Double Identity

Acoustic carbon-fibre guitar manufacturers Emerald take a bold step into the twin humbucker semi-acoustic market with one of the most versatile instruments we’ve encountered

- David Mead

EMERALD VIRTUO £2,625

CONTACT Emerald Guitars

PHONE [phone]

WEB www.emeraldguitars.com

What You Need To Know

1 Who is this guitar aimed at?

That was the first question we asked ourselves upon opening the case. It’s a brand-new model with a surprising array of features and has the structural stability and light weight that carbon fibre has to offer. In those respects, it’s kind of an open book.

2 Is this an acoustic guitar with a foot in the electric camp or is it just a full-blown electric?

And that was the second question we asked ourselves! We think the giveaway is that it arrived loaded with electric guitar strings and the unplugged acoustic voice is in the vicinity of an archtop. So we’ve marked it down as an electric with acoustic potential. Probably.

3 Can carbon fibre mimic the feel of a traditionally built guitar?

Once we began playing, we quickly forgot what the Virtuo is made from. There’s very little difference in terms of feel between this and any other high-gloss guitar. After all, you don’t actually feel the wood on a Gibson ES-175, do you?