Sound - Renaissance Guitars are a new product for Shoreline, so I figured I'd launch their appearance on our website with a detailed review. And, now that I've played with the guitar for quite some time, I can report that it rocks.

Rick Turner's Renaissance Guitars are built to be high-performance stage guitars. The semi-hollow design--without even a soundhole--allows it to totally resist feedback. But does a guitar built like this sound acoustic? Or does it just sound like you're plugging in a Les Paul? This was the question I set out to answer when I took this guitar on stage during our shows this last December. And I can report that this guitar does indeed sound fantastic. In fact, at one show, there were about 6 or 7 acoustic guitars on stage from the various bands playing that night, and the one that sounded the best by far was the Renaissance. All this from a guitar with no soundhole.

It is a fine line that one walks in building a guitar like this: The more acoustic the tone, the more it is destined to feed back. But if you rob the guitar of too much acoustic tone, you'll turn off players like me who normally play full-sized acoustics. There are, of course, plenty of similar hybrid guitars on the market. But I have yet to play one that sounds as nice as this Renaissance. Rick really seems to have hit the nail on the head with this guitar.

I should note as well that the RS6 was a terrific match for the Fishman Loudbox, here in the shop and especially onstage. In fact, these two sound so good together, I may begin offering a package deal for them--keep your eyes on the site for details. I mean, think about it: For right around $2000, you can get a feedback-proof, handmade stage guitar and a 250-watt acoustic amp that will fill a room all by itself. Considering all the fretting that guitar players do while trying to find that perfect guitar + pickup + amp combo, this rig makes for a very simple solution, one that sounds great and doesn't break the bank.

Playability - One advantage of playing a guitar like this is that it's like holding an electric: You don't have to wrap your arm around a big dreadnought or grand auditorium for 2 hours onstage. This makes the thing very easy to hold and play. And check out the shrewd placement of the strap button in the picture below (it's part of one of the neck bolts). The neck and action on this are flawless, making it very, very playable. Like a standard dread, the RS6 has a slightly narrower nut (1 11/16") than many guitars, which, for some players at least, will count as a benefit. Another unexpected benefit of the shallow body of this guitar is that it is a lot easier to stash on a crowded 8' x 8' stage.

Finish - The finish work on these guitars is excellent. It's important to remember that these guitars are actually built like fine acoustic guitars: They have solid cedar and walnut back and sides, kerfed linings, gloss finish (on the top but not the back/sides), the works. The bridge and headstock give a hint at a Renaissance feel, and personally think the body shape is gorgeous. I suppose Rick might have been able to achieve similar results with a clunky-looking guitar, but I'm glad he didn't. Function is nice and everything, but it's nice to have a bit of form to go along with it.

Summary - When I got our first Renaissance guitar in the shop, I took it to go plug into a big PA system so Tom and some other friends could hear how the guitar really sounded in that setting. After I strummed a couple of chords, Tom's response was immediate: "This is a no-brainer--I'm assuming you already have a bunch of these on order". And his response is by no means unique. This is one of those guitars that people end up longing for as soon as they get a chance to play one. They are especially appealing to folks who struggle with onstage feedback on a regular basis, like worship leaders and players who regularly gig in unknown rooms.

It does, of course, bear repeating that this is not a do-everything guitar. You won't ever find yourself sitting around the campfire with a bunch of friends listening to your unplugged Renaissance. But if you're looking for a killer stage guitar that sounds and plays great while solving a few of the standard onstage headaches, then this guitar is worth some serious consideration. With these caveats in mind, I recommend this guitar wholeheartedly.