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GO GRANDE WALNUT GUITAR REVIEW

Tony Thomas

Are you looking for a guitar that you can carry on a plane, take backpacking or use to sing campfire songs? If so, then you are not alone. The travel guitar concept is catching on and thereare several offerings on the market to prove it including the Martin Backpacker®, Baby Taylor® and Tacoma Papoose®. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise. It seems that more people than ever are taking up the guitar and our society is becoming increasingly mobile.

Enter Go Guitars

A new company, has emerged and is trying to take its rightful share of the market. Go Guitars may be a new name in the guitar business but it is a company with old roots. According to the historical profile on Taylor Guitars’ site, Bob Taylor and Sam Listug both got their start working for Sam Radding, (the owner of Go Guitars) at his The American Dream Guitar Shop in Lemon Grove, CA.

Radding sold that business to Taylor, Listug and another partner they and renamed it Westland Music Company. Eventually, it came to be known as Taylor Guitars. So, Sam Radding is no stranger to the guitar building business. He recently started Go Guitars and offers a range of travel guitars that deliver great sound and wonderful portability at a price that won’t bust your bankbook.

Isn’t It Grande?

The Go Grande Walnut is Go Guitars’ top of the line instrument. It features a solid Sitka Spruce top, Walnut back and sides, a mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard. The first thing that I noticed about the instrument was its unusual shape and extremely light weight (less than 3 pounds).

The second thing I noticed was its startlingly beautiful craftmanship and the attention to detail with which it was made. Unlike most other travel guitars in its class, Go Guitars are handcrafted rather than mass produced in a factory. You can tell that by just looking it over--the quality really shows.

My Go Grande Walnut is a stock instrument with a few modifications. First of all, I swapped the standard open tuners for sealed Gotohs. Also, I added a thin clear pickguard which is more the a flamenco tapping plate. It is unobtrusive and aesthetically appealing.

Well, How Does It Sound?

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t expecting much in the sound department from the Go Grande. After all it is a travel guitar, not a pricey dreadnought. I was pleasantly surprised by the sound of the Go Grande Walnut. It has a clear and rich tone, though lacking a bit in the lower register--the laws of physics dictate that. However, its low-end deficiency is not as great as you would think.

Overall, the Go Grande Walnut has a very well-balanced sound, especially considering its size. The Grande model is a bit deeper that the standard Go Guitar, so that would account somewhat for its rich sound. I would expect that the sound will continue to improve with age considering it has a sitka spruce top. I took it to a friend of mine who is a guitar dealer and he was quite impressed with the design, build and sound.

Final Thoughts

I also ordered a bag with my Go Grande. If you get one, this is a highly recommended option. They hand make them with a plush interior and the carrying strap doubles as a guitar strap. I would recommend the Go Guitar to anyone looking for a truly light and portable travel guitar. It is a wonderful hand crafted instrument and an exceptional value.

For More Information:

www.go-guitars.com