David Naidu - Guitarist On Wheels
My Instruments
I am currently playing a classical guitar built by the French Canadian luthier, Andre Brunet. I searched a very long time, auditioning several reputable instruments, before deciding on this one. This beautiful, handmade guitar has a solid spruce top/soundboard and a solid rosewood body. The workmanship, and more importantly the sound, is impeccable.
I am particularly fond of the headstock design:
The steel-string acoustic guitar I play was hand-built by George Lowden in Ireland. It also has a solid spruce top and a "jumbo" rosewood body with a small cutaway for easy access to the higher frets.
While internal electronics would certainly be more convenient for me, I simply refuse to drill holes into either of these two acoustic masterpieces. Besides, the best sound occurs outside, in front of the guitar, not from within its body or from under the bridge/saddle! This is why I go to the trouble and expense of amplifying these instruments with a studio-quality condenser microphone and German-made, full-range, stereo amplifiers mounted on angled stands. You will never hear shrill highs, muffled mids, or boomy bass from my set-up -- or any rattles or feedback either!
Although primarily an acoustic guitarist, I still treasure my vintage Gibson ES-335s electric guitar. I have installed EMG active, Bill Lawrence passive, and Roland synthesizer pickups to meet a multitude of needs.
