Classical guitars are not as popular these days as their steel string counterparts. Even so, there are some which simply stand out. La Patrie Collection is one of the best bangs for the buck acoustic of this type
under $1000. As a matter of fact, it’s so good that we had to include it in our shortlist of best models in this price range. Once you realize that La Patrie is another subdivision of Godin, the same company which owns Seagull, everything makes sense.
Body And Neck
The collection features that standard concert body shape we are used to seeing on classical, nylon-stringed guitars. La Patrie went for a combination of pressure tested select cedar for its solid top combined with solid rosewood back and sides. You’ve probably noticed that Godin, Seagull, La Patrie and other brands from this family like to use this cedar a lot. Truth is that the instrument's high-quality wood and they choose the best specimen for these awesome guitars. The neck is a mahogany piece that sports a standard rosewood fretboard. It’s worth mentioning that this is a hand-built guitar, so you can count on a rather impressive level of build quality.
Hardware
In terms of hardware, La Patrie kept things relatively simple. A standard rosewood bridge fitted with a compensated Graphtech saddle is tasked with maintaining that intonation and delivering great sustain. On the other end of the neck, we first see a precision made Tusq nut and later a nice set of standard tuning machines. The type of performance you will get from the hardware alone goes in line with what this guitar is all about - pure performance. With that said, we do recommend you take the guitar to your local guitar shop for a proper setup. Some are ready out of the box, but some aren’t. Doing a professional setup on your guitar will allow you to tap into this guitar’s fullest potential.
Sound
Sharp, clinical tone doesn’t go well with classical guitars. Many had concerns about this guitar seeing how La Patrie went for rosewood to compliment the soft cedar top. Being so hard, rosewood can easily render the guitar sterile if the luthier doesn’t know what they’re doing. Fortunately, this is not the case with La Patrie Collection. On the contrary, that rosewood back and sides gave it a finely balanced tone which is neither too soft nor too stiff. You get a good range, volume, and projection while the Collection simply flows when you start fingerpicking. In this price range, you will hardly find a better classical guitar than this.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, La Patrie follows the same policy of quality above anything else
as its sister companies. For a guitar sitting comfortably in the lower part of the mid-range, La Patrie collection is a true steal. Whether you’re a beginner looking for a ’ future proof’ guitar, or someone who needs a reliable instrument for gigging, this model is worth checking out.
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For more info about the La Patrie Collection , click here.
For more best acoustic guitars under 1000$,
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