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.
The Canadian Songwriter
Just starting but loving my Songwriter, sounds great, lots of volume and easy to play ,, a lot of guitar for the price :) :)
Reveiwed by: nick1249fanning
on 11/29/2013 The Tom Rush Signature Dreadnought
Got my all purpose guitar now!
I really like the way the Lady plays (but did not want to lug her to parties and risk damage) so I thought the signature might be a good lug around. I don't know what the poor thing went through on the way to Texas but when I tuned it up the strings buzzed like a bee hive. Since the warehouse that ships in the U.S. seems to be located in the New York area I figured maybe Tom got thirsty on the way down here. The humidity is running between 55 and 60 here so I left the case open for a few days, tuned and all is well. I chose the Rosewood option to keep as close to the sound of the Lady as possible, it plays like the Lady (nice action - no need for a setup) and sounds as close as can be to the Lady (a little different but still sweet, perhaps just the difference found between any two guitars). The only thing I might change is the tuners, I really like the locking tuners on the Lady. They look to be Grover 502G's, so maybe a trip to the luthier in a few months. I'm a happy camper now, have a sweet guitar I can take to parties, and the Lady for less hectic times; and while I would be upset if someone harmed Tom, I would'nt feel the need to break their fingers. Saving 25 percent made it perfect...
Reveiwed by: cgchris77546
on 3/24/2013 I really like the way the Lady plays (but did not want to lug her to parties and risk damage) so I thought the signature might be a good lug around. I don't know what the poor thing went through on the way to Texas but when I tuned it up the strings buzzed like a bee hive. Since the warehouse that ships in the U.S. seems to be located in the New York area I figured maybe Tom got thirsty on the way down here. The humidity is running between 55 and 60 here so I left the case open for a few days, tuned and all is well. I chose the Rosewood option to keep as close to the sound of the Lady as possible, it plays like the Lady (nice action - no need for a setup) and sounds as close as can be to the Lady (a little different but still sweet, perhaps just the difference found between any two guitars). The only thing I might change is the tuners, I really like the locking tuners on the Lady. They look to be Grover 502G's, so maybe a trip to the luthier in a few months. I'm a happy camper now, have a sweet guitar I can take to parties, and the Lady for less hectic times; and while I would be upset if someone harmed Tom, I would'nt feel the need to break their fingers. Saving 25 percent made it perfect...
The Tom Rush Naked Lady
I bought my Ian Tyson model a year ago; so it did not take too much of a leap of faith to order a Naked Lady last week. Naked Lady #14 arrived here in Texas today and is nestled beside Ian and between my D28 and D18. She plays smooth and mellow and is a true beauty. Now I am going to have real problems deciding which to play they are all great. Congrats Mac and Marr you have done yourselves proud. The addition of the safety neck strap in the case is a nice touch. I have never dumped a guitar picking up a case that was not fastened - but I have seen it happen to others.
Reveiwed by: cgchris77546
on 1/10/2013 The Tom Rush Naked Lady
John and I worked together in a past life and I knew about him starting his guitar shop. As my skills were being upgraded, I thought an upgrade to my guitars were in order. Immediately short listing the Gibson Hummingbird or a 700 series Taylor, I remembered John. Looked him and decided to give his guitars a try...and probably the best decision I made. I picked up a Tom Rush Limited Ed. in Rosewood and an Ian Tyson Limited Ed. Both these guitars are INCREDIBLE! The finish outstanding but the sound is where you really appreciate them. The TR Rosewood feels like a very expensive guitar and booms with equivalent confidence while the Ian Tyson is crisp and a delight to strum. I know you have to take a leap of faith here but in using this review, trust that it's one you need to take. The guitars are worth every penny. John's hand's on service is truly outstanding. He is passionate about his guitars and it shows in their craftsmanship. Only the best woods are used in every Mac & Marr and they shine whether you strum or finger pick. I'm not the greatest guitarist but I sound 10 times better than I did last week! Thanks John and thanks Mac & Marr guitars! Again, Incredible! Wow!
Reveiwed by: seanlefebvre
on 1/7/2013 The Tom Rush Signature Dreadnought
Well I did it again. I own the #3 Naked lady….I have been playing it so much (just an amateur that loves the sound of a guitar and folk music, but has absolutely no talent) that I now have regrown the callouses on the fingers of my left hand (had them when younger, but me and the guitar drifted apart for a while. Wife kids, Navy, second careers and Life will do that to ya)….Trying to figure out the other day who would get the Lady when I go. My kids (I’m 66) all said that I have to leave the Lady to my grandson...make it a family heirloom…..my daughter, who I wanted to give it to and who is a musician has a daughter (age 8) that wants pop-pop to teach her to play. So now I need a guitar that I can give to her when she is older so that we can all play togther. Problem solved. Today I bought another of the best guitars around…I wanted the best as it too will be passed to grandkids with love. See ya in Boston! Pete
Reveiwed by: pharmatuk
on 11/15/2012 The Tom Rush Naked Lady
I had heard about these guitars, being as I am a great Rush fan since 1967, but I was reluctant to buy a guitar about which I knew little and which was made in faraway places. As luck would have it, Tom recently came to my hometown of Sebastopol, CA for a show, and I took my family and my employees and their families. During the show he played and talked a bit about the Naked Lady, and he was kind enough to let me fondle it a little after the show. Seeing my reaction, my wife (bless her heart) said as follows: "You have to have one of those. The next day I ordered one, and two weeks later I had it in hand. Very few things you order these days are as good as you hope, but this one is better. Beginning with the case, which has a very luxurious feel as well as an interior security strap and a combination lock, this guitar exceeded all my expectations. First, it's ridiculously pretty, and not just for the flawless inlay. The cedar top has a warm look and a nice even grain, while the herringbone trim blends nicely with the dark binding, which is a relief for those of us who are sick to death of seeing herringbone on everything.and the straight-grained rosewood back is perfectly book-matched, with a herringbone strip down the center. . The pearl/wood/pearl rosette is clean and classic. The headstock is simple and clean with just the name and slogan inlaid. The gold tuners have simple black knobs and string locks; I've never used locking tuners before, and I can't imagine why not. They're amazingly handy. The sound is the most surprising feature; I expected it to have tight quality that you so often find in a new guitar. It's easy to see how some playing time will open it up nicely, but make no mistake: it's ready to go right out of the box. The Anthem sound system is well known, and it works just as expected. I like my guitars with a slightly greater string width, and the neck has plenty of room to widen it a bit without having the strings too close to the edges. I had that done, and was delighted with the result. I was both surprised and pleased with the quality of the fit and finish. I've been a Martin snob for a very long time, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this guitar to anyone. In fact, it's one of those rare things that is making me think about buying a second one...just in case anything happens to mine. That's how much I like it.
Reveiwed by: fgdesq9
on 11/11/2012 The Tom Rush Naked Lady
John, Received the "Lady" a few days ago signed by Tom. It was a bit of a hassle for him but he was very accomidating and is a great guy. The guitar is awesome. The woods are very nice, The unbound fretboard is how I like them, the tuners are tight and the pickup is great as it has tone control as well as volume. We had a contest between the Lady and a 1948 Gibson J45, a 1953 J50, and a 1969 Texan FT79N Epiphone. The Texan is the same model Tom had that he lost in the house fire that was the original "Naked Lady" although I think his was a bit older. I played mostly my rendition of "Rockport Sunday" for the contest. I play it reasonably well. I had a freind visiting from Colorado who said the Lady won hands down. My wife preferred the tone of the Gibson's but said the interaction between the strings the Lady has is every bit as interesting, just different. The tone being different but great. The playability is as good as any acoustic I have played. It is a great pleasure to play. The inlay looks great. I don't know anything about inlays but I sure like this one. I have been enjoying fingerpicking this "Lady". No pun intended.
Reveiwed by: jackson5
on 10/12/2012 The Tom Rush Naked Lady
I now own Naked Lady #3. I’ve been playing on and off since 1961 and have owned a number of guitars classic and “steel stringed” (Martin & Taylor). I have not played with any regularity for a number of years even though I often dream of playing like some of my heroes…. I saw Tome Rush a couple of winters ago at the Barns of Wolftrap and fell back in love with his music…it was mellow, poignant and spoke to my heart. He like most thing in my life, got better with age! My wife and I liked his music so much we are traveling from Virginia in December to attend his 50th anniversary concert in Boston. To help with funding for his concert, I submitted a donated to get his Naked Lady guitar from his website, but as the internet had it, my bid never made it and someone else took my “lady”. On Tom’s advice I contacted the folks at MacKenzie & Marr Guitars. I was reluctant initially to discuss buying the guitar when I was told that it came from Communist China……”I really hate all the cheap junk that comes from there that you get in Wal-Mart and Costco”, I told them…after some discussions and a description of how the guitars are made, I backed off from my stance and paid my money and bought Naked Lady #3. I love my lady. I and now back playing the guitar again…I spend some amount of time each morning holding her and relearning to play (while my wife gets ready for work). I am even getting calluses back on my fingers. My lady is truly a beautiful piece of work (similar to my wife of 43 years). I own both a Taylor and a Martin guitar, and this lady fingers the easiest of all. Her sound is wonderful and such; it makes an old picker/plucker like me, look and sound like I know what I’m doing and that I can really make music. The finish is gorgeous, the wood grain unmatched, the tuning mechanisms smooth as silk. I will say it again, I love my lady and so glad I bought this “piece of junk from Communist China”. See ya in Boston!
Reveiwed by: pharmatuk
on 8/24/2012 Tofino X (10th Anniversary Limited Edition)
I was interested in this guitar ever since the Dragon's Den show. I couldn't see myself spending that much for a guitar. Or so I thought at that time. I went on your website and played the different videos several times. Wow! What great sounding guitars. Someday I am getting one of those. I thought long and hard but I just couldn't resist your June Newsletter..... Watch for our Mid-year sale on a limited number of guitars. Starting on June 6th. Well I was on there first thing in the morning. Darn it! It's not there yet! Finally - it's on line. It took me just minutes to place my order for a "Less Than Perfect" guitar. Hey I am going to scratch it, bang into a table or something at sometime. So why not save a couple of bucks and buy a slightly less than perfect guitar. Anticipating it's arrival which only took a couple of days. The box was well sealed, the guitar wrapped in there like a new born baby in the womb. I wrestled to get it out - well worth the exercise. I just couldn't wait to play afew chord, to hear how it sounded. SWEET! Very mellow just like Kevins' playing on the Dragon's Den. I am glad I made the choice. I told my granddaughter if she learns how to play the guitar. I will leave it to her in my will. She said "Really Grandpa", Yes I'll give it to you. So I'm hoping this will give her some incentive to carry on with her lessons. I think I made a good investment - Mackenzie & Marr Guitars are for me.
Reveiwed by: Robert LaCavera
on 6/29/2012 Tofino X (10th Anniversary Limited Edition)
I've had my Tofino for about 3 months now and I do like it very much. I know very little about guitars and my fingers still hurt at times as I am a learner. It is a beautiful instrument and looks to be well made and it makes me want to play it. It sounds very nice to me and my wife has commented several times on how nice it sounds to her. My 21 year old son loves it very much and hints that it could live at his residence at University any time. He plays it lots when home visiting. My brother in law is a guitar tech. and has worked for many bands in the past as well as played with The Stampeders years ago. He visits from time to time when he is passing by on the 401 between shows. He feels it is a very nice guitar and especially likes the finish on the neck. Perhaps a bit jealous with me but oh well. He is not a judgemental sort of person and is low profile so when he says he likes anything about something it really means allot. He is very helpful and gave me all kinds of care tips on the acoustic and where to get the best deals on humidifiers and so forth so I think he is impressed and wants to see it taken care of. I have ordered the Ian Tyson edition now and I am looking forward to getting it. Good luck and best wishes to M&M guitars in the future. Chris.
Reveiwed by: chris.laurie
on 3/9/2012 