It sounds exactly like you think one would sound. :D
I picked up a little used Montana travel guitar ( http://www.wholenote.com/store/product.asp?sku=AD.MTG1&nav=m ) off eBay a week or two ago. I thought it would be kind of fun to noodle around with and maybe I could take it on trips, outside camping etc.
I pull it out of the box and it sounds horrible! Even a banjo made by Estaban would turn it's nose up at this thing. On top of that, I had the world's only guitar with a CONCAVE saddle, i.e. the treble strings stick out further than the middle ones so every strum twangs that e extra loud. The fretboard has no radius, so it feels a little concave if you're not used to it. I guess he was trying to match the contour of the strings to the fretbard.
Seeing how I was planning to change strings anyway, (I'm LH...) I decided to check out that plastic saddle, so I pull it out and lo and behold, I find that this guy had cut the bottom off with a pocket knife. Didn't even bother to level off the outside edges. So I get the sandpaper out and attempt to level off the bottom lowering the action a bit, and while I'm at it, try to lower the lo e side for easier strumming.
To keep extra stress off the bridge, I decided to go with 10's. I thought that such a small guitar would be hi tensioned at standard tuning, but I found out it's just the opposite. It felt kind of loose. Too loose. I became an expert string bender whether I wanted to or not. I still wasn't pleased with the sound quite yet. So I decided to try some Martin SP 11's. (I'm not going to risk 12's...) MUCH better. It tightened the strings up a bit, the bridge still seems in good shape and the sound is much better and louder than you would think.
I don't know. Maybe I'm just getting used to the sound. It's no Seagull, but I can't put this little thing down. It's light (2.5lbs.) so it's not really "unbalanced" like I thought a travel guitar would be and it's easy to carry around the house, and it sounds 20 times better than a Martin Backpacker I tried in Dallas at a fraction of the price.
I guess if I really wanted to go all the way, I'd get a saddleboy kit and correct the saddle angle or even replace the bridge, but I'm not sure if this thing is worth it. I have to say though, I did get $45 worth of enjoyment tinkering with the thing knowing I couldn't screw things up any worse than $45 worth.
Maybe next month if the thing can hold together that long.... :)
John A.
They say only a pawnshop guitar can play the blues. An eBay one does it better. A guitar's bound to feel unloved if her owner plasters pictures of her over the internet for all to see and then sells her off to the highest anonymous bidder.
Hey Dustdevil
Its funny cause until now I thought I was the ONLY person that owned a Montana. I am not sure of the model of mine but it was 125 new and they tell me its a solid top.
However, with mine it wasnt too bad out of the box. The action wasnt great but it wasnt horrible. But recently, I messed it up and created a really horrible buzz on the 12th fret. I took it back to the shop that I bought it from and they did a proceedure with a Plek Machine. The proceedure normally cost $130 bucks which is more than the guitar, but this thing sounds so beautiful now. It sounds like a classy instrument and is so easy to finger.
Not trying to talk you into a 125 dollar procedure, but just I guess showing what can be accomplished with enough money and the right tools
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Yes, my action is a little high. I think it's because the bridge seems to be rather tall. I sanded the saddle and that hi E side down as low as I dared and still get a decent break angle over the saddle. Because the strings are a little loose, fretting doesn't seem to be as much of a problem as one would think. It seems to be easier on the fingers than a regular guitar.
What kind and size strings do you have on yours? I didn't get any literature with mine so I don't know what they recommend. The 11's are giving me good sound, but I'm afraid the little guy might not be able to hold them. I really don't want to go back to the 10's.
I think I'm going to try to learn "Losing My Religion" and "Going to California" on this thing.
John A.
They say only a pawnshop guitar can play the blues. An eBay one does it better. A guitar's bound to feel unloved if her owner plasters pictures of her over the internet for all to see and then sells her off to the highest anonymous bidder.
Have to check when I get home but I think I am using D'Addario light acoustic.. I think they are 11s. I will check when I get home in an hour or so.
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
I use D'Addario EJ16 Acoustic Guitar strings on it. I believe they are 12's
Geoo
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
I guess you can add a third member to the exclusive club of Montana guitar ownership. I had a Montana as my 1st and it was decent. Cost me about 175. Bright, red top, all highly lacquered and HPL everything. It had a really odd "ring" to it and not the good, quality ringing we're all looking for. I'm talking about playing a chord progression simply and well after you've hit that last chord there's a ringing going on like an old rotary phone. Funny little axe. Sold it to a friend to hack with and moved up to a Martin. Quite a difference.
- mdr
"And under the spreading chestnut tree
I sold you and you sold me" - orwell
