Gayetana Guitars ATTO A77S Classical Guitar: Full Review

Gayetana is a newer brand of classical and flamenco guitars from Spain. The ATTO A77S model they offer brings a modern take to traditional classical guitar construction with its cutaway body shape and built-in pickups.

Gayetana aims to continue the centuries-old tradition of Spanish luthiers while also utilizing modern techniques and materials. Their guitars are entirely handmade in Spain. The ATTO A77S incorporates traditional elements like a Spanish cedar top and Indian rosewood back and sides, while adding technological innovations like a carbon fiber composite neck and onboard electronics.

This makes the ATTO A77S an intriguing option for players looking for the warm, rich sound of a classical guitar amplified. It allows the versatility of switching between nylon-string acoustic tones and plugged-in sounds ideal for performing. The cutaway body expands the top-end fret access as well. Let's take a more detailed look at what this model offers.

Construction

The ATTO A77S features an all-solid wood construction, with a solid cedar top and solid Indian rosewood back and sides. This combination of tonewoods produces a warm, balanced sound with good bass response.

The top is made of solid cedar which is a popular choice for classical guitars thanks to its resonant properties. Cedar is lightweight and responsive, allowing the top to vibrate freely. It generates a warm, bright tone.

The back and sides are crafted from solid Indian rosewood which gives the guitar depth and richness. Indian rosewood adds complex overtones to the sound with clear treble notes and pronounced bass. The wood's density prevents overtones from getting muddy.

Overall, the all-solid wood body provides excellent resonance and sustain. The cedar and rosewood complement each other beautifully, resulting in a full-bodied tone across all registers from bass to treble. This authoritative sound projects well.

Another excellent classical guitar option to consider in a similar price range is the Donner DAG-1C. This model also features solid wood construction with a cedar top and mahogany back and sides. The tonewood combination produces a balanced, nuanced sound. The cedar top offers warmth and clarity while the mahogany provides depth and richness.

The Donner DAG-1C has a traditional fan bracing pattern that allows the solid cedar top to vibrate freely. This results in excellent resonance and projection. The mahogany back and sides add complexity to the tone. Together, these tonewoods yield a guitar with good sustain and balanced sound across the tonal spectrum.

Like the ATTO A77S, the Donner DAG-1C has an all-wood body construction. This allows it to resonate fully, producing a robust classical guitar tone. The solid woods are carefully selected and matched to create an instrument with singing trebles, pronounced mid-range, and full bass. Overall, it's an excellent option in this price tier.

Neck

The Attos feature Gayetana's trademark symmetrical neck design. This C shaped neck has a generous width of 52-54mm at the nut to provide comfort and accessibility when fretting. The scale length is a standard 650mm, allowing for familiar feel and playability. The neck is crafted from cedar with an ebonized fingerboard, providing stability and durability. The wider nut width gives more space between strings, suiting the classical hand position and making complex chords easier to play. The medium profile neck with rounded edges allows smooth transitions up and down the fretboard. Overall, the neck design offers a comfortable and ergonomic feel that facilitates intricate classical guitar techniques.

The neck shape and width allow easy access to the strings, while still feeling substantial in the hand. This promotes good technique by enabling the thumb to be placed behind the neck rather than over it. The smooth finish on the back of the neck creates fluid shifting up and down the fretboard. The cedar wood provides a rigid foundation for the ebonized fingerboard, resulting in consistent action and playability.

Some other classical guitars like the Pyle PEGKT781BK also feature wider necks, but may use different materials. The PEGKT781BK has a neck made of nato rather than cedar. While cedar may provide better stability over time, nato is also a durable hardwood suitable for guitar necks. The choice of wood affects the feel and sustain, so personal preference plays a role when comparing options.

Fretboard

The Gayetana ATTO A77S classical guitar features an Indian rosewood fretboard. Rosewood is a popular and traditional fretboard material for classical guitars, prized for its dense and oily nature that helps produce full, warm tones.

The fretboard has a 650mm radius, which is a very slight curve common on classical guitar necks. This allows for comfortable playability when using the left hand to fret notes and chords up the neck.

The fretboard contains 19 frets in total. 19 frets strikes a nice balance between playability in the higher register while still allowing lower fret access on the treble side near the body. The modern design increases the ATTO A77S's versatility for various musical styles compared to more traditional 18 fret classical guitars.

Bridge

The Atticus A77S uses a rosewood bridge, which is typical for classical and flamenco style guitars. The bridge has a flat top and measures 2.4" wide.

Rosewood is a dense, durable wood that helps transfer string vibrations efficiently. It's a common choice for classical guitar bridges because of its hardness and ability to hold intonation. The width and flat shape of the Atticus bridge gives good tonal balance across all six strings.

The bridge material and design suits the traditional nylon string sound of the A77S. Rosewood has a neutral tone that doesn't color the sound. The wider bridge distributes string tension evenly. This allows the top to vibrate freely.

Overall, the rosewood bridge complements the A77S's intended classical and flamenco role. It gives a balanced and responsive nylon string tone. The material is also sturdy enough for forceful flamenco strumming.

Pickups/Electronics

The Atto comes equipped with a Sonodrive Surfer pickup system designed specifically for nylon string guitars. It features one pickup located under the saddle that aims to capture the full sound of the top.

There's a preamp control built into the side of the guitar with volume, bass, middle and treble controls to shape your amplified tone. The preamp runs on a 9V battery and can be turned on/off via a switch on the control panel.

The pickup and preamp system aims to produce a natural acoustic sound when amplifying the Attos nylon strings. The controls give you flexibility in shaping the EQ, while avoiding the quacky or synthesized tones some piezo pickups produce. Early reviews indicate the amplification sounds balanced without favoring the highs or lows too much.

The Attos preamp also features a tuner function that mutes the output when engaged. There's a headphone jack built into the preamp as well for quiet practice. Overall, the electronics seek to produce quality nylon string tone and make this an excellent option for amplifying classical guitar live or in the studio.

Sound

The ATTO A77S produces a rich, warm, and balanced tone thanks to its solid spruce top and mahogany back and sides construction. The combination of spruce and mahogany is a tried and true formula for achieving a full frequency response with excellent note separation and sustain.

The spruce top provides bright and crisp treble tones with plenty of volume and projection. Spruce is a popular choice for classical guitar tops due to its lightweight and responsive nature. Even delicate playing will result in the spruce top resonating beautifully.

The mahogany back and sides offer a smooth and refined midrange, adding warmth and body to the overall tonal profile. Mahogany lends itself well to nylon strings, emphasizing the lush overtones without muddying the clarity. The end result is a very open and resonant acoustic voice.

Sustain is another highlight of the ATTO A77S. The solid woods allow notes to ring out and decay naturally. There is no unwanted damping or muffling of the guitar's organic resonance. Both single note lines and complex chord voicings are handled excellently.

Overall, the tonewood combination enables the ATTO A77S to deliver on the tonal characteristics that players expect from a high quality classical guitar. It exhibits excellent projection, rich harmonics, and singing sustain. The guitar sounds as good as it looks and feels.

Playability

The Gayetana ATTO A77S offers great playability with its balanced feel, low action, and refined neck and fretboard.

The slim C profile rosewood neck provides a comfortable, sleek feel that makes playing up and down the neck a breeze. The low action allows easy fretting without buzzing out.

There is no string fatigue when playing this guitar. The super-playable neck has a radiused fretboard that enhances smooth playability across all frets.

The ATTO A77S shows its quality craftsmanship with perfect string spacing for fingerstyle playing. The balance makes it very comfortable to hold in playing position for long periods.

This is a very playable guitar that professionals and students alike will enjoy playing for hours without any hand strain or fatigue. The ergonomic neck design and low action allow intricate playing techniques without resistance.

Pros

• The Attos is a beautifully handcrafted guitar with exceptional attention to detail. The all-solid wood construction results in a rich, balanced tone that projects well.

• The neck has a comfortable profile that makes playing for extended periods enjoyable. It utilizes a dual-action truss rod for optimal stability and adjustability.

• The ebony fretboard is smooth and fast, allowing for ease of fingering. The fretwork is immaculate with no sharp edges.

• The unique fan bracing helps produce excellent dynamics and volume while reducing feedback. This allows the Attos to be played without an amp if desired.

• The LR Baggs Anthem pickup system accurately reproduces the guitar's natural tone. It features flexible sound shaping controls right on the guitar.

• Playability is superb right out of the box thanks to the professional setup and high-end components. It feels like a true performance instrument.

• The Attos punches above its price class in terms of tone, playability, and aesthetics. It's an excellent value for a handmade classical guitar with electronics.

Cons

The Gayetana Classical A77S does have a few drawbacks to consider before purchasing.

• The action may be too high for some players' preferences, making it more difficult to fret notes, especially for beginners. Getting the action adjusted by a luthier could help, but adds to the cost.

• The lack of cutaway can limit access to higher frets. For those wanting to play complex pieces that use upper registers, this could be an issue.

• The electronics seem to be lower quality and aren't as crisp or responsive as higher end pickups and preamps. The tone loses some warmth and nuance when switching to the onboard electronics.

• It may not project as loudly as some other classical guitars when playing acoustically. Performing guitarists that need volume without amplification may find it lacking.

• There are no strap buttons, so a strap would need to be installed by a guitar tech before standing up with the instrument.

• The satin finish, while attractive looking, may not be as durable or scratch-resistant as a gloss finish over time.

Overall the cons are minor and won't affect all players equally. But being aware of them can help match expectations to your playing style and needs.