help me find an acoustic guitar

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macgyver

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hey...newbie here... i was wondering what acoustics you guys use to record in the studio. right now i've got a crap yamaha that stays in tune.... looking for a mid-priced (~$500) guit........ preferably with electronics on-board for live applications.....any help would be appreciated .... thanx
mac
 
I think that by far the best acoustic guitar for under $500 is the Seagull. Many come with electronics. I believe they are made in Canada. You can't find them everywhere (e.g., not at Sam Ash) but seek a bit and you shall find.
 
With your budget I would suggest that you get the most acoustic for your money and then add on the best electronics you can at a later time. For recording purposes you can get the truest sound by miking the guitar and miking a live solo acoustic performance is a breeze. However in a band situation you would be limited.

I'm not sure if Seagulls ship with onboard electronics or not, but you can find them (with prices) here: http://www.cottenmusic.com

Good luck!
 
Use the search function - there was a great thread on this about two/three months ago.

Lots of good info from some very knowledgeable guys.

foo
 
Fender?

How about a Fender? Anyone like the Fender acoustics? I am a big Fender fan, I play only Fenders (no other guitar really grabs me like Fender), and I tried out a bunch of acoustics, and for the price, I found the Fender to be an excellent acoustic. Anyone else?
 
I bought a Seagull 4 months ago. Cedar top with Mahogany back, and sides. It shipped with an LR Baggs installed, and a deluxe hardshell case for $550. It sounds excellent, and is extremely playable for that price. I love it. I bought mine locally from Broad Street Music Co. in Grove City, PA -Call Butch at 724-458-0611, or search the web. Some folks think the neck is slightly chunky but I am extremely satisfied.
 
For recording you don't really want a electro-acoustic, as crEEK said mic it. You want a solid top guitar if you are serious about having a nice sound generally. Also look at buying a second hand one if you think you have enough knowledge (if you are unsure it's always better to buy new), with a solid top guitar the sound will be enhanced (better than when new if well maintained). As foo said, use the search function, there are many threads on this subject-pages long.
 
Ovation

I've got an Ovation Celeb. Deluxe with built in electronics and an eq. It has the multi sound holes which I compared to the ones with the traditional one big sound hole, I liked the sound of the multi sound holes much better and it was $550 brand new. I also love the neck, to me the guitar feels alot like an electric as far as the neck goes. It's the only accustic that i've tried that plays like an electric. Also Ovations are known for having awesome pickup/electronics. The Celeb. Deluxe also has that flamed, plumb burst color with gold hardware. So, it looks as good as it sounds and plugged in it sounds just like it does accusticaly but louder (if you have the eq set right, anyway.) I strongly recommend Ovations.

[Edited by dabluesman on 08-09-2000 at 10:55]
 
I have some follow up to the replies..........

Perhaps needless to say, after getting all this info, you should try as many guitars as possible - and then pause and try the better ones a second time - before you buy. Also perhaps needless to say, every guitar is unique and buying one by mail is a huge risk.


Macguyver said he (or she) wants the electronics for "live applications". I took that to mean for playing out. I think that if you play out regularly or even semi-regularly, you should get the electronics (or have them built in (by a pro)(which costs a bit more than buying the guitar with the electronics already installed)). Playing live with mics can be problematic for a lot of reasons; most pros that I have seen in recent years (e.g. Richard Thompson, David Bromberg) no longer use mics.

I tried all of the guitars mentioned when I bought my daughter a Seagull a few months ago. The Seagull that I tried with the electronics built in was just as strong as those without. In contrast, for example, Takamine nylon strings sound pretty good plugged in but weak when not. I thought that the Fenders sounded like the other Korean guitars - weak bass, poor resonance. The Seagull doesn't have the same bottom as, say, a $2000 Martin, but it's pretty good. The Seagulls are also easy to play - they all seem to be set with fairly low action (although you might not like that).

As was pointed out, you really want a solid top guitar, and as Schmee pointed out, Seagulls (I believe all of them) are solid top guitars.

Dabluesman suggests an Ovation; I think they're pretty good, but you have to like their distinctive sound.
 
you guys rock!! thanx for all the advice and keep it comin if you've got somethin to say.......... i got a list of seagull prices from junior himself at juniorsmusic.com ...... decent prices on (based on what i've heard here and everywhere else) AMAZING guitars.......they also come (as an option) with LR Baggs electronics.......i've never heard of them, but then again, i'd never heard of seagull before today...........anyone have any feedback??

mac
 
LR Baggs are wonderful electronics and really set the standard in acoustic amplification. Need proof? Check out their site http://www.lrbaggs.com for players who play without paid endorsements!

Ovation guitars are a different breed of acoustic and you really need to make sure you aren't wanting something truer. I owned an Ovation Legend with all the appointments and used it as my main guitar for years, until the I decided I really wanted a real acoustic. Think 'long haul' and 'investment' and choose wisely. It goes without saying that you have to hold and feel a guitar to really make sure its 'you'. Hope this helps!
 
Seagulls and Gibsons

I can cast a vote for Seagull as well. I'm sure for $500 you can get an excellent model from them. My brother bought a lower end Seagull (~$300) and it came with a piezo built in. It sounds really great, especially for the price.

I myself recently traded an older Washburn acoustic (stay away from those) for a 12-string Seagull. Its a very nice sounding guitar, although its a little heavy on the treble end, though that could be a function of it being a 12 string.

That said, neither guitar touches my ca. 1971 Gibson J-45, which I bought from someone a few years ago for $250. Unbelievable guitar, I'll never part with it. I assume that Gibson still makes great acoustics, thought I don't know if they make anything in your price range. Anybody know about current Gibson acoustics? Might want to give them a look.
 
I have no idea about Gibson's current acoustic guitar line but those old ones are dandies. A guys at my work bought a similar one to Req's for a couple of hundred bucks. The thing plays beautifully.

Someone suggested shopping for used guitars earlier. If you know exactly what you're looking for you can usually find someone wanting to part with one. Shop around and you may walk away with alot more than you ever thought possible.
 
Anyone have any experience with Dean guitars? The Exotica model acoustic and EVO 60 electric look, feel and appear to be priced right.
 
Larrivee

If youcan go a little over $500,you might want to look at the Larrivees.They are also made in Canada and the whole guitar is solid wood.The cheaper models(D-02,D-03)have a rather stripped down look,but the sound is very nice and most models are available with a factory installed pickup,or without if you prefer.Cheers!
 
Right now I still have a cheap Washburn DE-10, but I have been looking at upgrading. Like EL Barto I thought the Fender acoustic's were pretty nice for the price. Very playable necks and good sound. I havent played a Dean Exotica but its a pretty guitar, might be worth checking out.
 
Larrivee - good : Taylor - best

Larrivee! I had forgotten about those. Very reputable and have gained alot of attention lately with some notable endorsees.

For $300 you can get a Baby Taylor which, trust me is an awesome little tool. People are using them for recording and live ensembles all the time. They tune to standard tuning and are much more portable. I own one and have used it extensively. Its funny to watch guitar players look at it kind of funny then pick it up and walk away wanting one. You would still want a full sized acoustic but this is just another option I thought of. Speaking of Taylor you can get an entry level model (solid wood, gloss top) for about $750.
 
Moderator Wannabee

Seagull and Larrivee' are definitely the best acoustic guitars in that price range... no doubt about it.
I would absoloutly, definitely get one with built-in electronics, and here's why...
For recording purposes, you can get an incredible range of tones by plugging the guitar into one channel, then micing the guitar and going into a second channel. If you pan out the 2 channels and eq them differently, you'll get that million-dollar acoustic sound. Believe me, it works great. I did this with a 30-something year old Yamaha acoustic that's beat to shit, but it sounds better than a 50 year old Martin... no lie!
Also, as previously mentioned, the electronics are great to have for a live performance. If you don't have them, I hope you have practiced "the art of standing still".
Lastly, consider this....
Acoustic guitars sound better with age, provided that they haven't been in a flood or left out in extremely dry conditions. My partner and I have two ancient Yamaha's that simply blow away every new acoustic guitar out there... including some Martin's that are priced in the $2,500 range.
The type of wood and constructon has EVERYTHING to do with the sound, and age just adds to the sweetness.
If you really want to find an acoustic guitar you'll fall in love with, I suggest that you try playing some older, used acoustics. Check the pawn shops, smaller guitar stores, and DEFINITELY go to guitar shows whenever you possibly can.
Then, if you add in a Dean Markley pick-up and follow the 2-track technique above, you'll be doing cartwheels after you hear how great it sounds on your recordings.

The RIGHT acoustic guitar is something you'll love and keep forever... unlike a car or a TV set.

The RIGHT acoustic guitar will inspire you to write and play at your utmost potential.



[Edited by Buck62 on 08-10-2000 at 10:32]
 
Hey

And I thought I discovered that technique (just kidding)! I guess it seems pretty obvious. I use a Dean Markely in-hole pickup and mic the guitar at the same time. Just like you said, you get two tracks of the same thing that you can then manipulate them independently for whatever purpose you like. If you're using a digitial recording system its alot of fun to time-shift the two tracks for chorus or delay effects (just watch for phasing problems). You can get deep, fat sounds.
 
If your really serious about buying - think about buying your last guitar first.

Instead of going 'I can only spend $xxx this year, so I'll upgrade in a couple of years' save up for the 'upgrade' guitar and buy it first.

Once I started to do that with my gear, I found that:
a) I always have really good gear (once I buy it)
b) It costs me less (sometimes a lot less) in the long run

Downside is that sometimes you don't have anything - I still don't have half my recording studio put together, but what I do have is pretty good stuff, and I'm willing to wait for better equipment.

Now if only waiting would make me write better songs!!!

foo
 
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