any thoughts on acoustic guitars?

[paulk]

I'm hoping to replace my current one, which is a cheaper Ovation acoustic/electric, sometime in the next few months. I can spend a max of a thousand bucks, but I'd really rather spend around $800.

I was at the guitar store checking out a few acoustics the other day - a Martin, a Guild, a Breedlove, and a Seagull (Godin).

The Breedlove was the most comfortable feeling as far as the action and the way it sat in my lap, the Martin sounded great, the Seagull was too trebly for my taste, and the Guild also sounded wonderful. OTOH - the Breedlove didn't really do much for me as far as the sound, the Martin was kind of uncomfortable to play, and the Guild - well, I've just never liked Guild necks, electric or acoustic. They're too big for my hand.

There are some other guitars I'd like to check out.

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I was hoping that the folks in this forum could comment on acoustics - what they play or have played - and their impressions.


Any thoughts?

[freethought]

1. Try as many as you can and don't dismiss

an instrument because it has a lower price tag, they may surprise you.
I had similar strategy not long ago. I was ready to slap down $1000.00 on a high end acoustic. Maybe a Martin or a Taylor. I am not saying that they were not good instruments, they were. I found the Taylors to be quite nice. But after trying nearly 20 or so instruments, including some really funky ones, I found one instrument that had been overlooked. It was a Yamaha F-Series acoustic, and it was love at first strum. It had nice bright sound that I loved and the neck was perfect for me.
The cost was about $260.00 without the case.

Additionally I will say this about other makes.

Taylors-Sound great! Very nice looking! Good feel. That quality does not come cheap though.

Martins-I actually found these to be rather "Plane Jane". These were mainly the lower-end Martins and they really didn't do it for me. They did have a Martin that had a wood laminate neck which I sort of liked but not enough to buy outright.

Takamine-Pretty nice instruments with some interesting variations to choose from. It was a Takamine which was the next runner-up to the Yamaha that I bought.

Ovation(the American made)- Thought these were nice with good sound and feel. Personally I think they are overpriced.

Ibanez-Some very funky and stylishly designed instruments. Tone did not impress me that much and the fretboard width was way too narrow for my big hands.

Babicz-I actually owned one of these guitars briefly. Mine was a lower-end instrument made in Indonesia somewhere. They have two distinguishing features. A neck heal set up that allows one to make quick adjustments of string height relative to the fretboard without having to detune or without having the strings being thrown out of tune. You could adjust it all you wanted to suit yourself, on the spot, with a simple Allen wrench that was attached to the headstock. Also the strings were situated differently at the bridge. On most acoustics the ball end on the strings are anchored down in the bridge and heat up and out toward the headstock. On a Babicz acoustic, the strings are splayed out at the bridge across the body of the guitar and are anchored at 6 separate points on the body. Supposedly this is two allow for more of the string to vibrate and thus the guitar will produce a louder, richer sound. Maybe the higher-end Babicz guitars sound great, but the Indonesian built guitar I had sounded like crap.

Seagull- Tried on of these. Nice. Liked others more though.

Gibson- I did try a few Gibsons and they played as good as the Taylors and Martins. But just like the Taylors and Martins, they were equally as expensive.

Guild- I used to own a Guild D-25 Acoustic. It was a great instrument and I kick myself to this day for selling the instrument. Guilds are definitely worth a look.

[smoogatz]

2. Check out Taylor and Takamine

as the previous poster suggests. Also, if you don't mind an instrument with some character, you're likely to get a much better deal on a used guitar if you can find one that suits you.

[Swamp Rat]

3. Takamine gives a lot of bang for the buck.

That said, I own a Cordoba, Ramirez and a Gibson, all of which are way over $800.

I suggest you look for used guitars of higher quality. As long as it was well-kept, isn't warped or cracked in any way that is significant, and doesn't have too much fret wear, a used guitar of higher quality is a much better investment and will play and sound a lot better.

Also, you might look around the Internet for luthiers who have older guitars they may want to sell at a reduced rate. You might find a one-of-a-kind, handmade instrument you will cherish, as well as develop a relationship with an artisan who can repair it.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Lots Of Good Advice Already Here

I don't have any disagreements with the others that have posted.

I would like to especially amplify that you should simply play LOTS of them. Decide on an upper limit price, then try a few guitars from each maker over two or three price tiers. Over time, you'll start to hear those that sound best and feel better for your style and hands. Whittle those down to a few. Then;

Have a decent player at the store sit down and play them so you can hear them from 6 or 10 feet away. Sometimes decent guitars sound good where the sound hole is facing away from you and you're hearing lots of body sound. But, they might be boomy or harsh sounding through the hole or off the top.

If they all sound good from in front of them, then just go with the one you like the best and plays the smoothest. If one or more don't sound as good when just listening, as when playing, you can eliminate those. That would be a bad surprise later on.

I did this for my Takamine, and both or my Martins. I all three cases, i had the choice narrowed to four guitars. Then bought the one that sounded best from in front. The Martin i bought was far warmer than the Taylor for a listener, and the other Martins were too boomy. (They were made of different woods than the one i bought.) When they were on my lap, they all sounded very good. Same thing happened with my Takamine. My other Martin is a 12 string, so the choices were more limited and it didn't take as long.

So, i'd really suggest that you check out the guitars mentioned by all the other guys here; they know what they're talking about. But, i think i've good a really good method of picking the best of the litter.
The Professor

[SacredCow]

5. I'll echo a lot of what's already posted....

Just play a lot of them in your price range, and keep an open mind. Don't get stuck on any particular brand or model.

I select my acoustics from pure gut reaction. My first I purchased used and kept it in service for over 10 years. Fretwear made me decide to retire her (though she still comes out for special occaisions).

Right now, I'm playing an Ovation 1778T Elite, which was a huge shock to me and my friends. I've never much cared for the sound and feel of Ovations, but in picking up this one at the store it just somehow worked for me.

Best of luck to you!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. How about a Gitane D-500?

This is based on the Selmer Gypsy jazz guitars made before WWII. I've seen the D-500 go from $600 to $700 new and you might be able to pick one up for much less used on Ebay or Craigslist (of course you should find a shop that has one first so you can see if you like it). This D-500 has a normal scale and a wide but thin neck at 1 7/8 inches, with a pretty flat fretboard. To me, that's the most comfortable type of neck suitable for fingerpicking or finger-plucked chords.

The other Gitanes have longer scales, narrower necks, and smaller mouths and sound more like the typical dry, biting Django guitar for gypsy lead. This D-500, though is supposedly very versatile, with a more mellow, rounded and bassy tone. And this is a hybrid style of guitar, with a flat top but with a tailpiece, thus meaning that the top of the guitar is pushed down by the strings (like an archtop) instead of pulling up on the strings like the typical folk flattop. As a result, it's got a little more bite and loudness for playing lead than the typical folk flattop guitar.

The guitar is well made and has superior action. If you want a truly superior flattop acoustic guitar for the price, I'd go with a Lakewood (hand made in Germany), which is out of this world. But you're going to pay just a bit more than $700.

[MilesColtrane]

7. I've got a Takamine on loan from a friend that sounds pretty damned good.

[immoderate]

8. I've got a Taylor, but as said above don't overlook Yamaha.

I got my Taylor nearly 20 years ago. Can't afford one now. A friend has a Yamaha that's a beauty! I would look at them now.

--IMM

[old mark]

9. I bought 2 refurbished Yamahas several years ago

and they are excellent. My wife liked hers better than her old Gibson dreadnaught. Beautiful jazzy, mellow tone.
I played several different Yamahas over about 30 years and never played a bad one.
mark

[treblemaker]

10. Don't forget Larrivee

Fabulous Canadian guitars, and many of them are fuller-sounding than the Seagulls.
Also from the Godin camp, you might check out Simon & Patrick -- you could find a really, really nice instrument for well under your max price.

[paparush]

11. I Love my Martin D-1