The Loar LH-204-BR Solid Top Pre War Small Body Acoustic Guitar
Product Code: LH-204-BR
Our Price: $529.99
Description
You don't have to go down to the crossroads to get vintage-style
blues sound any longer. The new LH-204 Brownstone has tone as dark and
meaty as the turned earth you can see from your front porch. You want
the blues? The LH-204's got 'em.
Based on the award winning LH-200, the Brownstone has a solid
Sitka spruce top, mahogany back, sides and neck and a rosewood fretboard
in a classic pre-war body style. We've finished the body with a brown
satin finish and a vintage-style bound soundhole. The low-key headstock
design is a simple gold logo decal that gives a nod to the guitar's
rootsy heritage. With a 1-11/16” bone nut, 25.4” scale and comfortable C profile
neck, the tone and vibe of the LH-204 drip with the blues style that
many consider to be the foundation of all guitar music since.
The Brownstone is available in brown satin finish with an ivoroid bound soundhole.
Beginning last year, I started a tradition of honoring a special guitar
with the "Founder's Choice Award", selecting the acoustic guitar that stood out
to me the most. This year's winner was a bit of a surprise for me. I was
introduced to the
Music
Link's
line of guitars at the NAMM shows the past few years, but it wasn't
until the
ACI Show (LA-Based
Acoustic Instrument Show) that I got to sit down with these guitars in a quiet
setting. The Music Link owns several brands of good quality musical instruments,
and in the case of their
Recording King and The Loar series, they have created some easy-to-play, good
sounding instruments that are well-built and reliable - at a price point that
makes it tempting to own several different models from their line-up.
Inspired by classic American designs from yesteryear, The Loar and the
Recording King instruments are updated with modern hardware and construction
techniques for playability and tone. I selected the
LH-200 from their range
of acoustics, and proceeded to fall in love with this little gem. Its small body
is so comfortable for me to play, even for extended periods. The setup was
surprisingly good from the factory and I haven't yet been inclined to take the
guitar to my tech for a setup. Sound and projection are very good from this
little box, and suit a variety of situations. The midrange is most dominant
allowing you to dig in to your playing to get a range of goodness from warmth to
sparkle and nice treble spank. The LH-200 is equally at home in a jam session,
recording session, practice, or just quiet playing while watching the sunset.
I'm not too worried about playwear on this acoustic thanks to its relatively low
price tag. And if a friend stepped in it, I'd just get another one. For this
reason, the guitar is usually accessible and finds itself sitting in corners and
chairs all over the house, just begging to be played. And it gets played. A
lot.
The LH-200 uses a smaller "pre-war" body style that is comfortable
for long playing sessions. Back and sides are Mahogany - probably laminated -
and the top is solid spruce. Ivoroid/black binding all the way around, and
lovely MOP headstock inlay designed by Greg Rich. Standard scale at 25.5" and 14
frets clear of the body. No cutaway, no pickup included, and mine came sans
pickguard. Bone nut and Grover open tuners that work. Only 4.25"
deep.
The LH-200 is a simple, well-designed, great-sounding little guitar
that becomes your best friend while your fine handbuilt guitars are all happily
humidifying in their cases. Without a doubt, the LH-200 has been the most-played
acoustic guitar at my house in 2010.