The Dutchess
PAUL HARTMANN GUITARS
Rating:
you want a custom high-end archtop that has a strong acoustic side.
Buy If...
Skip If...
you need to cover a lot of musical
bases during a gig and can only
bring one axe.
Paul Hartmann Guitars
Street $6500
845-229-9581
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premierguitar.com/nov2010
presence. The treble really came to
life, and I discovered I needed to handle single-note lines and chord stabs a
little more delicately when plugged in.
When I plugged into the all-tube Valpreaux,
the guitar still held firmly onto its acoustic tendencies across all six strings. The
Bartolini pickup was really clear and precise—something I look for in any kind of
acoustic or archtop pickup—and was a nice
compliment to the natural sound coming
from the guitar. Considering the different types of room and amp combinations
players encounter, I think an added tone
control would give this guitar some versatility. The tone was close to a Jim Hall-esque
sound—much like his trio recordings from
the mid ’60s—but didn’t quite get there.
More of the acoustic sound came through
than I usually prefer, but that could be
adjusted depending on the situation.
The Verdict
The Dutchess is a
great sounding, well
made archtop that would
excel at either your solo coffeehouse
gig or in a small combo setting. The rock-
solid construction and interesting twists on
the traditional archtop design makes the
Dutchess a strong contender for players who
aren’t concerned about price and want to
invest in a pro-level axe.
LESS IS NOT MORE.
IS MORE.
MORE
Chuck Levin’ s WASHINGTON MUSIC CENTER
11151 VEIRS MILL ROAD, WHEATON, MD 20902 301.946.8808 WW W. CHUCKLEVINS. COM/PG
232 PREMIER GUITAR NOVEMBER 2010
www.premierguitar.com
