Classic crossover guitar with seven strings, fanned frets and pickup for guitar nerds who consider six strings are not enough, a large body and unusual sound a must and steel strings not an option.
Classical crossover guitars are unusual enough per se, but with this custom-made guitar we have once again shown what modern guitar building really looks like at its highest level.
Jazzy Nylon
The preferred musical style of our customer is jazz in the most general sense. Requirements for the guitar were solo, but also rhythmic playing and a playability that goes towards electric guitars. Also important was playing in high registers and the corresponding excellent sound quality in this frequency spectrum, which also had to be presentable with a microphone during studio recordings. The preferred sound was nylon with an extended bass range.
7-String Fanned Frets
For these requests we have extended our Crossover guitar by one string and equipped it with fanned frets to make the seventh string also sound good. The fanned frets enhance playability at the same time, as the fretting hand makes a natural movement on the fretboard, similar to a windshield wiper.
Hybrid as Can Be
The body of this 7-string has the size of a steel string guitar and also the neck transition at 14th fret, in contrast to the transition on classical guitars at 12th fret. Also from the steel string guitar comes the fingerboard with the 16" arching and the typical width. 48 mm can be considered standard for six strings, and 55 mm when the seventh string is added.
The top bracing has been adapted to the reduced tension of the nylon strings as well as to the specific requirements of 7-string and multiscale guitars. This allows the Crossover to impress with excellent volume and fast response.
The string action is kept as low as feasible in order to emulate the electric guitar playing feel as much as possible.
Gambale Tuning
Our customer, unlike most others, plays the low string tuned to A, which sounds very good due to the extended scale length of 67 cm. A second nut was made for an alternative Gambale tuning, that is, the seventh string is the low A, then the four middle strings of the normal 6-string guitar, A, D, G and B, the latter being tuned to C. E and A follow, but not, as one might think, higher than C, but these two strings are tuned one octave lower. This is probably the first nylon string guitar with a Gambale string set.
Woods and Features
Indian Rosewood with great selectivity in the trebles as well as a top made of Alpine Spruce fit well to the sound concept of this Crossover. At the customer's request, the top is of selected mastergrade quality to optimally support the artist's soloistic ambitions. Galli- strings for the first six and Fisoma for the seventh string support the sound concept, the L. R. BaggsAnthem pickup is intended for live performances, while microphonic pickup is planned for the studio.
Sound
The showcased Crossover shines with outstanding volume and excellent selectivity, making mixing at a life performance or at the studio a cakewalk. It is deliberately equipped with a medium-fast response to achieve a warm and supportive sound. The rich extended low-range doesn't come at the expense of the treble, but gives the singing, radiant treble a solid foundation.
| Type: |
Classical Guitar |
| Back/Sides: | Rosewood |
| Top: | Alpine Spruce |
| Neck: | Spanish Cedar, spanish constructed heel |
| Neck Width at Nut: | 55 mm |
| Scale Length: | 650 / 670 mm |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony, curved |
| Machine Heads: | Schaller Grand Tune |
| Strings: | Galli Genius GR40 |
| Nut/Bridge: | Rosewood/Bone |
| Finish: | Nitrocellulose, satin gloss |
| More: |
Crossover guitars |
| Price: | on request |
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