Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, my Double Top Small Jumbo made it today to its new owner in Florida and I was surprised by the review he posted in another forum I am a member of.
I certainly wasn't expecting a review like this but this is what he said about it:

"Ok, I've just spent an hour playing my new Cornerstone guitar. Really not a great amount of time to go into the complexities of what I am hearing, because I don't really understand it all yet. It's really hard to explain. I don't know if it is the wood selection, the bracing, the double top, soundport, and I don't care cause it is remarkable.

The guitar is extremely balanced. But, hmmm, when I have said that in the past it is usually my way of being nice when playing a guitar that is average or has nothing that really stands out. In this case, it is very different.

If you love clear sparkling highs, you'd love this guitar. They are clear, the harmonics are incredible and the sustain is ridiculous.

If you love punchy, strong mids, you'd love this guitar. There are very clean, but warm and hmmmm, toothy, like a great Martin or Collings OM.

Now, this is not a big guitar, but Peter assured me that the bass of this guitar would not be thin. Well, wow, ummmm, I don't know how to even start. The bass, like I said earlier, is very present. It is deep, it is LOUD, warm, and hmmm, loose. Lots of vibration against the chest when you play it. This guitar has all the bass and space as my 23 yr old 17" Taylor 815.

The SJ seems like it has already opened and is not tight at all. I really have never experienced anything like it in a small body guitar before. I have had small Taylors, Breedloves, Goodalls, Grevens, Martins and Collings and I have played Olsons, Applegates, Ryans, Doolins, and so many others. Usually I had a fair amount of exposure to the guitars that were not mine so I have a good feel for them. This guitar does not sound like them, it sounds, much, well, bigger.

If I were gonna compare this guitar to guitars I have played, well, it sounds bigger than my old SJ Collings with brazilian and adi. My best comparison is to one of Lance McCollum's guitars, walnut and redwood, but that was a much deeper and bigger guitar, and the other I think it is similar to is a redwood/madrose 5.0 MacPhearson I have played and almost bought. It has that warmth and power to it. Those guitars have a very loose sound, not tight, like there is a lot of space for the sound. This is consistent to that.

I have played and owned alot of large and small new acoustic guitars. I have never heard a guitar out of the box with such maturity and presence. I don't know how to even explain it. In fact, the guitar is almost as loud and warm played lightly as it is loudly.

As far as the craftsmanship....
I have been over this guitar to look at every little detail. First thing I notice is that the top and bloodwood is much darker, much richer than the pics show. The camatillo rosewood is absolutely a beautiful warm wood with amazing figure.

The bindings, the mitered corners are beautiful. The paua is gorgeous all the way around, bold blues and greens are great against the dark woods. The workmanship to my eyes is as good as what I have seen in guitars that cost 3, 4 and 5 times more.

I have to remind you that before this guitar started, I did not know Peter, and while I have a good relationship with him I would not taint my review. I just cannot get over what I have here. This is the nicest guitar I have ever owned. No doubt. And usually I cannot say that until I had it for a while.

I would not hesitate to recommend Peter's guitars to anyone. I still have to figure out the soundclips thing, but wow, I am so impressed.

Thanks Peter. Hard to believe what you have learned in such a short time."


Thanks for reading,

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Yeah, but what does he REALLY think?

Good for you, Peter! Can't get much better than that.




Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Peter, quick! Cut this man a large check!!!    Such a glowing review from an experienced player is the very best kind of advertising you could get!

Praise well deserved for such a beautiful instrument!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Peter that is really outstanding.  I wish he could figure out that clip thing too.  I would like to hear it myself.  That guitar should have been the feature in Guitarmaker!

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Thanks guys,
thats a bit more review than I expected...

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

That's just awesome. Man, congratulations, Peter! Where was the review
made? If it's not there, get him to paste it to The Gear Page!

Peter I'm proud of you my friend. You've made your customer extreamly happy and the dividends from that will certainly go a very very long way.

Well done bud.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Congrats Peter
Very well deserved. What a complete guitar. We all know how wonderful it
looks, but now we know how wonderful it sounds!!!!!!!






I am sure Serge would agree with the above response. We miss you mon
ami

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

Congratulations Peter on a job well done.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

That's great, Peter. Congratulations!

I must confess, if you had made earlier posts about the construction of this guitar, I didn't catch them. Is this a Nomex sandwich top? Would you be willing to tell us more about that and about the bracing? It sounds like you may have a method and approach to building that would be well worth studying.

Thanks.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Does it feel like a dream come true, Peter?

Congratulations!

Maybe we should pinch ya so you know you`re not asleep. Nah.

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

Well done Peter, well done! You must be just floating, and you should be!

Whats next?

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Aoibeann

Bravo, Peter. That certainly is a ringing endorsement of your work.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

Man.....

thanks guys, I am humbled.... (and happy!)

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

Peter, Congratulations man ! That is about the best
review I've ever heard! You must be very proud of your work! Such a beautiful guitar that sounds soooo good!
WTG Now, to top that .... I hope the next one is just as good for you.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755

What a review!

Congrats that man!

wow - i think you deserve a cold one...in fact one for every good word!!!

 

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www.theguitarrepairworkshop.com

Peter, I just searched the archives looking for other posts you've made about this guitar. Found a recent thread with several more photos... really beautiful guitar! Lots to love about it. I especially like the cutaway shape. A lot of rounded cutaways look oddly bulbous to my eye, but yours looks elegant.

I still haven't found more info on the double top construction (I'm familiar with the Nomex method, but don't know if that's what you did here), bracing, or any other clues as to what led to the awesome sound your customer describes (other than it being "sinkerwood"). Would you care to enlighten us?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Wow Peter, it says that a man's gift will make room for him. No doubt you have that gift. This is a beautiful guitar. The review is incredible too.

Many years ago, in an upstairs room in a town in Italy a man carved away at spruce, maple, and ebony. His name is known all over the world and for all time. He was a prolific builder and some of those instruments are heralded as the best in the entire world, now, four hundred years later.

What does this have to do with you? Just one thing, keep on building. Oh, and congratulations on your success. We can all say we knew you when.... Go Peter Go!, we're right behind you.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

If the image doesn't load try this:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_re_us/violin_aucti on;_ylt=AnnaahJ3JnNtZ01Z7VxvraTMWM0F

Peter 2447 A.D. 2.7 $ Million, Christies

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

WOW, what a nice present - I would love to hear that instrument myself!

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

There is a trick to getting these images to load.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

/\ I bought one of those on Saturday....

Well Peter, just LOOK at your guitar for a moment. It is a stunning work of craftmanship. Everything about it is beautiful. The reviews are very fitting.