Budget guitar, better than Martin sound...

mccreadyisgod
mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
edited November 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
I just realized I hadn't shared with anyone yet... I got a new member for my family!

http://www.artandlutherieguitars.com/amis.htm

Art & Lutherie Ami. It's a parlor-bodied acoustic, pretty small. Smaller than a Baby Taylor, but full-scale (well, 24.75"). All laminate cherry wood, with a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Plays like a dream, the neck feels like a Les Paul, very smooth and quick. Perfect for fingerpicking. Mine is the almond finish, looks similar to the nylon guitar on their website, although mine is a steel-string. And unlike that picture, mine has good solid sealed tuners. Plus a compensated bridge and a pretty nice nut.

So, having the guitar, I felt compelled to put a pickup in her...

http://www.schattendesign.com/HFN-Artist.htm

The Schatten HFN-Artist, a proprietary piezo pickup with a generic Fishman-built preamp and an endpin jack. Had it installed, and it is GORGEOUS! This pickup is amazing, NO quack, and really balanced. I was worried that it would sound thin on such a small-bodied guitar (it uses the surface of the soundboard) but it sounds great! It's unobtrusive, requires no mods to the bridge or bridge saddle, and just a drilled hole for the endpin jack. I'm overjoyed with this pickup.

So, thanks to Canada for an awesome pair... BTW, my total cost: $333.50 US. And it sounds better than any Martin with a Fishman.
...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Dirty_Frank
    Dirty_Frank Posts: 957
    I have a friend with one of those A&L guitars. I have another friend who has a Martin. I like the A&L much better.

    If I need another acoustic, that's the one I'm going to get.

    :)
  • Spook Fish
    Spook Fish Posts: 241
    Great Guitars.

    are they the same company as Simon & Patrick, Godin?
    Dont take drugs and be a loser
    wear a pink shirt and go down the boozer
  • who's_pearljam?
    who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Ha ha!!

    MIG, I just was playing one yesterday in a music store. They have a classical nylon string parlor one, too. They are great!
    The finish was nice! Usually the cheap guitars have so much clearcoat on them that it might as well be a plastic guitar. This was nice lacquer, cool neck.
    Yup, new recommendation for starter guitars, and for a knock around guitar that sounds great.
    It IS a Godin company. Their entry level guitar line.

    The same company came up with a really cool case, too. It's plastic, and really light, not as bulky as a hardshell case, but better impact resistance than a gig bag.

    I'll have to check out the mike system, too.

    Thanks McCreadyisGod!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mccreadyisgod
    mccreadyisgod Bumfuq, MT Posts: 6,395
    I am so impressed with the quality of these guitars. The wood is great, good grain and it's solid, and the bracing seems to be of unbelievable quality. The finish is indeed amazing, for the price... it's a multi-spray with light layers, not a super-thick one-spray, so the wood can definitely breathe and vibrate much better. The neck... just amazing. And the bridge saddle and nut are tusq, so not amazing, but better than plastic. Every one of my musician friends have been drooling over it since I got it...

    And it's a lot cheaper than it's eventual replacement: A Webber OM

    http://www.webberguitars.com/
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.

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