Faith Blue Moon Venus: What is it?
Faith have this way of naming their guitars after the planets, and who can say whether this is an authentic cosmic influence or a canny ruse to get the acoustic guitar playing populace at large to give into low-hanging fruit and describe these as ‘out-of-this-world.’
Maybe there’s something to that, some method in the madness. This Blue Moon Venus does give us pause in the same way as, say, its superlative cousin, the Blood Moon Venus did, or indeed the Blue Moon Neptune did.
In a way, this eye-catching acoustic electric guitar is an amalgam of both, assuming the shape and cutaway form of the OM/Auditorium sized Blood Moon Venus while reaching for similar finish and materials to the Neptune. The Blue Moon Venus has a solid figured Java mango top, back and sides, which definitely marks it as something exotic. Heck, any guitar with a Java mango build has earned its blue burst gloss finish.
But Java mango is not something completely alien to Faith, at least not sound-wise, with Faith describing its natural tonewood characteristics to be much like mahogany or koa, or indeed the Indonesian trembesi found on the Blood Moon models. It certainly looks the part, and with the natural variations between models, you can be sure you are getting an instrument that looks unique.
Moving on, we have a more conventional mahogany neck, topped with a minimalist figured ebony fingerboard whose only inlay comes at the 12th fret – though side-dot markers are clearly visible down the side of the fingerboard. Besides the Java mango – also, a great name for a guitar, why not? – the big ticket spec is the Fishman INK3 pickup system which makes this a stage-ready instrument.
Faith hasn’t scrimped on the hardware. On the headstock, you’ll find a set of Grover Rotomatics. The Tusq nut measures 43mm wide and string spacing at the bridge is an uncontroversial 55mm.
Faith Blue Moon Venus: Performance and verdict
For many players, the OM/Auditorium size is a Goldilocks option. It is that little bit more compact than a dread – or in Faith’s solar system, the Neptune – and yet still packs a punch when you strum some open chords. That is very much the experience here.
• Faith Blood Moon Venus
This is a robust strummer with a sensitive side for fingerstyle.
• Cort Gold-OC6
A cutaway electro-acoustic that's easy on the eye and budget, the Cort Gold-OC6 makes an excellent strummer and has quality, all-solid build.
Indeed, that is where its strength lies, in broadcasting the full frequencies of a big chord. There is a nice balance across the spectrum. The Blood Moon Venus has similar nut width and string spacing and offers a similar ride, but it arguably had a little more top end that translated better for fingerstyle.
The chunky neck is a nice surprise – it’s not a log or anything, but occasionally these outré finishes suggest that we’ll have a whip-thin speed profile. Here, you have something to hang onto. There’s a sense that this Blood Moon Venus is designed not to alienate too many players, but of course, it’s dressed in a bold shade of blue.
The naturalists won’t like such a departure from the stiff upper lip of pristine spruce tops, mahogany on the sides but bound by flamed maple, and finished immaculately, it really does look striking. A well-considered design choice, well-executed.
The pickup and preamp are a good choice, too. The controls are mounted on the shoulder and include 3-band EQ, volume and a tuner that, when illuminated, could be seen from space. That EQ will help you adjust to a difficult room and find a mix – indeed, for adding some treble sharpness should you set down the pick.
All in all, the Blue Moon Venus has the looks to start conversations and the voice to carry a song. And it might well be our favourite Java mango acoustic in this solar system or the next.
MusicRadar verdict: The Blue Moon Venus has a bold look and an unconventional Java mango build, but if you, err, put your faith in Faith, the rewards are considerable
Faith Blue Moon Venus: The web says
"Stage readiness is taken care of by Fishman’s very stylish INK3 under-saddle pickup and preamp combo. Flush volume, treble, middle and bass controls will help you dial in your sound while the onboard – very brightly illuminated – tuner will help keep you in tune in even the darkest environment. Bottom line? Another habitable planet in Faith’s solar system."
Guitarist
Faith Blue Moon Venus: Hands-on demos
Guitarist
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Faith Blue Moon Venus: Specifications
- ORIGIN: Indonesia
- TYPE: OM/Auditorium cutaway
- BODY: Figured Java mango
- NECK: Mahogany
- SCALE LENGTH: 645mm
- NUT/WIDTH: Tusq/43mm
- FINGERBOARD: Macassan ebony Max Body width: 385mm Max rim depth: 115mm
- FRETS: 20
- TUNERS: Grover Rotomatics
- STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: 55mm
- ELECTRICS: Fishman INK3
- WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.4/5.2
- LEFT-HANDERS: Yes
- FINISHES: Gloss
- CONTACT: Faith Guitars
