The Timothy S10J is the "other" local brand of guitars that is sold in Singapore. It looks quite plain, like a good acoustic should be (some of you may beg to differ).

Looks

The S10J is what Sinamex refers to as a Medium Jumbo-sized guitar. The dimensions look similar to Taylor's GS series of guitars. To me the Taylors still win in terms of looks - Taylor just has a knack for designing attractive guitars that make you want to pick them up. It comes with a solid Stika Spruce top and solid Ovangkol back and sides. The ebony fingerboard and the wood rosette adds to the attractiveness of this guitar. The neck however, is not a full piece neck but rather two piece with the joint near the base of the neck.

Playability

The S10J comes readilly set up with low, comfortable action. Fingering chords was a breeze on the neck of this guitar. It doesn't say on the website, but I believe that the nut width is 1/11/16", which is nice for strumming chords and fingerstyle.

Some folks  may prefer 1/3/4" nut widths, but personally I feel it's a matter of getting used to it.

Sound

This is where the S10J shines - it delivers with its warm, bold, full-bodied tone. The sound is rich and the sustain is very good. The onboard Elixir strings contribute to the brightness of this guitar. Played side to side with the lower end Taylors, it holds its own. I would describe the sound as being bright and deep at the same time. There is plenty of projection and power for a guitar of this price range. The bone saddle also contributes to the pure tone of this guitar.  I would describe the tone as being Martin, with the high end of a Taylor. I would have no hesitation using this guitar to make solo fingerstyle recordings. The current incarnation of the S10J comes with the Fishman Infinity pickup, which is Fishman's newest flagship pickup.

Sound Clips - coming soon, please check back!

Conclusion

If you can't afford the higher end models of the "brandeds" (Martin, Taylor, etc), the Timothy S10J is worth a consideration. It does not lose out in terms of quality of tone at all, it simply sounds different. Different brands of guitars have their own distinct characteristics, and the S10J has its own. However, the price has been increasing steadily since 3-4 years back. There may be a concern that it wasn't as value for money as it was back then. Oh well, supply and demand - simple economics.

Out of a possible 10 flags, we give the Timothy S10J a wonderful 8 Singapore Flags.

Other Opinions

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Timothy%20Guitars/S10J/10/1

http://www.sinamex.com