Within the early Nineteen Seventies, Guild Guitars launched Madeira, a line of devices manufactured in Japan. The collection was modeled after present Guild designs and made to be each high-quality and reasonably priced, and one specific Madeira ended up being the at-home songwriting associate of reggae legend Bob Marley. Final fall, Guild launched the A-20 Marley, a guitar designed to match the instrument Marley owned and performed within the ’70s. So as to create a modernized reproduction of the guitar, Guild tracked down classic Madeira fashions, looking for to repeat a lot of the unique particulars, whereas enhancing on sure elements. I put the A-20 Marley by its paces and located it to be not only a cool collectible however a wonderful guitar for the value.  

A Tasteful Homage

A strictly acoustic dreadnought, the A-20 Marley has a stable Sitka spruce high and mahogany again and sides with a matte end, a pau ferro fretboard and bridge, and bone nut and saddle. In homage to the artist, MARLEY is spelled out on the twelfth fret with pearloid inlays. The guitar additionally contains a vintage-correct rounded headstock form, conventional bridge and rosette, and a black pickguard adorned with Marley’s signature in gold.

Rounding out the package deal are some custom-made equipment: a gig bag adorned with a lion insignia and comprised of recycled nylon, a nod to Marley’s environmentalist values; a small black-and-white poster of Marley; three guitar picks emblazoned with the Marley brand; and a booklet that tells the story behind the guitar and presents a chord chart for the basic Marley music “Three Little Birds.” Additionally in keeping with the late Marley’s inexperienced beliefs is Guild’s partnership with the charity One Tree Planted, which has dedicated to planting a tree for each guitar that’s made.

Glowing Tones

As quickly as you choose up the A-20 Marley, you may instantly really feel how resonant it’s. Because of its measurement, it’s booming, but it surely’s not simply loud—that quantity comes paired with a deep heat that permeates every tone. There’s a richness to open chords, particularly these performed in the midst of the neck, and individually picked traces sound daring and assertive. That is nice for whenever you’re making an attempt to provide quite a lot of sonic shade in a single strum or trying to ship some punch behind a picked melody.

The highly effective low finish creates a powerful bass palette that doesn’t ovewhelm the excessive finish. That is the kind of guitar that enunciates every little thing you play with readability. There are hotspots between the fifth and ninth frets on the excessive and center strings, the place pure reverberation is audible, however regardless of the place you’re on the neck, notes ring out with golden overtones. That works nicely for somebody like me, primarily a fingerpicker, however is in reality helpful for all gamers—the A-20 Marley boasts a versatility in tonal vary and appears to reply nicely to any type. One factor that’s additionally enjoyable about fingerpicking on this guitar is that that its bass voice sounds with drive proper underneath your thumb.

Easy Taking part in

The assessment Marley got here arrange with a cushty medium motion—round 3/32-inch on the bass aspect and a pair of/32-inch on the treble on the twelfth fret. That, together with the C-shaped neck, 24-3/4-inch scale size, and satin end, make for easy playability. One of many modernized elements of the guitar is that its C-shaped neck is a modification of the unique’s V-shaped profile. Whereas some guitarists may desire a giant old school V-shaped neck, the extra streamlined fashionable profile will certainly be a plus for a lot of gamers. 

When reviewing devices, it’s vital to notice any drawbacks, however on this case, I couldn’t actually discover any, particularly contemplating the value level. I used to be impressed by the guitar’s sound and playability and appreciated its easy, simple construct. Plus, the Bob Marley–impressed prospers, to not point out the case sweet, make it an important collector’s merchandise for the devoted Marley fan. At $399 road, it’s a particularly reasonably priced instrument that may compete with others exterior of its value vary, and as a dreadnought that manages to be each roaring and vibrant, it’s certain to suit into the palms and elegance of most guitarists.

Specs

BODY Dreadnought form; stable Sitka spruce high with scalloped X-bracing; mahogany again and sides; bone saddle with 2-1/8″ string spacing; pau ferro bridge; satin polyurethane end

NECK Mahogany C-shape; pau ferro fretboard; 1-3/4″ bone nut; 16″ fretboard radius; open-back nickel tuners (16:1 gear ratio); satin polyurethane end

OTHER Recycled nylon gig bag; D’Addario EXP16 Coated Phosphor Bronze Gentle (.012–.053)

MADE IN China

PRICE $399 road

guildguitars.com

Store for this guitar on Amazon or Sweetwater.