L
LaXu
Member
Flaxwood guitars are made here in Finland and they cost about 2000€ new. I've had the pleasure of trying their models from the few prototype models sold in stores in 2003 as well as the much more refined ones made this year. The newer ones compared to the older ones seem to have nicer finishes and more resonant tone. They have been out of my price range but I finally found a used 2005 Flaxwood Rautia for a very fair price, in a custom Ferrari red color too.
What makes Flaxwood guitars different from other high end guitars is that they are made of natural wood fiber composite instead of solid wood. What separates them from other composite guitars is that they sound good and don't feel like plastic.
The first thing you notice with the Flaxwood is how small it is. It reminds me of Music Man guitars in this respect. The body is slightly smaller than a strat and the headstock is a bit shorter as well. The guitar is quite light, about 3 kilos (7 lbs), a very comfortable weight and very good balance with a strap.
The neck is fairly wide. Personally I'd prefer a narrower neck but the Flaxwood doesn't pose a problem to me at least. Has a C-profile and isn't overly thick. The compensated nut on the guitar is also made of the composite material instead of the more common bone, graphite etc. Interestingly the truss rod adjustment is in the back side of the neck, behind the nut. This probably results in a stronger neck because a large cavity for truss rod adjustment isn't needed. Very clever solution to the age old problem.
On the neck there are small specks on the fretboard, probably wood fibers or something caused by the molding process. They make the fretboard look like it has a bit of dirt on it. They are only visible close up though. On the back of the neck and headstock as well as the Flax resonator back plate there's gray splotches that make the neck look a bit like marble but also add to the “dirty” look. A totally black neck would be nicer IMO. There's also an abalone inlay in the back of the neck, at the 7th fret. Seems a bit pointless to me. Feelwise the neck is very much like tung oiled or waxed maple, a very smooth feel.
The stock strap buttons are pretty small, I replaced them with more substantial buttons. I really don't understand why the manufacturer decided to go with these strap buttons that barely hold the strap. I may also end up changing the wiring to two volumes and master tone instead of the 1x volume and 2x tone setup it has since I rarely mess with the tone control on my guitars so I would find a second volume control more useful.
Acoustically the Flaxwood is noticeably louder than my solid-body guitars but not as loud as a full size semi-hollowbody. It has a pleasing, even tone so it's also tons of fun to play without an amp. Through an amp it is somewhat like a PRS – not quite as thick as a Les Paul but not quite like a strat either. A good allrounder then. I was very impressed by how well it cuts through even with heavy distortion. There's a certain clarity to it that you don't find in most humbucker guitars. The split pickup positions obviously don't have 100% authentic single coil tones but help give the guitar a wide palette of tones. Sustain is very good and the great thing about the tone is that it is extremely balanced and thus sounds very pleasing. This ensures that the guitar sounds good with various amps and various settings without resulting in ice picky highs or muddy lows or any other kind of grating tone unless the player wants it.
Overall the Flaxwood is a high quality guitar with great tone. In high end guitars from small builders it's usually hard to find any real faults in the tone or construction department and that is the case with the Flaxwood as well. I am fairly certain it will replace my semi-hollowbody and LP as the guitar I will use the most, because it's just so convenient in so many ways.
For someone looking for a PRS-ish (in terms of features and looks) electric in Europe this could be just the thing since it's ~1000€ cheaper than a new PRS. It would also be a good choice for someone living in a climate where traditional guitars need constant adjustment.
It's certainly not a be-all-end-all guitar by any means. However this kind of guitar building could have a very promising future. With the dwindling stock of good tonewoods in this world, the Flaxwood represents a more ecological option and in mass production would provide better sounding and more consistent guitars. It's nice to have manufacturers that are willing to take a few risks to develop new ways to build guitars. Flaxwood gets a thumbs up from me.
In case you read this far and got a feeling of déjàvu, yes, I have posted this on several messageboards.
Without further ado, the pics:
What makes Flaxwood guitars different from other high end guitars is that they are made of natural wood fiber composite instead of solid wood. What separates them from other composite guitars is that they sound good and don't feel like plastic.
The first thing you notice with the Flaxwood is how small it is. It reminds me of Music Man guitars in this respect. The body is slightly smaller than a strat and the headstock is a bit shorter as well. The guitar is quite light, about 3 kilos (7 lbs), a very comfortable weight and very good balance with a strap.
The neck is fairly wide. Personally I'd prefer a narrower neck but the Flaxwood doesn't pose a problem to me at least. Has a C-profile and isn't overly thick. The compensated nut on the guitar is also made of the composite material instead of the more common bone, graphite etc. Interestingly the truss rod adjustment is in the back side of the neck, behind the nut. This probably results in a stronger neck because a large cavity for truss rod adjustment isn't needed. Very clever solution to the age old problem.
On the neck there are small specks on the fretboard, probably wood fibers or something caused by the molding process. They make the fretboard look like it has a bit of dirt on it. They are only visible close up though. On the back of the neck and headstock as well as the Flax resonator back plate there's gray splotches that make the neck look a bit like marble but also add to the “dirty” look. A totally black neck would be nicer IMO. There's also an abalone inlay in the back of the neck, at the 7th fret. Seems a bit pointless to me. Feelwise the neck is very much like tung oiled or waxed maple, a very smooth feel.
The stock strap buttons are pretty small, I replaced them with more substantial buttons. I really don't understand why the manufacturer decided to go with these strap buttons that barely hold the strap. I may also end up changing the wiring to two volumes and master tone instead of the 1x volume and 2x tone setup it has since I rarely mess with the tone control on my guitars so I would find a second volume control more useful.
Acoustically the Flaxwood is noticeably louder than my solid-body guitars but not as loud as a full size semi-hollowbody. It has a pleasing, even tone so it's also tons of fun to play without an amp. Through an amp it is somewhat like a PRS – not quite as thick as a Les Paul but not quite like a strat either. A good allrounder then. I was very impressed by how well it cuts through even with heavy distortion. There's a certain clarity to it that you don't find in most humbucker guitars. The split pickup positions obviously don't have 100% authentic single coil tones but help give the guitar a wide palette of tones. Sustain is very good and the great thing about the tone is that it is extremely balanced and thus sounds very pleasing. This ensures that the guitar sounds good with various amps and various settings without resulting in ice picky highs or muddy lows or any other kind of grating tone unless the player wants it.
Overall the Flaxwood is a high quality guitar with great tone. In high end guitars from small builders it's usually hard to find any real faults in the tone or construction department and that is the case with the Flaxwood as well. I am fairly certain it will replace my semi-hollowbody and LP as the guitar I will use the most, because it's just so convenient in so many ways.
For someone looking for a PRS-ish (in terms of features and looks) electric in Europe this could be just the thing since it's ~1000€ cheaper than a new PRS. It would also be a good choice for someone living in a climate where traditional guitars need constant adjustment.
It's certainly not a be-all-end-all guitar by any means. However this kind of guitar building could have a very promising future. With the dwindling stock of good tonewoods in this world, the Flaxwood represents a more ecological option and in mass production would provide better sounding and more consistent guitars. It's nice to have manufacturers that are willing to take a few risks to develop new ways to build guitars. Flaxwood gets a thumbs up from me.
In case you read this far and got a feeling of déjàvu, yes, I have posted this on several messageboards.
Without further ado, the pics:
