The design of both guitars is very striking. Our review models were finished in a gorgeous Copper Black stain with a lighter, Cognac finish available as an option. The dark stain is matched with black Faith Precision tuners and looks wonderful against the dark Ebony fretboard and bridge.
Fantastic build quality
Very attractive design and finish
Excellent tone and playability
All solid woods
Great value for money considering quality
Fantastic build quality
Very attractive design and finish
Excellent tone and playability
All solid woods
Great value for money considering quality
No case/gig bag included
Would be nice to see a smaller bodied guitar in the range
Dark visual style may put some off
No case/gig bag included
Would be nice to see a smaller bodied guitar in the range
Dark visual style may put some off
Mahogany Back, Top & Sides
Dreadnought Body Shape
Patrick James Eggle X-Brace Design
Fishman Electronics
Nexus Neptune Electro Copper Black
MSRP £619 (UK) $TBC (US)
Solid Engelmann Spruce Top
Solid Mahogany Back & Sides
Solid Rosewood Binding
Patrick James Eggle X-Brace Design
Fishman Electronics
Nexus Venus Cut/Electro Cognac
MSRP £799 (UK) $599 (US)
The Faith Nexus Series is a collection of beautiful acoustic, gloss-finished guitars using all-solid mahogany bodies and tops. The all-mahogany construction creates a guitar that loves to be played hard and offers a distinctive tonal character with an emphasis on the mid-range. Tom Quayle takes a closer look at two of the models from the range, the Nexus Neptune and Nexus Venus.
Faith guitars is the brainchild of legendary luthier Patrick James Eggle, a UK based builder with a well-deserved reputation for making incredible, high end electric and acoustic guitars. The Faith brand produces Indonesian made acoustics that maintain Patrick’s design ethics and building standards, using all solid woods for a budget-friendly guitar that feels and sounds like a higher priced instrument.
The Faith Nexus series utilise solid Mahogany back and sides, matched with a slightly more unusual solid Mahogany top, for a guitar with a more mid-focused, mellow sound and stunning visuals. There are two body shape options in the series – the larger Neptune; a Baby-Jumbo shape that offers big acoustic sounds without being oversized and the slightly smaller Dreadnought Venus, inspired by Auditorium/OM body shapes for those requiring a smaller, more comfortable cutaway body shape that doesn’t sacrifice too much tone.
Both guitars feature well-selected Mahogany tops, finished with Faith’s Hi-Gloss lacquer to accentuate the beautiful grain. The bodies are matched with Mahogany necks with Macassan Ebony Fretboards featuring a single ‘F’ inlay at the 12th fret. The gloss finish extends to the neck, which may put some people off, but it certainly doesn’t feel sticky to play and will enhance the longevity and look of the guitar.
The design of both guitars is very striking. Our review models were finished in a gorgeous Copper Black stain with a lighter, Cognac finish available as an option. The dark stain is matched with black Faith Precision tuners and looks wonderful against the dark Ebony fretboard and bridge. The Nexus range is designed with subtlety in mind (although the very dark look may not be subtle enough for traditionalists) and the guitars are free from any aesthetic clutter such as binding, inlays or elaborate rosettes. Instead, Faith has opted for a classy, moody look for these guitars and it works very well indeed.
Both the Venus and Neptune are very nicely built with a premium feel and attention to detail. There are none of the classic issues one might associate with a more budget-friendly guitar such as uneven finishing, inconsistent fretwork or tuning/stability issues. These Faiths are every bit quality instruments with a low-price tag have no obvious flaws internally or externally to speak of.
The Venus and Neptune are very comfortable to play, with approachable neck profiles and a 16” radius that makes single note work as easy as chordal playing. The Neptune is undeniably a big guitar, and whilst not a full Jumbo in size, the Venus would probably suit a smaller player slightly better. There’s not a great deal in it though and any guitar this size will become uncomfortable for extended playing periods, so it would be fantastic to see a smaller, parlour sized body shape added to this line up for those looking for comfort over a big acoustic sound.
The Venus includes an upper-side mounted Fishman Isys+ preamp and Fishman Sonicore pickup. The preamp is discrete with a small footprint and features Bass, Treble and Volume controls, a chromatic tuner and phase button, plus a battery low LED. The output jack and battery socket are combined on the lower side of the guitar. The Neptune has the same Sonicore transducer pickup but pairs it with the Fishman Sonitone preamp that lives under the soundhole for an even more discrete solution. The Sonitone provides a simple setup with Volume and Tone controls for easily dialling in a tone and the results from both solutions are more than acceptable for good sounding electro-acoustic use out of the box without being mind-blowing.
The straight acoustic tone of both guitars is fantastic thanks to the solid woods and choice of all Mahogany construction. Once again the tone belies the price tag and both guitars produce a very focused, mid-heavy sound that is rich in detail but warm and inviting with a wide dynamic range and response to your attack. There is a tightness to the sound that comes from not having too much emphasis on the low or high end and it rewards heavy strumming and pick-based playing with plenty of volume and punch. The Neptune sounds slightly bigger and warmer thanks to the slightly bigger body and lack of cutaway, but both guitars sound superb acoustically and mic up very well if you want a more natural acoustic sound on stage or in the studio.
Faith has added two very attractive models to their already impressive line up here and either would be a great choice for those looking for a budget-friendly guitar that feels and sounds like a much higher priced instrument. You often get what you pay for in life, but these guitars certainly give you that rare feeling that you got more than your money’s worth. Just factor in that there is no case/gigbag include with the asking price so you’ll need to budget for that too, but the Nexus Neptune and Venus still represent amazing value for money for what is essentially a professional quality guitar in every respect.
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