See the video review of the Daisy Rock Bubinga Butterfly

When Tish Ciravolo founded Daisy Rock Guitars in 2000, she had a simple goal: to make it possible for every girl who wanted to play guitar to be able to do so. Her initial line of whimsically shaped electrics and brightly colored entry-level acoustics inspired many guitar companies to try to capture the “girl” market, often by simply painting existing models pink. But Daisy Rock’s difference was never merely aesthetic. From the beginning, the company took the real physical considerations of smaller players to heart, reducing the weight of its instruments, often using shorter scales, and choosing thin neck profiles to better suit smaller hands.

Since those early days, Daisy Rock has been steadily expanding into more serious instruments, first with electrics and now acoustics with the launch of its Butterfly jumbos earlier this year. Once again, Daisy Rock proves that it really understands female guitar players (or at least, a big chunk of them), creating an affordable, easy-to-play instrument with an impressive dynamic range.

FEMININE FIT AND ELEGANCE

Aesthetics have always played a significant role in Daisy Rock’s guitar designs, and the Butterfly displays a grown-up “girl guitar” elegance. The simple white binding and restrained mother-of-pearl rosette set off the gorgeous figuring in the bubinga on our review instrument (the Butterfly is also available in a more dramatic-looking zebrawood). The rosewood butterfly-shaped bridge is surprisingly subtle against the chestnut-colored bubinga, and the slightly stylized headstock inlay adds just the right amount of feminine flash. The fit and finish were excellent, and I didn’t see any flaws at all in the instrument.

The Butterfly rested comfortably in my lap while I was sitting, and, as expected, it was easy to play. It arrived with nice, low action; perhaps too low—when I played barre chords up the neck, the guitar buzzed unavoidably on the sixth string.

The strings felt surprisingly loose as I played the Butterfly. Its 25.5-inch scale length might force teens and women with shorter arms to reach a bit more to play in first position than a short-scale guitar would. But the ¹⁹/₁₆-inch nut width, narrower than the standard 1³/₄-inch or 1¹¹/₁₆-inch nuts, is a blessing for the many small-handed women who struggle to fret a G chord. For me and my normal-size hands, the narrower fretboard took a little getting used to, but once I did, I had no problem fretting chords cleanly or flatpicking with the narrower string spacing, and fingerpicking took just a little bit of negotiating.

RICH SUSTAIN, STRONG BASS

The Butterfly has the trademark jangly jumbo sound: strong, if not rich, bass; snappy treble; and a chunky midrange that gives a good punch to first-position strummed chords and four-to-the-bar swing rhythm. On low-string honky-tonk licks, played near the bridge, I elicited a twangy growl, and leads played on the treble strings had a solid snap. Medium strings, as opposed to the factory-issued lights, would probably give high lead lines a welcome, though not entirely necessary, boost of power.

But when I strummed more contemporary music, the Butterfly really shone. The rich, lasting sustain made open-string chord progressions absolutely swoon-worthy. As I went through the contemporary female singer-songwriter toolbox of muted bass notes, half-muted chords, and full-volume strums on songs by Terra Naomi, Aimee Mann, and, yes, Daisy Rock player Miley Cyrus, I found the Butterfly exceptionally responsive. I effortlessly brought the guitar from quiet, sensitive chording up to full-volume strums. Even with a light attack, the tone was warm and rewarding. The sound did break up a bit with more aggressive strumming, but no more than on other guitars with similarly light strings.

The Butterfly’s Fishman piezo pickup and onboard Fishman ION-401 electronics make it nice and simple to amplify; all you have to contend with is a volume knob, a Contour button (to add a preset EQ curve), and a Phase button (to improve bass response at low volume and decrease feedback at higher volume). Without any tweaking, the sound is fine for an open mic or for playing rhythm behind an electric guitar. The midrange is more pronounced when plugged in, and engaging the Contour helps balance the sound. For the woodiest tone, I skipped the onboard controls and adjusted my amp, a Fender Blues Jr., taking out much of the mids, reducing the treble, and boosting the bass a little.

COMFY ACCOMPANIMENT

Sure, there are other guitars that, spec-wise, could make equal claim to the “girl guitar” designation. But the Butterfly’s long-lasting sustain and wide dynamic range make it a great rhythm instrument, especially for dynamic fills between vocal lines, and the strong bass will nicely complement female voices. Small-handed players, including guys who don’t mind a butterfly motif, will find it much easier to fret chords on the Bubinga’s narrower fretboard. Add in the stage-ready looks and plug-and-play electronics, and it’s perfect for making the transition from couch to stage.