Every once in a while Max and Lauri Girouard will surprise us with a cedar-topped instrument. Every time they do, we always come away quite impressed by the sound, and wondering why we don't do this more often! So it goes for this Ensemble A. The Western Red cedar top and one-piece Red maple back make for a lovely, complimentary tonewood combination. The warm, open, slightly darker character from the top plays well with red maple's responsive, punchy, reflective nature.

At the risk of stating the obvious, look at the picture-perfect color on this burst, and how the top color flows seamlessly to the back, sides, and neck. As accustomed as we are to Girouard's build quality and fit-and-finish, it is worth remembering that this is a handmade instrument from a two-person shop. Mind boggling!