On December 10, I went to Kevin Ryan's shop to have my Indian Rosewood Cathedral adjusted and to look at some European Spruce. In the setup room was a light blue Calton case for a Pierre Bensusan model. Kevin had been photographing the guitar for his website. He said he'd save the case for me if I wanted it. I asked to see the guitar and he told me it was available for sale. I thought it looked really nice, but I prefer straight grain, so he put the guitar away and proceeded to work on my guitar.
My curiousity about the guitar grew, so I asked if I could play it. From the first note, I knew it was a special instrument. But I was there to select wood for a guitar, not to buy one on the spot. So, I reluctantly gave the guitar back to him and we went to look at wood.
On the way home, I kept talking about the guitar, and my husband said I should get it. So I e-mailed Kevin. First he said he might have sold it already, but the next time he got back to me he said it was mine. Of course, I was very happy.
I picked it up yesterday and, being the gentleman he is, Kevin presented it on a stand with a yellow rose beside it, lighted by a single lamp. Not exactly as pictured below, as I didn't bring my camera, but it is the same rose.
Notes from this guitar have a striking clarity about them and jump right at you. Very balanced and warm. Trebles have an airy quality to them that sparkles. Basses sound and drop off quickly, keeping the notes pure. Notes up the neck are very clear, stressing fundamental tones. It's incredibly open sounding for a brand new guitar. I've only seriously played it for a couple hours, and I'm sure to have other impressions to share later. For now, I'll just share some pictures.
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