Philip Woodfield GCII, 2016

It has been a little while since we have had a Philip Woodfield in our hands, and this 2016 Grand Concert II, named Moana, is a wonderful one to return to. Woodfield is an English luthier whose instruments have become extremely sought after, now played by concert artists all over the world, with a waiting list reported to be more than seven years. His guitars have been performed on by the likes of Scott Tennant, Mateusz Kowalski, Marcin Dylla, Duo Kupinski, Alexandra Whittingham, Giulio Tampalini, and Marek Pasieczny.

The desirability of a Woodfield comes down to a rare combination of things: the sound, the design, the aesthetics, and the way the instruments function under the hands. This one, his 382nd guitar, brings all of that together in a spruce top, lattice braced Grand Concert II with a truly extraordinary set of 5,000 year old bogwood back and sides.

Specifications

Luthier: Philip Woodfield
Year: 2016
Model: Grand Concert II
Name: Moana
Number: 382
Top: Spruce
Back & Sides: 5,000 year old bogwood (bog oak)
Construction: Lattice
Bridge: Bogwood with compensated saddle
Finish: Oil / satin neck finish
Scale Length: 650 mm
Nut Width: 53 mm
Fingerboard: Raised on the treble side only
Tuners: Scheller, German made, engraved, with black rollers and buttons
Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF with normal tension nylon first string, fitted with a carbon third
https://ddar.io/guitar-collection
Condition: Mint

Sound & Character

Woodfields have a special quality on recordings, a certain sparkle that helps explain why so many concert artists have gravitated to them, and this Moana is no exception. There is an abundance of richness to the sound, a dark chocolate character in the basses and a rounded, almost bulbous quality to the trebles that is reminiscent of the Martin Blackwell trebles we love so much. Every string seems to swell and sing.

It is a big, powerful guitar with phenomenal sustain and a huge palette of colors. While it is loud, it is not the sort of extreme volume you get from the loudest double tops or Smallman style lattice guitars. Instead it beats out a great many instruments through the way it projects and carries across a room, and through the sheer power you feel while playing it. One trait we have found on every Woodfield we have encountered is how unusually easy vibrato is to produce, and this guitar has that in abundance. Above all it is a guitar that truly supports your ideas and makes it easy to make music.

Playability

The action is set up nice and low over tall frets, and the neck carries an oil or satin style finish that is beautifully smooth to the touch and never feels sticky. The scale is 650 mm with a 53 mm nut width, a familiar concert setup with a slightly generous feel in the left hand.

This is a Grand Concert II design, and one of its clever details is a raised fingerboard that appears only on the treble side, where it is actually useful for upper register access. On the bass side there is no raised fingerboard at all, so the instrument keeps its traditional look while giving the player added comfort exactly where it is needed.

Construction & Design

The spruce top is remarkable. It is so thin that in bright light, at the right angle, you can actually see the lattice bracing through the top without any light placed inside the guitar. Despite that thinness, the top is stable and shows no bowing, and the guitar sounds incredible.

The rosette is one of Woodfield's most striking, with what appears to be ebony along one side and, on the other, a leaf motif that breaks free of the rosette circle itself. A small signature touch is the 20th fret, which Woodfield always colors black so that the end of the fingerboard reads clean and even. There is also a miniature tornavoz inside, about as small as they come, its lip descending only a fraction of an inch, which may well contribute to the depth of the sound.

The centerpiece is the 5,000 year old bogwood back and sides, an upgraded option and a genuinely rare material. This is bog oak, ancient wood recovered after millennia, with a dark, dramatic strip down the center and lighter figure toward the outsides. The bridge is also made of bogwood, with a compensated saddle and a touch of ornamentation on the tie block. The headstock is a favorite of ours, with crisp square slots, a sharp horizontal cut, and a bogwood veneer, topped with beautifully engraved German made Scheller tuning machines with black rollers and black buttons.

About the Luthier

Philip Woodfield is one of England's most respected contemporary classical guitar makers, admired for instruments that bridge tradition and innovation. His guitars combine modern concert level projection and immediacy with a refined, elegant musical character, and they have earned a devoted following among leading performers. With a waiting list of more than seven years, his instruments are difficult to obtain and increasingly collectible.

This guitar is in outstanding, very close to perfect condition. We would comfortably call it mint. It has clearly been very well cared for and presents beautifully throughout.