La Patrie Presentation Classical Guitar

Hi there!

Today we are looking at a very nice La Patrie Presentation model classical-style acoustic guitar. They are an incredible value. La Patrie is an offshoot of the Godin family of guitars and are made in LaPatrie Quebec. I think Canada may have more luthiers than lumberjacks. Maybe.

When I first picked up this guitar, I was impressed by the sound and the build quality of this guitar, and even more by the price, which is less than half of a comparable guitar.

It is a pleasant-looking guitar, with a solid spruce top, and rosewood laminate back and sides. The neck is made of mahogany with an Indian rosewood fretboard. The finish is sort of a semi-gloss laquer, and the body has a simple binding around the top and back.

The black and gold lyre tuners are nice quality and hold well. It has first-rate Tusq (by Graphtech) synthetic bone nut and bridge saddles, and a rosewood bridge.

The neck is made of a Honduras mahogany, with added sections for the headstock and heel. It has the same satin finish as the body. There is a dual-action trussrod in the neck. The nut is 2-inches wide, which is pretty much the standard for classical guitars. The neck is a little thinner profile, so it is more comfortable to me than other classical guitars. There are 19 medium frets, and they are finished well. This one had a great set-up right out of the box, and the frets are finished well, with nice edges.

So, overall it is a nicely-made guitar, with solid materials. But, it sounds good and plays well too! It has a sweet, balanced tone. It is has of impressive volume when played hard, and has a nice low-end tone. It is pleasant to play, and would be great to gig with.

It is nice and light, weighing in at around 3 pounds, 15 ounces according to my scale.

MSRP on these is a mere $589, with a street price of about $479. You will not find a better guitar for the money.

fyi -- I did have a little trouble with this one, as a small crack developed near the edge of the top. There was a question of whether an impact caused it, but the shop went ahead and took care of it, with a very nice repair that was very hard to see when they were done.

Excellent customer service!

Mahalo!