Sonic Evaluation Every year when I was a kid, my family and I would go on vacation to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and on the journey we made the crossing from the mitten to the UP on the Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. As a kid, I remember being awed at what beauty mankind was capable of building, and I felt something similar to that childhood wonder when I picked up this perfectly-crafted Applegate Classical/Crossover SJ Cutaway. It's a truly remarkable example of how guitars built individually by one set of hands can result in a guitar with such a vibrant personality, it almost feels alive. In practical terms, that means that this Applegate is one of the most responsive guitars ever to grace our shelves. It rewards a lighter touch, and its capacity for subtlety and nuance are endless. You can really shape the timbre of the guitar by altering how you pick, and it has a wide dynamic range. At any volume, it sounds lively and robust, even if you're barely touching the strings. This makes for a delightfully expressive playing experience! Here's an example of what I mean. As I was getting to know this guitar, I was playing a fingerstyle pattern in C, then I decided to pick a melody on the high strings. I was playing quite softly on the bass strings, and I dug into a high G with my ring finger. That note rang out, clear as a bell with astonishing power and depth, all while the bass strings came through with outstanding articulation at the same low volume. This makes it really easy to add beautiful melodies or bunchy bass runs, as they come through with exceptional force without sacrificing clarity. The low-end here is warm, rich, and round, the equivalent of a lava cake for the ears. The midrange has shocking presence and complexity, and the trebles have a beautiful glassy purity and uncommon fatness. I found the overtone profile to be as complex as it is delightful-sounding, with lots of even-order harmonics that bloom and blend together beautifully. This Applegate Crossover SJ is a marvel of engineering just like the Mackinac Bridge (albeit on a smaller scale), and I have no doubt you'll think it deserves its own episode of modern marvels if you take it for a spin! Condition Report This Applegate Classical/Crossover SJ Cutaway is in fantastic shape! The frets show virtually no wear, and the finish shows very light signs of normal use, the most noticeable of which are some dings behind the bridge. It comes with its original embroidered hardshell case, too!
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