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Warison

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Dec 13, 2010
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If you had around a $1000, what acoustic guitar/brand would you be looking at? Hoping to get the lifer acoustic guitar. I think I’m ready for this kind of investment.

TIA
 
If you had around a $1000, what acoustic guitar/brand would you be looking at? Hoping to get the lifer acoustic guitar. I think I’m ready for this kind of investment.

TIA

Seagull will probably give you best quality vs money spent. It would need set up though as their factory set up is horrible. Way too high. Aesthetically, I can't stand that headstock but they build a good guitar using quality woods but they tend to be a bit heavier and not as resonant. .

I really like my Martin but you would need to spend maybe 2 to 3 to get a high quality one. a thousand dollar Martin still sounds good, better than the Seagull.. but not as solid in build.

Yairi is another one to look at. I have a 600 dollar one, a 000 body and though the sound is not as good as my Martin on lows and trebles, the mids really stand out and it's very playable with great action. It's my favorite to play currently.

The one that I don't like are Taylors, very playable, very aesthetically pleasing but they have no soul .. they sound thin to me. They are though really good stage guitars (ie plugged in)

Go to sweetwater, play them all ... you'll find one that fits your needs, or it will find you.
 
If you had around a $1000, what acoustic guitar/brand would you be looking at? Hoping to get the lifer acoustic guitar. I think I’m ready for this kind of investment.

TIA
I love my Larrivee D-05 in that range (1500 with lr baggs anthem pickup). It plays great, but if I had it to do over, I wouldn't buy new. A new acoustic guitar seasons over time, and mine is just now getting there tonally. Take your time and play a lot of guitars.
 
I love my Larrivee D-05 in that range (1500 with lr baggs anthem pickup). It plays great, but if I had it to do over, I wouldn't buy new. A new acoustic guitar seasons over time, and mine is just now getting there tonally. Take your time and play a lot of guitars.
Fk off ..
 
If you had around a $1000, what acoustic guitar/brand would you be looking at? Hoping to get the lifer acoustic guitar. I think I’m ready for this kind of investment.

TIA
Son, you better put that old guitar away.
Ain’t no money in it
It’ll lead you to an early grave

 
Go to sweetwater, play them all ... you'll find one that fits your needs, or it will find you.
This. Find a neck that fits your hand well, something you feel comfortable playing.
Agree wholeheartedly that Seagull is excellent value. Personally, I have a Seagull solid Cedar top, and love the sound of it. But the neck doesn't fit me as well as I'd like. It's a little wider than I prefer. It's all about fit as well as sound. But if you like how it plays, then you can't find a better value dollar for dollar for the quality you get out of a Seagull guitar. FWIW, I used to work with the dude who worked for Godin Guitars who was responsible for naming the acoustic line "Seagull." Cool guy up in Montreal. Their guitars are all still made there in Quebec.
Don't not try a Yamaha. Just saying.
 
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This. Find a neck that fits your hand well, something you feel comfortable playing.
Agree wholeheartedly that Seagull is excellent value. Personally, I have a Seagull solid Cedar top, and love the sound of it. But the neck doesn't fit me as well as I'd like. It's a little wider than I prefer. It's all about fit as well as sound. But if you like how it plays, then you can't find a better value dollar for dollar for the quality you get out of a Seagull guitar. FWIW, I used to work with the dude who worked for Godin Guitars who was responsible for naming the acoustic line "Seagull." Cool guy up in Montreal. Their guitars are all still made there in Quebec.
Don't not try a Yamaha. Just saying.
My GF has a Seagull 00 cherry back and sides, spruce top. It's a really small and comfortable guitar with a lot of mid range. I dislike the neck and the action also and for the same reason you noted.

I also have a 28 year old Martin D18, perfectly aged .. it's my baby.

Only Yamaha I have is a 40 year old classical a friend found in a abandoned house. It was covered in crayon (assuming they gave it to a young child) but the neck and soundboard were absolutely straight and it has a really good deep tone, so I cleaned it up and it's another gem in my collection.

Best acoustic guitar I ever played was a custom Santa Cruz OM model. That thing was slick and rang like a bell .. 12K, probably more now..
 
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I'll start by making it clear I'm not a player, just a noodler.

I bought a seagull 15+ years ago and fought it until I broke down and asked for help. After having someone who knew what they were doing set it up for me, it was a different guitar. Looking back, it was crazy how shitty it was prior to having it set up properly. I play it more than the '64 Hummingbird I inherited from my grandfather. It doesn't come close in tone, but it's a better fit. Plus I'm kind of embarrassed to play the Gibson so poorly.
 
This. Find a neck that fits your hand well, something you feel comfortable playing.
Agree wholeheartedly that Seagull is excellent value. Personally, I have a Seagull solid Cedar top, and love the sound of it. But the neck doesn't fit me as well as I'd like. It's a little wider than I prefer. It's all about fit as well as sound. But if you like how it plays, then you can't find a better value dollar for dollar for the quality you get out of a Seagull guitar. FWIW, I used to work with the dude who worked for Godin Guitars who was responsible for naming the acoustic line "Seagull." Cool guy up in Montreal. Their guitars are all still made there in Quebec.
Don't not try a Yamaha. Just saying.
Every Seagull I've ever played had a wider neck. Seems to be an intended feature of the line.

Warison, you might look for a used Martin 000-18 with solid mahogany sides. I bought MrsSope one, and it's a great little (auditorium style) guitar . . . it's not a dreadnought though, so if you're looking for something with a booming bass sound this ain't it. It's brighter in the mid-ranges, and plays well. A booming bass would come from a dreadnought made with solid rosewood sides and back.

BTW, if you can find a Taylor 510 in that price range and it's in good condition - i.e., the sound hasn't been dried out of it from not having enough humidity in the case - then grab it. It's a nice dreadnought that sounds good and plays very nicely when it's set up well.

Good luck with your search . . . $1000 is no man's land for acoustic guitars. Too much to be satisfied with laminated sides and back, and not enough money to get a good solid wood sides/back guitar. If you dial it back and can be OK with laminated sides and back but with a solid spruce top, look into the Martin DCX1AE. It's about $700 and you'll worry about it a lot less than you would a solid wood sides/back guitar for more money.
 
Good luck with your search . . . $1000 is no man's land for acoustic guitars.

It really is ...

It's a good range for the second tier guitars but it's also the range where you're paying more for the label on first tier than the quality. I had one of those Martins with the laminate for quite a while as did a couple of my friends. Mine set up perfectly as it aged then the binding came off. I reglued it and gave it to my son. Still a good guitar, great tone. fwiw - 90% of the sound comes from the top. One friend had a severe bridge bulge develop even though he used the correct gauge strings.. still plays well but intonation is off and action too high once you go up the fretboard. They're just not as solid as the premium ones are.

CNC tech has made it possible for even cheap guitars to be highly playable. That didn't use to be the norm.

The one wood I truly hate is nato, it just kills tone.
 
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My GF has a Seagull 00 cherry back and sides, spruce top. It's a really small and comfortable guitar with a lot of mid range. I dislike the neck and the action also and for the same reason you noted.

I also have a 28 year old Martin D18, perfectly aged .. it's my baby.

Only Yamaha I have is a 40 year old classical a friend found in a abandoned house. It was covered in crayon (assuming they gave it to a young child) but the neck and soundboard were absolutely straight and it has a really good deep tone, so I cleaned it up and it's another gem in my collection.

Best acoustic guitar I ever played was a custom Santa Cruz OM model. That thing was slick and rang like a bell .. 12K, probably more now..
William Coulter plays a Santa Cruz. That's all I need to know.

BTW, if anyone is in Atlanta and wants to check out some nice guitars, go to Maple Street Guitars just off Peachtree and Piedmont: https://www.maplestreetguitars.com/. Some nice stuff there . . . including some Santa Cruz models.
 
William Coulter plays a Santa Cruz. That's all I need to know.

BTW, if anyone is in Atlanta and wants to check out some nice guitars, go to Maple Street Guitars just off Peachtree and Piedmont: https://www.maplestreetguitars.com/. Some nice stuff there . . . including some Santa Cruz models.

The Santa Cruz are so light they feel fragile .. they're not but when you pick one up you notice the difference.
 
It really is ...

It's a good range for the second tier guitars but it's also the range where you're paying more for the label on first tier than the quality. I had one of those Martins with the laminate for quite a while as did a couple of my friends. Mine set up perfectly as it aged then the binding came off. I reglued it and gave it to my son. Still a good guitar, great tone. fwiw - 90% of the sound comes from the top. One friend had a severe bridge bulge develop even though he used the correct gauge strings.. still plays well but intonation is off once you go up the fretboard.

CNC tech has made it possible for even cheap guitars to be highly playable. That didn't use to be the norm.

The one wood I truly hate is nato, it just kills tone.
Never heard of nato. What's that?

The wood of choice around here these days seems to be solid Koa wood . . . I had a laminated Koa wood dreadnought as the first guitar I owned . . . almost unplayable. Then bought a Taylor 510 to fool around on . . . and now it's just fun to listen to my oldest play it. He can make it sing. He's gonna have to wait until I die to get it though . . . I swore off buying him gear years ago.
 
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The Santa Cruz are so light they feel fragile .. they're not but when you pick one up you notice the difference.
I'd be afraid to embarrass myself trying to play that nice of a guitar . . . it'd be like playing golf with Tiger Woods . . . .
 
Never heard of nato. What's that?

The wood of choice around here these days seems to be solid Koa wood . . . I had a laminated Koa wood dreadnought as the first guitar I owned . . . almost unplayable. Then bought a Taylor 510 to fool around on . . . and now it's just fun to listen to my oldest play it. He can make it sing. He's gonna have to wait until I die to get it though . . . I swore off buying him gear years ago.
IIRC Japanese Mahogany ,, commonly found on low end Yamaha, Takamine etc..
 
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William Coulter plays a Santa Cruz. That's all I need to know.

BTW, if anyone is in Atlanta and wants to check out some nice guitars, go to Maple Street Guitars just off Peachtree and Piedmont: https://www.maplestreetguitars.com/. Some nice stuff there . . . including some Santa Cruz models.

Assuming of course you aren't pulled from your car and murdered ...

Hope you and Ms. Sope aren't violented in any way.

My daughter's most-recent Covid test was required after spending time with a visitor from Atlanta. So far, she's 3-0.

(You deep-south Southern folks sure can stir up trouble.)
 
I'd be afraid to embarrass myself trying to play that nice of a guitar . . . it'd be like playing golf with Tiger Woods . . . .
I was afraid of leaving marks on the top even though playing fingerstyle. I tend to semi anchor my pinky and leave scratch marks. It didn't have a pickguard..

The wood of choice around here these days seems to be solid Koa wood . . . I had a laminated Koa wood dreadnought as the first guitar I owned . . . almost unplayable. Then bought a Taylor 510 to fool around on . . . and now it's just fun to listen to my oldest play it. He can make it sing. He's gonna have to wait until I die to get it though . . . I swore off buying him gear years ago.

Koa is an amazing looking wood and has a sound in between mahogany and rosewood. If I had to choose, it would be up there with Brazilian rosewood..


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I've been trying this stuff lately .. not good at it .. lol.


Clawhammer banjo style on a guitar. btw - Molly is an amazing player..

 
Agreed about Taylor’s sounding generic and thin. They’re well built, but sound boring AF.

also, agreed on going to Sweetwater to play their instruments and figure out what you like. They’ll have a wide selection of instruments, so you can get a broad picture of what’s good and what’s great.

But once you figure that out, leave, and go buy it elsewhere. Sweetwater is known to be a huge contributor to the trump campaign, and we need to spend our money in places that have America’s best interests in mind. Be a conservative, that’s fine. All respect there. Support trump, and you’re out of your mind. Unless someone can show me the error in my ways with regards to sweetwater and who they support, I’ll be encouraging others to spend their money wisely. Come at me bro.
 
Agreed about Taylor’s sounding generic and thin. They’re well built, but sound boring AF.

also, agreed on going to Sweetwater to play their instruments and figure out what you like. They’ll have a wide selection of instruments, so you can get a broad picture of what’s good and what’s great.

But once you figure that out, leave, and go buy it elsewhere. Sweetwater is known to be a huge contributor to the trump campaign, and we need to spend our money in places that have America’s best interests in mind. Be a conservative, that’s fine. All respect there. Support trump, and you’re out of your mind. Unless someone can show me the error in my ways with regards to sweetwater and who they support, I’ll be encouraging others to spend their money wisely. Come at me bro.
Preach ... I'm in absolute agreement about where to spend money.

There's just something missing on a Taylor ..

Gotta admit though, when plugged in with the expression system they sound amazing.
 
Agreed about Taylor’s sounding generic and thin. They’re well built, but sound boring AF.

also, agreed on going to Sweetwater to play their instruments and figure out what you like. They’ll have a wide selection of instruments, so you can get a broad picture of what’s good and what’s great.

But once you figure that out, leave, and go buy it elsewhere. Sweetwater is known to be a huge contributor to the trump campaign, and we need to spend our money in places that have America’s best interests in mind. Be a conservative, that’s fine. All respect there. Support trump, and you’re out of your mind. Unless someone can show me the error in my ways with regards to sweetwater and who they support, I’ll be encouraging others to spend their money wisely. Come at me bro.
fwiw - even before Trump, I've bought all my equipment at small local shops paying a little extra and getting better service, plus being friends with half the people that worked in them. The small shops are all gone now.
 
If you had around a $1000, what acoustic guitar/brand would you be looking at? Hoping to get the lifer acoustic guitar. I think I’m ready for this kind of investment.

TIA
You should test drive everything you can, and go with what feels right.

But you can't go wrong with a Martin. Sometimes, the most famous brands are the most famous for good reason.

Not sure you can get a really solid Martin for 1K. Might need to save up an extra $500 or so and get lucky.
 
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fwiw - even before Trump, I've bought all my equipment at small local shops paying a little extra and getting better service, plus being friends with half the people that worked in them. The small shops are all gone now.


Agreed. I’ve always spent the money on guitars/gear in what I hoped was the best place. Usually somewhere local.

Especially here with Sweetwater, that company should feel their bottom line affected by the dumb choices they make. There are so many places to buy gear. Why need to spend it with them? There no need. And spending towards trump is unconscionable.

i really enjoy hearing a Taylor 12 string played by the right person. Finger picked, it can sound like a harp. But that’s about it. I’m loving old parlour guitars these days. They’re not full sounding, but they have great character.
 
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fwiw - even before Trump, I've bought all my equipment at small local shops paying a little extra and getting better service, plus being friends with half the people that worked in them. The small shops are all gone now.
There used to be a guitar shop down on Clinton right near Wooden Nickel. Can't remember the name. I got all my gear there. I think they shuttered years ago.
 
Another nice, all-solid Dread is the Guild D-140 from the Westerly series. Pretty balanced tonally, very playable, nice fit and finish, good value coming in under 1,000. You can find vintage Guild Westerly US-made out there too with some looking around.
 
fwiw - even before Trump, I've bought all my equipment at small local shops paying a little extra and getting better service, plus being friends with half the people that worked in them. The small shops are all gone now.
Curious - I see artists playing Gibson acoustics all the time, but I've not seen them mentioned here once. Am I missing something?
 
There used to be a guitar shop down on Clinton right near Wooden Nickel. Can't remember the name. I got all my gear there. I think they shuttered years ago.
Skips? He eventually moved from there to Spring St and then Wells St and finally closed his doors for good. That's where I shopped.
 
I’m loving old parlour guitars these days. They’re not full sounding, but they have great character.
Perfect mids for blues ..

000 and 00 both sound better on old time blues. Not as much the bass end, but the trebles are understated and lets those mids shine.

My dread is for flatpicking .. and I really like how it sounds in open tunings.
 
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Skips? He eventually moved from there to Spring St and then Wells St and finally closed his doors for good. That's where I shopped.
I don't remember, to be honest. It was years ago last time I was there. I just know he closed the Clinton shop years ago, because my uncle and dad (who died ten years ago) started shopping up at some place on Dupont that isn't there anymore, either.

Whatever that place on Clinton was, that was where I found my perfect pick. The green Dunlop. I don't even know the gauge, I just know, if I want a pick, it's the green Dunlop.
 
What kind of guitar does David Rawlins play? Is that an old Martin? That dude makes that thing sing.
More than one.. but the one I remember most his his 1935 Epiphone Archtop ...

I've said this more than once but I love his phrasing .. he picks the perfect little fill riff, everytime.
 
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I don't remember, to be honest. It was years ago last time I was there. I just know he closed the Clinton shop years ago, because my uncle and dad (who died ten years ago) started shopping up at some place on Dupont that isn't there anymore, either.

Whatever that place on Clinton was, that was where I found my perfect pick. The green Dunlop. I don't even know the gauge, I just know, if I want a pick, it's the green Dunlop.
It was Skip's Guitar Exchange.. shorter chubby white guy with a beard? I'm almost sure of it .

It's the only one I can think of on Clinton. fwiw he's one of the best blues players in town. Its' where I bought my D18, and DM, I know the other shop too, can't recollect the name, Brian Lemert worked three. That dude is a shredder. He's at Sweetwater now like everyone else is ...
 
It was Skip's Guitar Exchange.. shorter chubby white guy with a beard? I'm almost sure of it .

It's the only one I can think of on Clinton. fwiw he's one of the best blues players in town. Its' where I bought my D18, and DM, I know the other shop too, can't recollect the name, Brian Lemert worked three. That dude is a shredder. He's at Sweetwater now like everyone else is ...
If Brian was involved, that was the place. I remember that dude.

F*ckin' Sweetwater. I drive by that place twice a day. Feels dirty just being close. It's like the perfect confluence of art and corporate bullshit.
 
If Brian was involved, that was the place. I remember that dude.

F*ckin' Sweetwater. I drive by that place twice a day. Feels dirty just being close. It's like the perfect confluence of art and corporate bullshit.
Brian was at the other store you mentioned.

It's so disappointing that Chuck supported Trump. The place is actually a great place to work, from everyone who works there, lots of talent in the building .. even though it's basically a higher end version of Walmart and ends up killing local shops..

Fk them ..
 
Brian was at the other store you mentioned.

It's so disappointing that Chuck supported Trump. The place is actually a great place to work, from everyone who works there, lots of talent in the building .. even though it's basically a higher end version of Walmart and ends up killing local shops..

Fk them ..
Alright, I hear that. I went into the Dupont store a few times, so that's probably where I remember him. But it's gone now, too. Nothing left, man. Just f*ckin' corporate wall to wall. Hell, even Mynett is gone now, AFAIK.
 
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If Brian was involved, that was the place. I remember that dude.

F*ckin' Sweetwater. I drive by that place twice a day. Feels dirty just being close. It's like the perfect confluence of art and corporate bullshit.
I worked for years in marketing for Harman, a pro audio electronics manufacturer, and we worked closely with Sweetwater. Chuck was always a good dude and really does care about music, and while they are big corporate, they do an awful lot of things the right way especially as compared to their big rivals. It's a shame he's on the dark side politically. I worked that GearFest a few times - amazing how big that, and their whole operation, has grown over the years.
 
Brian was at the other store you mentioned.

It's so disappointing that Chuck supported Trump. The place is actually a great place to work, from everyone who works there, lots of talent in the building .. even though it's basically a higher end version of Walmart and ends up killing local shops.

Fk them ..
Guitar Center is the Walmart of that business - or maybe even Dollar General. They just suck all around. Sweetwater is a higher-end as you say. I agree, I hate what the big boxes have done to the Mom & Pop music stores. But Sweetwater does hire talent and they do care about their customers, unlike Guitar Center or Sam Ash who hire anyone with a pulse. I'll give Sam Ash a little edge over GC, but not much.

One interesting thing about Sweetwater - the first time you buy anything from them, you get assigned to a customer support person who handles your order every time going forward. One point of contact. I've only ever bought anything from them once: I ordered three mic cables. That guy followed up with me two or three times making sure I was happy with my purchase and letting me know that he would be more than happy to help with any questions I had or if I had any gear needs in the future. Even like a year later.
 
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Assuming of course you aren't pulled from your car and murdered ...
Nah, we're a long way from downtown Atlanta . . . and we have a pretty good manner in dealing with the police, as 3 of MrsSope's brothers were career policemen. (The 4th was career navy, and taught at the War College in Newport after his stint was over.)

Hope you and Ms. Sope aren't violented in any way.
We're good. The most damage we've sustained over the last month is our neighbor put up a shed next to our fence (with the appropriate setback). If that's the worst that befalls us . . . .

My daughter's most-recent Covid test was required after spending time with a visitor from Atlanta. So far, she's 3-0.
I am delighted to know she's healthy. Is she doing OK otherwise? And in school?

(You deep-south Southern folks sure can stir up trouble.)
We've been known to create trouble, just for the privilege of seeing y'all's faces when we do. Won't be the last, I'm afraid . . . .
 
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