Ben Morgan-Brown reviews Faith’s distinctive take on the all-solid mahogany guitar
Mahogany has undergone something of a rebirth in recent years. It was always a popular wood for acoustic guitars but after a period during which it seemed the top of an acoustic guitar simply hadto be made from spruce, tastes have drifted back again and suddenly, a few years ago, every maker was offering an all solid mahogany model. Faith, however, has earned itself a reputation not just for excellent quality in its price range but for making its guitars quite distinctive so, while many other makers have harked back to the dustbowl era for their mahogany instruments, stripped down and mean-looking, designed to look like early 20th Century Blues machines, Faith has opted instead for a distinctive, classy aesthetic with a high gloss finish. In the case of our sample this was particularly true as the classiness was enhanced by the hand-applied Cognac finish which we felt complemented the guitar very well, as does its black hardware, Macassan ebony bridge and fingerboard. Other colours are available, by the way.
As well as looking distinctive, the Nexus Venus has quite a compact body size, too, making it very easy to handle, a feature again complemented by another Faith characteristic – it’s very easy to play.
Mahogany guitars have a reputation of being strong in the mid-range and the Faith doesn’t disappoint, though Ben felt that he detected a difference between how the guitar sounded to him as he played it and the sound captured in the studio. This is something he has noticed before with mahogany guitars and is a feature you may want to check out for yourself. In any case, despite its fairly small size, the Nexus Venus is quite loud, lively and very responsive.
The Fishman Isis + Sonicore system somewhat divided opinions. Plug in your best headphones and you can hear from Ben’s demonstration that it is clearly a piezo system, with that characteristic sound which you can love, hate or equalise to get the best from to your taste. It’s a reliable combination, good to have included for the price and can get you a very acceptable sound for stage use from it.
Overall, then, the Faith Nexus Venus is every inch what we have come to expect from a Faith guitar. It’s Stylish, individualistic, well made and offers very good value for money.
AR Reviews are recorded in a top quality studio with the finest equipment. To get the best from our reviews and really hear the instruments perform make sure you listen on good quality speakers or headphones!
Faith Nexus Venus £649
Top Wood: Solid Mahogany
Back Wood: Solid Mahogany
Side Wood: Solid Mahogany
Binding: N/A
Bracing Material: Quarter-Sawn Spruce
Bracing Pattern: Patrick James Eggle X-Brace Design
Rosette: 2mm Abalone with Fibre Border
Neck: Mahogany
Neck Finish: Gloss
Neck Joint: Patrick James Eggle Bolt-On Design
Fingerboard: Macassan Figured Ebony
Fingerboard Radius: 16″
Fingerboard Inlays: Mother of Pearl ‘F’
Machine Head: Faith Precision Black
Truss-rod: 2 Way
Nut / Saddle: Nubone Black
Nut Width: Nut 43mm / String Spacing 55mm
Bridge: Macassan FIgured Ebony
Bridge Pins: Ebony with Abalone Dots
Finish Type: Gloss
Preamp / Pickup: Fishman Isys+ / Fishman Sonicore
Hardcase: Not Included
