Well priced acoustic guitars

JoeyBones

I've been talking to a few friends recently about HI/LO priced acoustics. There are a lot of mixed feelings about what makes a guitar good or bad. I've read a few reviews, but they tend to be a little one sided. I took a chance when I bought my acoustics and although I do enjoy them both, I get the feeling that I should have played a wider selection before choosing the ones I did.

My acoustic history went as follows:

Ibanez Talman - Bought secondhand for R1600. Quiet comfortable to play, but the pickup wasn't the best. The neck was pretty nice although a little on the thin side. It was a nice guitar to start on. Sold this one to my nephew.

Gretsch Junior Rancher - Bought this one of eBay for R5.5K. Sounds bright and is nice for playing in a band. Cuts through the mix nicely so you can actually the notes and not just the strumming. It uses a Fishman Acoustic Matrix under the Saddle Pickup so the sound quality is much better than the Ibanez. The neck is also a bit thin, but still pretty easy to play. It is definitely a guitar for anyone who wants something that has stage presence. I think I was sold on the looks more than the specs.

Martin DC16GTE - I wanted a bassier sounding guitar and after trying out a few cort and takamine dreadnaught styled guitars, I just had to have one. I picked this one up of eBay about 5 months ago for R8K. It's been used, but is pretty good condition. The Fishman® Prefix Stereo Onboard Blender is really nice. If anything, I think your paying mostly for the pickup system. I find the neck to be really comfortable. A little chunky at first but once I got used to it, an absolute breeze to play. Although the body is a lot bigger than my Gretsch, it surprisingly comfortable to play. It stays in tune really well and having an onboard tuner makes life really easy.

So, what do you guys have to say about the MARTIN/TAYLOR/SEAGULL vs CORT/IBANEZ/Takamine debate? I'm sure their are a lot of other makes that are worthy to be mentioned.

cain

Well i dont wanna sound like a brand whore or anything, but martin/taylor/seagul/laviree guitars are the most amazing sounding accoustic instruments ive ever hear, sure if you dont have that cash you can get away with a average prices accoustic from cort/ibz/crafter. The big thing is, they dont sound the same, if you ever go to a gig and you listen to the accoustic without looking at the brand first, you will hear if its a cheap/expensive guitar. I would do anything for my first accoustic to be a taylor or laviree guitar.

JoeyBones

I think you meant Larrivee.

Money is and probably always will be an issue for most and especially for musicians. Two of our guitarists use cort guitars and they are really good value for money. I'd think you could buy one of those, upgrade the pickup system and have a really good sounding guitar. I guess the important thing is that it must sound good unplugged. I don't think any electronics are going to be able to completely mask the sound of a crappy guitar.

cain

Yeah yeah dude, dont be technical, i cant spell it and i was too lazy googling it first, remember its monday morning and all ?

JoeyBones

I forgive you ... BTW, Nigel Hendroff used a Larrivee before he bought his taylor and if I'm not mistaken he still has it.

cain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Hendroff

Hehe a : Larivee C-05

AlanRatcliffe

martin/taylor/seagul/laviree guitars are the most amazing sounding accoustic instruments ive ever hear

What? All of them? THE most? Sorry dude... couldn't resist ;D

I have a parlour-size Earth 900 Cort myself and couldn't be happier. I once fixed a badly beaten Larrivee and it was impressive (but then, for a R45K instrument, it had better impress me).

It's all down to trying them. Whatever speaks to you is the right one. I spent a day in Bothner's recently and picked up a few acoustics that caught my eye, Taylors, Gretsches, Corts. Mostly good instruments, but the nicer ones to me were not always the prettiest or most expensive ones.

Bothners also have an Aria nylon lurking around as a shop guitar - not for sale, but has a "value" of R1995. It's one of the cheaper Matsumoto (Japan) made Arias with a ply top, but is amazing. I've been trying to get them to sell it for the last five years, but no joy.

cain

I are liking to be sorry alan, i can like to be afrikaans and making mistakes sometimes ?

JoeyBones

If that's the same Cort Earth on your site, It looks pretty good to me. My buddy bought a Takamine for around R4K and is absolutely pleased with it.

AlanRatcliffe

Francis Viviers wrote: I are liking to be sorry alan, i can like to be afrikaans and making mistakes sometimes ?

I forgive you, your English is no doubt better than my Afrikaans. But I do reserve the right to

when you accidentally post something funny. ;D

cain

HAHAHA

FatBoy

I have a Cort MR720F and I am really pleased with it. But then again I started playing about 2 years ago, so I am by no means an expert.

AlanRatcliffe

There's nothing wrong with the MR720, In fact I think that's the same guitar you can buy with a big US name on the headstock for twice the price - one of the Corts is at any rate.

kayDUB

I picked up a few tanglewood guitars recently, some of them sound really good!
I didn't plug them in and I don't know the models, but one for 5500 sounded great and even one for 1500 sounded good, much better than my ibanez i sold for 1500. i was impressed.

arjunmenon

+1 with KayDub on the Tanglewoods. Was at Musiek Wereld in Bellville recently and play a few Tanglewood acoustics, and i was pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the sounds. Nice bass response, with warm mids and singing treble...but IMO, lacks a bit of its natural percusiveness for scatting/vamping purposes. And they respond very well to tapping a la Kaki King, Michael Hedges, Billy Mclaughlin etc etc
However, i would really like to get my hands on a seagull or an alvarez... ;D
oh, and i still love my first acoustic, a yamaha F340..lovely guitar

Cheers

Riaan

Can't resist...during a trip to London three years ago, I spent several days in various guitar shops, drooling and trying them all out. I realised there and then that for me, there can be but one acoustic guitar... sadly I don't own one (yet)

Reinhard

Some of the guys here mentioned the Tanglewoods. I suppose I am a brand snob, but man I have also played a few of these and they sound and play great. Surprisingly good and reasonably priced.

Reef

JoeyBones wrote: I think you meant Larrivee.

Well. I mean if we're going to be technical it's L'Arrivee ?