Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased one of these, an ROS-06, when it became available at a lower price as a customer return in "mint" condition. Shipping was delayed due to bad weather in the northeast, but after finally receiving it and observing that it had survived shipping unscathed, it was, indeed, mint.
Out of the box, my first impression was that perhaps I'd finally come across a true winner; the fit and finish were superb all around. The action was a bit high for my touch, making what felt like a typical 12-52 string set hard to play fingerstyle, though bold and full range sounding when strummed. (Better too high than too low, since the former is more easily addressed.) At that point, I could only echo the sentiment of another reviewer of this model, who could only wonder how they make a profit on such quality materials and workmanship at that price range.
Further into my maiden recital on the instrument, however, I noticed that the intonation was sharp in the upper frets, somewhat noticeably from the ninth fret or so on up, making higher pitch passages a little difficult to digest. Of all the reasons that give me pause in buying a guitar online, sight unseen and sound unheard, accurate intonation is at the top of that list, because I can live with a few visual imperfections as long as it performs as it should all the way up and down the neck.
So, I put the guitar up against a good chromatic tuner and, sure enough, some of the strings were as much as twenty cents sharp at the twelfth fret. Since there was already some reason to bring the action down, I immediately removed the strings, and sanded the saddle to bring within the standard height of 3/32" on the bass side and 2/32" on the treble side. I then adjusted the truss rod appropriately and gave it a couple days to settle into its new setup.
It was still ten cents sharp on average, so I removed the saddle once again and tried to move the break point (i.e., the crest the strings rest on) for all the strings as far back as possible. Another truss rod adjustment and a couple days of settling in later, and that's as good as it was going to get. I was to live with all the strings playing somewhere between five and ten cents sharp in the upper register.
Yes, I can live with it, but it's irksome, and is why I can only do three out of five stars for this review. That doesn't mean you can't get luckier and receive one that is properly intonated, nor does it mean that the Recording King line is without the merit it held when I researched it prior to this specific purchase. This is their budget model, and one would hope that, like many hand made products, the work from their better craftsmen is reserved for the finer models in their line.
The first customer to own this instrument perhaps knew enough not to even try to remedy its shortcoming, and it has become a sore lesson for me here.
The revival of the Recording King line to this level was quite an accomplishment. This was the old house brand for the Montgomery Ward department store, and like Silvertone became for Sears, there was some inherent quality that makes their survivors collectible today. Supposedly, the same factories also produce the Johnson line.
Unlike some enthusiasts I see on the web, in forums and such, I can't afford to buy multiple instruments towards having at least a couple that fully satisfy me. Consequently, it's hard to say I will ever give Recording King another chance. Better luck to you.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Recording King Century Studio Series 12th Fret OOO-Style Acoustic Guitar (Mahogany)
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