Luna Woodland Bamboo Dreadnought - Satin Natural Review

It's flat and dull

Bought this guitar because I have a Luna 12 string that I absolutely love. But this guitar I do not recommend. Even after a professional set up with bone nut and saddle, and new strings, this guitar is a serious dog. It sounds dull and muted, and although it is aesthetically pleasing, it plays like a brick. It has no sustain, about the only good thing I can say about it is that… read more it has nice machines. But that's all. This one is going to be a pass-around-the-campfire beater because that's the sound. Luna makes some nice guitars, I can personally attest to that, but this isn't one of them. I recommend a hard pass on it.

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It's a dog....

This guitar sounded dull and flat when unboxed, and didn't improve even after I sent it to a luthier for a bone nut, saddle, and new strings. It simply refuses to resonate. It is unfortunately going to be relegated to a pass around the campfire guitar, since it simply won't sing, regardless of tweaks. It's very disappointing since I love my Luna 12 string and my Luna 3/4 mahogany.… read more Maybe other people had better luck with them, but this guitar isa solid dog.

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Second review after much use

The characteristics that define this guitar's sound are (1) articulate - every note in a barre chord is heard clearly (2) resonant - this guitar rings longer than any other that I have. It makes for gorgeous arpeggios. (3) airy, clear bass - the way I see it is the bass of this guitar is generated by the large space in the dreadnought sound box, not by the wood. So, the bass… read more is very much present, but airier and clearer and not masking the other notes. This is analogous to the difference between a P90 and a humbucking electric guitar pickup: The bass is there, but the guitar is not bass-heavy, even when you strum the bass strings hard. (4) crystalline highs. A vibrating crystal comes to mind. Prominent highs, but not dominating. (5) Prominent midrange - not overpowering, but this is the power range of the guitar - right where the human voice is. The bass and the treble are just right to highlight it cause the midrange to glow from within. (6) Rich tone - I can almost imagine I can hear the harmonics. The guitar sounds drier than others I've played - there is a definite edge and clarity to the sound from the pau ferro of the fretboard. I generally don't like dryness, but, in this guitar, the slight dryness comes across as a positive - like the shimmery, rich, clear sound of a bell - rather than a negative like a lack of liquidity. I prefer it as it is. The guitar is a blast to play. The neck isn't too big, but it's wide and deep enough for my bear claws. It responds well to hammer-ons. The fretboard feels smooth and is easy to move up and down on. The action is low but not too low: just right. One needs a good spruce/mahogany guitar to get a more typical sound, if that is what one wants. But if you want a beautiful, unique, and distinctive sound as well as a beautiful guitar, this guitar is worth every penny of $259. It's all I've played since I got it over a month ago. Get a hard case for it.

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Luna Bamboo Dreadnought

This guitar is sonically unique in very good ways. It's tonal spectrum favors the upper bass and mids. There is a gentle roll-off of the deepest bass and highest highs. The highs are not absent - rather, they lend a crystalline shimmer to the guitar's sound. The low bass isn't missing, either, as the dreadnought body gives the bass plenty of room to develop before exiting the… read more guitar. But rather than being the foundation of the tone, the bass lends a very pleasing weight to the mids. This guitar is somewhat like a Strat with its mid-range hump except that the highs are not as pronounced. The high harmonics of the bass and mids, however, are present and accounted for, and are part of this guitar's crystalline shimmer. It's sound is crisp and articulate yet rich in harmonics, and its resonance lets a strummed chord ring forever. It is perfect for playing blues; its pronounced midrange makes it a perfect guitar to strum, to accompany vocals. It won't get lost in the mix. The neck is very satisfying to wrap my hand around. There's a lot of mahogany in the neck, yet smaller hands than my own bear claws will be able to play it. The pau ferro fretboard adds to the crispness and clarity. I highly recommend this guitar for someone who wants this particular sound. As this guitar is so reasonably priced (i.e., cheap), it really can't hurt to pick one up and experience a completely different and beautiful timbre. For a beginner's first guitar, though, I believe it's best to stick with the differently-balanced spruce top/mahogany sides and back.

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