2019 Yulong Guo "Philharmonic" CD/IN

Yulong Guo has been building guitars since 1983 and has gained a solid reputation in recent years for his high-quality student-level double top guitars, as well as this model, called the "Philharmonic" which is his top-of-the-line concert double-top model based on the soundboard designs of Antonius Mueller. In 2018 he also introduced a traditionally-built guitar, the "Granada" model, which won 2nd prize at the 2018 "Antonio Marin Montero" Guitar Building Competition in Granada, Spain.

This is his "Philharmonic" model, and just a look at this and one can immediately see his bold aesthetic - most notably the head has a single slot that tapers to the carved shape continuously from the bass side to the treble side. The rosette has a Romanillos-inspired motif featuring the iconic Moorish columns. Sound is velvety, smooth and balanced across all registers, and being a double-top, it is particularly powerful with a fast response. The warm, rounded trebles and deep basses are easily produced and seem to jump out of the instrument with even the slightest touch. It also features a semi-raised fingerboard which is intended to provide greater ease to the left hand in the higher positions. This is a style of guitar which is very attractive to many younger players on the guitar scene right now so we are pleased to be the exclusive US representative for this as well as the "Granada" model.