Classical Guitar by Tim Harris Double-top Concert Classical April 2019 - French Polish

This is a double-top concert classical guitar. The top is made of two high quality cedar pieces with a nomex core. Back and sides are solid Indian Rosewood, the two-piece back is highly figured (see photos). Tuners are Gotoh premium tuners with ebony knobs. The bridge is a musk ox horn/Rosewood combination with a 12 hole string tying system. The rosewood sides are laminated with Maple on the interior of the guitar and a solid wood lining is used to add structural strength where the top and back are joined to the sides (verses kerfed wood, slotted, or pieces glued joining the top and sides). The interior of the guitar is finished in a manner similar to Fleta guitars. The guitar has a port on the top side when in the playing position, with a magnetic cover. The neck is Black Limba with a double-action truss rod for adjusting the string height. The neck can be adjusted without removing the strings. The elevated, ebony finger-board allows easy access to the higher frets. Scale length is 650mm.

There are minor nail marks on the top consistent with normal playing wear and are shallow enough that a French polish touch-up would probably rub those out. No cracks, no repairs. The workmanship by Tim Harris is superior, all wood joints precise and clean, and the wood colors produce an understated, elegant beauty, very nicely complimented by the spalted Maple rosette.

This is a high-performance guitar that can be played with a delicate touch and still produce concert level sound and volume. The guitar can also be "driven" to produce high-volume sound with a bit of Spanish flavored growl that is typical of Flamenco, however, this is not a Flamenco guitar and should not be played as such (there is no tapping plate, tapping and percussive expression if heavy handed and poorly placed could have an effect on the finish). The wood combination produces focused notes, balance across all six strings, with the warmth characteristic of cedar top guitars. I've had the string height at the 12th fret set to 3.5mm (6th string) and 3.3mm (1st string), and occasionally I've set it at 4.0mm at the 6th string. The volume does not seem to be as affected by string height differences that are typical of other guitars, though a higher setting accommodates a stronger string attack.

Other Tim Harris guitars of similar vintage and specs have recently sold as high as $6995, which is less than most concert level double-top guitars, many constructed of less quality materials and inferior craftsmanship.