For anyone that is on the fence about trying an Orangewood guitar, Orangewood is the real deal. My first Orangewood guitar was the echo which I bought about 8 months ago to stand in for a Taylor 510 I neglected over the years. I was so impressed with how easy the Echo was to play. They really take their set-ups seriously, and it shows. In my opinion (not just for the price) these acoustics have the best set-ups out of the box in the industry. The Echo is a great guitar to play, with a decent sound. Way more than what you would expect for a guitar priced around just over $300. Great Value.
Since the Echo purchase, I’ve been looking for an all solid wood guitar that has an improved sound compared to the Echo. I actually bought a Hudson over the summer, but it lacked the low end and fullness that I was looking for. I returned it, and I stuck with Echo for a few more months while I planned my next move. I tried a Taylor 210e, a Martin D18, and a bunch of other higher end guitars in the quest for the improved sound I was looking for, but each lacked the playability of the Echo, although each had a much improved sound, but I just couldn’t justify the price tag.
I hesitated with the Berkley at first because I didn’t like the sound and playability of the Hudson, but I finally decided to make the purchase of a Berkley Live in hopes that it would match the playability of my Echo but with a much improved sound. I received the guitar today, and it did not disappoint. The guitar has the amazing action I expected from Orangewood and is very comfortable and easy to play. The tone is such an improvement from the Echo (which you would expect), but for an acoustic guitar with an amazing pickup for under $1,000 (on sale) , I really haven’t played anything else that compares to this. You would pay more than double this price to get a similar quality guitar from a brand like Taylor, Gibson, or Martin.
Bottom line, if you are on the fence and are looking to get a great instrument with amazing playability and great tone, I would highly recommend the Berkley Live. I would imagine the Berkley is just as great if you are looking to save a little money and don’t need the pickup. This is probably one of the best values in the industry. Can’t wait to give an update in a few months when I’ve really had the chance to put it through its paces.
Thank you to Orangewood for making amazing acoustic guitars with great sound and playability at a price people can afford.
