Purchase Experience
I first inquired about an Entrada guitar on the website Chat line and received quick responses from Steve. We then dialogued by Email until a guitar become available with my options a few weeks later. I paid for the guitar before shipping via PayPal – no hassles. Robert Conti did a final quality assurance check in a personal video “demoing” my guitar. This is not just a gimmick. It is very unique & informative, and great insurance protection in case of any in-transit damage or loss.
The guitar arrived at my doorstep in London, Canada on October 1, 2022, less than one week after shipping via FedEx ground transportation (3,000 km). The packaging was secure, including a soft cover case, and the guitar arrived intact in excellent appearance and working condition. I am now allowing time for wood settling in a new environment (Fall weather, 50% humidity, temperature fluctuations, much dryer winter ahead). In a nutshell, this was a smooth purchase and pleasant customer experience from Steve, Robert and Fedex.
Guitar First Impressions
The guitar components are of top quality and the guitar workmanship is exceptional with its rich colour, attractive style – an eye-catching instrument. It is a lightweight guitar, compared with my Fender Telecaster – a bonus for a senior citizen. The guitar setup was exceptional with a very low touch, very accurate intonation, and low-noise pickups. The output jack is nicely positioned. The tuning pegs have remarkably smooth action – allowing high tuning accuracy. The fretboard plays “like butter” from Frets 1 to 24, just as demonstrated by Robert. The tone is quite bright with the Conti special strings provided. You can hear the strings ‘whine’ when sliding across the fretboard and slightly on audio recordings. I might switch the strings to flat wounds – it’s a matter of personal taste for a more mellow sound (I am an Ed Bickert fan). There are a few minor fret buzzes but I will let the neck settle down before adjusting the bridge height or maybe the truss rod (gently!). There are unique tension adjustments at the guitar tailpiece but I am not sure of their advantage yet. Relaxing the tension works fine but it calls for a retuning that offsets the tension reduction? Perhaps I need to experiment more.
Overall, I am ultra-satisfied with my purchase and fair pricing – “skipping the middle man”. This guitar has a lot of versatility for many music styles, well beyond Jazz. I have only started to explore all the possibilities. Thank You!
Jerry Battista
London, Ontario – CANADA
Member, London Jazz Orchestra (Big Band)
Co-Author of Aebersold jazz guitar book
1 thought on “The guitar workmanship is exceptional…”
If my Brother Jerry is satisfied. Trust me he knows about guitars and music.
He is over 70 years old… has had a lot of experience in the music field.
Take his word for it.
I vouch for him without hesitation.
His older brother Alberto.