Manuel Rodriguez MCR11 review

A Spanish guitar hybrid with classic good looks

  • £899
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The MCR11 is imbued with Spanish tradition

MusicRadar Verdict

A very typical electro-cutaway Spanish guitar. It won't blow your socks off but, so long as those string outputs are sorted, it's definitely very fit for purpose.

Pros

  • +

    Good build and acoustic performance.

Cons

  • -

    Uneven string outputs when plugged in.

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The MCR11 is one of the most Spanish looking flamenco/flat-top hybrids we've seen: it's a full classical-depth solid cedartopped cutaway electro with a quite startling rosette.

Construction is respectable, although the finish seems a little over-thick and is not the flattest you'll ever see on this type of guitar.

"Unplugged, the guitar exhibits a well-balanced, crisp tone that's not bass-heavy"

Internally, bracing and jointing is very clean. The MCR11's neck-block construction is a Spanish-style slipper heel with an unusual, but comfortable cutaway heel shaping. There's a slightly asymmetrical feel to the neck shape, with a shallower shoulder on the treble side, while the bass side feels more rounded.

The reasonably spacious nut width actually feels a little cramped, whereas string height is roomy, though a little lower than classical standard (like all of our foursome), and the fretting is nicely polished.

Sounds

Unplugged, the guitar exhibits a well-balanced, crisp tone that's not bass-heavy. That said, it's certainly not the most responsive we've played and also sounds a little tight, like it needs a fair bit of playing in.

Plugged in, the acoustic sound is replicated, the preamp is effective and performance is only let down by uneven string outputs. A shame, because this is otherwise a very nice guitar.

Dave Burrluck
Dave Burrluck

Dave Burrluck is one of the world’s most experienced guitar journalists, who started writing back in the '80s for International Musician and Recording World, co-founded The Guitar Magazine and has been the Gear Reviews Editor of Guitarist magazine for the past two decades. Along the way, Dave has been the sole author of The PRS Guitar Book and The Player's Guide to Guitar Maintenance as well as contributing to numerous other books on the electric guitar. Dave is an active gigging and recording musician and still finds time to make, repair and mod guitars, not least for Guitarist’s The Mod Squad.