Joe Chiovari

Ruffled a few feathers about comparing Normans to pricier guitars, did I? No intention to do that. Nor am I comparing apples to oranges. There are just better apples. I do agree that the difference in quality of construction, sound and playability between a Norman and much higher priced makes becomes a non-issue considering the price (affordability). On the flip side, if money was not a problem...you guess which guitar we would all send our butlers out to buy while we practiced with a lesser quality guitar, say, a Norman. I have absolutely no sentimentality wrapped up in any guitar. I bought my Guild F-412 for $799.00 in 1974 because it was the ONLY 12 string I enjoyed playing (still do) and I was willing to go that distance to have it. The same held true with the Martin D-35 I bought in 1973 for $735.00. My pop thought I was completely whacko but he wasn't a guitarist, either. What I did not do is poo-poo other even higher priced guitars of that time simply because they were out of my financial reach. If the guitar one really would like to have is expensive, then so what? Save up and get it. I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth so many hours as a construction laborer went into my guitars. I have had many guitars over the years and enjoyed them all, even that Ovation Glen Campbell that sounded like it was in the next room while I played. But, they are just guitars. Some people put scads of money into their cars, money they will never get back when they sell it, but look in horror at the price of a high-end Martin even though it will only appreciate if held onto. So, get the guitar you really want, and deserve.

Lot of chatter going on about Norman guitars I see. People comparing them to Martins and such. Rule of thumb...if you like the sound and feel of the guitar, then that's the guitar for you. I have a Martin, Guild and Norman. The Martin is a DM of recent production. The Guild is an F-412 I have been playing for 30 years. Yea, I am an old coot. I am a fingerpicking fool (all 5 fingers). Flat picks I just never could get the hang of. Ended up in the sound hole many times. The Norman (B20/12) is a great playing and sounding guitar. I won't agree that it stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Martin or the Guild in playability or sound. I do agree that it comes close and, for the money, I would send anyone off to try a Norman product before they consider the higher priced makes. The Norman 12 I bought has laminated cherry sides and back, solid spruce top, maple neck and rosewood bridge and fingerboard. Maple sides/back are the hardest woods used on guitars and produce the brightest resonance through the spruce top. That is how the Guild is made and, quite honestly, it drowns out the Norman. No matter, the Norman has it's own sound and that sound is good. Guild makes the best 12 string guitars, Martin makes the best 6 string guitars, and the rest are just that. Specifically speaking, the neck of the Norman is just a bit larger than the Guild F-412. I find the Norman a little weak in it's treble. It takes a little more effort to "throw" a bar chord and strike to sound off those higher notes. One has to compensate by holding back the base sound a bit. But, hey, no two guitars of different manufacture play them same anyway. I still agree that the Norman is a great guitar for the money and that's why I bought one. But, I have read alot on this forum about Norman ranking in the same league with Martin or other pricey guitars. Well, it may be a good guitar but it ain't there yet.