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A masterclass in acoustic luthiery

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• Review

Those who have seen him play will agree that Gareth Pearson is a special talent. Fingerstyle pyrotechnics combined with explosive lead runs make Pearson one of the most exciting acoustic musicians gigging today.

It was while supporting Jan Akkerman during his European tour in early 2009 that Pearson first had contact with leading UK luthier, Patrick Eggle. At the time, Pearson was using a Maton guitar, but the two men share a passion for acoustic guitars and quickly began discussing ideas and concepts for what became Pearson's own Linville model. If you haven't heard of Gareth Pearson, check out his amazing fingerstyle arrangement of Michael Jackson's Thriller here.

The overriding design brief from Pearson was somewhat unusual. Gareth required a guitar that gave a flat or neutral acoustic response, thereby giving him far more control when on stage. In essence, the guitar was to be a stage acoustic, being built to perform at its best when plugged-in – even if that meant sacrificing some of the unplugged tone.

The starting point in the project was Eggle's Linville model, an OM-shaped guitar that has proved popular with many due to its rich tonal output. Pearson's own design spec, however, resulted in some significant changes from the standard Linville. Not least of these is the all-over satin finish.

Eggle's guitars are known for their high quality gloss finish, but the Gareth Pearson model is offered with only one base coat and two very thin coats of acrylic. Even pore-filling has been dispensed with and the result is an instrument with an extremely natural, earthy feel.

As with all PJE Linvilles, the soundboard is Alaskan Sitka spruce, known for its straight grain and inherent elasticity, and therefore excellent response. The back and sides are a gorgeous selection of black walnut, which is considered to be a more acoustically transparent tonewood than mahogany or maple – a clever choice here when considering the end goal of a guitar with a less coloured, flatter response.

The black walnut used for the back is figured and expertly bookmatched, creating the illusion of a contrasting centre strip. Only a naturally occurring variation in the grain gives the game away. Inspection of the back and sides reveals the extent of the 'earthy' finish. Pores are clearly visible, as is every nuance of the grain. Lovers of wood, step this way.

White ivoroid binding is fitted to both sides of the body, while the top includes a tasteful black triple-line purfling. The ultra-slim, one-piece mahogany neck is attached using two bolts and a simple but strong mortise and tenon joint, while the headstock is faced with an attractive piece of ebony with the white mother-of-pearl-inlaid PJE logo.

Interestingly, Eggle's selection for the headstock face features a contrasting figure, which adds to the natural, earthy vibe. Black-coloured phenolic resin buttons are fitted to the chrome, PJE-branded Gotoh 301 18:1 ratio tuners, which prove smooth and stable.