The space between a traditional nylon string guitar and its steel string cousin has been traversed by any number of builders. Among those, Mark Blanchard’s Classicool is one of the most successful crossovers we’ve seen. For instance: this 2010 Classicool in Brazilian Rosewood and Cedar. Loaded with modern features, this Blanchard is an effortless player that balances a rich voice with articulate, well-defined note separation. The Venetian Cutaway allows the fretboard extension to remain dust-free, and the ComfyCorner armrest keeps your right arm relaxed and elevated from the top. Gold EVO frets with a gentle radius will feel perfectly familiar to steel string players, and the 1 13/16” nut gives extra room for fretting but keeps those big fingerings from stretching your hand beyond its limits.
Gone over by our repair staff, this Classicool has a clean bill of health and is ready for action blending the line between the traditional classical and the creature comfort of contemporary steel string design. While of course Classical music sounds wonderful here, we found that everything from Bossa arrangements to Blues tunes sounded equally at home on its nylon strings.