin]

http://www.recordingking.com/guitars_rosseries.html

I just read about these 'Century Series' guitars from Recording King on a local shops web page. They are made in China, but are well made, and very well priced. I like the idea of having a twelfth fret neck joint acoustic... something suited for finger picking.

Anyone had any experience with these?

Cheers,
David

[sunvalleylaw]

No direct experience, but i have heard that they have some QC issues as compared to Blueridge Guitars, another asian acoustic maker that seems to be doing very well, and are priced about the same. Again, no direct experience, just what I read online, and heard from a dealer I talked to while doing my shopping.

I also heard if you get a good RC, they can be quite good.

[bigG]

Here's a text w video review of the Recording King ROS-626 from acousticguitar.com:

http://acousticguitar.com/article/de...rticleid=23943

Very nice!

G

Edit: as to guitars made in China: just yesterday I took my Guild GAD Jumbo in for a free restring by Guitar Chris. He has a Martin Jumbo on the sales floor ($3,000 street) that he's lusting after himself. I paid $749 street for my Chinese-made Guild in 2006. After the restring, at my request, we compared the Martin to my Guild, and, even Chris admitted, as far as fit, finish, tone and action...there was VERY little difference between the two guitars!

As one reviewer of the Guild Jumbo put it on MF (or maybe HC): "Quality guitars made in China? You bet!"

[Algonquin]

Good find G... the guitar in the video sounds great to my ears!

Why do I do this to myself

[evenkeel]

I have played a Recording King dread. Very nice guitar. Wonderful tone, good workmanship. Recording King, Morgan Monroe and Blueridge are all running plays off the same book. Vintage Martin construction done in a modern, Chinese factory. They all talk about forward shifted bracing, vintage vibe etc.. The Guild GAD series uses a lot of the same construction techniques but in a more modern looking guitar. I like a lot of these guitars except the dread guitars from the GAD series. These guitars just did not have the oomph I expect from a dread. The 000 sized GAD30 however is a real winner.

FWIW my Dean Sweetwood 00R is another example of these old timey, beautifully made Martin clones, built in China. Dean however, could not give these guitars away. I guess the metal/shredder fan base Dean has developed could not warm up to vintage acoustics.