What acoustic guitar record best ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chuckschwandt
  • Start date Start date

What acoustic guitars record best for you?

  • Olson

    Votes: 8 4.0%

  • Lowden

    Votes: 7 3.5%

  • Gibson

    Votes: 17 8.5%

  • Alvarez

    Votes: 7 3.5%

  • Takamini

    Votes: 16 8.0%

  • Martin

    Votes: 77 38.3%

  • Ovation

    Votes: 17 8.5%

  • Fender

    Votes: 5 2.5%

  • Guild

    Votes: 13 6.5%

  • Yamaha

    Votes: 34 16.9%
  • Total voters
    201
Leeking,

If you can find an old FG160 or FG180, those are some GREAT sounding guitars! They were built in the 70's and most of them have mohagany back, sides, and neck and a either a maple or spruce top.
An older FG335 is also pretty sweet. (I own one)

The reason I mentioned the older, used models is because there are still plenty of them around and they're usually less than $200.... and most importantly, they have excellent tone!

As for the newer Yamaha models, I'd go with the FG412S...

http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gACO00004FG412S

Here's a few more to look at....

http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/gACO00004

Buck
 
For fingerstyle I'd go for something with balance and separation like a Taylor, Larrivee, or Lowden. Two of my favorite fingerstylists, Leo Kottke and Harvey Reid both play and record Taylors and Larrivees. Pierre Bensusan, a fantastic fingerstylist famous for playing in DADGAD plays and records a Lowden.
 
My Tacoma sounds pretty damn sweet recorded.

Then again, it sounds sweet period. Best $1000 I ever spent.
 
I sold my martin D-35 to my X mail man couple yr's back(still let's me use it when I want) he also has an old 53 or 58,can't remember, Gibson J-50 Deluxe that I'm using right now...put's the Martin to shame. I told him I'd bring it back in a couple weeks, but it's going on two months now:D !!! Isn't possession 9/10ths of the law?:cool: . I think I'll send him some fresh "spores" in the mail:D , naw he's a pretty kool guy and I better get it on back to him...soo's I can borrow it again next week:D :D ...
 
I concur with Treeline

It depends on your ability,style of music and in some cases the type of material the guitar is made of... i.e. I play a maple guitar which records great because it does not give me any feedback problem with the bottom end. It basically depends on what your ears like also. Some like heavy bottom end others like a balanced sound.

My 2cents
 
Dog-
"Some like heavy bottom". Who you think you are, John Rennon?:D
 
Maton
although i doubt any one here has heard of them unless they're from Australia
 
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I've recorded a Gibson, couple of Ovations, three Taylors, and various other no name guitars. Nothing even comes close to any of the Taylors. The difference was so great that I went out and bought a Taylor for myself. Ovation is by far the worst I've recorded, worse than a $100 cheapo guitar that some guy gave me.
 
Lowden, Martin (the older scalloped-braced ones anyway, providing you can find one that doesn't have a cracked top) and Olsen are the only 3 on the list I would even consider although I'd certainly throw Alverez into the fold if you were talking about certain Yairi models.

Taylors are great if you get one that was made before they started making their tops thicker.

Gibson Jumbos are great for distant mic strumming like the Beatles and Paul Simon stuff.

I never played a Guild that didn't have a neck like a baseball bat but Pat Metheny sure makes them sound good.

Collings, Klein, Somogyi, Schoenberg, Breedlove, James Goodall, are excellent as well. Of course what we'd all love is one of the few pre-war Martin OM 45s. Yumm! Since there aren't more than a half dozen still in existence we may have to settle for one of Schoenberg's replicas though. Yumm again! Somebody loan me 15 grand!:)
 
I have recorded an sears quitar on a 16 bit soundcard and thats as good as it gets.

Really. It cant get better than that. There is no way possible.


I rock.
 
acoustic strings can be elusive, especially without the advantage of a very expensive condenser mic...sans high-end recording equipment, you can save the day with digital EQ and digital effects--no matter what guitar you're using...recently I have convinced myself that all you need is a spruce-top--as long as you have high-end digital EQ/Effects.
 
windowman--not all "cracks" are bad...if the top has cracked of it's own accord, it is because the grain possessed "tension" in the area of the crack...this tension may have been caused by "workmanship", or it may have been in the grain "naturally"... either way, it causes an "un-even-ness" in response/vibration... the "crack" represents a "release" of this tension, which brings about uniformity....just a theory--your ears are the final measure...of course, violins are a whole different story...
 
My Two Cents....

If I am using a mic to record i use my old Yamaha FG180 (jumbo body and sweet sound) It is over 30 years old.

but latley i am using my Washburn a little more. I have a Festival Series EA10. I am not sure who makes the preamp but it has both 1/4" (Hi Z) and XLR (Low Z Bal.) jacks build into the guitar.

this allows me to plug both in at once to two tracks and alter the sounds diffrently. This is a cool way to get some neat effects.

Howlin' Dog
 
I am suprised to hear anyone say that it doesn't really matter about the guitar as long as you have good digital effects and EQ. I think it's always better to get the best sound source possible, then apply as little effects/EQ as needed for the final sound. Effects/EQ can do a lot, but getting a good guitar will go much further.

Plus, you don't always need high end condensers to record an acoustic guitar. I've heard some good recordings with mics costing less than $100. Maybe you are talking about pristine, best-ever-heard recordings, and in that case it might be true, but then you have to also consider that most people here are recording at home.
 
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