Stephen From Kalispell Reviews Their Riverboat Dread
Stephen
From Kalispell
The guitar arrived very well protected in its case and shipping box. The body’s gloss finish is flawless, as is the satin neck's. The maple binding is beautiful and expertly applied. And the abalone purfling is a nice touch, adding subtle bling. The body’s interior was very clean and equally well finished with no construction debris or glue squeeze-out around the braces. Clearly much care went into its construction and no less into its design.
Fret ends are smooth and properly finished, a detail sometimes overlooked in production guitars. Intonation is spot-on all the way up the neck. Resonance and sustain are good for new spruce construction and only improve with playing. I play fingerstyle and the action at the 12th fret was a bit higher than I prefer. Easily resolved. I recognize that the standard set-up for a dreadnaught typically anticipates a driving flat pick, hence the higher action.
Time will tell if the wood was properly seasoned. I live in a region where the indoor RH hovers between 25 and 35% in winter. Case humidifiers are de rigueur around here.
I opted for the L.R. Baggs Anthem Pickup and play through a Bose LII system with a T1 ToneMatch. Sounds great. The guitar provides no mount for the 9-volt battery. So I use a loop of painter’s tape and attach the battery to the inside of the body.
I have two minor disappointments. My Riverboat Dread arrived without the attractive centerstrip that divides the book-matched heartwood on the back, as featured on M&M’s website. Of less concern is that the top’s woodgrain is not as tight as I anticipated. But then my only references are the AAA-graded spruce tops of my Taylor and Larrivee. Given the quality of everything else about this guitar, I will trust M&M that this spruce top falls within the parameters of the AAA grade.
Bottom line: The Riverboat Dread is an astonishingly good value and I can confidently recommend it to anyone looking for a large-body guitar.
Fret ends are smooth and properly finished, a detail sometimes overlooked in production guitars. Intonation is spot-on all the way up the neck. Resonance and sustain are good for new spruce construction and only improve with playing. I play fingerstyle and the action at the 12th fret was a bit higher than I prefer. Easily resolved. I recognize that the standard set-up for a dreadnaught typically anticipates a driving flat pick, hence the higher action.
Time will tell if the wood was properly seasoned. I live in a region where the indoor RH hovers between 25 and 35% in winter. Case humidifiers are de rigueur around here.
I opted for the L.R. Baggs Anthem Pickup and play through a Bose LII system with a T1 ToneMatch. Sounds great. The guitar provides no mount for the 9-volt battery. So I use a loop of painter’s tape and attach the battery to the inside of the body.
I have two minor disappointments. My Riverboat Dread arrived without the attractive centerstrip that divides the book-matched heartwood on the back, as featured on M&M’s website. Of less concern is that the top’s woodgrain is not as tight as I anticipated. But then my only references are the AAA-graded spruce tops of my Taylor and Larrivee. Given the quality of everything else about this guitar, I will trust M&M that this spruce top falls within the parameters of the AAA grade.
Bottom line: The Riverboat Dread is an astonishingly good value and I can confidently recommend it to anyone looking for a large-body guitar.
