2015 Stephan Connor classical guitar

Woods: Indian rosewood and western red cedar with flamed maple inlay on back and headstock. French polish shellac top and nitro lacquer sides and back. Double laminated sides and back. Honduran mahogany neck.

Specs: hardshell case, sound port with magnetized cover, 650 mm scale, 52mm nut, 43mm string spacing at nut, 58mm at saddle. Raised fingerboard, custom Connor Alessi tuners. Lattice bracing is a fan system with slight cross bracing, running perpendicular to grain.

Condition: the shellac has been slightly refreshed on the top and two small dents, now filled, have a slightly darker coloration. Very small but noticeable. Otherwise the guitar presents as new. Case shows some normal wear--minor.

Comment: Of all the Connors I have seen come through this shop, this one sounds closest to a traditionally built guitar. Though it has immediate and startling power and sustain, it is never too much. There is a sweet roundedness to the tone, which I ascribe to the lamination Steve now uses often. This broad shouldered presence is natural to the added weight it possesses. By comparison, another '15 Connor was briefly here and it was brash, somewhat boomy, because it had the lamination, plus the full Connor lattice system of the past. I also note how easy this guitar is to play. As when driving a luxury car, and the combination of quiet fit and finish, plus secure road handling impresses, so does the feel of this guitar. Just how or where the sensation derives is a mystery to me, but it is there in spades.

This is the opportunity to own a virtually new Connor for less than a new guitar, without the wait list time and uncertainty of what one would end up with after the order is complete. In short, you get to test drive this guitar before deciding, but with an order, what you get is what you get.