Yes, the sound quality in terms of both volume and sweetness is really impressive with this little guy. I have been playing it a lot since I received it last Friday, and it sounds very close to its 314ce cousin. The 314 has a little deeper low end, a little more lush, but it is also 5 years older so the age probably contributes some of that (plus being all solid wood). But I have to say I’m really impressed. I know there is a lot of love for the koa versions, and I know they take longer to open up, but I had an absolutely gorgeous koa mini that even after 3 years of playing pretty steadily did not have the fullness of this mahogany version. Maybe it’s just my ears, don’t know. But I do know with searching you can find (and I did) a beautiful hog top that can give a koa top a run for its money in the looks department as well. Again, at least to my eyes. To each his own, I’m just happy to have a hog top back in the stable!
I purchased a Koa just before the end of the year. I purchased a Tonerite unit on reverb and put it on for about 8 hrs a day for 3 weeks and made a difference to the sound/tone. I still put it on about 2-3 times a week. Better than waiting 3-5 years to open up.
