Gallagher 72 Special
submitted 4/14/2011
|
Submitter |
JT Foote |
Where Purchased |
Dream Guitars |
Year Purchased |
2009 |
Price Paid |
2795.00 ($US) (bought USED) |
Sound
|
This 14-fret instrument has the best overall sound of any acoustic guitar I have ever played. The tonal quality is lush, with exceptional warmth. The string-to-string balance leans towards a clear, powerfully resonant bass ... with a rich, harmonically active mid-range, sweet bell-like trebles, and good note separation. There is a wide field of projection that makes the guitar deceptively loud, even off to the sides. Tremendous sustain. The neck profile and nut width allow plenty of room for easy fingering. The guitar is incredibly versatile; it handles both fingerstyle and flatpicking beautifully, and can maintain a fine, deep tone even when capoed on a high fret. I have it set up with a low action, using nickel round wound strings that allows for exceptional flexibility in both hands. Bends, hammer-ons, and pull-offs are a breeze. The top is lightly-braced, and responds quickly to even the most minute of dynamic changes, yet has an unusual amount of clean headroom if pushed. |
Sound Rating |
10 |
Setup
|
The guitar needed some work when I bought it. It was covered with a (still) unidentified dark, sticky film that took several hours to remove. The frets needed leveled and dressed. The saddle had shifted too far forward when the top bellied, so a new slot in the ebony bridge had to be cut, the old slot replaced with similar wood, and a new intonated bone saddle installed. The nut was replaced, and the relief and action set to my preference. The guitar had two holes in the end block, and I had one filled with a strap lock, and the other with an L.R. Baggs Dual-Source pickup and a 1/4" end pin jack. The bridge pins were slotted, so I reamed the bridge pin holes and slotted the bridge. I still use the old bridge pins; I just install them backwards, with the slots facing the rear of the guitar. |
Setup Rating |
5 |
Appearance
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It is an attractive guitar ... well designed and tasteful. The aged, amber-colored Sitka top has a surfeit of medullary rays (silk), perfectly straight-grained, with almost no runout. There are over 50 grain lines per inch. The nitrocellulose finish is very thin, and goes over the pickguard. The top binding and rosette are absolutely gorgeous pieces of abalone. The ebony fretboard is bound with grained ivoroid. The headstock plate is Brazilian Rosewood, and the tuners are gold Schallers that operate smoothly, with no binding, and the surface metal coating has not pitted or flaked at all. The abalone and mother-of-pearl inlays on the fretboard and headstock are custom-designed Bell Flowers designed by Mr. Gallagher. The back and sides are wild East Indian Rosewood, and beautifully book-matched. |
Appearance Rating |
9 |
Reliability
|
The tuners have already lasted for twenty years, and I think they will go for at least another twenty! The finish has some thin spots that are down to bare wood on the upper bouts near the fretboard, but they have been touched up. There are a few nicks and scratches, typical of normal play wear, but no cracks or other kinds of damage that would require a luthier's aid. It holds pitch very well; I have never broken a string on the guitar in the two years I've had it, and a backup for this guitar on a gig is unnecessary. |
Reliability Rating |
10 |
Customer Service
|
I've never dealt with the company, but from what I have heard, the Gallagher family is very friendly and wonderfully accommodating to all their customers. The guitar was not under warranty, being used. |
Customer Service |
10 |
Components
|
Specifications:
* Type: Dreadnought
* Year: 1992
* Back/Sides: Indian Rosewood
* Top: Sitka Spruce
* Neck: African Mahogany, 1 Piece (Khaya)
* Headplate: Brazilian Rosewood
* Headstock Inlay: Builder Logo
* Headstock Bindings:
* Fingerboard: Ebony
* Fingerboard Bindings: Ivoroid
* Fret Markers: Custom Floral Pearl Inlay
* Frets to body: 14
* Cutaway: None
* Bridge: Ebony
* Pickguard: Tortoise Style
* Body Bindings: Ivoroid
* Top Trim: Abalone
* Back Strip:
* Rosette: Abalone
* Tuners: Schaller Gold
* Case: OHSC Tweed Look
* Pickup: L.R. Baggs Dual Source
* Condition: Very Good, has second pickup jack hole at end pin allowing for a second pickup to be installed if desired.
* Body Length: 19 7/8 in.
* Upper Bout: 11 1/2 in.
* Lower Bout: 15 3/4 in.
* Body Depth @Neck Heel: 3 7/8 in.
* Body Depth @Tail Block: 5 in.
* Scale Length: 25.25
* Nut Width: 1-3/4"
* Strings Spacing: 2-1/4"
Nothing on this guitar needs upgraded, updated, or repaired. The neck angle is very good, and the dovetail joint is tight. |
Components Rating |
10 |
Overall Comments
|
Simply put; it is a superior guitar. Great craftsmanship. Fantastic tone. Suitable for fingerpicking a nuanced ballad with a capo, flatpicking fiddle tunes, or for accompanying a vocalist without irritating frequency conflicts. The sound, resonance, and dynamic response are above and beyond. The playability with nickel strings is reminiscent of a good electric, but without a loose feel or sloppiness, and there is no buzz, even with an aggressive technique. Overall, as fine an instrument as any guitar player could hope to have. I got really lucky the day this one fell into my lap. I would have gladly paid twice the asking price for this guitar, and still thought I had gotten a bargain. And a prize. |
Overall Rating |
10 |
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