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Artist NTL1 Amber Burst Nylon Acoustic-Electric Guitar

This one's for all the modern prog fans out there! The Artist NTL1 is a thinline nylon classical guitar that combines the ergonomics of an electric guitar with the inimitable tone of nylon strings! With a slim C-shaped neck, Purple Heart fretboard with walnut binding, and a piezo pickup controlled by a single volume and tone, the NTL1 is a simple, lightweight, high-quality instrument that will suit classical guitarists and Polyphia fans alike! As usual, we've decked this one out with quality appointments - high-grade tuners, a bone nut and saddle, Purple Heart bridge, and an ultra-slim 44.5mm body with a belly contour are just some of the incredible aspects of the NTL-1! 

The Tech Features

Brand: Artist

Model: NTL1

Body: Okoume 

Body Thickness: 44.5mm

Nut: Bone

Nut Width: 46mm / 113⁄16 ”

Scale Length: 251⁄2 ” / 650mm

Neck: Bolt-on, C-shape neck, Okoume, 21-23.5mm thickness

Fret Board: Purple Heart

Frets: 21 Nickel Frets

Fingerboard Radius: 14" / 350mm

Pickups: 

  • Piezo Acoustic Pickup with Preamp/EQ

Switch: N/A

Body Width: 44.5mm

Optional Gig Bags: BAGST, HGBAGST

No Hardcases we sell will fit this guitar


(18166)


Reviews (5)

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Perfection!

By: on 24 July 2024
This guitar is absolutely gorgeous to look at and the finish on mine is pretty much perfect. The neck is pretty chunky, not a slim C as advertised but also definitely not uncomfortable, and at least it's not a flat/wide classical neck that makes some chords difficult to play. The fretboard is so freaking smoooooth! Frets are nice and even and well finished on mine, which makes it super easy to love playing this guitar. The action is slightly too high for me, but it's well within the expected range for a nylon string- 3mm on the low E and 2.5mm on the high E to ensure there is no fret buzz. The neck is slightly asymmetrical so it helps with the action by sitting lower on the high E side. Tuning has taken a few days to settle in but that's expected with nylon strings- be sure to stretch yours first! Tuners are nice and smooth and the nut is cut well so the strings don't catch. As for electrics: it sounds amazing through my amp- the piezo system is clean and low (basically zero) noise. Due to the solid body there's no noticeable bumps or thuds when you touch or knock the body while playing. This may be a drawback if you want to build loops for percussion first. When not plugged in it's nice and quiet for people not in the immediate vicinity so practicing will not annoy anyone else. I'm honestly blown away, I nearly didn't buy one as there weren't enough reviews but I am super happy I did! I made one change so far: I swapped the plastic knobs to black metal barrel knobs (tele style) because it looks cooler. And I'll take the action down slightly so I can fret the high notes without them sounding choked. An absolutely stunning guitar and a huge win for Artist. I would get a second one if it came in a metallic white or pink finish (hint hint).

Artist Guitars Response
We are glad to hear that you are happy with the item. Thank you so much for your review. We truly appreciate it.

Great Guitar

By: on 12 July 2024
Very good setup out of the box. Absolutely love this guitar- very interesting tone and playability. Can recommend this for an interesting experience.

Artist Guitars Response
Thank you so much for your review. We really appreciate it.

Clever concept with mellow sounds

By: on 12 July 2024
I am very happy with the purchase of the Artist NTL1 Acoustic -Electric Guitar. Great concept. It is light with a comfortable action for finger picking tunes. Soft bass tones to my liking. I am enjoying playing this guitar as it feels and sounds amazing with good value for the purchase price.

Artist Guitars Response
Thanks so much for your review! Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Typical AG product (superb)

By: on 27 June 2024
I own more than my share of “name brand” instruments — Fender, Schecter, Yamaha, etc. But I’m also a sucker for high-quality reasonably-priced gear, and that’s why (much to my wife’s shuddering :-), I’ve bought three AG guitars in the last six months — a 5-string AMSB5 bass, an ST62 electric guitar, and now this NTL1. (See elsewhere on this site for my reviews of the first two if you’re interested.) While I’m primarily a bassist these days, I do occasionally need to use an electric or an acoustic 6-string, and that’s where this NTL1 comes in, because I love the mellow sound that nylon strings can bring to certain songs (I play in a large church worship band.). Like the AMSB5 and the ST62, this guitar upholds the AG tradition of superb quality at a decent price. DELIVERY: Arrived quite quickly, and the couriers didn’t damage it! UNPACKING: Adequately enclosed in a decent cardboard box, and came with a lead, a couple of picks, Allen key, screwdriver, and a 9V battery. BUILD: As I said, typical of Artist Guitars’ high standard of quality — flawless finish, decent tuners, bone nut, etc. LOOKS: Entirely subjective, of course, but even my wife loves the look of this one! Quite a distinctive appearance that has already drawn favourable comment. DESIGN: The thin (44.5mm) Tele shape and Strat-type belly contour makes a very comfortable instrument for playing. There are just two controls — a Volume, and a Tone, and, to be honest, the difference between the Tone “0” and “10” settings is, shall we say, subtle. I much prefer to have a decent EQ outboard of the guitar anyway, as it gives me more control of frequencies. The neck is relatively deep/thick, so just be aware that your capo (if you use one) needs to have a fairly wide opening to be able to clamp around it (one of my Shubb capos barely makes it on the higher frets). SET-UP: Set-up on a fixed-bridge unit like this is critical, because there’s not a lot you can do (apart from bridge surgery) if your action or (especially) your intonation is lousy. Fortunately, the NTL1 didn’t disappoint — action was (for me) pretty much right, and the intonation was exactly spot-on (as measured with a good Peterson tuner). Another indication of the care AG takes in its manufacturing process! SOUND: As I noted, the Tone control doesn’t provide a lot of variation, but adding an outboard multi-band EQ really shapes the sound, ranging from sharper to mellow. (I use a 10-band Boss EQ-200, and play through a Fishman Loudbox 120-watt Acoustic amp.). In short, it’s what I expect from a good classical/nylon guitar. CRITICISMS: Aside from my minor comments re the Tone control, I’d just add that I was a little disappointed that AG don’t sell a hard case for the NTL1. Apparently that’s because the tuners (typical of classical guitars) project downwards from the headstock, which means they actually contact the bottom of the average case. I look forward to AG coming up with a suitable hard case in due course, but I’m just using a high-quality gig bag for the moment. OVERALL: Quality that belies its price. For build, design, and price, I give it 5 stars — a really beautiful instrument. (And no, I’m not a classical guitar purist, so this review is written from the standpoint of a common garden-variety picker who just appreciates good gear.)

Artist Guitars Response
We appreciate the time you have taken to write a review. We are glad to hear that you are happy with the item. Thank you so much for your feedback.

Nice for the Price...

By: on 26 June 2024
Out of the box it was in excellent cosmetic condition. There were a couple of QC issues though. The volume pot was not at all smooth and had a 'click' at each end of its rotation. (This is the 2nd Artist guitar that I have bought with a pot issue) The tuners seemed OK when I had a quick feel out of the box but for use on stage, they felt a bit cheap and gritty and I had to turn one of them several times just to get a quarter-tone rise in pitch. That may have just been a settling issue with the nylon strings... Then ... having never played it ... I walked on stage ... 'OH MY GOD' - I'm converted!!! What a delightful sound. Being a steel string player, my fingers were all over the place (so I played like crap) but that aside, the dry tone through the DI was phenomenal; I had no verb or FX. Then I threw a capo on it at the 5th fret (Here Comes the Sun) and it sounded like a harp... I wrapped up with 'Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain' and was blown away by the 'Willie-ness' of the tone. If only Django was still here... I don't see this as a 'plectrum strumming' guitar. Use a pick for nice arpeggios and runs or better still just use your fingers and immerse yourself in that tone! I really needed a nylon string guitar for my shows and this definitely fits the bill. If you want a super high-end guitar then add a zero to the price. For what you pay, this guitar is excellent value. I'll be posting a YouTube review shortly.

Artist Guitars Response
We appreciate the time you have taken to write a review. Thank you.

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