Favorite Acoustic Guitars

  • Thread starter Thread starter koolkkeith
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Bear-
The Adamas is an entirely different guitar from the Ovation Celebrity. It looks the same, but from the materiels to the construction it is a completely different animal. While I put Ovation guitars ith the likes of Epi's or Takamines, Adamas guitars belong in the same league with Taylor, Martin, Rainsong guitars. Nice buy, Bruce.

H2H
 
hmm

I thought Adamas was just a term for the groovy-looking soundhole thingy Ovation has....

And that appears on models in the Balladeer, Celebrity DeLuxe range and probably a few others as well.
 
NO NO NO

The Adamas is the top guitar in the Kaman line. (Kaman guitars are Ovation, Takamine, Hamer, and Adamas...if you didn't know). They are made in the USA and are very high quality instruments. Like I said, they only LOOK like an Ovation. The materiels (carbon fiber, ebony, etc.) , quality, and sound differ from an Ovation.

check out Kaman music's website if you want to learn more:
http://www.kamanmusic.com/

H2H
 
Clones and copies...

I'm a bassist and sax man first then a mutt on everything else. Whilst looking
for a nice (cheap) six stringer I visited a number of shops. Pawn and otherwise.
Found a neat C.F. Martin copy under the name of "Aspen". Great sound, excellent
woods and bracing, and a price that I hit on immediately. Come to find out, it was
a very well made copy. And case included. Hardshell. Hot damn!

Please don't think I'm dissing quality- I'd love to have a top-of-the-line Taylor
or Martin or Adamas. All I'm saying is this- pick it up, check it out, play it and
see what it does for you. Until I can truly afford a noteworthy instrument, I have
one that does wonderfully well for what it is...

it's all in where you're at...

Faithmonster
 
i know how ya feel monster, i found my favorite songwriting guitar in a pawn shop. a 1982 yamaha generic with a fantastic neck. it rivals my taylor/martin for playing. it's a "non" ego guitar that make's me soar.
no need to brag when ya got the facts,---
 
Funny you mention the Yamaha jw,

I was going to play a wedding last summer and wanted to upgrade my Ovation Celebrity to something a little nicer. I was also looking in the $4-500 price range. I ended up spending two weekends (full Saturdays) auditioning guitars at many different shops, in different cities, and even in different states.

I bought a Yamaha.

The choice was so elementary, especially after auditioning so many guitars. The main factors for making my decision were simple: tone and playability. It was so easy to compare these factors by playing many different guitars in the same day.

Point being: spend a Saturday visiting a few shops and auditioning axes in your price range. Make sure you visit different shops, because many shops only stock certain brands. Not only will you pick out the best guitar _for you_, but you'll have a little inner peace knowing that you tried the others and picked the best one _for you_.

FWIW:

Not a big fan of the Ovation tone especially while the guitar keeps sliding off my leg because of that damn plastic back.

Also, I personally was looking for an acoustic with "brightness" and "punch." All of the other axes had nice "warmth," but were not as impressive as the Yamaha. The Yamaha was also very playable for my hands and style.

Good luck with your search.

Me
 
oh i forgot to mention on the yamaha, they wanted a $125 and it had a couple of light gouges on the top. i knew this was a killer pawn shop guitar and tried to act like it was trash and offered $75. they would not budge.
i was gonna walk, but couldn't bare to leave it there. i paid the $125--above my budget. that was 2 years ago and it is still great. i bought it to trash out at the beach with but------can't bare the thought of messing it up. i'm now looking for another beach guitar.---here we go again.http://www.jwweir.com
 
Hey Bruce -

Which amp are you using? SFX? 30? Jr?

I'm nosing around for something that will sound right with my acoustic AND with a jazzbox. Any ideas?
 
I bought the Fender Acoustasonic 30 after using it to demo the Ovation I was buying... it was one of those "wow! must have..." type of things when I heard the tone - very sweet and lush... since I wasn't amp-shopping, I didn't even try any of the other Fender AS models, and since the tone of that one struck me, I was convinced right then and there!

I haven't tried the amp with my Guild semi yet, but maybe I'll have a chance this weekend - I'll let you know...

Bruce
 
Can't wait for the Martin Limited Edition Gordon lightfoot guitar to come out ..... I bet it'll be sweet

Joe
 
Larrivee

I just got my new LARRIVEE D-O3E with Fishman pick-up. I've been playing for about 25 years. I've owned Ovation, Yamaha, Alvarez... I'm telling you, this guitar makes me feel like I'm 16 again. It almost plays itself. The sound is incredible.

I've played a few Martins, but could never really afford to "get serious" about owning one. I'm glad I waited. I'm looking forward to recording this thing, but for now, I really happy just looking at it and playing it!

www.larrivee.com
Peace,
titan
 
I've only been into acoustic guitars for a few years here of late.
I bought cheap, and dumped them at a loss.
I spent a lot of time in guit shops since.
Each guitar has it's own personality, sound, feel.
What I play on one, to me, just doesn't sound right on another.
My prince acoustic is my Gibson J30 E, 1982. Country, folk, rock. It's a pleasure to work with.

My Yamaha APX 9NA nylon was a real suprise to me. I have a Lyle Classical and was wanting to replace it, but I fell in love with that Yamaha. What a machine.

I still have my Lyle and still do my classical work on it.

I have two Deans. I have replaced both plastic bridges on them with bone and one I raised the action about 3/16ths of an inch at the fifth fret. I use it for my slide work.

Each one has it's place in my play list.

I've had Khan, Ovation, Argus, Kent, and some other ones. They were good, but just that, good. I really liked the sound of the Ovation 12 string I had, but that rounded body back,,,, I could never get use to it. I was always making an adjustment. It never felt right.

My next guit will be a Don Carlo xxxxxxxx something or other, I can't pronouce it much less spell it, Classical. The guy makes them per order. Pricey, but the one I played was so nice.
 
Old thread but a good subject. I love acoustic guitar! My baby is a 1974 Martin D-41 which at the time I bought it was second from top of their line. Absolutly beautiful guitar and it plays like butta. I also have a 1955 Martin 000-18. It's has some miles on it but the neck and everything else on it is still straight as the day it was made. I had a Guild jumbo 12 string and have always regreted selling it but about 15 years ago I was in Mel Bays in Kirkwood, Mo to buy some strings and was brousing around and picked up an Alverez 12 string and bought it on the spot. It's just a wonderful guitar. I've been considering a Taylor for years now and they're fantastic guitars (the best recording acoustic I've heard) but I've fallen in love with a Goodall. This guy builds them by hand in Hawaii out of AAA Koa wood. Jeeezuuss! The most beautiful guitar I've EVER seen and it sounds and plays fantastic.
It's aural sex!:D
 
I own a Martin D2R and I just love it to death . Best Acoustic I have ever owned. I had the fishman goldplus installed an ok pickup but I am definitly looking to upgrade .An interseting side note Live I run it through a Boss GT3 . Then into two channels on my mackie panned left tto 9:00 and right to 3:00 I get a real nice stereo spread that way and it really enhances the Bi-Stereo chorus in the GT3....I would compare this soun favorably to any set up I have heard.
 
Martin makes top line instruments.
I've played many in the stores, a few at someones house. Never owned one, but hope to someday.
The ones I played were like they were made to fit. The feel, holding it, caressing it.
They were made to play to, and the sound of a Martin is a sound of it's own. I always wanted to shove one of those mirrors on one of those telescoping rods like mechanics use, down in the hole to see the placement of the bracing and stuff inside.
They are some fine guitars.
I'll be getting one sometime this year, and it'll be a twelve string. I can feel it in my arms already.
 
OK, I'm putting in a word for Aust., made guitars here.......lol.

Maton guitars are imported to the US........go to www.americanmusicimporters.com for look.
The company was started about 50 yrs ago by Bill May (hence the name Maton.......May-tone), and it's not uncommon for o/seas artists to take one with them after they have been here. Come to think of it even the Beatles used one at one stage.
I'm not saying they are "better" than Taylors, Martins, etc., just a different animal, but VERY well bred.

:cool:
 
Well, I guess I better plug my new guitar, a handmade Webber OM http://www.webberguitars.com/

I traded in my Larrivee D-05E that I owned and loved for four years, but it was just time for a step up. What is amazing about this Webber guitar--in addition to the incredible tone and butter-like playability--is the projection. Although it's a smaller body OM it out-projects the Larrivee dreadnaught without the boomy bottom end. The first time I played it my wife came into the studio and commented on how clear and loud it sounded. The balance and note separation is fingerstyle studio quality, and the tone is so sweet.

I went into Buffalo Bros in Carlsbad expecting to pick up a C. Fox SJ because they are having a great sale on those guitars. I also played several other handmade brands including Breedlove, Bourgeois, Legend, Morgan, and C. Fox. None of those guitars (in my $1,500 price range) came close to the Webber. It was no contest. Of course, if I had another $300-$500 it would be a different story. Then I'd be looking at the Goodall and Santa Cruz guitars.

Some day.
 
I just this weekend traded an old peavy practice amp for a 67 ovation pacemaker 12 string. deep bowl and good flat tone I would love to have a matching 6 string to go with it but I dont like the shallow bowl ones as much.
 
jwgeetar said:
i know how ya feel monster, i found my favorite songwriting guitar in a pawn shop. a 1982 yamaha generic with a fantastic neck. it rivals my taylor/martin for playing. it's a "non" ego guitar that make's me soar.
no need to brag when ya got the facts,---
Click to expand...
wow, i still get emails on this thread. well here's an update. i sold my taylor,it had high frets that needed a $100 leveling job.it hurt to play it on a 4 hour gig. it apparently came out of the box like that. with the light gauge strings on it it felt good.problem is,i use medium gauge cause i play the crap out of a guitar and it's a bigger sound live.(not to mention breaking light strings)

and last night i put a martin thinline pickup by itself into my yamaha. running it through my outboard preamp and boss 7 band eq, it cranks.but along side the martin,there is no comparison. a D-35 has got that built in sound/resonance. BTW, my fishman pickup/preamp installed inside my D-35 is still going strong after 12 years. it's the same kinda install that clint black had on his martin on his first video--Better Man. because me and clint were(me still) customers of the same guy here in Houston that installed 'em. just a lil personnal trivia.
 
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