MXR

146 Guitarist July 2012
QUICKTEST
MISCELLANEOUS
CONTACT: High Tech Distribution PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.musicnomadcare.com
CONTACT: Fender GBI PHONE: [phone] WEB: www.fender.com
Another ‘super’ guitar polish, apparently
The Bottom Line
We like: All-in-one clean,
polish and wax solution
We dislike: Often just a damp
then dry cloth does the job
GUITARIST RATING
Fender Newporter Mini £238
Travel guitar or toy?
Like every niche in the guitar
world, the so-called ‘travel
guitar’ market is well catered
for: virtually every acoustic
manufacturer offers small-size/
small-scale ‘mini’ guitars.
Along with its existing Baby
and Big Baby guitars, Taylor
re-drew the concept with its GS
Mini – a small 597mm (23.5-
inch) scale, 14-fret guitar with a
big voice and price, that doesn’t
leave too much change from
£500. Takamine’s EG Mini is
another cheaper contender
with 578mm (22.75-inch) scale
plus there are longer-standing
choices such as Martin’s LX
series, not to mention the more
radical Backpackers.
So what does Fender bring to
the table? A Chinese-made mini
that reuses the Newporter
name from the sixties: a 576mm
(22.6-inch) scale 14-fret guitar
with, of course, a Fender
Strat-style headstock.
The all-laminate-bodied
guitar (spruce top, mahogany
back and sides) is certainly
The Bottom Line
We like: Competent build;
price; acceptable sound;
the Fender headstock
We dislike: No gigbag; just a
little bit ordinary…
GUITARIST RATING
“The first Biodegradable
Environmentally Friendly
one-step answer to effortlessly
achieving a show-perfect
shine,” says Music Nomad of
Guitar One. “An ultra-slick,
streak-free, high-shine gloss
magnifier, organically
formulated to clean, polish,
wax and protect. Guitar One is
infused with white Brazilian
carnauba wax that delivers an
acoustically transparent
durable shield with a high-gloss
shine that protects your
instrument’s finish.” We’re told
too that the preparation is
“completely safe on any finish
or woods and keeps
instruments looking ‘as new’.”
In Use
Cleaning polyurethane or
polyester finishes is
straightforward – often a very
slightly damp soft cloth
followed by a soft dry cloth is all
you need. The accepted dangers
are those cleaner/polishes with
silicone and to a lesser extent
wax: both of which can form a
residue build-up, and make
future finish repairs tricky.
Guitar One does contain wax
but not silicone. Its spritzing
action applies barely any
cleaner/polish at all, yet with a
good dollop of elbow grease,
the results are impressive on a
variety of new gloss, satin and
nitro finishes we tried.
Verdict
Less is more when it comes to
cleaning and polishing but this
all-in-one preparation is a very
good light solution that’ll keep
your guitars in prime condition
and help support Music
Nomad’s online musical
community, providing help and
tips to musicians. [DB]
diminutive, yet it’s tidily made
with a clean natural-satin
finish and deep-brown
mahogany neck. Measured nut
width is electric-like at
41.78mm (the GS Mini is
slightly wider at 43mm). Yes, it’s
a little cramped but plays nicely,
and is pretty in-tune thanks to
the compensated saddle.
Sounds
The small soundbox kicks out
limited, bass-light volume but
it’s quite roomy and resonant
and the electric-like neck feel
might well suit lighter gauge
strings. Perfectly adequate for
strum-a-longs and even
songwriting; less so for more
serious practising.
Verdict
Yup, it works! Quite well
actually, although there’s little
to make it stand out from the
crowd. And a travel guitar
without a gigbag? Tut, tut. [DB]
Music Nomad Guitar One £13.99
GIT356.rev_quick.indd 146 5/16/12 11:18:45 AM