MacKenzie & Marr Guitar Owner Reviews

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MacKenzie & Marr Guitar Owners' Reviews

Please note: We publish all reviews exactly as they are submitted. Occasionally we may correct an obvious typo but that's it. The opinions you read are the owner's own words.
2023-04-05
Star Rating: 
5
PETER from Shorewood writes:
I have been a serious player since 1970, and owned far too many acoustic guitars than any rational person should. Some I had to sell (the poverty of youth), and some I traded away (with a few regrets), but this year I acquired two beautiful MacKenzie & Marr instruments. Let me first comment on the Algonquin 12 string. First, the setup: I am a finger-style player, having studied classical guitar for nine years long ago. Finger-style on a twelve string with the ability to move all over the fingerboard (inversions, overtones, pedal tones), can make a good twelve string become "Magic Music". Over the years I have had a Guild 212 jumbo, a Martin D-35-12, and an exceptional Taylor V-Class instrument. Frankly, only the Taylor had a setup that allow me to both play all over the fingerboard along with great tone from my fingers. That changed with my Algonquin. It is the easiest fingering I have ever experienced on any twelve string, and an absolute delight to play. Despite eight top-line six string guitars, I am first drawn to the Algonquin. Second, the Tone: Most 12 string guitars have fairly good tone in first position. I realize that few 12 string players are playing bar chords in the 7th position, but, I do. The tone needs to be balanced on all strings at all positions on the fretboard. The tone also needs good projection, especially in the upper strings and upper fret positions. The tone sustains itself both at very soft as well as very loud volumes. I found this true whether using a flat pick or strictly my fingers. The Algonquin put itself in a class of 1 on these terms. Next, my thoughts on my new Ian Tyson Inspiration. Being a finger style player, the action needed to be spot on, particularly since I am frequently at the ninth fret and higher. The Tyson delivered. It's playability is right up there with a 25 year old Lowden, a Gibson Parlor, and a custom built Hoffman. I can't give it higher praise than that! The tone and volume dynamics are still there on the 15th through 18th fret. Balance of the tone is important to me; In general I am not a fan of dreadnoughts, as I don't need the "boomy bass" usually there in a Martine D28; I am playing melodies with bass lines, where balance is critical. Once again the Tyson is right there, and the tone is well rounded all over the finger board. What is so amazing is that the Ian Tyson Inspiration delivers musicality that is absolutely equal to instruments in my collection that would cost over $7,000 US to replace. Pretty amazing for the price point of this instrument. Bottom line? No matter which of my collection I chose to play, I ALWAYS include the Ian Tyson (if it wasn't the first choice)! Finally, the response time on any questions or concerns I have had about the instruments has been rapidly and effectively answered and dealt with by the M&M team. I don't think you could go wrong on purchasing either of these incredible instrument. Peter M.
2023-04-05
Star Rating: 
5
Rex from North Little Rock writes:
I received my new M&M Dread last week. Love it. Everything about it speaks quality. It's beautiful. Sounds and plays great. And the Baggs pickup carries through with the tone. I am only an intermediate guitar player and have only played a couple of expensive guitars (so I am not an expert reviewer) but I'll be treating this one as if it were worth 5 times as much. And I suspect someday, it will be.
2023-04-02
Star Rating: 
5
David from Pitt Meadows writes:
First off, what a gorgeous guitar. I bought the Tofino X as a birthday gift to myself and it arrived last week. I’m very happy with this beautifully made instrument and my sessions seem to be getting longer whenever I pick it up. My playing also feels like it’s been elevated just by having this fine guitar at hand. It’s so enjoyable to play. This is my first guitar from MM but it sure won’t be my last. Thanks again MM and crew! I also have to compliment you on the shipping. It played out exactly as promised and the box arrived a day early very well packed, with no dings or marks, all the way across the country. Not bad for $50 bucks! David Bennett Pitt Meadows BC.
2023-03-30
Star Rating: 
5
Vernon from Mesilla Park writes:
The Ian Tyson Inspiration has been a delight from the moment I opened the case. In fact, the case floored me as an included accessory. The instrument is a beautiful meticulously crafted instrument of some of the prettiest woods to be seen. Bolivian Rosewood is gorgeous. Looking over the instrument inside and out, it is evident that much care was taken in the crafting of this guitar. Playing the fretboard is as comfortable as playing my Taylor 814 so no time was spent getting adjusted to it. For the size of the body, I am struck by the lighter weight. Tone-wise it is full but not boomy, with a nicely balanced sound. I'm a very pleased customer. Thank you Mackenzie & Marr!
2023-03-29
Star Rating: 
5
Sanjit from Oakton writes:
I play mostly electrics and semihollow guitars, and have for 30 years. I was looking for a high-quality parlor guitar for practice and small venues. My experience on acoustics is entirely with full-sized ones, and I could never find one which was flexible enough to get great tone for different playing styles. So I was very pleasantly surprised with the Opeongo’s tone for the different styles I like to play. It is crisp and bloomy when pick-strummed, doesn’t sound too boomy or bassy when thumb-strumming, and has really nice presence and body for finger picking. The body is very resonant, and you can really feel it when you do percussive picking. It just has a really balanced tone across the spectrum. Most parlor guitars tend to be 25” scale or shorter, but the 25.5” scale on the Opeongo provides more complex trebles that contribute to a very sweet sound. In terms of action and intonation, after a quarter turn of the truss rod both were quite suitable. In fact, the action is the best I’ve ever played on an acoustic - doing single note runs is only slightly more difficult than on my Heritage semi-hollow. The mahogany and spruce are high-quality, and being partial to open-pore finishes, the finish is for me perfectly minimalist. Fit is excellent, and looks high-quality. All in all, the Opeongo is a guitar that makes me want to play more.
2023-03-24
Star Rating: 
5
Ambrose from Florence writes:
A sweet guitar in every aspect!
2023-03-24
Star Rating: 
5
Moran from Los Altos writes:
I simply love the reverb that the guitar body has — and this is strictly acoustically without using the pick up nor amp! At the price Mac Marr offer it, it’s a hell of a bargain. The one tiny gripe I have are the strings rattling as I play past the 12th fret. However, I am so richly satisfied with my guitar, I can compensate for that happening now and again.
2023-03-18
Star Rating: 
4
Martin from Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle writes:
I bought the Riverboat Dread with a pickup. It sits in a nice sweet spot. I find it less boomy than a D-28, but not as flat-eq as a D-18. Playability is great, workmanship is great. The top is a little streaky, but I understand that is what new-growth Adirondack spruce is like. Having said that, everyone who has seen it says it's a looker. The pickup is very useful, and a welcome surprise. I can finally play an acoustic in an electric band. I'm not having feedback problems, and it sounds like an acoustic. I find it comparable to a D-18 style Larrivee which a friend of mine has. It does not sound at all like a Martin -- it's much brighter -- so I really can't compare it to that. It is significantly better, volume-wise and tone-wise, than another friend's D-28 style Blueridge. Martin
2023-03-17
Star Rating: 
5
David from Kamloops writes:
I love this guitar. I have had it for several months and play it everyday. This guitar is beautiful to play and to look at. It has great fit and finish. The craftsmanship is impeccable. I have made guitars and taken luthier training as a hobby. The joints are perfect as well as the inlay. The wood in this guitar is perfect and the small details such as vertical reinforcing strips of wood in the sides, the back graft and the bracing is spectacular. The rosewood sounds much like another guitar that I have that is Brazilian rosewood. The binding , the inlay, the to top, sides and back are all made of the best quality of wood. The sound of this guitar just gets better and better. It is easy to play and light but has the sound of a much larger guitar. It has great sustain, balance and the base on the guitar does not sound like a small body guitar. It especially sounds good when playing in Drop D. I have at least 12 guitars and many that cost thousands of dollars and made by famous makers but this is my favorite. I'm quite certain that this guitar would sell for between 6-8,000 dollars if made by one of the famous makers. I did not get the built in pickup but I think I will be ordering it as I would love to hear it amplified. My experience dealing With Mackenzie and Marr has been similar to other reviewers. I called and talked to the owner of the company who gave me a no nonsense honest review of the guitar. He said they had just got this model and initially he wasn't that sure about it but it grew on him and he started to love it. He said he did have a preference for Dreds. He told me when the guitar would be shipped and how long it would take to come and all went exactly as predicted. He also said I could buy the pickup from them later at the same price if I decided that I wanted to add it later. I think that if you like small bodied guitars you will love this guitar. I think that if you like dreds you may not want this guitar. I would like to have this guitar with a multiscale or fanfret design with the same bridge design, not the fat wide bridges some builders have gone with. In short I would highly recommend this guitar and Mackenzie and Marr to deal with.
2023-03-16
Star Rating: 
5
Claude from Piedmont writes:
Pour la seconde fois en 1 mois je me suis procuré une guitare MacKenzie et Marr. J'avais déjà acquis une Tofino X qui est excellente mais je voulais un instrument plus imposant avec pan-coupé. J'ai donc choisi la guitare inspirée de Ian Tyson. C'est un très bel instrument tant par sa sonorité profonde,sa belle gamme de tonalités et un son bien soutenu. Avec son pan coupé florentin, ses boiseries riches faites de bois de rose bolivien, sa table en épinette Sitka AAA, son manche en acajou, sa touche et son pont en ébène confèrent à cet instrument une place parmi les meilleures guitares disponibles actuellement sur le marché. Par ailleurs, son prix très abordable est selon moi sa plus grande qualité compte-tenu de tout ce qu'elle a à offrir. Le service à la clientèle de MacKenzie et Marr est également exceptionnel. Je me suis rendu à leur entrepôt de Montréal rencontrer M. John Marr qui s'est occupé de moi comme un VIP ce qui, de nos jours est fort appréciable. Je vous recommande fortement les guitares MacKenzie et Marr, vous ne serez pas déçu et si vous êtes un passionné comme moi, vous aurez un goût de revenez-y! Merci John pour vos instruments d'exception et votre excellent service. Longue vie à aux guitares MacKenzie et Marr! Claude Trudel Piedmont Québec

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