BADEN
a-style Acoustic
always gravitated towards artists like Mark
Rothko and have long contended that Dieter
Rams is a genius (if you don’t agree, go play
with an iPod and then Google “Braun T3”).
So it’s probably no surprise that I was quickly
drawn in by the a-style’s simplicity. There are
no ornate inlays, no dots, no bindings—just
beautiful mahogany and cedar woods on display (maple and rosewood options are also
available). Even the brand on the headstock
remains true to Baden’s aesthetic, bypassing
the abalone and carving the name “baden” (all
lowercase, of course) directly into the peghead
overlay. The stark cutaway-but-not-a-cutaway—
a major point of engagement between the pro
and anti crowds—is a bold move that pays off
in my book, providing both fret access and
Picasso-esque abstraction to the design. On a
certain level, it would seem that T.J. has succeeded in his goal of bringing attention back
to the guitar itself; the lack of ornament makes
you focus even more on the guitar’s bare, curvaceous shape.
Part of what makes the a-style’s bold minimalism work is the craftsmanship; these handmade
guitars, produced by master luthiers in Vietnam,
should redefine the expectations for foreign-built instruments. The body work is flawless at
all points, inside and out, and the hand-carved
mahogany neck, shaped into a shallow C but
still maintaining enough “meat” to feel solid, is
both fast and substantial. The Fishman Ellipse
Aura electronics and its accompanying wires
are tucked neatly into the soundhole and seem
like a legitimate part of the whole, not just a
belated add-on. From the neatly cut bone nut
and bridge to the guitar’s perfectly understated
gloss finish, everything about this guitar feels
thought out and well done.
Stripped Sounds
Of course, there has been so much debate
over Baden’s unique visual style that it seems
little attention has been paid to how they play.
From the outset, I discovered some clear Taylor
influences cleverly hidden within the guitar—no
surprise, considering T.J. cut his teeth with the
company. Combining a 25 1/2” scale length
with a 1 23/32” nut width, the guitar is quick
and responsive, and has an ease of play that
harkens back to the instruments emerging from
El Cajon, California—something that, depending on your acoustic allegiances, you’ll either
dig or detest. The cutaway (technically not a
cutaway; the guitar is built in two halves) provides easy access up to the 18th fret, and the
a-style’s playability will encourage you to make
good use of it.
