hamblin gc

Kent Hamblin’s CV includes stints working with Bob Taylor, Charles Fox

and the Phoenix Guitar Company, in addition to imparting his skills to others in his role as tutor at the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery. Now operating out of his workshop in Telluride, Colorado, Kent hand-builds around 15 guitars a year, with just two designs, aimed primarily at fingerstyle players.

Build Quality And FeaturesThis is a beautifully built guitar that simply oozes quality and class. The Grand Concert approximates to an OM-type design, though it appears to be a little more nipped in at the waist and has a slightly more curvaceous profile overall. Hamblin eschews unnecessary decoration in favour of letting the woods speak for themselves. And what fine woods they are. The top is a creamy, evenly grained Italian spruce, renowned for its responsiveness. Decoration is simple, comprising a spalted maple, ebony and cocobolo rosette. Back and sides are made

Premier luthier Kent Hamblin produces a small number of high-end guitars from his Colorado workshop. Represented solely in the UK by The Acoustic Music Company, this guitar is only the third Hamblin to be imported into the UK.

Hamblin GC

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of spectacularly figured macassar ebony – an unusual choice, but one that is finding increasing popularity with luthiers searching for an alternative to Brazilian rosewood. Body, neck and headstock are bound in cocobolo, and the distinctively designed headstock is faced, both back and front, in macassar ebony. The ebony fingerboard is undecorated and provides a supersmooth playing surface. Everything on this instrument seems to have received an incredible level of attention, from the immaculately finished frets to the silky smooth ebony bridge and the perfectly cut bone nut and bridge saddle. The mahogany neck is a fingerpicker’s dream, with a relatively shallow, rounded profile that fitted my hand as if it had been made to measure, and a well-judged width of 1 ¾” at the nut. Gold-plated Gotoh 510 tuners, fitted with what appear to be striped ebony buttons, do their job with expected efficiency. Although Kent Hamblin employs traditional hand-building skills, he isn’t afraid to use new technology where it enhances build quality and performance, and Spectacular macassar ebony.

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employs bolt-on necks, reinforced with carbon fibre to increase stiffness, without significantly increasing the weight of the neck. Set-up was spot on for me and the guitar played beautifully all the way up the neck.

SoundsAccording to his website, Hamblin aims to produce guitars primarily geared to fingerstyle playing, characterised by an even sound, enhanced with a touch of sparkle. That’s pretty much exactly what we have here. Response across the strings is perfectly balanced, and I’d say that if Kent’s aim was to satisfy the fingerpicker, then in this instrument he has certainly achieved it. The GC is very lively and responsive.

Unlike some guitars that need to be worked quite hard to get the best out of them, the Hamblin shimmers and sparkles with the lightest of touches, yet the guitar avoids being merely some delicate, shrinking wallflower. Dig in a little harder and the GC is more than up to the task. It’s an instrument with considerable inherent dynamics. Bass response is excellent – firm and clear without swamping the sound. I found that a thumbpick was completely unnecessary; indeed, I was reluctant to put anything between my fingers and the strings of this beautiful instrument. There is a little more clarity and separation here than I would expect from a rosewood guitar. Whether this is the effect of the macassar ebony, or whether

hamblin gc

Open tunings are a joy, and employing a capo around the 4th or 5th fret does little to diminish the tone in the way it does on some guitars.

it’s associated with Hamblin’s own distinctive approach to designing and building guitars, is difficult to say, but I have played one other macassar ebony guitar and, although it was a very different instrument, I remember noting similar tonal characteristics in terms of clarity and separation. Open tunings are a joy, and employing a capo around the 4th or 5th fret does little to diminish the tone in the way it does on some guitars. Taking a plectrum to the guitar produces a slightly less pleasing response, the separation seeming to hinder chord coherence; but, to be fair, Hamblin’s design intent for this instrument is clear – it’s meant for fingerpicking and it does the

Cocobolo binding.

Hamblin GC Price: £6,395Manufacturer: Kent Hamblin Made in: Telluride Colorado USABody Size: Grand ConcertTop: Italian SpruceBack & Sides: Maccassar EbonyNeck: Mahogany Fingerboard: Ebony, no position markersFrets: 20 mediumTuners: Gotoh Super 510’s w/ Maccassar ebony buttonsNut Width: Nut 1 and ¾ Inches,Scale 25.5Onboard Electronics: NoneStrings fitted (Gauge & Brand): D’addario Phosphor Bronze lights (12)Left Handers: YesGig Bag/Case Included: Ameritage custom climate controlled

Contact Details

The Acoustic Music CoTel: 01273 671 841www.theacousticmusicco.co.uk

What we think

Pros: Top-notch materials, flawless build, tone and playability to die for.Cons: Only the price and, just maybe, a slightly less attractive response to a pick.Overall: A simply stunning guitar and a fingerpicker’s delight.

build QualitySound Qualityvalue for money

acoustic rating out of five

job admirably. Then again, this is a new guitar and is likely to loosen up a little as it’s played, probably improving its response to a pick too.

ConclusionThis Hamblin GC is, without doubt, one of the finest fingerpicking guitars I have encountered. It played like a dream and provided a tonal palette that I suspect would be the envy of many luthiers. Build quality is beyond question, and meticulous attention to detail manifests itself all over this guitar. Its looks may be understated, but I thought it was a pretty spectacular instrument that met and, indeed, exceeded my expectations. There’s no denying that it’s an expensive guitar, but equally one has to recognise the superb quality of materials, the flawless construction of the instrument, and the sheer tonal range and playability. Taken altogether with its handsome Ameritage climate-controlled case, it’s actually a very tempting package and yet another guitar I was sorry to part company with.Richard Thomas

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