Beautiful sound from that guitar! I hv been looking at them since I saw a review. This review just confirms that they are lovely, well made beautiful beasts. Enjoy!
Those "Hsienmo" branded tuners are in fact Gotoh precision tuners.......they are not quite as good as the Gotoh 510's, but they are still Gotoh's and very high quality.
Hi Howard... we'd just gone to see JT in Sydney and I thought it fitting to do one of his songs. He was so amazing, as usual, great dry sense of humour too.
Wow I was wondering how the African Blackwood with the sinker redwood top would sound like . I want one now that bassy sound on the guitar is rich n your appointments are simple very nice great choice 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️🎸☮️
I own 4 Hsienmo acoustic's and absolutely love & recommend them. Owner/founder Li Chen told me personally via an email that his company builds NO MORE THAN 400 acoustic's per year.........so that's quite a bit less than "50 per month". I've noticed that this is the only video you've ever posted on your channel. Would love to see a follow-up video & comparison. Please understand, while ya may have very few views..........that will never change if ya don't start posting more videos. Cheers.
Don’t know if I’d ever say ‘forever’ as far as guitars go Anthony, there always seems to be room on the wall for one more, ha ha! I couldn’t recommend HsienMo highly enough though, in every way… but especially - making ‘exotic’ tone woods within reach of ordinary working people.
@@poguie Couldn't agree more Dave, HsienMo really knock it out of the park regarding offering exotic wood at a very reasonable price. Just goes to show us how much the bigger companies mark their woods up by.
You sound like one happy customer, have you got pics of them up on the site? I’d love to see them. Yes, after a few weeks of playing my new guitar I’m convinced that it’s as good sounding as my Lowden, Maton and Boucher guitars all of which cost 2-3 times as much. I’m now curious about a D28-style Hsienmo with Adi top and bracing.
Hi Anthony... it was my first ever post, I was winging it unscripted and you are right, didn't mention the price. It was US$2800 including the LR Baggs Anthem pickup and dispatch here to Australia. They really are great value guitars and even if the price increases a bit they will still be good value I'd say. I noticed that Eastman guitars are more expensive these days, the same will be true for Hsienmo too in the future.
@@poguie i play a Dowina great guitar also.yeah its great when you buy a guitar that sounds and looks fantastic i bought my Dowina on line so kinda took a big chance but wasnt disappointed when it eventually got here..although i should have ordered a new pair of hands as well im just a light strummer ....
The Linn is still going strong Anthony... another piece of kit that I couldn't afford to buy new today! Bought that 2nd hand in 1982 for 280 quid (can't find the pound sign, ha ha!) brought it out to Australia with me and my small record collection. It still gets a spin every now and then and amazes listeners but these days I mostly like the convenience of streaming from Qobuz... which makes it feel like my record collection has expanded to 60 million!
After watching a "Hsienmo vs Gibson" (SJ200) the Gold goes to Gibson, barely. Could this be the bolt-on replaceable neck (bolt-on vs dove-tail glued) effect? My preference is the Hsienmo because of the replaceable neck as a 'broken neck' on a high end guitar caught my attention two days ago! Paying for the name costs more money.
Right off the bat: it really pisses me off how the Australian customs took all of those loose items out of the storage compartment of the case and then hap-hazardly threw them in the case below the body of the guitar. I sure hope it didn't cause scratches on the back of the guitar, because the shippers these days just don't care, as they throw the boxes around. Hsienmo does a great job of packing these instruments for shipping ( I own 4 custom shop Hsienmo's ) but the shippers still manage to screw things up.
Hi all, just thought I'd post a link to Canadian guitar legend JP Cormier's review of Hsienmo Guitars. Hope you enjoy. ruclips.net/video/FG4cauVtm-A/видео.htmlsi=M5qhV-T7ZnBy5LBy
Hi Ben… the matt finish looks very nice, but with my 30 year old Lowden, which also had that finish, there are certain places, ie where you arm rests over the body, or maybe where your pinky might rest near the sound hole that over time become worn into the finish and you can’t get rid of them with any amount of polishing. I’m sure this might be the same for a gloss finish guitar too perhaps although I’ve been able to polish out fingerprints from my other gloss finished guitars, so they might be a bit more durable… they also will show the marks of being well used after a while though. In some places this is viewed very favourably, but I’m one of those guys who like his guitars looking as pristine as possible, it’s just how I like them. Mind you, some of those old Martins and Gibsons from back in the day look super cool with their dings/patinas/scratches whatever you want to call them.
@@asdf7972 Hi Ben, sorry for the late reply. The finish on the guitar is actually more of a satin not high gloss nitro, it's very lite but a finger print magnet also as the wood is so dark. It sounds wonderful though, extremely resonant with a great sustain and what I really like, a great separation of notes when playing finger style. I did a small video for HsienMo to use in the Shanghai Guitar Show.. see below... I used my iPhone 12 and a little Audigo mic which you can see on the left hand side of the picture with just a touch of reverb. A bit rough and ready but hopefully it gets across how good, and affordable, these instruments are. They were also super nice to deal with as well. ruclips.net/video/sI_yvag45Wk/видео.htmlsi=6RE9HWCsuJdNj0DU
@@poguie thanks for the reply , i was thinking about buying one and i am also torn between those two choices, nitro skin finish(half matt) vs UV ultra light finish (gloss)
Thin picks are absolutely worthless & shouldn't be used by any guitarist for any reason. The bare minimum for starting to get a good sound is medium to medium/heavy picks. Ya don't have to go with the crazy thick picks that the hardcore bluegrass players use, but the rule of thumb is: the thicker the pick, the more silent the pick itself is, and results in a warmer & louder sound. Thin picks make ANY guitar sound it's absolute worst. So for all of you beginners out there: do NOT start off woth thin wimpy picks. Start with a good medium or medium/heavy. Trust me on this.
@@RandyBroyhill-f6e Nope. Not at all. I'm just stating facts for the beginners. But you definitely seem like a troll who is so incredibly lonesome & bored.........desperately seeking someone to play with. Buzz off kid.
Hi.. I don't think I did mention it actually. It cost US$2800 (including a great pickup)... which is still expensive for a guitar I know, but the Lowden equivalent using exactly the same 'exotic' woods would cost AU$20K here in Sydney. I do also own a Lowden O32 spruce and rosewood guitar and sound-wise the Hsienmo is equally amazing, just different, with great separation of notes, excellent for finger style. I like having different acoustics as they all offer a different 'flavour'. My budget would never stretch to afford the Lowden version of my Hsienmo guitar so overall, I'm extremely happy and would highly recommend them to anyone. I guess the only drawback might be in resale value, but as I will never sell the Hsienmo it doesn't really matter.
Yeah $2800 is really nothing for an African Blackwood guitar. I haven’t heard really anything quite like it when it comes to acoustic and classical guitars.
The problem is once you buy a Chinese guitar it's like driving a new car off a car lot. It's worthless once you buy it. Spend your money on the real thing.
@@ericolsen67vw I won’t be selling this one Eric, it’s definitely ‘the real thing’ and sound wise easily keeps company with my Lowden, Maton and Boucher guitars. I only mentioned resale value in my earlier comments for those who perhaps don’t always hang on to their guitars long-term. In this case I’d say Martin guitars perhaps offer the best resale value, but then mostly D18’s or D28’s. All guitars these days, even very expensive ones like Lowden and Boucher are worth a lot less on the 2nd-hand market.
That’s not my experience. These days Hsienmo’s sell very quickly on Reverb for pretty close to original price. Sellers on Acoustic Guitar Forum are taking deep cuts on expensive guitars unless it is a vintage Martin or Gibson.
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Beautiful sound from that guitar! I hv been looking at them since I saw a review. This review just confirms that they are lovely, well made beautiful beasts. Enjoy!
Lovely sounding Guitar thank you for shareing
Thank you for posting your review and video.
Those "Hsienmo" branded tuners are in fact Gotoh precision tuners.......they are not quite as good as the Gotoh 510's, but they are still Gotoh's and very high quality.
Thanks for the detailed unboxing - enjoyed your playing!
Very nice! Thanks for the showing! Love the James Taylor cover!
Hi Howard... we'd just gone to see JT in Sydney and I thought it fitting to do one of his songs. He was so amazing, as usual, great dry sense of humour too.
Beautiful! (And thanks to the Customs guy who must have put all case candy back improperly so the guitar might get scratched!)
Wow I was wondering how the African Blackwood with the sinker redwood top would sound like . I want one now that bassy sound on the guitar is rich n your appointments are simple very nice great choice 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️🎸☮️
that’s a lovely piece and lovely video
I own a cedar Hsienmo and love it.
Glad your Hsienmo is performing well. They are lovely guitars, and in these days of ever increasing costs, excellent value.
I own 4 Hsienmo acoustic's and absolutely love & recommend them. Owner/founder Li Chen told me personally via an email that his company builds NO MORE THAN 400 acoustic's per year.........so that's quite a bit less than "50 per month". I've noticed that this is the only video you've ever posted on your channel. Would love to see a follow-up video & comparison. Please understand, while ya may have very few views..........that will never change if ya don't start posting more videos. Cheers.
Absolutely beautiful sounding guitar. I've been checking them out for awhile now.
Im looking for my forever guitar. Probably an OM OR PARLOUR size.
Don’t know if I’d ever say ‘forever’ as far as guitars go Anthony, there always seems to be room on the wall for one more, ha ha! I couldn’t recommend HsienMo highly enough though, in every way… but especially - making ‘exotic’ tone woods within reach of ordinary working people.
@@poguie Couldn't agree more Dave, HsienMo really knock it out of the park regarding offering exotic wood at a very reasonable price. Just goes to show us how much the bigger companies mark their woods up by.
@@poguie Ordinary working people should sound rough on a cheap guitar (Rich men north of Richmond). We are on the brink of WW3 because of greed
I have 3 hsienmos and 2 more in the works ❤
You sound like one happy customer, have you got pics of them up on the site? I’d love to see them. Yes, after a few weeks of playing my new guitar I’m convinced that it’s as good sounding as my Lowden, Maton and Boucher guitars all of which cost 2-3 times as much. I’m now curious about a D28-style Hsienmo with Adi top and bracing.
wow thats sure is one beautiful guitar.love all the extras bits .did you mention price.btw like the linn
Hi Anthony... it was my first ever post, I was winging it unscripted and you are right, didn't mention the price. It was US$2800 including the LR Baggs Anthem pickup and dispatch here to Australia. They really are great value guitars and even if the price increases a bit they will still be good value I'd say. I noticed that Eastman guitars are more expensive these days, the same will be true for Hsienmo too in the future.
@@poguie i play a Dowina great guitar also.yeah its great when you buy a guitar that sounds and looks fantastic i bought my Dowina on line so kinda took a big chance but wasnt disappointed when it eventually got here..although i should have ordered a new pair of hands as well im just a light strummer ....
The Linn is still going strong Anthony... another piece of kit that I couldn't afford to buy new today! Bought that 2nd hand in 1982 for 280 quid (can't find the pound sign, ha ha!) brought it out to Australia with me and my small record collection. It still gets a spin every now and then and amazes listeners but these days I mostly like the convenience of streaming from Qobuz... which makes it feel like my record collection has expanded to 60 million!
After watching a "Hsienmo vs Gibson" (SJ200) the Gold goes to Gibson, barely. Could this be the bolt-on replaceable neck (bolt-on vs dove-tail glued) effect? My preference is the Hsienmo because of the replaceable neck as a 'broken neck' on a high end guitar caught my attention two days ago! Paying for the name costs more money.
Right off the bat: it really pisses me off how the Australian customs took all of those loose items out of the storage compartment of the case and then hap-hazardly threw them in the case below the body of the guitar. I sure hope it didn't cause scratches on the back of the guitar, because the shippers these days just don't care, as they throw the boxes around. Hsienmo does a great job of packing these instruments for shipping ( I own 4 custom shop Hsienmo's ) but the shippers still manage to screw things up.
Hi all, just thought I'd post a link to Canadian guitar legend JP Cormier's review of Hsienmo Guitars. Hope you enjoy.
ruclips.net/video/FG4cauVtm-A/видео.htmlsi=M5qhV-T7ZnBy5LBy
Yes… it seems like he chucked it all back in from ten paces away! Definitely not the HsienMo people.
How do you like the matte finish versus gloss. I’m getting ready to do a custom order and I’m torn on this feature.
Hi Ben… the matt finish looks very nice, but with my 30 year old Lowden, which also had that finish, there are certain places, ie where you arm rests over the body, or maybe where your pinky might rest near the sound hole that over time become worn into the finish and you can’t get rid of them with any amount of polishing. I’m sure this might be the same for a gloss finish guitar too perhaps although I’ve been able to polish out fingerprints from my other gloss finished guitars, so they might be a bit more durable… they also will show the marks of being well used after a while though. In some places this is viewed very favourably, but I’m one of those guys who like his guitars looking as pristine as possible, it’s just how I like them. Mind you, some of those old Martins and Gibsons from back in the day look super cool with their dings/patinas/scratches whatever you want to call them.
@@poguie is there any impact on the tone because of that gloss finish ?
@@asdf7972 Hi Ben, sorry for the late reply. The finish on the guitar is actually more of a satin not high gloss nitro, it's very lite but a finger print magnet also as the wood is so dark. It sounds wonderful though, extremely resonant with a great sustain and what I really like, a great separation of notes when playing finger style. I did a small video for HsienMo to use in the Shanghai Guitar Show.. see below... I used my iPhone 12 and a little Audigo mic which you can see on the left hand side of the picture with just a touch of reverb. A bit rough and ready but hopefully it gets across how good, and affordable, these instruments are. They were also super nice to deal with as well.
ruclips.net/video/sI_yvag45Wk/видео.htmlsi=6RE9HWCsuJdNj0DU
@@poguie thanks for the reply , i was thinking about buying one and i am also torn between those two choices, nitro skin finish(half matt) vs UV ultra light finish (gloss)
Thin picks are absolutely worthless & shouldn't be used by any guitarist for any reason. The bare minimum for starting to get a good sound is medium to medium/heavy picks. Ya don't have to go with the crazy thick picks that the hardcore bluegrass players use, but the rule of thumb is: the thicker the pick, the more silent the pick itself is, and results in a warmer & louder sound. Thin picks make ANY guitar sound it's absolute worst. So for all of you beginners out there: do NOT start off woth thin wimpy picks. Start with a good medium or medium/heavy. Trust me on this.
You seem upset
@@RandyBroyhill-f6e Nope. Not at all. I'm just stating facts for the beginners. But you definitely seem like a troll who is so incredibly lonesome & bored.........desperately seeking someone to play with. Buzz off kid.
@@RandyBroyhill-f6e No, he is mad.
I agree with you about thin picks. I like a Dunlop Ultex 1.14mm.
Unless you want to sound like Neil Young, who has used Dunlop Herco Gold Flex 50 picks (around .65mm) since time immemorial!
How much did it cost if you don’t mind me asking. Maybe I missed you saying it.
Hi.. I don't think I did mention it actually. It cost US$2800 (including a great pickup)... which is still expensive for a guitar I know, but the Lowden equivalent using exactly the same 'exotic' woods would cost AU$20K here in Sydney. I do also own a Lowden O32 spruce and rosewood guitar and sound-wise the Hsienmo is equally amazing, just different, with great separation of notes, excellent for finger style. I like having different acoustics as they all offer a different 'flavour'. My budget would never stretch to afford the Lowden version of my Hsienmo guitar so overall, I'm extremely happy and would highly recommend them to anyone. I guess the only drawback might be in resale value, but as I will never sell the Hsienmo it doesn't really matter.
@@poguie Plus Custom duty and taxes which were how much...? Anyway enjoy your ne guitar.
@@Joe-m6p6b Li put an invoice of $980 on the box for me so Customs Duty were minimal.
I wish I had the cash to grab one of these instruments before the cost goes up.
Hsienmo, if you’re out there reading this…can I have one, please? 😂
Yeah $2800 is really nothing for an African Blackwood guitar. I haven’t heard really anything quite like it when it comes to acoustic and classical guitars.
The problem is once you buy a Chinese guitar it's like driving a new car off a car lot. It's worthless once you buy it. Spend your money on the real thing.
@@ericolsen67vw I won’t be selling this one Eric, it’s definitely ‘the real thing’ and sound wise easily keeps company with my Lowden, Maton and Boucher guitars. I only mentioned resale value in my earlier comments for those who perhaps don’t always hang on to their guitars long-term. In this case I’d say Martin guitars perhaps offer the best resale value, but then mostly D18’s or D28’s. All guitars these days, even very expensive ones like Lowden and Boucher are worth a lot less on the 2nd-hand market.
That’s not my experience. These days Hsienmo’s sell very quickly on Reverb for pretty close to original price. Sellers on Acoustic Guitar Forum are taking deep cuts on expensive guitars unless it is a vintage Martin or Gibson.