best sounding acoustic guitar

cliff richard

cliff richard

New member
not sure where to post this but anyway.....

me and my songwriting partner both come from different musical backgrounds and are in a conflict at the moment over how the acoustic guitar should sound on our songs. he seems to get it sounding too sharp for my liking.....

what im looking for is some reference songs. could you please name a song where you thought the acoustic guitar sounded sweet.

i've been listening to a song called wellhorn yards by richmond fontaine which pretty much nails it for me but would like to hear other peoples thoughts.

thanks for your time.
 
yeah martin can sure make a good guitar, ive been fortunate to own a few in my time. but what im actually looking for are the names of songs with a sweet acoustic guitar sound so that i can use them as a reference to perfect my sound.
 
I've always really liked Pink Floyd's recorded acoustic guitar sound. Beyond David Gilmour's playing and the recording production techniques, I like the crispness and presense of it. Of course, it's probably a hard sound to reproduce with a gazillion dollars. I can't think of anyone in particular at the moment, but there are many examples throughout their body of work.
 
Easy..

Jeff Tweedy's solo gigs. (wilco)
He plays a Santa Cruz 001 , and Gibson Hummingbird.

For a particular song....Check out "how to fight lonliness" on wilcos album summerteeth, and "someone elses song" on being there.

Son Volt, "Windfall", Son Volt "ten second news"

Check out Son VOlt "Acoustic Radio Sessions"

actually, if you want any of those, PM me and I will send you copies.They are widely traded.
I love Tweedy and Farrars acoustic sounds..
 
Depends really on your style, and of course the song. For me i like the sound of Cat Stevens guitar on Wild World, I think he played a Gibson J200 on that, not sure tho. Also Dylans sound on "blood on the tracks" is great, the guitar really shines through on it, not sure what he plays on there, probably a Martin d28 or a Gibson J200. I like to hear alot of body on my acoustics, not too thin, but i find it works well with a jumbo guitar, heavy strings, probably country golds and a thin plectrum. Then the rest is getting the right room sound when micing, of course this is all down to personal taste, and the song.
 
It is really a subjective thing, different from person to person. Basically, there are lots of fine guitar makers out there, but you need to go play different ones to find out which one "speaks" to you. Also, how much are you willing to spend, a few hundred or in the thousands? Martin, Collings, Goodall, Taylor, Larrivee, Guild, Gibson, etc. are just a small number of options. Take you pick!
 
Here are a few of my fave's....the first isn't my type of music at all and you might not have recognized it if you heard it because it's AM playable :)

Amy- by Pure Prarie League...the beginning is a GREAT guitar sound.The chorus is "Amy...what you want to do...I think that I couls stay with you for a while,maybe longer if I do..." Like I said, not anywhere near what I listen to,but you might hear it in an office or a supermarket.

Over the Hills and Far Away-Led Zep...the beginning of it.Or Ramble on for that matter.Or Gallows pole or Friends or...well, it's Led Zep.

Clap-Yes.not only a good solo piece,but good tone for a live recording.

Breaking the Girl-Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
 
acoustic bliss

For me one of the best acoustic sounds come from an album called Cover Girl by Shawn Colvin - i think she uses Taylor acoustics. They give a nice warm sounding guitar without being muffled. If a crisp trebley sound is what your after then ovation guitars are great for it - Melissa Etheridge's 12 sting is a prime example for me.

When it comes to acoustics i have 6 and use each one differently, different strings, for different songs/moods/feel. when recording an acoustic guitar - to get the best sound from it, it is important to use a condensor mic aimed at the 12th fret and not the sound hole - the sound is far sweeter.

Es
 
A USA made Martin will sound more boomy bassy. I own a DX-1. I have to actually cut the 200k because of it's boominess. If your using a condenser, it's easy to get a real airy thin sound in a bad ambiant room. I use a senn 421 dynamic mic and point it as close to the sound hole as possible.

I agree with you that I like a low mid thick sounding acoustic guitar in a mix. Especially if your putting a lot of focus on the acoustic guitar in the song. For example: You wouldnt want a thin sound if it were the only guitar in the mix, or if it were the only string instrument in the song.
 
My favorite acoustics

I have a lot of guitars and have gone through a lot more than I currently have.
My favorite is the Martin GTR 000-16 very warm full but not overly boomy. I guess it is what you would call the poor mans Eric Clampton model. I favor it over the other Martins and Taylor that I have.

Another though less expensive favorite of mine is a Dorado "Japanese Humming bird Copy" which was a subdivison of Gretsch. I bought this guitar over 30 years ago as a present for my wife. It has alway had a great tone considering it has laminated sides and back.
 
how about beating your friend with a stick?

i like acoustic guitar sounds in Metal songs such as Jouney Man (Iron Maiden)

Melancholy (Holy Martyr) (Iced Earth)
Watching Over Me (Iced Earth)
Keeper Of The Seven Keys (Helloween)
 
Best Acoustic Guitar Song

I'll second the person who mentioned "Amy" by Pure Prairie League. Also add "More than Words" by Extreme.

Artman
 
A lot of nice reference songs listed, but I have to give props to one of my fave artists of all times: Grant Lee Phillips

Check out some of his solo stuff on Ladies Love Oracle or Virginia Creeper.

Heres his music page

Enjoy ~
 
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These are all very good suggestions. But I'm of the conclusion that it's got a lot to do with the player also. I've seen guy's play a guitar and it sounded like....well...and then another guy will play it and will sound pretty good. This does'nt always happen but I've heard it a couple of times.

I'd just keep looking around till I found the right guitar, with the right tone for you. Take the suggestions and look at those guitars and maybe even try a few more for good measure. You'll eventually find the one for you.

You might even try a Lowden guitar. A little on the high end, money wise, but they are said to be beautiful sounding guitars. Rather mellow without the harshness or tininess.
 
I actually like the sound of the particle board martins and the baby talor over some of the high end hand made ones.
 
...Tracy Chapman has a good tone; in the video for "Change" she plays a Fender acoustic. I know Fender isn't rated as highly as some others in the acoustic realm, but this does sound good.

Best,
CC
 
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