TIMBERLINE ARG-7C-S Acoustic Guitar
BY FETT

I RECENTLY LEARNED of an acoustic guitar company that makes an excellent product for very reasonable money. Timberline Guitars are handmade in Indonesia from solid woods (as opposed to laminates), and offer a full line of models, including jumbos, dreadnoughts, concerts and auditoriums, with numerous options. I've had the pleasures of playing several of them. They're all good quality at a good price, but I'd like to zero in on one in particular that I think is a steal.

The cutaway ARG-7C-S is one of Timberlines auditorium-style models, with a solid Javanese rosewood back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top (soon to be offered in Engelmann spruce). The result is an extremely crisp, clean-sounding guitar with a lot of sustain. It's terrific for fingerpicking, but has a balanced enough tone to handle open strumming equally well. It's neck is a little wider and flatter than some --Just the right combinations for my tastes-- making it very comfortable to play.

One of the ARG-7C-S's best extras is its on-board electronics that include a balanced, low-impedance XLR output -- a very rare feature for guitars in this (or any) price range. There's also a high-impedance, 1/4-inch output, a defeatable notch filter and a defeatable, 4-band EQ. We used the XLR output for direct recordings and got a strong clean signal that reproduced the sound of the guitar better than many other stock pickup systems we've tried. The guitar has a beautiful finish and comes with D'Addario EXP coated strings. I also like the guitar's invisible pick guard -- a nice professional touch.

IN A NUTSHELL: I've come to affectionately refer to the Timberline ARG-7C-S as a "poor man's Taylor 914," and I mean that as an extreme compliment to both guitars. The 914 is an ornate, top-of-the-line instrument costing more than $3000. The ARG-7C-S holds its own and gives you a very 914-like tone at less than $800 list. If you can't afford a 914, the ARG-7C-S would serve you well until you can.

LIST PRICE: $789