Kopo Santo Bino #6 Nylon String

I really love this guitar. Fred Kopo’s Santo Bino caught me the first time I picked it up, and it keeps pulling me back.

Fred’s tribute guitar to Ken Parker is here in the shop too. Fred spent eight weeks working alongside Ken at Parkerland back in 2009, and you can feel some of that same spirit in his work. He’s thoughtful and curious, and he never builds something just because it’s always been done that way.

What gets me most is how easily I go from electric to nylon on this guitar. There’s no adjustment period. It just feels like home. The bolt-on neck speaks to the Fender guy in me, and the body has a little hint of a Tele about it. The deep cutaway lets you wander all the way up the neck, and on a nylon string that’s a real gift.

But make no mistake, this is an acoustic instrument. It’s warm, resonant, and expressive. The Lebanese cedar top sits over a hollow basswood body, and the soundport in the cutaway brings the sound right up to meet you while you play. And that open-frame headstock, Fred’s take on a slotted classical head, makes me smile every time I see it.

The 1 7/8" neck gives your fingers room to breathe without feeling like a full classical neck. Fred builds with European woods by conviction, and with the natural finish you can feel it. The wood is right there under your hands. It’s organic, and honestly, it’s sublime.

Plug it in and the MiSi system brings out the guitar’s true voice. Nothing gets added and nothing gets lost.

This is a modern guitar that crosses genres with ease. I hear it on a jazz gig, in a session, or late at night at home when you’re just playing for yourself. Every time I pick it up I want to keep playing. Fred has been building for nearly forty years, and the Santo Bino feels like an elegant expression of everything he’s learned. I’m going to miss it when it goes.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.