Review by Mike Molenda
https://www.guitarplayer.com/
The Goldfinch looks as if it were built by a crazed backwoods luthier with a thing for highly-figured woods, and, well, birds (check out that feathered-friend pickguard). Designed by New Jersey artist Philip Samuel Smith and made in Chicago from local, Illinois-milled renewable woods, the Goldfinch’s construction is wonky enough (imprecise pickguard cuts, imperfect body routs, raised control knobs, screwed-down metal headstock logo) to merit its “made-by-hand, one-at-a-time" vibe, but it's far from just a unique art piece from some roadside timbersmith. A few cosmetic issues aside, the Goldfinch is actually built to withstand road rigors like a world champ. All hardware is battened-down, the neck is screwed in airlock tight and the pickups don't rattle about. It took some getting used to the reversed, upside-down tuners, but otherwise, this guitar is a joy to play. The wide, satin-finish neck feels great in your hands, and the instrument’s near gravity-defying, feather-light weight certainly doesn't suck for long gigs and studio sessions. And though the Goldfinch can appear a bit roughhewn, I appreciated the little "luxury" touches of rounded-nut edges and smooth fret end. I could play this bird all day period.
Rather than a three-way selector, Dumont offers a Blend control to bounce between pickups. Initially I thought I wouldn't dig the knob, But after playing with it, I found it to be delightful and capable of dialing in subtle tonal colors. The custom DeMont Goldfinch single-coils are really something. There's solid resonance to every note, and an articulate but not edgy “pop” no matter where you set the blend. There are awesome blues tones here–depending on your attack, you can evoke SRV or Rory Gallagher with ease–and, as a bonus, the Goldfinch somehow manages to produce warm and how wonderful out-of-phase-type sounds with just two pickups. Chords possess stout mid range punch that never gets muddy or shrill, even during punk-rock-style pounding. Visually, the Goldfinch may be an acquired taste if you're not wowed by natural wood, but as a comfortable player with an armory of boss tones, this machine sure ain't no tweety bird. It's a fire-breathing dragon.