Best acoustic guitar under $400

nuemes

Be Here Now
What's the best steel string acoustic guitar for recording under $400? Please only reply if you've had direct experience with the guitar. And for those who would say save money for something more expensive - it's simply not an option in this particular case - believe me, I'd love to spring for a Gibson if I had the opportunity! Thanks.
 
The Canadian-made Godin acoustics (Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, Art & Luthier). Not sure about the S&P/A&L, but the Seagulls/Normans all have a solid spruce top and lam cherry back and sides. I've played them -- bought my two sons each a Norman B20 (gloss), virtually identical to the Seagull S6. These guitars have an excellent reputation as best bang for the buck.
 
No such thing as "best" in music at any price point. You must specify which kind of music you play, what your needs are, what kind of sound you enjoy, what your price point is, etc. Please do not use the word "best". There is no best. Thank you.
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
The Canadian-made Godin acoustics (Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, Art & Luthier). Not sure about the S&P/A&L, but the Seagulls/Normans all have a solid spruce top and lam cherry back and sides. I've played them -- bought my two sons each a Norman B20 (gloss), virtually identical to the Seagull S6. These guitars have an excellent reputation as best bang for the buck.

I think what Sonic Idiot is trying to say is that the Taylor is the best.
 
My vote would definitely go for the Seagull. I've got an S.M. 6 that's in your price range, and it's an excellent sounding guitar all around. I've had a similarly priced yamaha as well, and the Seagull is much nicer IMO.
 
I would also put in a vote for seagull as well .... IMO i think they are best thing going till you hit about 1500 mark. got an older s6 + cedar sitting right here beside me and I actually prefer it over almost any guitar i've played new that was under 1500.


Just my thoughts


Randy
 
Sonic Idiot said:
No such thing as "best" in music at any price point. You must specify which kind of music you play, what your needs are, what kind of sound you enjoy, what your price point is, etc. QUOTE]

I'm looking for a steel string acoustic that records well for heavy strumming in open D tuning - especially of the lower four strings - where it will be the main or sometimes only instrument next to vocals in a mix. Price range is $400 or less.

I spent 3 hours trying out acoustics today at a shop with about 50 acoustics both new & used. I started with an old $1k Gibson that I liked to try to set a comparison and then tried all the guitars around $400. I listened carefully and found a 1970 Yamaha FG-150 that sounded closer to the Gibson as any of the other guitars.

Once I got the Yamaha home and recorded it the highs sounded excellent but the lows were too deep and loud creating an unbalanced tone. I know it's not the room because I recorded someone else's guitar in the same room / same mic (C414) and the other guitar sounded great under the same circumstances. That was a Seagull 12 string.

Fortunately I can return the Yamaha for the full amount.

Part of the issue may be the fact that I like dark sounding guitars and my ear is not trained well enough to know what will sound good for recording. Because I like darker guitars I reach for the older ones rather than the new guitars that I find tend to have a 'boxy' tone.

I think my question at this point is how do you determine how a guitar will sound recorded while you're still in the guitar shop (if the shop doesn't have such facilities)?

And I will check out a Seagull S6 when I return the Yamaha - thanks!
 
nuemes said:
the other guitar sounded great under the same circumstances. That was a Seagull 12 string.


I think my question at this point is how do you determine how a guitar will sound recorded while you're still in the guitar shop (if the shop doesn't have such facilities)?

And I will check out a Seagull S6 when I return the Yamaha - thanks!
Not that you received a lot of responses to your question, but I find it interesting that after everyone who did recommend the Seagull (or in my case, any of the Godin guitars), a Seagull 12 string sounded good to you recorded. Maybe the S6 will give you the recorded sound you hope for because the 12 string is probably brighter than the 6.

As for your question to determine how a guitar will sound recorded while you're still in the guitar shop, I think only those with lots of experience in both guitar playing and recording could tell with any accuracy. I'm not that good to tell. I believe I've read that guitars a little on the brighter side record better, but I could be wrong.
 
reply

The taylor 1 series or two series...bar none...but man take my advice...save a few hundred more and buy a three series...maybe even a used one. You won't regret it.
 
nuemes said:
I'm looking for a steel string acoustic that records well for heavy strumming in open D tuning - especially of the lower four strings - where it will be the main or sometimes only instrument next to vocals in a mix. Price range is $400 or less.

I love Seagulls. But, I wouldn't recomend one for heavy strumming. I would, however, be an advocate of the S&P, even though they are from the same parent company. They are diferent animals.

Also, if you can find a DM9 or an EM9, I think the best, most underrated guitar in that price range (and sometimes any price range) is Tacoma. The DM9 is dreadnaught mahogany and the EM9 is orchestra body mahogany.
 
In most cases, for recording, I think the best acoustic under $400 is an electric. Set up clean as hell, I've had perfectly competent audio engineers ask me what kind of acoustic my telecaster/Les Paul was. I use a wound G and play quite a bit of fingerstyle on an electric. Mostly, wooden guitars just cost money. Although I have played acoustic guitars under $400 that did not suck, most of them were used. For new guitars, I like Yamaha, and I have played Sigma, Washburn and Seagulls that were OK. Mostly, in that price range, I have not been impressed by Takamine, Ibanez, Epiphone, Ovation, Mitchell, Fender.-Richie
 
And the winner is...

A Taylor Big Baby.
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/model.aspx?model=307

You guys gave some very good advice. battleminnow - you have good insight about strumming on a Seagull. The guy I know with the Seagull 12 string does very little strumming and I notice that his Seagull is very punchy which is ideal for his type of playing (Dave Matthews-ish).

In the end it came down to a Seagull S6 and a Taylor Big Baby. They both sounded good and reasonable for their price range (less than $400 new).

Frankly, if I were purchasing a guitar for playing/listening enjoyment I would have chosen the Seagull over the Taylor.

The deciding factor was that the Taylor had less bass response and more high end. After paying more attention to recorded acoustic guitar sound on records that I like I found that most players have very little bass response on thier recordings of acoustic guitars and are likely even using Nashville tunings.

The Taylor has a smaller body that lends to less bass. It's sort of between a parlor and standard size guitar. Once I got home and recorded (AKG C414 to preamp and straight to ADAT) it needed no EQ whatsoever - just what I was looking for! The bass was tight and more mid-ranged, not at all overbearing or boomy and the high end was crisp.

It does sound like it's lacking the full bodied bass I'm used to though; and its sustain is weaker than most acoustics too. The neck is held on to the body by - get ready for this one - *two screws at the 16th fret.* I've never seen anything quite like it... main thing is it sounds perfect though for my applications. I recorded it in a mix with electric guitar, bass, drums and vocal and it sounded excellent - left plenty of room for all the other instruments while allowing the chords to be heard clearly. I'll post some sound samples tomorrow :)
 
I have a Takamine that cost me out the ass!

It in no way compares to the beautiful acoustic sound of a Yamaha my Dad bought in the eights for less than $200. That guitar is sounds better than the Tak and the Martin I have..

SO! The best sounding guitar for you is the best sounding guitar in your price range...


Everyone can say this and that but the fact is.. There are anomalies out there for cheap.. Look for that.. Or should I say .. Listen for that. Forget names forget reputation.. Listen....
 
Check out Alvarez's cheaper guitars. I purchased an RD10 about a year ago for around $200. The sound of it amazes me. I compared them to expensive Gibsons and still I was happier with the Alvarez.
 
nuemes,

if u like a dark guitar and want to record with it u have to aim at something with a not so pronounced bass response, instead go for a balanced all around sounding guitar that "kind of" acentuates the dark/bass but not brutally...you'll be fine with that...

in your price range i dunno...i would say go do some lawns or whatever and save up 200 more bucks..u can get a guild gad-50 (600 bucks) that will kill anything till u get to 1500 dollars guitars...thats actually gonna be my next guitar...

my epiphone masterbuilt DR-500 ME records beatifully and it was 600 bucks as well...

although u said u cant, maybe that would be your best bet...seaguls have a reputation, but i dunno..never tried one, that headstock is kind of..err..gay. 200 more bucks and u get a definitive guitar..borrow from someone or something..
 
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scottboyher said:
I have a Takamine that cost me out the ass!

It in no way compares to the beautiful acoustic sound of a Yamaha my Dad bought in the eights for less than $200. That guitar is sounds better than the Tak and the Martin I have..


What model? I have an FG-150 that looks like it fell out of the back of a truck about 25 years ago that sounds sweeeet. I put Elixers on it last night for the first time and I am blown away.
 
nuemes said:
A Taylor Big Baby.
http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/model.aspx?model=307

You guys gave some very good advice. battleminnow - you have good insight about strumming on a Seagull. The guy I know with the Seagull 12 string does very little strumming and I notice that his Seagull is very punchy which is ideal for his type of playing (Dave Matthews-ish).

In the end it came down to a Seagull S6 and a Taylor Big Baby. They both sounded good and reasonable for their price range (less than $400 new).

Frankly, if I were purchasing a guitar for playing/listening enjoyment I would have chosen the Seagull over the Taylor.

The deciding factor was that the Taylor had less bass response and more high end. After paying more attention to recorded acoustic guitar sound on records that I like I found that most players have very little bass response on thier recordings of acoustic guitars and are likely even using Nashville tunings.

The Taylor has a smaller body that lends to less bass. It's sort of between a parlor and standard size guitar. Once I got home and recorded (AKG C414 to preamp and straight to ADAT) it needed no EQ whatsoever - just what I was looking for! The bass was tight and more mid-ranged, not at all overbearing or boomy and the high end was crisp.

It does sound like it's lacking the full bodied bass I'm used to though; and its sustain is weaker than most acoustics too. The neck is held on to the body by - get ready for this one - *two screws at the 16th fret.* I've never seen anything quite like it... main thing is it sounds perfect though for my applications. I recorded it in a mix with electric guitar, bass, drums and vocal and it sounded excellent - left plenty of room for all the other instruments while allowing the chords to be heard clearly. I'll post some sound samples tomorrow :)
Well, being that I'm a Taylor man, I can't argue with your choice of the Big Baby. I agree with your assessment about the bass on Taylors. In fact, this was an issue with me on my 814c. The Elixir Nanoweb lights that came with it were too bright for my taste, and not enough bass. I tried many different sets to try and find the sound I wanted. The Dean Markley Alchemy's came close, but in the end, I settled on Elixir Polyweb Medium/Lights. On the Taylor x14s, lights are recommended, but a little truss rod adjustment, and the Polys sounded great. I've been using them ever since. Since the Big Baby is a dread, it probably came with medium strings, right? Does it come with Elixirs? If so, probably the Nanos. If I were you, I recommend trying a set of the Poly mediums. Enjoy your guitar. The Seagulls are real good, but you made a good choice with the Taylor.
 
ez_willis said:
What model? I have an FG-150 that looks like it fell out of the back of a truck about 25 years ago that sounds sweeeet. I put Elixers on it last night for the first time and I am blown away.


I am not sure of the model. I will check it out next time I get a hold of it..
 
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