Chartwell Guitar

Woods:  back and sides appear to be a variety of rosewood–warm,nut brown, and straight  grained. Top appears to be Englemann spruce with a  warm patina.  Mahogany neck. Nitro lacquer finish  throughout.

Specs: 650mm scale, 53mm nut, 44mm string spacing at nut, 57mm at saddle, bass string height at 12th fret just over 4mm.  Extreme hard shell case. 12 hole tie block. Seven fan bracing with extensions beside sound hole.

Condition: fair to good. The finish is in generally good condition, with minor stains on the top–very faint, and the matte finish helps minimize them. There is a significant mark in the middle of the back which does not go through the finish. What needs describing is the top in the upper bouts, which has an undulation between the neck and binding. Braces are sound with no suggestion of trouble and no cracks. There is a wave between the bridge and sound hole, something Kellaway builds into his guitars, as do other luthiers such as Redgate and Turkowiak, for dynamic reasons.   Case has stains on the exterior but in clean shape inside.

Comment: Dan Kellaway is a veteran Australian luthier known best for his impressive lattice guitars–the cedar Kellaway in my collection is one of my best. This and the other fan braced guitar on the site are in the Spanish tradition, with good color, a pleasant voicing. This one has a more pronounced mid and bass range than the other traditional.

In short, this is a $6,000. guitar if not for the issues mentioned above. It certainly plays like one–good energy and comfortable left hand effort. If you are game for a guitar that has aged a bit more than it should have in the ten years since it was created, you’ll have a reliable, high quality instrument. A perfect practice guitar for performers and an even better choice for a serious student or intermediate player; it will easily outperform any factory built instrument.