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Faith Venus electro-acoustic - first impressions


Soledad
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My first experiences with a Faith guitar....

Went to PMT Romford yesterday to A/B compare the Faith Venus Bloodmoon with the Hi-Gloss variant. Followers of what's going on in electro-acoustics recently may notice that the Bloodmoon is a fairly hot ticket - PMT reckon it's a best seller (with a list over a grand and their price 719 maybe no surprise).
I was keen to compare the two because the 'Hi-Gloss' is right up my personal street, on paper at least.
So, the Bloodmoon is a real looker - a warm honey burst over Javanese trembesi (never heard of it either, apparently a member of the mahogany family, quite streaky grain pattern).
The Hi-Gloss is altogether more polite, classier and much more traditional in build - Engelmann spruce top, rosewood back and sides... my cup of tea.
Both have ebony board, bridge & bridgepins, ebony faced headstock, even ebony knobs on the Grover tuners.

Build quality is really superb - stunning detail, precision everywhere, tasteful (like the fingerboard has side dots but just a Faith 'F' at the 12. It's all you need and looks fab.

SO, I expected to be taken with the Bloodmoon looks, but realised immediately it isn't my kind of thing. Visually it's a bit shouty for me.
They had got one Hi Gloss in for me to compare, and luckily it was a cracker. The rosewood backs often have a central flare of sapwood (lighter) which people seem to like the look of, but acoustically it's not good being a lot softer. And after all, the back is a key contributor to the bass sound. The sample they got in was excellent, consistent density rosewood, bookmatched back (in 2 halves), bookmatched rosewood sides (all solid of course), and a very close and straight grain bookmatched spruce top. Ebony board is lovely, again a dense (closed grain) near solid black. High quality wood and it will wear in and age very nicely.

So, how do they sound? The problem with trying acoustic instruments is the projected sound is out front, so I got Matthew there to do some chord and single note stuff for me.
I'd already wanted to like the Hi-Gloss more, and was pleased to hear a significant difference. The Bloodmoon is more forward, kind of dramatic but with some blurring between the notes on a chord. The Hi Gloss is more subtle, better mids I reckon, better bass definition, crisp tops... just more articulate I felt. I also think it will play in well as the woods are excellent samples of long-proven tonewoods.

So that was it, the Hi Gloss. Got it home - it is a really stunningly nice guitar to look at, examine closely and pick up. The bass side isn't big but the sound is great - and I'm sure a good playing in will improve things.

Summary (one day in mind) - how on earth do they make this guitar in these materials for this price (£740 at PMT, with a very good hardcase)? It sounds fab (to me) - clear, precise, excellent sustain, intonation really perfect all the way up, set up lovely out of the box, amazing detailing in the build. Right up my personal street. It's a thing of real beauty and that matters because if you love it you'll pick it up more and that's what they are for, right?
 

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Edited by Soledad
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That’s a lovely looking guitar. I had a Faith for a good while and have had seller’s regret ever since I sold it on last year.

They’re excellent guitars and incredible value - I don’t know how they do it either! However they manage it, be glad that they do and enjoy playing 😁

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  • 2 months later...
5 hours ago, skidder652003 said:

I have a faith Saturn 12 string. It's a thing of beauty.

Is that the big one, I mean a size up from the Venus I have? Must say the Venus is big enough for me (grand auditorium they call it, almost a dreadnought but with tighter waste). Your 12 should sound amazing, the trebles on mine are really something, they seem very good at makling them good at that.

Update anyway - it has responded very well to playing in. Lower frequencies were dull and quiet from new - but it keeps improving, mainly the bass harmonics that give the lower strings some warmth and ring. I've played some silly-money acoustics recently: Collings, Bourgois, Froggy Bottom (£8ks worth) Lowden etc. Not mine, just people I know. Must say they are variously a bit better - but not a lot better, and we're talking about the Faith price plus one nought!!

Anyway, it's a better guitar than I am a player, so that'll do.

Strings: anyone playing acoustics? Someone told me to try Newtones (handmade Yorkshire so that's OK), about £9 a set. Really like them, bright enough but fabulous full mids. Recommend. (Don't expect next day delivery - I think he makes them when it's raining or he's mislaid his hat. 3 weeks for mine).

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