Altamira M30D

Pros: Power. Look. Playability. Wood.

Cons: Quality control. Difficult to tune and goes out of tune quickly. Some unpleasand overtones. Very strong wolf tones.

I've been playing for two month. First of all, thanks a lot for great packaging work and quick email responses. Let's start from cons: Tuners are not the best. It takes 5-10 minutes to tune it more less fine. It may look ok on open strings, but when playing octaves and getting higher - sounds out of tune, and you return to the tuning process again. 6th string on mine guitar flows in tune, so I need to find compromise to make it sounds ok. Plus, goes out of tune after an hour (I have a good ear on pitch). My 300$ flat-top performs much better. Then, the guitar has some unpleasant tones when playing one interval. And again, make maj7 chords sound strange and out of tune a bit :). The last thing: my M30D has what they call 'wolf tones'. It means that some notes (B and its neighbors) sound much louder and unbalanced comparing to others. I had to tape the part of the sound-hole to reduce it. IDK how to get rid of this. Without tape it causes headaches (so strong it is). Also, it causes recording and amplification problems. And just sounds unbalanced. Inside the body, there are some ugly batches of clay inside. Few linings (if this is the correct name of those) are broken. The holes for strings in the tailpiece are skew (meh, how?). Prefer using loop ends strings. Pros: The guitar is very loud and responsive. I'm addicted to it. It vibrates like crazy in your hands. The easiest touch produces fast feedback and volume. Imagine playing 3mm pick.. Fabulous. Just Fabulous. The sound of my D-hole is more bassy (maybe a bit to much, but fine for me). Also, I admire the fact that fretted notes is on the same volume level as open ones. I mean, the notes on 1st and 13th frets sound the same loud. I've never met this before on acoustics. It is so amazing! The higher notes are not lost in the overall sound and ringing. Also, the guitar is beautiful and looks rich. But there are some minor (really minor) cosmetic flows (where frets are injected, etc.). Wood looks fascinating. Frets and neck are great. Also, I like neck to body join. It's smooth and makes access to upper frets easier. Great solution! Overall, I hardly can recommend Altamiras. I can recommend only if you are able to check it and return if smth. Looks like quality control is bad. I want a better guitar.

Submitted by: Roydgar on 09/08/2021 10:22:57 AM

The Altamira M30D is my first gypsy jazz guitar and after some really helpful guidance from Michael about alternative models I am so pleased I decided on it. I?ve been playing guitar for 25 years and have owned a few dreadnought-style guitars in my time but none of them come near to the quality and finish of the M30D. It?s a beautiful guitar to look at but far more importantly its sound is fantastic. I don?t have hands on experience with other, more expensive makes and models, but I can tell the M30D is a bit special none the less. The feel, tone and range (wonderfully bright on solos and, how can I put it, ?crunchy? on rhythm) are fantastic. Learning gypsy jazz guitar is a long road that I?m just starting on but I know I?ve got a great companion in the Altamira M30D!

Submitted by: Jmcp2 on 06/19/2020 06:50:49 AM

My first gypsy guitar. Overall really happy with sound and excellent build quality. It gets better week by week and as my technique slowly improves the instrument gives more and more. Practicing is a joy. Beyond the guitar, Michael is by far the most responsive, informed, and happy to advise seller one could possibly want. Great customer experience with Djangobooks.com!!

Submitted by: JWALK on 07/12/2018 03:48:36 PM

Pros: Excellent craftsmanship, loud and dry without overtones, comfortable neck, quality instrument for the professional

The Altamira M30D arrived only two days after placing my order with Michael, and I'm nothing but impressed. The guitar's top was gorgeous, and projected just as I imagined it would: loud, responsive, and dry with the absence of overtones in comparison to my Gitane DG-255 I was previously using. In my opinion, this guitar is made with the professional in mind who has passed the entry level Saga/Gitane models, and wants a guitar that can deliver in a professional performance setting without having to spend over 2k to find out. The only flaw I found was the fact that it wasn't setup to what I'd like in a guitar- which is an entirely subjective matter, and shouldn't be considered a true flaw. Like any serious guitar, a knowledgable tech will have to give these guitars the finishing touches to make it sing, but the groundwork for an excellent guitar is all there. I'd also like to make comment on the fact that Michael is one of the easiest, and nicest people to deal with in terms of buying an instrument online. His customer service and willingness to go out of the way to make the customer feel appreciated is ALWAYS there. The return time on answering questions is also very quick, and informative- which helped me decide on this guitar between a couple of the other Altamiras. If you are hesitant about making the leap on one of these instruments, email Michael with all of your questions and then bite the bullet. You won't be disappointed! Thanks, Michael!

Submitted by: Michael H on 10/05/2017 09:31:08 AM

I've had my Altamira M30D for about 9 months...or a year...I can't remember anymore. I play 6,7, 8 shows a week with it. I am working very hard to be a better soloist. This guitar sees a ton of play time. I absolutely love it! The tone is fantastic. It's beginning to open up a bit with all the playing and sounds even better with every month or so. This guitar has been very good to me!!!

Submitted by: Nola Gypsy on 08/24/2015 08:58:40 AM

Pros: Great value, volume, tone

Cons: None so far except it's keeping me from my work!

I'm pretty new to the Gypsy guitar scene but I've been playing acoustics for over 35 years. The Altamira M30D is really a knockout model, satisfying in every way: tone, volume, playability. I've played a few high end Selmer-style guitars recently but I can't imagine needing anything more than this. Hanson Yao and his luthiers have done a superb job with the design. Only a few details separate the build quality from what you'd expect on a truly high end guitar.

Submitted by: jduvick on 05/14/2015 08:12:49 AM

Pros: Fantastic tone for the price.

I was VERY surprised at the tone on this guitar! For the money I doubt it can be beat. Plays in tune all the way up the neck and really sounds great. I play Collings guitars and thought I would be disappointed with an Asian made guitar. Not the case at all. Very happy with the purchase and I would recommend this brand to anyone looking to get into this style.

Submitted by: Rick on 12/29/2014 07:04:14 AM

Pros: The wood

As an Asian made guitar the Altamira M30D is a fine product. This instrument of all soild wood for this price is really worth it. The workmenship in the woods and finish is truly flawless. The only drawnback of this instrument, as most instuments in this price range, is the setup. Be sure you know a good luthier or you can do the adjustments right. Fret edges went rough, saddle needed to be raised, and truss rod adjusted in my dry climate. But I truly believe I have a keeper. Even if someday I buy that top of the line Gypsy guitar, the Altamira is a truly satisfying and worth every penny.

Submitted by: R.Lee on 01/29/2013 12:50:55 PM