Full disclosure, this NUD post is slightly late. The instrument in question actually arrived six days ago. I needed some time to take some good pictures and to gather my thoughts about it.
In a recent thread, I learned from Mim that Rebel finally put out some actual concert scale instruments. This was news to me (even now, you can only find soprano, long-neck concerts, and tenor instruments listed...) although I have been interested in The Rebel for some time. (Technically they do have a "the" in their name, but I am likely to ignore that for the rest of this post.) So I bought one from Mim, and it arrived last Wednesday, perfectly setup and perfectly packaged. (Thanks, Mim!)
For those who don't know, Rebel are the Thailand based team of luthiers who make the Opio line of instruments for KoAloha. The body shape and size is, in fact, identical to the acaia Opio concert I own which is, itself, identical to the Hawaiian built koa KoAloha I have. There are some differences, including the neck, the bridge, and the internal bracing. I may write up a more in-depth review of this Rebel Double Creme, but for now, some pics and my initial impressions.
The mango used here is beautiful. It has many interesting lines and subtle color differences. It is certainly visually interesting, and I love the looks!
The instrument "feels" very similar to a KoAloha, as the size and shape are the pretty much exactly the same, and the neck profile is very close. Sound wise, it is different. I suspect it is a combination of the mango wood and internal bracing that is more traditional (rather than the uni-brace design of KoAloha) that give it a much more laid back sound. It is kind of hard to describe, and I have been having some difficulty trying to put it into words. It is more relaxed. Not muddy or unbalanced, quite the opposite; the sound is quite balanced, but I would describe it as more rounded? It is kind of the difference between listening to a classical violinist and a fiddle player. Same instrument, same notes, but one is more folksy? It is really hard to describe, but I really like it.
The tone is warm and rounded, laid back like it has nothing to prove and no one to impress. It knows it sounds good, it doesn't need to prove itself to anyone. It isn't as loud as a uni-braced KoAloha, but it certainly has plenty of volume.
It looks good, feels good, and sounds good. The more time I spend with it, the more I like it.
In a recent thread, I learned from Mim that Rebel finally put out some actual concert scale instruments. This was news to me (even now, you can only find soprano, long-neck concerts, and tenor instruments listed...) although I have been interested in The Rebel for some time. (Technically they do have a "the" in their name, but I am likely to ignore that for the rest of this post.) So I bought one from Mim, and it arrived last Wednesday, perfectly setup and perfectly packaged. (Thanks, Mim!)
For those who don't know, Rebel are the Thailand based team of luthiers who make the Opio line of instruments for KoAloha. The body shape and size is, in fact, identical to the acaia Opio concert I own which is, itself, identical to the Hawaiian built koa KoAloha I have. There are some differences, including the neck, the bridge, and the internal bracing. I may write up a more in-depth review of this Rebel Double Creme, but for now, some pics and my initial impressions.
The mango used here is beautiful. It has many interesting lines and subtle color differences. It is certainly visually interesting, and I love the looks!
The instrument "feels" very similar to a KoAloha, as the size and shape are the pretty much exactly the same, and the neck profile is very close. Sound wise, it is different. I suspect it is a combination of the mango wood and internal bracing that is more traditional (rather than the uni-brace design of KoAloha) that give it a much more laid back sound. It is kind of hard to describe, and I have been having some difficulty trying to put it into words. It is more relaxed. Not muddy or unbalanced, quite the opposite; the sound is quite balanced, but I would describe it as more rounded? It is kind of the difference between listening to a classical violinist and a fiddle player. Same instrument, same notes, but one is more folksy? It is really hard to describe, but I really like it.
The tone is warm and rounded, laid back like it has nothing to prove and no one to impress. It knows it sounds good, it doesn't need to prove itself to anyone. It isn't as loud as a uni-braced KoAloha, but it certainly has plenty of volume.
It looks good, feels good, and sounds good. The more time I spend with it, the more I like it.
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