Thomas from SUN PRAIRIE reviews their MacKenzie and Marr The Riverboat Dread
Thomas
From SUN PRAIRIE
I have several Mackenzie & Marr guitars, but I've always been intrigued by the Riverboat Dread. That
Adirondack Spruce top seemed like a real winner, especially after I obtained a used Baby Boat... it's
become my favorite guitar, with excellent balance and LOOONG sustain!
Circumstances allowed me to finally break down and order a Riverboat Dread. I wasn't disappointed.
Of all the MacMarr guitars I've encountered, the Dread is, visually, the most understated. That has a
charm all it's own. While the contrasting wood and abalone inlays on the others are quite nice, as are
maple bindings, they tend to be a bit flashy. The Dread is a more low key instrument. I like that. IMHO
it's quite tastefully done.
I asked David for a Dread with the widest stripe of sapwood in the back that he had on hand; my Baby Boat
has a prominent stripe that I found charming. He sent me one with a VERY handsome and broad back stripe.
I'm pleased with it; this is a simple but quite handsome instrument, without any pretenses.
The winter grain in the top is without a doubt the most pronounced grain I've ever seen in a guitar, but
it fits in nicely with the rest of the aesthetics of this instrument. It makes the guitar individual, but
without being intrusive.
One reason the Baby Boat is my favorite is string spacing. I have sort of chubby fingers, and the spacing
on it is near perfect for me. The Dread duplicates that.
Tuning it up straight out of the carton and giving it a try was gratifying, to say the least! This is a
duplicate of my Baby Boat, but it can REALLY sound off like the Baby never could! Well balanced, a low
end that is powerful but not muddy and rumbling (unlike some Martin Dreads that I've had the chance
to play).
As with all of my MacMarr guitars, the setup was quite good; no tweeking was necessary right out of the
box, unlike some other guitars I've owned.
Like any brand new guitar, it will take some playing to make it's voice open up completely, but as I wrote
shortly after my Dread arrived, this one WON'T be going back after 7 days... it's found it's Forever
Home with me.
Adirondack Spruce top seemed like a real winner, especially after I obtained a used Baby Boat... it's
become my favorite guitar, with excellent balance and LOOONG sustain!
Circumstances allowed me to finally break down and order a Riverboat Dread. I wasn't disappointed.
Of all the MacMarr guitars I've encountered, the Dread is, visually, the most understated. That has a
charm all it's own. While the contrasting wood and abalone inlays on the others are quite nice, as are
maple bindings, they tend to be a bit flashy. The Dread is a more low key instrument. I like that. IMHO
it's quite tastefully done.
I asked David for a Dread with the widest stripe of sapwood in the back that he had on hand; my Baby Boat
has a prominent stripe that I found charming. He sent me one with a VERY handsome and broad back stripe.
I'm pleased with it; this is a simple but quite handsome instrument, without any pretenses.
The winter grain in the top is without a doubt the most pronounced grain I've ever seen in a guitar, but
it fits in nicely with the rest of the aesthetics of this instrument. It makes the guitar individual, but
without being intrusive.
One reason the Baby Boat is my favorite is string spacing. I have sort of chubby fingers, and the spacing
on it is near perfect for me. The Dread duplicates that.
Tuning it up straight out of the carton and giving it a try was gratifying, to say the least! This is a
duplicate of my Baby Boat, but it can REALLY sound off like the Baby never could! Well balanced, a low
end that is powerful but not muddy and rumbling (unlike some Martin Dreads that I've had the chance
to play).
As with all of my MacMarr guitars, the setup was quite good; no tweeking was necessary right out of the
box, unlike some other guitars I've owned.
Like any brand new guitar, it will take some playing to make it's voice open up completely, but as I wrote
shortly after my Dread arrived, this one WON'T be going back after 7 days... it's found it's Forever
Home with me.
