What is the best acoustic you ever played?

Bob-Dubery

zohn wrote I would love to see the response, and whether the "best" ones are also most of the time the expensive ones...

The stand outs for me (not in order of ranking)

* New Lowden O-32, played in Norwich, UK last year
* New Larrivee OM-60, belongs to a good friend of mine
* Martin D28 Golden Era - don't know the year, but it's a brand new guitar kept in storage by the dealer.
* Breedlove Phoenix - brand new, at Music Connection.

Other than that I like my Morgan OM-R a whole lot - not that I think it can't be beat, and not that I think that any guitar has it all to 100%

Price wise... the Lowden was about 2500 pounds, which is a fair bit cheaper than the Martin and the Breedlove. The Larrivee goes for IIRC about $3000 in the USA. So those two offer a lot of bang for your buck.

Keira-WitherKay

damn thats a question like asking "how long is a piece of string" ...........

i truly can't say what guitar is the best i ever played........

even out of my collection i can't decide which one is best ... they all offer different tones and feels and neck profiles.... and they all have good tone..and all different tone too ....... but i love em all.......... and both my vintage ones i actually found in pawn shops one for R600 and one for R450 and sure fitted top end pickups after so the costs went up.and i use em live to do pro acoustic gigs....... but it took me years of searching to find these gems....... and these guitars have the tone of top end instruments for a mere pittance....

but for me i have played on ramirez's classicals which i think are fabulous but i do not feel that my humble vintage yamaha's are dwarfed by them cos they aint.....maybe in value but not in tone or feel........... and my 40 yr old one is a blatant ramirez copy and sounds great even in direct comparison which i have done ......

also i enjoyed playing on sue's 3/4 size classical guitar marc maingard she had him custom design for her cos of her small hands.... and it's got a huge sound for such a small body ..

so yeah all different in tonal subtly but i could not decide on the best i have ever played on .... and i have a lot of free time in day so i tend to play just about every nylon i can get my hands on and check out most top end classical guitars in stores..... and must say i love the contrast and various tones...... but can't say i favour one.........

Fingerpicker

What are you going to ask next, which of my kids I love the most? ?

For me any guitar is useless without a decent action/setup.
It must not have nylon strings (Steel 11s or 12s). My own preference.
It must have a decent pickup if it is to be played through a PA.

The rest of it is just a pissing contest.

Bob-Dubery

Fingerpicker wrote The rest of it is just a pissing contest.

You own two Larrys, including one that is custom made. So do you REALLY believe that?

Squonk

Fingerpicker wrote What are you going to ask next, which of my kids I love the most? ?

There is an answer to that one, the one that needs the love right now.

I think that's how I answer all these, "What is the best...., Your favourite Album..... " etc questions.
It would be my Takamine FP325SCRA, it's the one that I give all my attention, although there was that Larrivee that I played at Andy Mc's that time...

racman

The best is not always the most expensive but the best for me was my 97 Tayler K14CE that was one of the first to be brought in to SA (Koa series I mean). Bought in '97 and while I looked after it I never held back so it was well played in and very sweet sounding when I had to sell it in 2007 in CT.

Man, I still miss that guitar - would love to be able to buy it back one day (or now) but sadly will probably never happen. ☹ ☹

Taylor 914 I played was also sweet as well and once also owned a Santa Cruz Dreadnought that was great.

AlanRatcliffe

Best steel I've ever played was Sue Lawson's Larrivee (not sure of the model - one of the older ones and quite high up the range).

Best nylon I've ever played was a Takamine Hirade H8, but a close second was an old laminated top Brazilian-made DiGiorgio. My current Yamaha GD20 slots in under both of those. There is also a relatively inexpensive Matsumoku-made Aria at a store in Cape Town (sadly not for sale though) that is a wonderful guitar.

It's interesting to go into a shop and just try guitars one after the other, grabbing them at random and ignoring price tickets, looks and styles. Last time I did that with steels I ended up with a short list of a Taylor a Martin and a Cort that I liked the most. All different, but all very good guitars.

Fingerpicker

X-rated Bob wrote
Fingerpicker wrote The rest of it is just a pissing contest.
You own two Larrys, including one that is custom made. So do you REALLY believe that?

No. But I keep telling myself that. Just in case they are stolen, or the house burns down.

I also keep telling myself that its how you play it that counts.

Some days when you haven't brought your guitar along and get asked to play at the club and borrow a guitar....then you know how good your guitar is.

There is that magical moment when you open a guitar case that a good guitar takes your breath away, every time. My Tama still does that to me. Even though I've raised the action and only use it for slide guitar. I've had it 41 years. (Back when it cost R142.50 brand new)

CDee

I really love my Gibson J-165. To me that is one of the best, better than the Taylor I had before. It's easy to play and sounds fantastic.
Another guitar that left a lasting impression (besides the Larrivee) is a Collings I played at Hugh's once. I'd like to get my hands on one of those again.

Bob-Dubery

Fingerpicker wrote
No. But I keep telling myself that. Just in case they are stolen, or the house burns down.

I also keep telling myself that its how you play it that counts.

Oh sure! I have made recent reference to seeing Martin Carthy play in London and his amazing guitar sound. There is a Martin Carthy signature 000-18 available from Martin. I have no illusions at all about buying one of those and suddenly sounding like Martin Carthy.

Ditto laying out 4000 pounds for a Richard Thompson signature Lowden.

I'm sure they are fab guitars, but buying the same kit as your hero/ine is not going to get you sounding like them.

racman

X-rated Bob wrote
....buying the same kit as your hero/ine is not going to get you sounding like them.

Damn, now I'm shattered!!!! ⭕(

WantzChas

I can't quite remember the name, but I think it was something like an Egle Ganuga. A friend went overseas and got it for a very good price, which was still expensive in my opinion, but I've never seen them in shops over here.

It was the best sounding acoustic I've ever heard and so effortless to play. Can someone just help me with the name?

Bob-Dubery

Eggle?

WantzChas

X-rated Bob wrote Eggle?

Found it on Google, Patrick James Eggle Kanuga. Hah!
http://www.eggle.co.uk/kanuga.html

AlanRatcliffe

zohn wrote They made a great Parlor guitar as well in Cedar/Sapelle.

That's the Earth 900 - my one and only steel string guitar.

zohn

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
zohn wrote They made a great Parlor guitar as well in Cedar/Sapelle.
That's the Earth 900 - my one and only steel string guitar.

That's the one, and by the look of it in great shape too!! - sweet sweet tone those have - hey Alan should you ever ... well let's just say I might help to get ri... ?

zohn

Alan
Has that baby got the slotted headstock as well? - and the width @ the nut?

AlanRatcliffe

zohn wrote That's the one, and by the look of it in great shape too!! - sweet sweet tone those have - hey Alan should you ever ... well let's just say I might help to get ri... ?

They are very mid-focussed, which suits fingerpicking very well, but are a little lacking in high end for my rhythm tastes. A Tusq nut, saddle and pins helped bring out the high end and it's ageing nicely. Not bad at all for a relatively inexpensive guitar. To be honest, I could do better, but steel acoustics are just not a high priority for me.

Slotted headstock. Nut width is 43mm and thickness behind the 1st fret is 21mm. Neck profile is c-shape. 12 fret neck. Surprisingly comfortable play, even though I'm used to playing much fatter necks on even my electrics.

Jack-Flash-Jr

The best acoustic I ever played was a messed up no name brand that was leaning against a wall at a random house party when I was about 15. I picked it up and banged out Wild Thing (I know I know) behind my head Hendrix style. First girlfriend resulted.

Jack-Flash-Jr

zohn wrote
Jack Flash Jr wrote The best acoustic I ever played was a messed up no name brand that was leaning against a wall at a random house party when I was about 15. I picked it up and banged out Wild Thing (I know I know) behind my head Hendrix style. First girlfriend resulted.

wow...

Which is another way of saying I have little acoustic experience ? I did pick up an awesome sounding taylor in CT about a decade ago and was blown away... all Taylors I've subsequently picked up sound very trebly to me.