Acoustic guitar recommendations

Wailin

Hey,

Anyone recommend a good all solid acoustic guitar around 600-700 price range? With pick up system....? Doesn,t matter what top or back and sides, have a martin HD-28 and looking for a decent second guitar to arse around with....Had a Gison songmaker that was a great second guitar then i sold it! Dont know why but regret it now....They're not made anymore either.

Hayte

I'm guessing you want a dread since you've got a HD28. Cheapest, nicest guitar I've played is Taylor 110. It aint solid wood though (laminate sapele back and sides). I think you can get one with the pickup for less than 700 euros brand new but choosing stuff like this is a very personal thing.

I don't know what your preference is with necks and stuff. You'll really want to play one before you buy which is lucky because 110s are everywhere. If you like the Songmaker you might want to hunt for one second hand. 110 is definitely worth a try though.

I've played a 114 and 214 and both were very good guitars. My main guitar is a Taylor 712 (which is a 00 model + short scale so its quite small and symmetrical and pretty easy to play with the lower string tension). The x14 guitars have a longer scale length and the lower bout is as big as a dread. I thought both the 114 and 214 were nicer sounding guitars than my 712 and they felt really good to play. Neck is really nice (the satin finish on my 712 has long worn to a gloss).

712 you can balance over 1 leg but the x14s have a really fat bottom so they will tip over if you are a 1 legger. Anyway, the 214 completely blew the whole laminate v solid wood thing out of the water for me. If they made a 212 I'd be all over it. I think some day I'll get a 214 but I like playing over 1 leg and I like the amount of "reach" and movement I can get around a guitar with a tiny body. Shrugs.

Wailin

Thanks for that post, its helped alot. Been admiring some Taylors for awhile now and was put off with the 100 and 200 series because of the laminate wood but I will certainly give them a go now. Nicer sounding than your 712? Wow thats unexpected. Although I have a dreadnought, Im not too bothered what body shape to go for, maybe something different would be good. Was also looking at the Takamine TAN15 which seems to get great reviews, all solid with the cool tube preamp but more expensive. I'll just keep looking, but thanks anyway for your advice, much apreciated.

68 lost souls

I personally love the Taylors as well. I would pick it pretty much any taylor over most takamines any day. The one thing I can say in favour of the takamines though is that they are probably a little bit more of a work horse guitar and the preamps will go on and on and on and you will find repairs easier than Taylors, if an expression system goes on a higher end Taylor it can be a nightmare but luckily in this case they dont have th eexpression system in the 1 and 2 series.

TeddyTedson

Martin DCX1RE
Great guitar, some reviews of it on youtube.

Wailin

Yes the Martin DCX1RE is a nice guitar also, a friend of mine has one and it has a lovely bright sound thats totally different to the hd-28's boom. But any I've played in music shops didnt sound so good for some reason, probably just unlucky. Where's the best place to check out Taylor guitars in Dublin? X music seem to have a very low stock at the moment and any other place I've tried doesn't stock them. Also, what do the 100 and 200 series Taylors sound like plugged in? Are they up to scratch?

68 lost souls

I really dislike martins, I dunno why people love them so much, they are always muddy and dull to me.

The 100 and 200 sound pretty good plugged in, I would recommend trying one if you can. Most places will have low stock at the moment as there is there is a change ove rin the supply in europe from Fender to Taylor Europe. It should sort itself out fairly soon.

Wailin

I think with Martins its the old case of brand name. When I tried the hd-28 in the store it sounded really good and powerful. After getting used to it at home I'm finding it leaves me a bit cold....not sure why. Sometimes I pick it up and it sounds pretty good but other times not so. You used the word muddy and id agree. But when played next to most other guitars it stands out. Will maybe sell it in the future and go for a Lowden, now there's a guitar.

Dublin Guitar

The HD28 will have a somewhat "tight" sound which is a hallmark of American guitars. This loosens over time, but is nothing compared to the Lowden sound. It's horses for courses, neither one is better or worse, just different.

When it comes to all solid vs solid top, remember that the top accounts for about 80% of the tone, the back 20% and the sides practically nothing. Guild make lovely all solids around that money, but if a pickup is essential, don't look past a good solid top.

In short, head into your local music shop(s) and ask their advice and try as many as you can

DGC

Wailin

Spent the day yesterday in a few music stores trying out the Taylor 210's and 214's. Lovely guitars but they seem a bit lightweight to me and overpriced compared to online prices. Anyone got opinions on the Guild GAD series guitars? All solid wood and hardshell case for less than 750! Surely thats a bargain even if they are made in china, they are still a reputable company and online reviews seem pretty good. Particularly interested in the GAD 40CE. Guild seem to be a rarity in Dublin music stores, anyone know where I can get my hands on one to try them out?

Hayte

Couldn't say unfortunately. An all solid wood guitar for 750 euros seems to good to be true imho. As with any guitar I'd play before you buy. I mean, I have a Takamine G series dread at home which I bought for about 50 quid (lots of cosmetic damage) but it sounds and feels very different to one of my friends G series dread. Same model, different year and mine is satin finish all over. His is gloss. His one is way better than mine and his one arrived intonating properly. Mine had a really high wonky action that I needed to fix first.

Another thing, strings make a huge difference. You slap new strings on a guitar it makes everything sound nicer. Over at X-Music they had a bunch of Martins with old ass strings on them and they sounded dull. Those ones sounded dull except the ones with fresh strings on. Predictably.

Mostly I just go on the feel of the thing. If you like the neck, the body shape, the weight distribution, the way it frets and the guitar is setup properly, thats 90% of what matters right there. Sound to a point is more a personal preference thing. And damn if you think finding dreads to play in Dublin is hard you should try buying orchestra models (and even worse, parlour guitars). Hardly any shops even stock guitars in that size. Buying blind sucks.

Dublin Guitar

We've got some great Guild, Cort & Hudson all solids from just over 500, they're well worth a look. Perfect Pitch do the Tanglewood all solids too. Some good ones out there, just a case of trial and error I suppose. I'm sure the right one for you is out there.

Agreed on strings, we have found that Martin SP Lifespan make most guitars sound good, but all instruments have a particular set that works on them, for some it's daddario, for some martin and so on.

bluerythmsdiet

Dublin Guitar wrote: »

We've got some great Guild, Cort & Hudson all solids from just over 500, they're well worth a look. Perfect Pitch do the Tanglewood all solids too. Some good ones out there, just a case of trial and error I suppose. I'm sure the right one for you is out there.

Agreed on strings, we have found that Martin SP Lifespan make most guitars sound good, but all instruments have a particular set that works on them, for some it's daddario, for some martin and so on.

You've got some good free advise from all above, The trick is to find that guitar you like yourself as you'll be stuck with it eitherway. My advise is to find a range within your budget forgetting about brand as each guitar within a range or brand can sound completely different than the next (same model/make) paticularly with acoustics, I personally use a compass series North from Yamaha, I took 5 hours to choose this guitar tried every guitar in the store of this range, have had the guitar since 2001 if memory is correct, it's got a gooseneck mic & fisherman saddle pickup, with EQ and different volume controls. If your looking for resale value on the exit end try stay with Martin, Takamine, Taylors, better known brands will sell quicker with a better return, eg, bought my Yamaha for 1200 Punts, worth no more than €400 now.

bluerythmsdiet

Forgot to mention, it was the very 1st guitar I tried in the store... Don't be afraid to ask the store guys to bring all of the guitars from the stores, take them out of the packaging & tune them up. Try it through an amp as well.

Wailin

Cheers for the good advice everyone. Ended up purchasing a Guild from the lads in Dublin Guitar Centre (Cheers lads!) and it was a good choice in the end. Within my budget, all solid wood with a pick up system for a very decent price. They have some nice guitars there and the two lads couldn't be more helpfull, well worth checking out. My choice came down to the Guild or a Martin 00X series guitar in perfect pitch which was a very nice guitar. Choose the Guild because it came with a good case, sounded good and was better value in my opinion.