This classical guitar from the luthier Graham Caldersmith has been sold.
As soon as you open the case, you are gripped by the beauty of the essences, the scent of the wood and the instrument’s unusual appearance; you’re in the presence of a classical classical guitar that has been made in the purest Australian tradition.
The magnificent cedar soundboard is superbly enamelled. The sides are made of Australian Blackwood, Blackheart Sassafrass or Indian Rosewood. Australian cedar neck, Schaller actions, Padouk bridge, and the head veneered with blackwood. All the woods are of Australian origin, the result of years of physics and acoustics research by Graham Caldersmith.
You may be surprised by the weight: it’s very heavy compared to a traditional classical guitar, but that’s the secret of Australian classical guitars. The outside is very sober and all the design is on the inside, and having seen what goes on in there, I can assure you that it’s all rather complex.
Classical guitar graham caldersmith details:
The classical guitar has a rather unusual neck profile as it’s the same thickness along its entire length, which gives unrivalled playing comfort. It’s also fitted with a truss rod which allows you to adjust the curve of the neck and refine the adjustments to suit the way in which the guitarist plays. The height of the strings, or the action, is fairly low but quite standard: 3mm on the 12th fret first string and 4mm on the sixth string.
The Caldersmith is a very well-balanced guitar from the sound point of view; the bass notes are deep and powerful, the mediums are there but not invasive, and the high notes are very resonant with an incredible length of sound. But the really spectacular aspect is the harmonics, which are released with every note: you feel sustained, enveloped, each phrase played is in three dimensions: clarity, depth and harmonic resonance.
Everything becomes a pleasure, whatever the style of music you play: baroque, classical, romantic or contemporary. It adds richness, intensity, brilliance and dynamics, and it’s left to the musician to vary his playing style and simply interpret the music!
To conclude, I’d say that it’s an enchanting guitar.
A great classical guitar and one to discover!