A visit to Brook Guitars......

bugileman

I love Brook guitars, beautifully crafted.

earwighoney

Tannin said:

I agree with you in broad, Thomas. 

In detail, Blackwood really is very similar to Koa - and rather different too. You can immediately hear the similarity, but also the difference. It's a bit like meeting your wife's sister for the first time - so much about her is familiar, but there are things that stand out as different. Blackwood has been described as the "queen of Australian tonewoods" and I reckon that's fair enough. It is richer and bassier than maple, not cloying like rosewood, has a touch of mahogany warmth (not as much as Koa though) and is very versatile. 

Walnut I can't comment on. (Wait until my Brook arrives next year. Yay!) 

Well, I will comment anyway, but only on Black Walnut (the American one, which is a little bit softer than Common (European) Walnut but broadly similar) in combination with a cedar top. The two guitars I tried in that combination at Project Music blew me away. One Lowden, one McIlroy, both lovely. On the whole, I think the tonal richness and responsiveness had more to do with the builder's skills than with the walnut back; just the same, I was impressed. 

Pete and I were also gobsmacked by the first Brook we tried there (an Englemann Spruce top, I think). We didn't recognise it as rosewood and assumed it was something else (walnut maybe). It looked different and sounded different. We liked it a lot. Had us bamboozled! But rosewood it was - very different to the second Brook they had, also in rosewood, which looked and sounded as expected. 

And then (at the Brook workshop) I played Simon's Adiriondack (Red) Spruce and rosewood OM, which was different again - and which had me rethinking my mild dislike of Red Spruce as it was very playable and (unlike my Guild) not harsh at all.

In finished instruments I found Black Walnut guitars seem to be a touch drier sounding than their English walnut counterparts. But this was something I noticed many years ago, my memories are a bit shady on the minor differences.

One thing for sure Brook know how to build with any variety of walnut. I've played a few of their instruments with both varieties. 

For my ears, walnut is the quintessential back and side set for Brook Guitars. 

stratman3142

Visited Brook Guitars yesterday. What a great place and certainly off the beaten track. Super friendly and helpful guys.

They did a great job in sorting out the action on my Yamaha acoustic. Now I've booked in my Ibanez AZ2204 for a bit of work, following its recent accident.