Dreadnought
and Parlor
 |
| Parlor |
DEBUTING AS PART OF THE NEW FOUR-GUITAR Alpha Series from Falbo Guitars, the Dreadnought
($3,100 retail/street N/A) and Parlor ($2,950
retail/street N/A) are well made and nicely appointed
instruments that are designed to go toe-to-toe with
guitars from high-end makers here and abroad. Both
of these instruments feature solid rosewood backs
and sides, Italian spruce tops, gloss finishes, and lots
of fine detail work that shows up in everything from
the gleaming frets to the tasteful cosmetics that
include abalone inlays and rosette, wood and celluloid
bindings, and custom tuners with gold etching
on their backs.
 |
| Dreadnought |
What you may not notice just by looking, however, is a unique feature of these instruments called
the Intension bridge—a Falbo designed unit that
aims to cure an age-old problem in acoustic guitars
caused by the top being pulled upward by the
pull of the strings on the bridge. As most players
know, when this area surrounding the bridge rises
beyond a certain point (called “bellying”), string
height becomes unacceptably high and the only
way to fix it—at least on a guitar with a glued in
neck—is to take the neck off and reset it. Internal
bracing mitigates the effects of string tension on
the top, but this typically requires some compromise,
since the thickness of the top and the
braces reinforcing it have a direct impact on the
sound of the instrument. In general, thinner tops
and lighter bracing make for a livelier and more
responsive guitar—albeit one that will likely have
less resistance to bellying.
And this is where the Intension bridge comes
in, as it actually uses string tension to balance its
pull on the top. The top can be thinner and more
lightly braced, and Intension simply equalizes the
upward, rotational torque without affecting string
tension in the critical area
surrounding the bridge. The
Intension bridge remains the
strings’ traditional anchoring
point—even though
the strings load into slots
behind it—and since the
bridge doesn’t attach to
any other part of the body,
the top is free to vibrate as
it normally would.
Falbo also cites several sonic benefits of the
Intension system, which include enhanced highend
response, balanced mids, and extended lows.
These qualities are definitely present in the Dreadnought
and Parlor guitars, both of which deliver
abundant crispness and depth. The Parlor sounds
smaller and more midrange-y than its bigger
brother, but very little effort is required to get a
lot of sound from this compact cutaway, which
also delivers firmer lows than its size would imply.
The Dreadnought is an obvious choice for live
work of any sort, though bluegrass players would
especially benefit from the clarity
and punch delivered by this
large-bodied 14 fretter. On the
other hand, the Parlor with its
12th-fret neck joint is well suited
for singer-songwriters or anyone
who wants an easy playing guitar
with a warm, supple voice.
In the options department,
you can order any Falbo guitar
(including the Jumbo and Grand
Auditorium) with a cutaway for an extra $100, and/
or choose from the following preamp/pickup systems:
Fishman Matrix Infinity ($150), D-Tar Multi
Source ($175), Fishman Premium Blend ($400).
Offering excellent quality, easy playability, and
the promise of never having to worry about problems
caused by string tension, these new Falbo
models are well worth auditioning if you’re in the
market for a premium acoustic guitar.
For more information contact Falbo Guitars,
falboguitars.com.