Most Overrated/Overpriced Acoustic Guitars?

Most Overrated/Overprice Acoustic Guitar?

  • Epiphone

    Votes: 2 1.2%
  • Fender

    Votes: 15 9.1%
  • Gibson

    Votes: 47 28.7%
  • Ibanez

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Martin

    Votes: 35 21.3%
  • Taylor

    Votes: 50 30.5%
  • Washburn

    Votes: 9 5.5%
  • Godin (seagull, art & lutherie, etc)

    Votes: 3 1.8%
  • Rogue

    Votes: 3 1.8%

  • Total voters
    164
philboyd studge said:
Interesting. What DOES sound good to you?
Martin full-size dreadnoughts are my favorite - they have a very full bottom end but have a nice bite at the top end as well. I have heard some mid-priced Takamines that may have been a bit soft on tone but had amazing volume. Over the years I've heard other mid-priced Japanes guitars that offer very good sound for the $$$.

I'm not saying that Ovation, Fender, and Gibson don't make any decent-sounding guitars, but every one I have heard from any of those companies sounded like someone strung up a cardboard box. J-45s in particular have never lived up to their reputation, IMO.

I think some of the low-end Ovations would make very interesting salad bowls.
 
"So what is it about the Taylor that makes it overpriced?"


"Cause when you buy a comparably priced Martin, you get treble AND bass :D .

But seriously-I've owned two Ovations, and they have their place(I suppose), but they sure do cost an awful lot for what you get.
 
0018G said:
"So what is it about the Taylor that makes it overpriced?"


"Cause when you buy a comparably priced Martin, you get treble AND bass :D .


You haven't played my all Koa Taylor. ;)
 
I recorded a full length CD with a Taylor 710CE and bass cut had to be used all over the place to control the boom. I assure you, it produces more bass than I need.-Richie
 
I hate to see everyone cutting Ovation off at the knees. It's the only acoustic guitar I've ever had, and I cant afford another one. It was made in 1982 and I paid $500 for it 16 years ago. I had none, and I had $500 to blow on one, and I played every guitar I could afford and was ready to walk out of the store when he brought me this Ovation on consignment. It was miles better than all of the other guitars in the same price bracket, so I bought it. That was 1992, and it still plays better than any guitar on the wall except the most expensive Martins and Gibsons (that's what I had to choose from when I went to the store to test drive them again a few days ago - they do not carry Guild or Taylor, etc, but they had Washburn and Alvarez and Tak and Fender and several others). The neck is still perfectly straight, no cracks in the finish, it plays (feels) like an electric, and it stays in perfect tune for weeks and weeks at a time without any work or adjustment.

I played some $1000 dollar Martins that were pure garbage. I played some $1500 and $1800 dollar Martins that really sucked. That's the only reason why I voted for Martin. I played an Alvarez that I mistook for one of the expensive brands just because it felt great, was easy to play, and had full sound. It was better than any of the under $2000 Martins, and it was priced at $600.

The only Martin's I played that were obviously superior to the other brands were the over $2000 models. I thought the D40 sucked, compared to the D28 or the D35. But I'd take that Gibson J150 over any of them in a heartbeat.

No, my Ovation doesn't have the best sound, but I have to strain to hear the difference between it and any of those $1500 Martins. Besides, if you look at it from the other side of the guitar - the listener - you will see that the most over rated and over priced guitar is the one being held by the guy who cant play. I'd hire a gifted player using my Ovation any day over a guy with no talent playing a $3000 Martin.

All that being said, if I won the lottery I'd buy a better guitar TODAY, no questions asked! And Martin and Gibson and Guild would be the first ones I'd test drive. But I have yet to play anything other than the most expensive Martins or Gibsons that is any easier to play or markedly better sounding than my Ovation.

Next time I have $10,000 burning a hole in my pocket, maybe I'll bite my lip and start bashing Ovation, too, I dont know......
 
they're all "overpriced"..........wouldn't it be great if everything was like half of their "normal" price.....all the time. me thinks the "vintage" market has a lot to do with it.

The freaking mandolin market is just outa hand, at least IMO.
 
0018G said:
"So what is it about the Taylor that makes it overpriced?"


"Cause when you buy a comparably priced Martin, you get treble AND bass :D .

Yeah. And in 20 years it won't sound like soggy cardboard.
 
So much hating on Taylor, with no real, actual reasons explaining why.

Can someone actually post a reason why they think Taylors are overpriced, instead of this pointlessness?

Sure. Taylors QC simply isn't what it used to be. I have played a ton of them and some of them had serious QC issues. For example, one of them had a nut cut so poorly that the high E string constantly slid of the edge of the fretboard, another had major "orange peel" issues under the finish, and another had a friggin thumbprint...I shit you not...under the clear coat.

I don't hate Taylor...but these issues are real. They have increased production dramatically over the past few years and their quality has dropped as a result. Meanwhile their prices have continued to increase...hence my vote for overpriced.

I also played a lower end Martin the other day that was closer to a toy than it was a real guitar. It sounded like it was wrapped in a wet blanket and the fretwork looked like it was done by a retarded monkey.

Breedlove is doing the same damn thing right now and I hope they come to their senses and stop. The last two Breedloves I have played have been less than stellar.
 
As much as I am a dyed in the wool, closed minded, Martin loving weenie, I'm man enough to admit that some of the low priced offerings are really lacking in the tone dept. Case in point-HPL tops. Why the hell would a guitar with a Martin decal on the headstock have a formica top? Wrapped in a wet blanket sounds about right. For only a few dollars more you can have a -15 series, and the ones I have played have been an outstanding value., tone-wise.

As far as the retarded monkey doing the fretwork, I think he quit and went to work for Larrivee. I think they make a really unique and otherwise finely crafted guitar, but their fret guy must have stock in the Band-Aid company. Every time I play one the fret ends are downright painful.

"No, my Ovation doesn't have the best sound, but I have to strain to hear the difference between it and any of those $1500 Martins."

Wow. That is a statement I never thought I'd hear. Be that as it may, I'm glad you have a guitar your happy with, and be glad you didn't have to spend $1500 for a Martin(or more). Hey, Tony Rice played one for a while. Whatever floats your boat, man.
 
I'd put Collings on the overpriced list too. Great instruments but a bit steep for what you get IMHO. If you want anything hand made these days you have to forget everybody on that list.
 
c7sus said:
I'd put Collings on the overpriced list too. Great instruments but a bit steep for what you get IMHO. . .

Then you ain't played either of mine.

In fact, I know fer sure that you ain't played either of mine.

'less you dun snuck in the trailer one night.

They are both fabulous - and better now than when new, and they were pretty amazing then.
The 00-2H is truly astonishing. Every time I play it, I still can't believe it's mine.
 
0018G said:
"No, my Ovation doesn't have the best sound, but I have to strain to hear the difference between it and any of those $1500 Martins."

Wow. That is a statement I never thought I'd hear.

I never thought I'd say anything like that either, until I played the new "budget" Martins a few days ago. I was surprised at how the quality of the Martins changed so drastically when I got down below the $2000 mark, it was like they weren't even made by the same company. The $1000 Martin played and felt and sounded exactly as crappy as the $1000 Ovation hanging on the other end of the wall.

I am no expert on the history of Kaman Sound, but I did some research with my Ovation serial number and model number. For someone who knew less than nothing about acoustic guitars at the time in 1992, I basically got lucky considering my price range. It turns out this Ovation was one of the best ones they made at the time. One reason it sounded good enough when I first played it is because it is the deepest bowl shape they make, not to mention the fact that London's Luthier had already worked it over and dressed it out for the previous owner. That guy was gigging with it for money, so he had a good reason to have it set up correctly. The shallow bowls are garbage, imo, and there is no way I would buy any of the Ovations that are hanging on the wall today. None of them were the least bit impressive. I'd take that $600 Alvarez over any of those new Ovations.

I dont know if their manufacturing and QC has changed since 1982 or not, but mine sure does feel a heck of a lot heavier and more solid and plays a ton better than the most expensive brand new Ovations that were hanging on that wall last week. And I would bet folding $$$$$$ that some of those $1500 Martins would sound and feel a hundred times better after they get dressed out by a real luthier. The store doesn't waste their bottom line dressing up guitars BEFORE they sell them, unless it's the top of the line stuff like that D35 that pays for itself and has to be dressed out to sell! There's no way I would pay $2000 or $3000 bucks for a guitar that felt like it still needed dressing and setup. If they cant spend the $50 or $100 bucks to dress it up for that price, I'll go somewhere else. And my Ovation was on consignment, meaning the guy had it dressed out and set up just right before hand, and that helped it sell more easily......and it just so happend that it was set up just right for my hand and my budget.

I'm not defending the new Ovations at all, just saying that not every guitar ever made by Ovation is crap......and Ovation is not the only over priced and over rated name brand making crap. If they only made one really good guitar, I must have stumbled on to it. But if I had money to burn, I'd buy that J150 and that D35 today, and I'd donate this Ovation to some promising high school kid and never look back! - SC
 
Many of the guitars on the list are not really a fair comparison. Epiphone, Fender, Ibanez, Washburn, and Rogue are more or less the same guitars with different head stocks. They are all Samick or Cort rebrands.

The Godin/Seagull guitars are an excellent value IMO.

I voted Martin (and Gibson a close second) as I really don't like how boomy they are. I want a guitar that records well and have never really met a Martin I like for my purposes. Around the camp fire I am sure they are fine.

One guitar that is extremely under rated are the Yairi's.
 
taylors are overpriced ok what would you recomend as a substitute for the taylor sound? taylor guitars sound amazing when recorded. To me anyway I like good martins to, but a taylor just has its own sound. You will have a hard time replicating that sound with many acoustic guitars so no for a taylor I don't think I'm paying for a name I'm paying for a sound
 
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