Chartwell Guitar

Richard Prenkert #390

Woods: Madagascar rosewood back and sides, western red cedar top. Spalted maple rosette, Spanish cedar neck.  French polish throughout. Matte finish top.

Specs: 650mm scale, 52mm nut, 44mm string spacing at nut, 57mm at saddle. Alessi tuners, TKL type hard case. Bracing is a modified lattice system. Slightly elevated fingerboard.

Condition: other than a mild wear in the matte finish where the playing arm rests on the guitar, creating a slightly brighter gloss, the guitar presents as new.

Comment: one other Prenkert guitar here in the shop, one which is cosmetically identical, has a full lattice bracing system, while this guitar has a hybrid of fans and cross bracing. In playing the guitar I note an enhanced volume and quite good sustain, more than would be expected of a traditional fan braced guitar. So it is no surprise that Richard has devised a unique bracing that allows him to thin the top while keeping the top structurally stable. The result is a nice mix of the modern and the traditional, with plenty of power but good color. An enjoyable guitar to play and a very handsome combination of woods. This guitar listed new within the last year for $7,995.  The owner traded it for a short scale Prenkert I had on hand.