Richwood guitars (Chinese)

Joonas

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122698#Comment_122698

This one here's an Aria, I'm sure, although it's not labelled anything. The price is a bit heftier than a Richwood.

Link: 41-Inch Professional Performance Folk Guitar 6 Strings Spruce Veneer Rosewood Glossy Small Mouth for Gypsy Folk Music for - AliExpress

Jangle_Jamie

I think that's another Richwood. I've only played one and it felt and sounded like a regular flat top acoustic guitar, and very heavily built.

Here are my two guitars bought from Aliexpress. The first one I refinished the top and changed a few things. It had a loud boomy voice, sounded good to the player but didn't project too well.

The second one I bought earlier this year and had a monster hump under the tailpiece. I didn't even try to tension the strings up as I could see it wouldn't even work! I cut the hump off completely, polished the frets and am now deciding whether to do a full strip and refinish, or leave it as it is.

Jangle_Jamie

All the Gitanes I own or have owned have had excellent looking and sounding pieces of spruce for the soundboard, so I don't agree that they just use poor quality timber. Look at this picture of my other 255 - a beautiful bit of spruce and it sounds fabulous.

Jangle_Jamie

Sorry, just remembered the post is about Richwood guitars, ooops!! I suppose what my point is, is that for the same price, the Gitanes are much better.

Joonas

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122704#Comment_122704

No Jamie, your posts about those Aliexpress Gitanes fit here perfectly. When I started this thread I had no idea about the Gitanes. I thought that all those low priced gypsy guitars at Aliexpress are Richwoods. Those what I believe are Arias have a bigger price and those are sold in Europe as Arias. Aliexpress also sells Aiersis but those again are pricier than Richwoods and those ARE sold as Aiersi.

Jangle_Jamie

I don't think those are Arias. I had an Aria MM20 many years ago - bought it for £99, did a top strip and refinish, tarted it up, played it for a year or two, then sold it for £100 to a friend. It was ok. It was pretty dull sounding, though it did have the right sort of sound. Someone I know has an Aria D hole, and that's dead sounding too (though he manages to make it sing somehow!!! Amazing technique I guess!!!).

Here's my old Aria MM20 before and after work -

Joonas

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/122707#Comment_122707

Very interesting. I'm basing my judgment off of this brand new guitar sold in Germany:

Aria Clone Shape Instruments - Gypsy Modell Oval Hole | Occasions | Guitars | Gypsyguitar

Jangle_Jamie

Ahh, interesting!! I shall eat my words!!!

Gondebaud

Your restoration/refinish of the Gitane is fascinating @Jangle_Jamie . You say that the wood is of a high quality: is it comparable to luthier guitars? Is it the wood grain that makes you say that? How does a DG 255 compares with an altamira M01 for example ? Did you make audio samples with these refinished guitars ?

Jangle_Jamie

I'm really going off how the spruce looks under all that lacquer. Close grain in the centre of the guitar, open towards the edges which I believe is what you want.

My official Gitane 255 - see the detail photos of the wood above - (bought in the UK, and not a 'second' from Aliexpress) has the most wonderful tone - vintage and very woody. The problem I have with that particular guitar is the neck is a very shallow C type profile and it's not comfortable. The Aliexpress 255s however have thicker C shape necks. The other issue with these 255s is that they have quite a shallow break angle and very shallow bombe on the top, and shallow arch to the back - that all adds up to projection which doesn't seem to cut through at jam sessions. For recording and general playing, my 255 is amazing.

I will try to make a recording of the 255 to demonstrate how lovely it is.

The only Altamira I've played was a T D Birdseye Maple oval hole in Melbourne a few years ago, and I was underwhelmed.