Help me choose a new acoustic guitar!

dannyd20

Ok the time has come for me to buy a new acoustic. I was thinking of getting something like a TAKAMINE EG340SC or perhaps a CORT MR 710F, YAMAHA FGX 720SC NT or an IBANEZ AEL40 SE-RLV from Thomann etc

Can anyone offer any advice or experience of these models/similar? Or suggest a different model that may suit?

linkies:

http://www.thomann.de/ie/takamine_eg340sc.htm
http://www.thomann.de/ie/cort_mr710tf.htm
http://www.thomann.de/ie/yamaha_fgx_720sc_nt.htm
http://www.thomann.de/ie/ibanez_ael40_serlv.htm

Oink

I'll leave the technical details to people who know what they're talking about, but:
-I have a Taka (EN series), and over the years, everytime I played someone else's guitar, I have always come back to my own. Even if they had a better one. I have had it for 15 years, and it looks like I'll be keeping it for the rest of my life.
I did have one problem with the pickup, which had to be replaced. But 15 years on, every note on the neck is where it's supposed to be, and I trust it more than some people I know, and I lurve the sound of it. May not be perfect, but a Taka is a gut thing.

I also borrowed a an oooold Spanish Ibanez from a cousin of mine 5 years ago.
Still have it. The bass sound out of it is... It does things to me inside . It buzzes like mad, but that only helps to get serious funk out of it.

A couple of years ago, I went to buy a Yamaha for €600 (Spanish). It had no soul. A month later, sold it and came back to my old, buzzing, banged up Ibanez (I'll never do that to you again Baby!)

That sums up what I think of Taka, Ibanez, and Yamaha guitars...

TelePaul

Takamine. You'll love it.

TelePaul

Takamine. You'll love it.

dannyd20

Thanks for your opinions guys, I think the takamine would be my first choice in terms of the reputability of the sound and brand but I really like the look of the Ibanez! It's :cool: !

DonalN

I have 2 Takemines. 6 & 12 String. Love them both.

vengeance52

i have an Ibanez AEL20 and i love it, the sound is beautiful and it plays very nicely.


Tis Blue

It wasn't me!

Simon and Patrick. There is no better value in acoustic guitars that I can think of. End of story. Takamine you pay a huge amount for the name, more than anything else, and there's no soul to them, in my experience, very generic acoustic sound, while Simon and Patrick, handbuilt, none of your mass-produced rubbish, all sound individually rich and interesting. Try one and you won't look back.

dannyd20

It wasn't me! wrote:

Simon and Patrick

Just been on the website http://www.simonandpatrick.com They look sweet! Thanks for the tip. Any recommendation on where one would purchase from?

It wasn't me!

Music Maker do them, a few nice ones last time I was in. For the price you'd pay for any of the guitars you were considering, you'll get a far superior guitar from Simon and Patrick.

fourmations

what about tanglewood?

i bought a lovely one nearly ten years ago
and it sounds better every day,

it was recommended to me when i was looking
at a low end takamine and the "paying for the name"
syndrome was mentioned to me also,

mine came with a top-end fishman p/u

the solid spruce top makes it quite bright and clean
and as mine has got older it has warmed,
it also has a very thin profile neck for an acoustic
which suit me nicely,

everyone who plays it really likes it

the equivalent of mine would be about 650 now
but its worth a look at the range

i dont know what their standards are like nowadays
maybe someone else here does

musician used to have a good range of them
(I assume they still do)

rgds

4

dannyd20

I have an acoustic (not semi) Tanglewood that I like very much and will be keeping but would like to get something different this time.

sanf

I have the AEL-40.

I love it. It plays great, sounds good. Nice finish and the extra bonus of a built-in tuner.

Got it from the GAK in the UK, helpful guys and prompt delivery.

http://www.gak.co.uk/

Fingers Mcginty

Ah go on and get a Martin and be done with it

Savman

Another vote for Takamines here. But if I had money to burn I'd look at Martin and Taylor.

NeMiSiS

This is the first I have ever heard of Cort, so can't comment. I have though played a similar Yamaha, Ibanez, and Tak.. more than a few.. all of which were different.. but nice..

What I would do, is set yourself a max budget, and go look at secondhand guitars here, I got a Taylor Big Baby, for a great price.. and loved it.. still love it. Or go into say Musicican Inc, in Dub and try their acoustics upstairs.. then head off to the Buy N Sell or whatever. Get a feel of what you want.. like are you gonna be banging out chords all day or something more elaborate ?

TK

beerbaron

Fingers Mcginty wrote:

Ah go on and get a Martin and be done with it

A D-28 while your at it. You'll never look back :cool:

Frankiestylee

Check out a Yamaha cpx, I have one and despite the lack of imagined pedigree in the name, a lot of people have played it and thought it the nicest acoustic they'd played in a long time. Not too expensive... I dunno if I was just lucky with the specific model, but it's a beaut. Plus the built in condenser gooseneck mic & built in pick up combined give it a much more natural sound then just an aul pick up.

Gaspode

dannyd20 wrote:

Ok the time has come for me to buy a new acoustic. I was thinking of getting something like a TAKAMINE EG340SC or perhaps a CORT MR 710F, YAMAHA FGX 720SC NT or an IBANEZ AEL40 SE-RLV from Thomann etc

Can anyone offer any advice or experience of these models/similar? Or suggest a different model that may suit?

I have a Cort MR710f (lefty) and its quite a nice guitar considering the price. Its loud, and retains its tuning well. The pickep in it is fine too and so far hasnt had any problems with feedback.
My only complaint with it is that the action is a teeny little bit higher than I'd like and theres no easy way to adjust it. Overall though I'm very happy with it and would recommend it.
If you're intersted in seeing some Corts, there's a good selection of them in Monster Music in dublin.