Acoustics - Need Opinions

aaroncomp

aaroncomp

1-20-2009
Okay, I realize this another "what's the best" thread, but here it goes...

With a max budget of $4500 to spend on an acoustic guitar, what would you get?

Some things I'm looking for: cutaway body, sound is most important, plays well strummed and finger-picked, and is excellent for recording and live use. And just because I've set a price limit, that doesn't mean more expensive is better. If you think guitar A that is only (ha, "only") $2000 sounds better than guitar B cositng $3500, great. I will definately be doing some testing for myself, but would like opinions. Being Martin and Taylor are the most popular, I'm suspect to the bias that may present. Actually, I'm really hoping to hear some recommendations for lesser knowns; however, if you absolutely feel your Martin or Taylor really is the one, feel free to express it.

I've read some great things about McPherson guitars - some say they sound better to the player than listener, however. Another I'm looking at is Goodall. Overall, both of these brands seem to be near-flawless. Thoughts?

Thanks. :)
 
to tell you the truth, i wouldnt ask this question because at that price range, it is a matter of personal opinion. Once you pass the $2000 range, its really all great stuff and one is usually just as good as another. The only real way is to go try them bad boys out at guitar center.
 
Point taken, but #1, that's alot of money for me to shell out for an axe so saying all are equal at that price is obviously not true - I've heard some people swear that Taylors and Martins (those costing over 2k) don't compare to some lesser knowns, etc; and #2, I will have to do some traveling to hear certain brands. So, if I hear an overwhelming voice suggesting I shouldn't bother with brand X, I will likely not travel wherever to hear one. But, again, I agree that as you get in that higher price range, it is more difficult to find poor quality.
 
aaroncomp said:
Okay, I realize this another "what's the best" thread, but here it goes...

With a max budget of $4500 to spend on an acoustic guitar, what would you get?

Some things I'm looking for: cutaway body, sound is most important, plays well strummed and finger-picked, and is excellent for recording and live use. And just because I've set a price limit, that doesn't mean more expensive is better. If you think guitar A that is only (ha, "only") $2000 sounds better than guitar B cositng $3500, great. I will definately be doing some testing for myself, but would like opinions. Being Martin and Taylor are the most popular, I'm suspect to the bias that may present. Actually, I'm really hoping to hear some recommendations for lesser knowns; however, if you absolutely feel your Martin or Taylor really is the one, feel free to express it.

I've read some great things about McPherson guitars - some say they sound better to the player than listener, however. Another I'm looking at is Goodall. Overall, both of these brands seem to be near-flawless. Thoughts?

Thanks. :)
Click to expand...

Breedlove acoustic guitars in that price range are simply incredible.
 
aaroncomp said:
Point taken, but #1, that's alot of money for me to shell out for an axe so saying all are equal at that price is obviously not true - I've heard some people swear that Taylors and Martins (those costing over 2k) don't compare to some lesser knowns, etc; and #2, I will have to do some traveling to hear certain brands. So, if I hear an overwhelming voice suggesting I shouldn't bother with brand X, I will likely not travel wherever to hear one. But, again, I agree that as you get in that higher price range, it is more difficult to find poor quality.
Click to expand...

If you can afford to spend $4500 then you can afford to drive to try one out. Just play everything you see and one will stick out. THis isn't a question you can ask us It never has been. Even at $500 I fail too see the point in asking what is a good guitar. Its one thing if its a mom or dad or someone looking for their first guitar, but if you are willing to spend $4500 then I would at least like to think you know how to play and can feel why you need a $4500 guitar. ...but if you can feel why you need one, then you should already know where its at.

oh, and don't simply skip over a Martin or Taylor or Gibson just because they are not 'underground' or that some people will say shit about them and how custom boutique guitars are 100x better, because at $4500, almost all those grips are gone. Martin, Taylor, and Gibson are the standard for certain types of sounds for a damn good reason.

I personally prefer the D series, but the 000 gutiars are THE guitar for finger picking.
 
Go over to the 13th FRET There are a lot of guys over there with a lot of experience in that price range.

Myself, at that price range I would be looking for a handmade guitar. The level of workmanship amonst the handbuilt guys who have been building for a while is incedible, so find a place you can play some of them, and check them out.

Check out the websites of Gryphon music out in Palo Alto, The Podium here in Minneapolis, The Guitar Gallery (she's in TN, but she mostly does internet sales), Spruce Tree Music in Madison, and Gruhn Guitars in Nashville. If you like Martins, you might also check out My Favorite Guitars.

Just some good places to look.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Good suggestions from Light. Give it some time and look around throughly and get a short list of favorites. Much of the comfort in long term enjoyment of playing an acoustic guitar is in your preference of scale length, neck radius, and width......and of course set up. Then there's overall balance and its ability to deliver great sound to your style of play. Do you like binding around the fretboard? Easier to see in low light but not always tasteful.

You're getting into a price range that I consider beyond necessary (yet not even entry level in the classical market) but will get you a fine hand made instrument. If you're looking at used it's all about name recognition and there are great deals out there on handmades from obscure luthiers.

Good luck.
 
GC? Not.

vschiano2008 said:
to tell you the truth, i wouldnt ask this question because at that price range, it is a matter of personal opinion. Once you pass the $2000 range, its really all great stuff and one is usually just as good as another. The only real way is to go try them bad boys out at guitar center.
Click to expand...
Another way to look at it is to stay away from Guitar Center.

Goodall and Collings, maybe. Froggy Bottom? Never tried one, but they are supposed to be nice, if you go by sound and not the looks of that goofy logo.
 
I think in that range I'd be looking at Collings, Santa Cruz, Breedlove, Froggy Bottom, Goodall or Larrivee. Maybe an OM, OOO or Small Jumbo size for versatility.

Good luck, I wish I had your problem ;)
 
A couple more points about buying handmade guitars. The first step is to play as many guitars as you can, hand built or not. After you spend a half a dozen Saturdays playing guitars in stores (which is pretty fun anyway), you will start to get an idea of what the different woods/sizes/scale lengths etc. do to the sound and playability of the guitar. Then (or even before that), start talking to builders. Send them e-mail, or call, or go to their shop and talk to them if you can.

Then, give serious thought to having a guitar BUILT for you. Depending on the builder, it can take a while, but you get a lot of guys who love the experience. We put up pictures of the current progress of each of our guitars on the internet, and we HIGHLY encourage our customers to come in and see how their guitars are coming. As an old and dear customer of ours said, "my guitar and I got to grow together." There is something very special about playing a guitar where you not only said, "that looks like one I would like," but where you actually pick out the individual piece of wood for the back and sides, the fingerboard, and the top. Where you can say more than, "This is a guitar I bought," but instead, "This is a guitar that was made for ME."

If you are worried about not hearing the guitar ahead of time, just make sure your builder has a policy of, "If you don't like it, you can return it." We have that, and in the almost 35 years dad has been building almost 500 guitars, he has had to return the money to 2 people. And with both of them, it was a finance issue over a sound issue. The only caveat to this is that most builders will tell you that if you get extensive custom work which will make the guitar difficult to sell (extensive inlay, or your name inlayed on the guitar, things like that) then you have to wait until the guitar sells to get your money back. It is, on the whole, still a pretty fair deal.

But whatever you end up doing, the first thing is to play as many guitars as you can possibly get your hands on. So go forth, and have FUN!


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
dang........4500.00 budget..........I like that. man, you have a lot of looking to do. have fun.
 
I'd agree with going handmade. I own a breedlove and a bourgoise, both fantastic guitars. I've gigged with a c. fox as well, that guitar was incredible. Personally, I wouldn't give much thought to a martin or taylor, but thats me.

I did purchase my bourgeoise sight-unseen (with the option to return within 3 days). The breedlove guitars are different beasts. They use a really neat bracing trick, and their tops resonate for years and they're light as something that is really light.
 
That sure is alot of $$ for a single acoustic. I just bought a $49.00 Rogue that sounds just as good as my $750 takamine. I bought it to be a beater to keep at work, but was suprised how good it souded. If I had a couple of thousand, I would go with the $3000 larivee. They are my favorite high end acoustic.
 
I have to agree with Outlaws. If you are not already familiar with the offerings in that price range you have no business buying one. And every guitar is different--even by the maker and model. Also, most people who own $4,500 guits don't go gigging with them!
 
QUOTE=tdukex]I have to agree with Outlaws. If you are not already familiar with the offerings in that price range you have no business buying one. And every guitar is different--even by the maker and model. Also, most people who own $4,500 guits don't go gigging with them![/QUOTE]


You know what? Almost everything you just said is wrong. First of all, if you have the money and want to spend it, then it is up to you what you do with it. You should, of course, do your research, but to say you have "no business buying one" is just crap.

You are right, though, that every guitars is different. But that being said, you can get a very good idea of how a builders guitars sound by simply playing them. There are a lot of things which lead to a builders signature sound. Sure, they are all different, but they are all the same too, you know?

As for gigging, I know a LOT of guys who gig on their $4000+ instruments. And most of the guys who don't gig take their guitars to jams, festivals, and classes. Sure, there are guys who just hide them away at home, but that is, in my eye as a builder, a travesty. Guitars are meant to be played. They are meant to be used to their fullest purpose, which is to make music that makes people happy. Sometimes that is just one guy in his room, and that is fine. But it is so much better when it is a room full of people.

There is NOTHING that makes me happier than to see a guy up on a stage playing one of my guitars. It makes me feel a lot like a proud parent. I smile a lot whenever I see that happening. That is even better than seeing them in magazine articles.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
People have probably told you already, but at that price range you're likely to be paying for a lot of ornate design features and superfluous cosmetic stuff. I may be wrong...there probably are guitars out there in which the $4500 is purely on the sound and basic construction alone.

But if you don't particularly want to have a guitar full of fancy flowery design and expensive components, for the sake of expensive components, then watch out for what you buy.

Are you talking American dollars? If you are, that's a lot of dosh
 
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