NGD - 1966 Levin/Goya acoustic

[Despot]

Just agreed a deal on a '66 Goya (Levin made) T14 acoustic ... picking it up over the weekend all going well.

I have to thank Shadowplay for turning me on to Levins - I'd never heard of Levin until he posted about the Goliath model being a monster of a vintage acoustic for relatively little money compared to something like a Martin or Gibson. Levin made guitars in Sweden up until the late 1960s, when they were bought by Martin. Levin had particularly good stocks of good/old wood - which was, apparently, the main reason why Martin bought the company (to get access to their rosewood, mahogany etc). Unfortunately Martin simply pillaged their stocks and closed down the factory - so doing bringing an end to a Swedish maker who had made some beautiful acoustic guitars over the years.

Levins were imported into the USA under the Goya brand - but apart from saying 'Goya' on the headstock these guitars are 100% Levin acoustics, made in Sweden. Prices on Levins (i.e. that say 'Levin' on the headstock) are going up and up ... a few years back you could have picked up a Goliath for about 600 euro ... I now see them going for upwards of 1,200 or 1,300 euro. But Goyas can still be had for a lot less (though they're identical in every way other than the headstock logo). This one is cheaper than going into a store and buying a new Epiphone or other acoustic with laminate wood.

This one is Levin's take on the Gibson LG type guitar - small bodied with an Alpine spruce top and mahogany back and sides.

Anyway ... more info and photos when I have it in hand (it's in Dublin, so I just have to go collect/pay for it ... none of this waiting for the postman malarkey!). Excited about this though ... I absolutely love my Levin 350 electric ... and given how amazing this sounds before you even plug it in (being fully hollow with a spruce top) I have high hopes for this acoustic. I am taking a punt on this guitar (as I haven't played it yet), but I know of the guitar ... and I recall the person who sold it to the current seller lamenting the fact that they'd sold it, which is why I immediately jumped on it when I saw it pop up for sale.

More later this weekend.

[cincinnatiharry]

This thread needs guitar porn.

[Despot]

And tomorrow it'll have it! Picking it up tomorrow morning.

[Despot]

So I picked it up today. There are a few issues - the action is on the high side due to a bit of a belly on the top. I reckon it might be dried out, so I'm going to try rehydrate the guitar and that might bring it back a bit. Otherwise a neck reset might be in order. And if that's the case I'll have to do it ... because this guitar sounds so damn good there's no way I'm not bringing it back to perfect playing state.







Despite it's size (Gibson LG size), this guitar sounds huge. It doesn't have the low end of a dreadnought ... but it does have a really nice sparkling top end and has ridiculous projection for it's size. It's a wonderful sounding guitar.

The neck is nice and chunky too (nice!).

Four hundred euro worth of awesome vintage guitar - it might need a bit of work, but this sounds just as powerful as the old Martin 0018 I had for a while at about a tenth of the price!!

[zhivago]

Very cool guitar!!!

How much saddle is there left? A neck reset transforms a guitar...when the geometry of the instrument is all correct it sounds better and louder

On the bellying front, it might be that some of the braces need re-gluing...either way a visit to a good luthier will make it play and sound even better

[Despot]

There's not a lot of saddle left ... and there has been a neck reset somewhere before (and not a fantastic job either). The bridge also needs to be re-glued properly.

The bracing seems to be okay - there's none of the tell tale rattle when you tap the top. I'm hoping that hydrating it will bring it back a bit. As it is it's perfectly playable, just with action that's a shade higher than I'd like.

This sounds amazing Yannis. I picked up a '52 J50 recently and I finally understood what you meant about the earlier small guard J50s/J45s compared to the heavier braced later ones ... that J50 just throws out volume and fills the room. This is a close second - the difference is in the type of sound, but the volume and projection from this little thing blew me away.

[zhivago]

Great new on the Gibson! I missed that thread it seems! It must be exactly like mine

These old guitars are so special...I plan to get another vintage acoustic at some point, but for now I am saving for an apartment, so no more expensive purchases for a while!

On the neck reset, if it has been done badly, then redoing it is a great option, and the good news is that once the saddle is high again, the top will be driven properly which equals tone and volume.

I am going through a massive acoustic phase lately....been playing my J50 all day

[sookwinder]

I am going through a massive acoustic phase lately....

I would change that statement to: I am going through MY FIRST massive acoustic phase lately... I can't believe how loud an LG size acoustic can be or how two guitars of the same type can sound so different.

Kevin, that Goya looks great... can you show a pic of the machine heads from the back ... the "button" seem very chunky and very 60s ... in a good way

[zhivago]

I am going through a massive acoustic phase lately....

I would change that statement to: I am going through MY FIRST massive acoustic phase lately... I can't believe how loud an LG size acoustic can be or how two guitars of the same type can sound so different.

Acoustics have all got their own personalities I guess

My favourite thing about them is how they respond after the first 15 mins of playing, when the top gets 'warmed up'

[shadowplay]

That's a beauty Kevin, looking at that top certainly adds credibility to the story of Martin buying Levin to access their best in the world wood stocks. I really need to pull the finger out and look for one.

Kevin, that Goya looks great... can you show a pic of the machine heads from the back ... the "button" seem very chunky and very 60s ... in a good way

They look like Van Ghent tuners.

D

[Despot]

Sook - Shadowplay is right, those are van ghents - same thing you'll find on old Hagstroms and sometimes Burns. Very heavy tuners - even heavier than grovers! They work great though.

I'll stick a photo up later on when I get a chance.

Good point on the wood Shadowplay - and interesting to see how thin the top is ... it's razor thin! Even thinner than old Gibsons or the very few early Martins Ive seen. No doubting the wood though - a few people played it yesterday and it was fun to see their first reaction to the sound of that first chord ... always a surprised look and then a look at the headstock - "man, I've never heard of a Goya but this sounds pretty good!".

[Silaskegg]

Today's my first day as a member. Hello to all. I have a few Goyas (Levins). My first guitar from 1966 was and is a an N-21. I've been taking pictures of my entire collection which has reached about fifty and is not growing any larger. Maybe. Probably. Well....... today I brought in my T-14 to photograph here at Brooklyn College. It's one of the models that has those individual little round saddles.



http://api.ning.com/files/ayPcKd1O1K1Ml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... oyaT14.jpg

[Silaskegg]

How do I post pictures?

[zakmaster]

OK, I am going to sound like an idiot here, but here goes. Most time when you pick up an electric guitar, you have a pretty good idea how it is going to feel and how it is going to sound through a particular amp. Once you start playing, if you don't like the sound, you have all kinds of options to change the sound on both the guitar and the amp.

Acoustics, however, are a surprise every time. I love picking up an acoustic that is unfamiliar to me and waiting to see what it is going to sound like.

I say all of that because I love the pics of your new guitar. I would love to play that one for a bit. It just invites you to play it. Congratulations, and well done.

[sookwinder]

How do I post pictures?

I just edited your post and allowed the picture to be seen.

Get the address of the picture and use the " IMG " button above the area in which you write up your post. Place the adddress between the two ...[img]...[/img] ...