Daryl Perry, 2023

Every so often a maker builds a guitar that competes head to head with the most powerful modern concert instruments while staying dressed in the quiet elegance of a traditional Spanish guitar. This 2023 Daryl Perry (No. 252) is exactly that. Built in Winnipeg, it pairs a spruce top with Indian rosewood back and sides, and the result is a consummate concert instrument that pushes real power and color out of a very classic, understated package.

We have gotten to know several Daryl Perry guitars over the years, and we are always struck by the same thing: their combination of power and elegance. The more you play this one, the more you hear the Hauser inspiration in it, the depth, the clarity, and the sparkle, all resolved into a voice that is unmistakably Perry's own.

Specifications

Construction: Traditional, seven fan bracing

Action: 3.5 mm bass, 2.75 mm treble

Tuners: Pagos, black buttons and rollers

Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF with normal tension nylon first string
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection

Sound & Playability

The first thing almost anyone notices is the power. For a traditionally built guitar to have this much output, everything has to be judged carefully, the top not too thick, the braces not too heavy, and Perry has clearly done exactly that. The guitar feels radiant, with a great deal of projection and a very even balance across the strings.

The trebles are a highlight. After the initial pluck the note seems to grow louder, blooming and then settling into beautiful high overtones. They are crystalline and even from string to string. The overall character feels complete: no exaggerated midrange, no artificial emphasis on the bass or trebles, just the balanced, singing sound of a great Spanish guitar. Remarkably, this spruce top is only three years old, yet it already sounds open and awake, as though it has been played in for fifty or sixty years.

The neck is rounded and C shaped, sitting comfortably between thin and thick, and the action is set nice and low at 3.5 mm on the sixth string and 2.75 mm on the first. The frets are a medium height that suits the instrument well. It is a guitar that plays flawlessly and rewards a committed player with lush, colorful sound one moment and real cranky bite the next.

Construction & Design

Underneath the spruce top is a seven fan bracing pattern, very simple and very elegant. The rosette follows the same restraint, a tight, classy pattern inside and out with a subtle detail down the center rather than anything that pops. The Indian rosewood back and sides are in excellent condition, and the entire guitar is fully French polished.

The headstock carries an Indian rosewood veneer and Pagos Italian made tuning machines, very smooth, with black buttons and black rollers. On the back of the neck Perry has cut a V-joint, a classic Hauser inspired touch that adds a little bit of old-world craftsmanship to enjoy. Strap buttons have also been installed.

About the Luthier

Based in Winnipeg, Daryl Perry has been building since the early 1980s and is regarded as one of Canada's finest classical guitar makers. His work reflects a deep connection to the great traditional guitars of the 19th and 20th centuries, and it is prized by serious players and collectors for its refinement, balance, and old-world elegance.

This guitar is in excellent condition with almost no sign of wear. There are no string marks or nail marks under the strings, just a few minor marks here and there, and the top presents beautifully.

Strap buttons have been installed. These are a simple screw fitting and can be removed and filled to become completely invisible if a future owner prefers.