Farida Guitars, a popular brand in the UK and a number of Asian nations, is coming to America with a line of four slope-shoulder dreadnoughts, and a pair of 00-sized guitars. Sidestreet Distributing in Lansing, MI will be the exclusive North American distributor for these instruments, and a ukulele line coming soon.
The guitars are part of Farida’s Old Town series, made with solid Sitka spruce tops, and laminated backs and sides using SITES-free woods for ease of international travel. They were designed in cooperation with Elderly Instruments, a leading retailer of vintage and contemporary guitars, and built in a state-of-the-art factory in China using advanced 3D modeling and careful attention to detail.
There are four models in the OT-60 series, all slope-shoulders featuring a sunburst top. The primary difference between them are the woods used for the back and sides, with your choice of mahogany, maple, or pau ferro, a common substitute for rosewood which comes from the same family. All use acacia for the bridge and fingerboard, except the OT-65, the only solid wood model, which has a pau ferro bridge and board.
For the 00 guitars you have a choice between the OT-22, with laminated mahogany back and sides and acacia bridge and board, or the solid wood OT-25, with solid mahogany and pau ferro bridge and board.
Both the 20 and the 60 series are made to pre-war size and shape specs using the latest in computer assisted design technology. They are based on detailed examination of valuable vintage guitars which served as the models.
Farida is proud to offer these lower cost alternatives to the big boys, ranging in price from $450 on the lower end to just under $1,000 for the solid wood models. Each has a bone nut and saddle and three-on-a-plate, open-geared, arrowhead tuners.
They area available from a number of dealers who specialize in fine guitars.
Detailed specifications and additional photos can be found online.
