What acoustic guitar should I buy?
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
Is it worth it to buy anything other than a martin or Taylor?
Should I buy directly from them or go to Guitar Center?
Should I buy directly from them or go to Guitar Center?
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JEFF HARDY AND JEFF AMENT USED TO LOOK THE SAME
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How much do you want to spend? Have you played before? Do you want a pickup in it? These are all important qeustions!!!
Check out their entire line. You get a lot more for your money than Taylor or Martin in my opinion
Also, pay attention to body style as they affect the sound of the guitar and nut width, as it impacts how easy the guitar will be to play for you. My personal preference is a dread or jumbo with a small-ish nut (1 11/16")
One of my favorite guitars that was on the cheaper side was a Larivee OM-03 that I picked up off craigslist for 650 bucks (they should be sub 1000 new). It is very taylor-like in it's playability and sound.
edit: also, you can't buy directly from Martin, you have to go through a dealer. I suspect this is probably the case with taylor as well.
"Its a secret to everybody."
There are strong advantages and disadvantages to any instrument, and acoustic instruments are a special breed. Martins tend to be nice and bright, but lack body; Taylors really shine when plugged in; and Gibsons will be boxy but project well and generally have a warmer tone. If one guitar was definitively better than the others, then all the pro's who could afford one would just play that one. But as you notice, if you pay attention, musicians have chosen among thousands of guitars, not just one or two.
First thing for me is body shape, which translates into comfort while playing. Body shape (dreadnaught, auditorium, jumbo, parlor) will affect your strumming/picking arm's position, as will body depth. The scale will affect the other arm, so if you have shorter arms you may want a slightly shorter scale. You also need to determine whether you need a cutaway or not; having a cutaway gives access to the higher frets (above 12 or 14 fret, depending on the guitar's neck joint position) whereas a non-cutaway will have a slightly purer acoustic sound because of the full body shape.
Also keep in mind construction. Wood type, and solid wood vs. laminate, will be a huge determinant. The old-school standard is a solid spruce top with solid mahogany back and sides, but that has exploded to include lots of variations. Solid woods will generally resonate better and have better tone, but they will change dramatically over time and with exposure to different temperatures and humidity levels. If you lived in Key West where the temp and humidity are the same all year long, no problem... if you lived in Alaska, I'd think hard about getting a good guitar with a solid top and laminate (think GOOD plywood) back and sides. Also, be aware that guitars are being made entirely of mahogany, or with cedar tops, or all cherrywood, or spruce with rosewood back and sides. As you play guitars, try to find out what species and type (lam vs. solid) of wood it's made out of. You start to develop a preference and learn the differences as you play a bunch.
The next question is whether to get electronics or not. Having electronics allows for plugging in on stage, so that's great, but there are a few drawbacks. If you buy an acoustic-electric, you want to make sure the electronics sound good to you, not just the guitar itself. If you get a guitar that sounds great unplugged, but sounds buzzy or weird on stage, it can be hard to swap out for another pickup that sounds better. Also, cutting a hole in the side of a guitar and inserting a big plastic preamp panel (some with a 9volt battery inside) will compromise the unplugged tone of your guitar. There are aftermarket pickups that don't require a preamp panel, so they preserve the acoustic tone of the instrument, but then you don't have control of the electronics easily at hand. If you want this guitar primarily for playing on stage, find a great guitar with great electronics and get the preamp controls on the guitar. If you want to record, or play for people unplugged, get a straight acoustic, and if needed, add an aftermarket pickup later.
As for where to buy, I'd shop stuff at Guitar Center just because they'll probably have the largest number of guitars to play at one place. And don't be afraid to try some cheaper guitars out, because there are a few that will surprise you. But if there is a *good* independently-owned shop near you, then I'd recommend checking them out. The big difference is that most independent shops will set up a guitar when they get it, and they'll likely do a better job than some of the lackeys at GC. You never know, maybe your local GC has a decent guitar tech (probably by accident) and you'll get a good setup on a guitar there, or maybe the factory setup was good and it survived shipping. But I'd hit a few stores and play a bunch of guitars. You'll probably walk away from the 4th or 5th store, and have a good idea of which guitar (or which 3 guitars) felt best. Usually, there is a "THE" guitar for every player.
sessions, my 814-CE still plays and sounds really wonderful - I've had studio engineers leave their booth and
come into the live room to check it, stum a few chords, etc, etc because it truthfully sounds that good).
I don't think you can buy most guitars direct from the company, generally you have to go through a dealer.
I know that some companies allow you to buy direct, but if you look at their direct prices many times it's
more than just buying from a dealer (Visual Sound is an example of a company that has higher direct prices).
Just check out http://www.MusiciansFriend.com and you'll see the standard prices in most stores.
<b><font color="red">CONTACT ME HERE</font>: www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal</b>
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just go play lots. and don't go in with a preconception of what you're going to buy as far as make. just pick your price range and play everything.
I used to own a Martin HD-28V.. that guitar was amazing in the studio. The forward shifted scallops made that guitar boom out with such ferocity, so if you were in a good room and had a good mic a little further away, it sounded awesome!
Like it was already said though, all guitars are different.
I know a guy who has a D41 that is unlike any other Martin I've played. I've tried out a lot of D41's, but that particular D41 is flawless in every way. Some guitars are going to be better than others.. even though they are the exact same model. The good thing about Guitar Center is that they'll keep ordering you new ones until you are happy with one... atleast that's what they did with me.
If money is no object, then I would suggest a Taylor PS14. My friend owns one, and it is probably the best guitar I've ever played.
Go to a store and play them. Bring a friend with you BC the various brands project their sound differently. Have him play it and you listen. Have him blindly give you guitars to play. You will definately hear and feel the difference.
Then look at the prices and brands and decide with your ear and feeling. The results may surprise you. Be sure to include a seagull in there.
All that said, the acoustic I play the most right now (gigs AND at home) is a little $200 Art & Lutherie Ami. It's a parlor-sized (SMALL) acoustic, made by Godin, the same company that makes Seagull and Simon & Patrick. It's a solid cherry top, with laminate mahogany back and sides. I put a contact pickup by Schatten in it a couple years ago, and recently picked up a Radial Tonebone PZ-Pre to shape the sound from the pickup. The reason I picked a $200 student guitar for myself? It had mojo. I picked it up for no reason, just killing time while a friend bought picks at the guitar store, and was blown away. I played two others that were in the store, same model, and both lacked that certain something that mine has. It's in the cellular makeup of the grain of the wood, the mood of the guy who fretted the neck, the temperature of the press that molded the sides, the tolerance of the machine that cut the braces... so many intangibles, you never know how any individual guitar is going to sound until you play it. So play as many as possible. You'll find one that has mojo.
Oh yeah.. here's a pic: http://secure.serverlab.net/shop/graphics/00000002/d55.jpg
E.V