Hey I've never owned an acoustic guitar and have always thought my Gibson SG was good enough for my taste in music, but in the last year or so I've been listening to different stuff. I've changed from only listening to ACDC and Led Zeppelin to listening to stuff like the Pogues, Van Morrison, and traditional Irish. (Pogues were the gateway into traditional Irish for me.) Now owning an acoustic guitar is necessary, and I've been looking around and playing guitars at guitar centers. Basically what I'm trying to say is I'm looking for a very versatile acoustic guitar that can play anything from Led Zeppelin to traditional Irish, and is solid wood, and made in USA. Any recommendations??? Thanks guys.
Guitars are a lot cheaper in the US of A than the UK and Ireland, so I suppose you could get a very good Martin for say $800.
It depends what you want it for. For an Irish session, Yamaha 310 about $180 here, probably less in the US of A. Plenty of volume, sturdy and versatile.
PS. Just read your profile and you cannot use the word sh*t here, because the site has a correction tool designed to cut out the use of scurrility. I am amazed that it defaulted.
I'd personally recommend Taylor guitars. I recently bought a one of newer Taylor models a GS5 with the mahogany back and red cedar top and it sounds awesome and looks great. I personally think that Taylor's are richer in tone than Martins. Every Taylor model I've played from the GA sized cutaway's to the GS's they all have rather nice rich tone them that Martins just don't seem to have. I paid only $1699 for mine at Wildwood Music in Coshocton Oh.
Even the $1200-$1500 Taylor's I think sound better than the Martins priced well over 2 grand. But to be honest , the only way you'll know is to go play a bunch of em and see how they fit you and what sound and playability you like.
I bought a $700 Martin, the tone sounded alright but it was made in Mexico, and it was plastic laminate sides. Please don't recommend me Yamaha's, I'm looking for a high quality instrument. Right now I'm considering a Martin D-35. What do you guys think of it in terms of Irish music?
O yah, and you can't get a good Martin for $800 here, that's the biggest bull sh*t I've ever heard. Most Martins are $2000 and up, with a very small amount less than that, which are made in Mexico and plastic laminate. Those are not "very good"....
I've heard that the Mitchells are pretty good for what they are, if you can't swing something like a Martin or a Taylor.
A friend of mine recently bought a Martin "OM" (after shopping around for a couple of years) from one of his local dealers, that he really likes. And he got it for substantially less money than Elderly Instruments wanted. So, like JD says, do some serious shopping.
I sold my 70's-something SG a few years ago because I needed the money. Big mistake. . .
The only thing is I don't know how an Irish guitar sounds yet because my ears are still in training. I now that if it was just going to be for rock, I would get a really bassy rosewood guitar like a Martin D-35 or a Gibson Songwriter, but the guitar will be for rock AND Irish music. Is traditional Irish music more treble-like or bassy for guitars?
Why not learn to play "All you fascists bound to lose" You may well have heard of the composer, america's greatest songwriter and political activist, a true champion of the downtrodden and a voice for trade unionism to this day. It dosen't matter what guitar you use if you inscribe "This machine kills fascists" on the front.
The old red label FG-180s are the sh*te! I've owned a '73 Yamaha FG-200 (not a red label) since 1973. Bought it new and it's still ticking (great acoustic for recording)--it was my only guitar for many years.
If you want something new, I recommend Larrivee. Canadian luthier, but many of his newer guitars are built in California. I have an OM-09 that came out of that CA facility the first year they opened it. Great guitar. For quite a few bucks less (less appointments) an OM-03 or 05 are just as playable and sound great.
My main acoustic is a Lowden D-32. Serious guitar! If you are patient you may be able to find a used D-10 in excellent shape for the price of a new Larrivee. (One day I'll have a nice D-10 too)
So there you go:
Yamaha FG-180 (red label early 70s--just like Arty McGlynn's)
Larrivee OM-05 (post 2001 for CA built)
Lowden D-10 (Irish made dread unlike any other--no longer made so you'll have to look for a used one)
I can only speak from my own corner of the world. I think you can't buy a decent 'quality ' new guitar in Australia for under
$3000. The Martins just start to kick in with the classic big bottom end around that price range. If you are going to spend that much money why not get one made. I think with the price we pay for pretty ordinary insruments in this country opens up a lot of opportunity for local makers. Joe Gallacher is a very
well known maker of guitars popular in the Irish scene here.
Right amount of mid.
I think guitars with more mid range suit Irish rhythm guitar more, dreadnoughts or jumbos as opposed to OM styles etc.
Ok I'm going to try these guitars you guys recommended out. I'm also going to Guitar Center and trying every guitar there out. But will someone please answer this first: Is Irish music on guitar more treble-like or bassy?
I thought a couple of people tried answering that already.
Are you going to be backing tunes with strummed chords, are you going to be playing fingerstyle, are you going to play the lead?, are you going to be playing with a banjo player?
Sorry Irish, I didn't read the part about you looking at the D35.
That sounds like a pretty damn good choice. Although Irish music is a lot different than Bluegrass, the instrument mix is
a lot of the time similar, and the D28's and D35's certainly cut
it in that scenario IMHO.
I would not prefer a guitar that is specialized for either picking or strumming. I just want an all-around versatile acoustic guitar that plays anything from Rock/blues/bluesgrass/etc. to Irish music.
gw. I knew someone was going to get me about that. Yes, why not look at Maton, Irish 101. Nice mellow but cheeky bass tones with the round treble. Tommy Emmanuel can't be wrong.
I bought a Martin HD-28 about 5 years ago.I find it has a lovely tone for accompanying ITM, and for this I use a medium pick,maybe .80mm Tortex. When I play tunes I use a .50mm Tortex, and for Jazz or bluegrass maybe around 1mm.You get a variety of tones by varying the position at which you strike the strings, and indeed the tone can change quite noticeably by the string type and/or gauge.I've also played Maton guitars,from Melbourne, and their "Messiah" and "Southern Star" models are worth looking at, especially the ones from the late 70s to the early 90s.
I play a D-35 and love it. Works well in my opinion for accompanying tunes as well as song. If you search the previous discussions here you'll find a number on this very subject.
I’m a little confused, Fitz/101/48776, you say you’ve never owned an acoustic guitar yet you paid $700 for a Martin. And all you’ve listened to was ACDC & Zep; the Pogues were a gateway to trad for you, yet you’ve been listening to trad all your life.
Aside from that, you ask a hard question – the best all-around, general purpose acoustic guitar that does everything from strumming chords to fingerpicking and from arena-rock power ballads to pure drop. For that, any decent guitar will do. And none will do.
Just find something comfy for you, that plays easily and sounds good to you and the people you play with. Never mind the names.
If on a budget the Blueridge guitars are great. The solid wood ones have a three digit serial number, like BR-140 (mahogony dread) BR-160 (Rosewood dread). And the laminate back and side, solid top ones have two digit, they are like BR-40, BR-60. That said, the laminate ones, if on a budget, they sound nearly as good as the all solid wood ones. These people know how to make the tops right and that's the main thing about a guitar sound. Some people even prefer laminate back and sides because they are stronger. I know a very high end builder who was aksed to build a laminate by a customer, not to save money, but because he knows he abuses his guitars, also flies a lot. They don't really have the stigma they used to somehow. Most of the cheaper Martins are laminate too.
I have A BR-160, among many other higher end ones, and I use it where the others may get hurt or lost. They are a good guitar for gigs and playing with any loud instrument, they carry themselves well. I would defininitely travel with it too, and they sound great and look great. Try ebay for them, best deals. Go for someone who sells them all the time and has a return policy if you do that. Mine was $469 for solid rosewood and that was with case and shipping. In USA anyway... not sure where you are. They cost a little more these days now that people are onto them, but still a bargain.
PS...the BRs are made in China but don't let that rule them out, they are excellent. Luthiers I know have been amazed by them, and the action, neck sets and playability too. They say they could not turn out something like that at anywhere near the cost. They are made to Martin specs too.
Fidkid is exactly right. Your question does not have an objective answer. There is no "correct" Irish guitar sound. Several Irish accompanists even use classical, or at least nylon-string, guitars.
If you want a bargain, Iris is right. Blueridge guitars are an amazingly good deal.
WHat is it about Blue Ridge? HAve they had a huge marketing campaign recently. Never heard of them until 6 or 8 months ago, now everyone is talking about them. That usually sends up red flags (no pun intended since these seem to be made in CHina) to me that the company has hired an aggressive high end marketer who is spending a ton of money on publicity.
Gotta watch that they are not pushing c**p.
Being USA I hate to buy off shore if I can afford it and find a domestic product. Spend my money on the local craftsman if I can.
A Martin 000M from the 1940s that someone was nice enough to loan me for a couple of tunes when I was passing through San Diego on business and stopped in to a session. Same guitar I use, but the difference between a mid-century Martin and a modern one is like night and day!!!!!
The BRs have been around for years. Many. They got a bit spiffed up looks wise maybe 6-7 years back? not sure.... gorgeous inlay work, not overdone, they look real classy! In fact i had my favorite home made guitar out for a long time, then brought the BR to NYC, and someone said.... oh wow... did you just upgrade guitars? The sound was pretty nice too!
Al... I like OMs, 000s and a Martin from the 40's.... not bad! I like the smaller models over the dreads. The 000 size BR was a bit quiet for a loud session however...at least for my fingerstyle. I opted for the dread, BR-160. If I lose it or it gets banged up, I would be sad, but it's not a tragedy.
I would suggest considering some smaller-body guitars, in addition to the dreads. I think they have a sound and balance particularly well-suited to traditional music. You'll still get good bass response, especially if in drop-D or DADGAD, but the mids and trebles seem to sparkle more.
To my ear the guitar accompaniment to Coleman's Bonnie Kate/Jenny's Chickens set sounds like a small parlor size guitar. Very trebly. But that could be the recording of course. I don't know if the bass end was harder to capture on the early equipment.
Some guitars are designed to favor fingerstyle playing and you *might* not like the way they perform in a heavy strumming situation. Other than that, in the price range of a Martin D-35, just about any guitar you buy from a reputable builder is capable of sounding great for this music.
I have a Larrivee Parlor with maple back and sides. Very nice! It's my travel guitar. It's an excellent recording guitar, and is very versatile when miced in a live situation. Lovely, bright sound. One on one with an accordion without being amplified, however, it's a little on the shy side. Perfect for sessions where the non-guitar players don't want to hear the guitar
Many, many, many great guitars out there. You have to be somewhat limited by what is available in your area unless you are willing to buy elsewhere and have shipped (in which case you won't be able to hear it before you buy). By far my best instrument was made by Dan Dubowski out of Australia but I suggest you check out Larivee if you can. I've got two and I don't think you can get more bang for your buck. Every one I've played has fretted well all over the neck and takes a capo well. For some other instruments you will end up paying money towards the brand name that could have been spent on instrument features. Have fun.
We have a Taylor 110, which is one of their cheapest models - cost £600 in Scotland a year and a half ago. Solid top and laminate back and sides but is loud and has great woody tone.
The action was a bit high at the beginning, but it's been grand.
Smaller luthiers often have bargains in trade-ups.... don't just assume they are out of range.
Here are some brilliant luthiers that may have some laying around, and don't faint at their retail prices, the used ones could be cheaper than Martins and sound much better:
they will often not have the trade-ups listed at the sites.
I can vouch for these two builders, I know them both very well, both in NJ but I know Foley ships overseas quite often, and they would most likely let you return if not liked. If not, I think you are in Ireland? Check the luthiers for trade ups there too. I build my own, and am learning from Tony DiDomenico at the moment, and he is brilliant also.
I paid $1250 for a very used Foley, added a pickup for $150, for example. It is astounding, and his retail price for it new would have been at least $3500. he was guitars going up to $20,000 but I have seen these used babies hanging up in his shop. I think DiDomenico may have a few reasonable used ones around as well.
Best acoustic guitar
Best acoustic guitar
Hey I've never owned an acoustic guitar and have always thought my Gibson SG was good enough for my taste in music, but in the last year or so I've been listening to different stuff. I've changed from only listening to ACDC and Led Zeppelin to listening to stuff like the Pogues, Van Morrison, and traditional Irish. (Pogues were the gateway into traditional Irish for me.) Now owning an acoustic guitar is necessary, and I've been looking around and playing guitars at guitar centers. Basically what I'm trying to say is I'm looking for a very versatile acoustic guitar that can play anything from Led Zeppelin to traditional Irish, and is solid wood, and made in USA. Any recommendations??? Thanks guys.
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Martin!
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by Fishmonger
Re: Best acoustic guitar
It depends on your budget.
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by _Jack_
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Guitars are a lot cheaper in the US of A than the UK and Ireland, so I suppose you could get a very good Martin for say $800.
It depends what you want it for. For an Irish session, Yamaha 310 about $180 here, probably less in the US of A. Plenty of volume, sturdy and versatile.
PS. Just read your profile and you cannot use the word sh*t here, because the site has a correction tool designed to cut out the use of scurrility. I am amazed that it defaulted.
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
See what I mean?
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I'd personally recommend Taylor guitars. I recently bought a one of newer Taylor models a GS5 with the mahogany back and red cedar top and it sounds awesome and looks great. I personally think that Taylor's are richer in tone than Martins. Every Taylor model I've played from the GA sized cutaway's to the GS's they all have rather nice rich tone them that Martins just don't seem to have. I paid only $1699 for mine at Wildwood Music in Coshocton Oh.
Even the $1200-$1500 Taylor's I think sound better than the Martins priced well over 2 grand. But to be honest , the only way you'll know is to go play a bunch of em and see how they fit you and what sound and playability you like.
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by JD-DHguitar
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I bought a $700 Martin, the tone sounded alright but it was made in Mexico, and it was plastic laminate sides. Please don't recommend me Yamaha's, I'm looking for a high quality instrument. Right now I'm considering a Martin D-35. What do you guys think of it in terms of Irish music?
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
O yah, and you can't get a good Martin for $800 here, that's the biggest bull sh*t I've ever heard. Most Martins are $2000 and up, with a very small amount less than that, which are made in Mexico and plastic laminate. Those are not "very good"....
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I was playing one of those $700 Martin's in New York. Cost about $2,000 here.
As for "don't recommend Yamaha, I'm looking for a high quality instrument" Yamaha make very good high quality instruments, and cars.
As do Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Nissan,Mitsubishi, and a few others.
It is not 1956 you know.
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I've heard that the Mitchells are pretty good for what they are, if you can't swing something like a Martin or a Taylor.
A friend of mine recently bought a Martin "OM" (after shopping around for a couple of years) from one of his local dealers, that he really likes. And he got it for substantially less money than Elderly Instruments wanted. So, like JD says, do some serious shopping.
I sold my 70's-something SG a few years ago because I needed the money. Big mistake. . .
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by tomw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
The only thing is I don't know how an Irish guitar sounds yet because my ears are still in training. I now that if it was just going to be for rock, I would get a really bassy rosewood guitar like a Martin D-35 or a Gibson Songwriter, but the guitar will be for rock AND Irish music. Is traditional Irish music more treble-like or bassy for guitars?
# Posted on July 31st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I honestly think you may be disappointed in Irish traditional music.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Why not learn to play "All you fascists bound to lose" You may well have heard of the composer, america's greatest songwriter and political activist, a true champion of the downtrodden and a voice for trade unionism to this day. It dosen't matter what guitar you use if you inscribe "This machine kills fascists" on the front.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by strayaway
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Well I honestly couldn't give two fecks what you think because I've heard it my whole life and I'm a full-blood Irish.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
What make of Shillelagh would you recommend?
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
"Please don't recommend me Yamaha's, I'm looking for a high quality instrument...." LOL!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzE439U5iMI
The old red label FG-180s are the sh*te! I've owned a '73 Yamaha FG-200 (not a red label) since 1973. Bought it new and it's still ticking (great acoustic for recording)--it was my only guitar for many years.
If you want something new, I recommend Larrivee. Canadian luthier, but many of his newer guitars are built in California. I have an OM-09 that came out of that CA facility the first year they opened it. Great guitar. For quite a few bucks less (less appointments) an OM-03 or 05 are just as playable and sound great.
My main acoustic is a Lowden D-32. Serious guitar! If you are patient you may be able to find a used D-10 in excellent shape for the price of a new Larrivee. (One day I'll have a nice D-10 too)
So there you go:
Yamaha FG-180 (red label early 70s--just like Arty McGlynn's)
Larrivee OM-05 (post 2001 for CA built)
Lowden D-10 (Irish made dread unlike any other--no longer made so you'll have to look for a used one)
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by gw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I can only speak from my own corner of the world. I think you can't buy a decent 'quality ' new guitar in Australia for under
$3000. The Martins just start to kick in with the classic big bottom end around that price range. If you are going to spend that much money why not get one made. I think with the price we pay for pretty ordinary insruments in this country opens up a lot of opportunity for local makers. Joe Gallacher is a very
well known maker of guitars popular in the Irish scene here.
Right amount of mid.
I think guitars with more mid range suit Irish rhythm guitar more, dreadnoughts or jumbos as opposed to OM styles etc.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by chuneboi slim
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Ok I'm going to try these guitars you guys recommended out. I'm also going to Guitar Center and trying every guitar there out. But will someone please answer this first: Is Irish music on guitar more treble-like or bassy?
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I thought a couple of people tried answering that already.
Are you going to be backing tunes with strummed chords, are you going to be playing fingerstyle, are you going to play the lead?, are you going to be playing with a banjo player?
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by chuneboi slim
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Sorry Irish, I didn't read the part about you looking at the D35.
That sounds like a pretty damn good choice. Although Irish music is a lot different than Bluegrass, the instrument mix is
a lot of the time similar, and the D28's and D35's certainly cut
it in that scenario IMHO.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by chuneboi slim
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Since you're an Aussie, chuneboi slim, why not recommend a Maton guitar and a couple of bros who play them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M94V5DDQwrg
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by gw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I would not prefer a guitar that is specialized for either picking or strumming. I just want an all-around versatile acoustic guitar that plays anything from Rock/blues/bluesgrass/etc. to Irish music.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by guitar101
Re: Best acoustic guitar
gw. I knew someone was going to get me about that. Yes, why not look at Maton, Irish 101. Nice mellow but cheeky bass tones with the round treble. Tommy Emmanuel can't be wrong.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by chuneboi slim
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I bought a Martin HD-28 about 5 years ago.I find it has a lovely tone for accompanying ITM, and for this I use a medium pick,maybe .80mm Tortex. When I play tunes I use a .50mm Tortex, and for Jazz or bluegrass maybe around 1mm.You get a variety of tones by varying the position at which you strike the strings, and indeed the tone can change quite noticeably by the string type and/or gauge.I've also played Maton guitars,from Melbourne, and their "Messiah" and "Southern Star" models are worth looking at, especially the ones from the late 70s to the early 90s.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Tony O'Rourke
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Are you going to smash it on the table after the set through?
Just in the event you back Roger Daltrey that is. ;0)
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Ray Mariani
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Greetings 101,
I play a D-35 and love it. Works well in my opinion for accompanying tunes as well as song. If you search the previous discussions here you'll find a number on this very subject.
All the best!
Peace,
Ed
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by ejsant
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I have my eye an a new Freshman guitar. Brilliant sound.
I have two yamaha guitars and they are the bizz.
My main weapon is a tanglewood jumbo body. Its a deadly guitar... but i forget how to play it
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by session savage
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I’m a little confused, Fitz/101/48776, you say you’ve never owned an acoustic guitar yet you paid $700 for a Martin. And all you’ve listened to was ACDC & Zep; the Pogues were a gateway to trad for you, yet you’ve been listening to trad all your life.
Aside from that, you ask a hard question – the best all-around, general purpose acoustic guitar that does everything from strumming chords to fingerpicking and from arena-rock power ballads to pure drop. For that, any decent guitar will do. And none will do.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by fidkid
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Just find something comfy for you, that plays easily and sounds good to you and the people you play with. Never mind the names.
If on a budget the Blueridge guitars are great. The solid wood ones have a three digit serial number, like BR-140 (mahogony dread) BR-160 (Rosewood dread). And the laminate back and side, solid top ones have two digit, they are like BR-40, BR-60. That said, the laminate ones, if on a budget, they sound nearly as good as the all solid wood ones. These people know how to make the tops right and that's the main thing about a guitar sound. Some people even prefer laminate back and sides because they are stronger. I know a very high end builder who was aksed to build a laminate by a customer, not to save money, but because he knows he abuses his guitars, also flies a lot. They don't really have the stigma they used to somehow. Most of the cheaper Martins are laminate too.
I have A BR-160, among many other higher end ones, and I use it where the others may get hurt or lost. They are a good guitar for gigs and playing with any loud instrument, they carry themselves well. I would defininitely travel with it too, and they sound great and look great. Try ebay for them, best deals. Go for someone who sells them all the time and has a return policy if you do that. Mine was $469 for solid rosewood and that was with case and shipping. In USA anyway... not sure where you are. They cost a little more these days now that people are onto them, but still a bargain.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Best acoustic guitar
PS...the BRs are made in China but don't let that rule them out, they are excellent. Luthiers I know have been amazed by them, and the action, neck sets and playability too. They say they could not turn out something like that at anywhere near the cost. They are made to Martin specs too.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Fidkid is exactly right. Your question does not have an objective answer. There is no "correct" Irish guitar sound. Several Irish accompanists even use classical, or at least nylon-string, guitars.
If you want a bargain, Iris is right. Blueridge guitars are an amazingly good deal.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Bob himself
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Its the one you like.
WHat is it about Blue Ridge? HAve they had a huge marketing campaign recently. Never heard of them until 6 or 8 months ago, now everyone is talking about them. That usually sends up red flags (no pun intended since these seem to be made in CHina) to me that the company has hired an aggressive high end marketer who is spending a ton of money on publicity.
Gotta watch that they are not pushing c**p.
Being USA I hate to buy off shore if I can afford it and find a domestic product. Spend my money on the local craftsman if I can.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by zippydw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
It’s not a marketing phenomenon, zippy. Word gets around. Actually, word got around a few years ago, to everybody except you.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Bob himself
Re: Best acoustic guitar
A Martin 000M from the 1940s that someone was nice enough to loan me for a couple of tunes when I was passing through San Diego on business and stopped in to a session. Same guitar I use, but the difference between a mid-century Martin and a modern one is like night and day!!!!!
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by AlBrown
Re: Best acoustic guitar
The BRs have been around for years. Many. They got a bit spiffed up looks wise maybe 6-7 years back? not sure.... gorgeous inlay work, not overdone, they look real classy! In fact i had my favorite home made guitar out for a long time, then brought the BR to NYC, and someone said.... oh wow... did you just upgrade guitars? The sound was pretty nice too!
Al... I like OMs, 000s and a Martin from the 40's.... not bad! I like the smaller models over the dreads. The 000 size BR was a bit quiet for a loud session however...at least for my fingerstyle. I opted for the dread, BR-160. If I lose it or it gets banged up, I would be sad, but it's not a tragedy.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Best acoustic guitar
I would suggest considering some smaller-body guitars, in addition to the dreads. I think they have a sound and balance particularly well-suited to traditional music. You'll still get good bass response, especially if in drop-D or DADGAD, but the mids and trebles seem to sparkle more.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Tintin
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Gibson J-45
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by millionyears_bc
Re: Best acoustic guitar
To my ear the guitar accompaniment to Coleman's Bonnie Kate/Jenny's Chickens set sounds like a small parlor size guitar. Very trebly. But that could be the recording of course. I don't know if the bass end was harder to capture on the early equipment.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by fidkid
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Sorry if I got word on BR late. I play a 1974 Conrad knock off of a martin. Still nice after all these years.
All the playes I work with play Martin or Gibson.
When the Best guitars in the world is made in the US, It is hard to justify buying Chinese.
We send enough money over there as it is.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by zippydw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Some guitars are designed to favor fingerstyle playing and you *might* not like the way they perform in a heavy strumming situation. Other than that, in the price range of a Martin D-35, just about any guitar you buy from a reputable builder is capable of sounding great for this music.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by Bob himself
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Always thought the best acoustic guitars were made in Norn' Ireland.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by bodhran bliss
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Yes, bliss. McIlroy, Lowden, Avalon, all very different to any American guitar.
# Posted on August 1st 2008 by wolfbird
Re: Best acoustic guitar
"...small parlor size guitar...."
I have a Larrivee Parlor with maple back and sides. Very nice! It's my travel guitar. It's an excellent recording guitar, and is very versatile when miced in a live situation. Lovely, bright sound. One on one with an accordion without being amplified, however, it's a little on the shy side. Perfect for sessions where the non-guitar players don't want to hear the guitar
# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by gw
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Many, many, many great guitars out there. You have to be somewhat limited by what is available in your area unless you are willing to buy elsewhere and have shipped (in which case you won't be able to hear it before you buy). By far my best instrument was made by Dan Dubowski out of Australia but I suggest you check out Larivee if you can. I've got two and I don't think you can get more bang for your buck. Every one I've played has fretted well all over the neck and takes a capo well. For some other instruments you will end up paying money towards the brand name that could have been spent on instrument features. Have fun.
# Posted on August 2nd 2008 by Ham
Re: Best acoustic guitar
We have a Taylor 110, which is one of their cheapest models - cost £600 in Scotland a year and a half ago. Solid top and laminate back and sides but is loud and has great woody tone.
The action was a bit high at the beginning, but it's been grand.
# Posted on August 3rd 2008 by CWGordon
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Your last sentence is a key point Ham. Especially relevant to
lower end Martins in my view. Give the smaller luthiers a go.
# Posted on August 4th 2008 by chuneboi slim
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Smaller luthiers often have bargains in trade-ups.... don't just assume they are out of range.
Here are some brilliant luthiers that may have some laying around, and don't faint at their retail prices, the used ones could be cheaper than Martins and sound much better:
http://foleyguitars.com/
http://didomenicoguitars.com/
they will often not have the trade-ups listed at the sites.
I can vouch for these two builders, I know them both very well, both in NJ but I know Foley ships overseas quite often, and they would most likely let you return if not liked. If not, I think you are in Ireland? Check the luthiers for trade ups there too. I build my own, and am learning from Tony DiDomenico at the moment, and he is brilliant also.
I paid $1250 for a very used Foley, added a pickup for $150, for example. It is astounding, and his retail price for it new would have been at least $3500. he was guitars going up to $20,000 but I have seen these used babies hanging up in his shop. I think DiDomenico may have a few reasonable used ones around as well.
# Posted on August 6th 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Best acoustic guitar
Find a nice old '70's GUILD!!!!!
# Posted on August 31st 2008 by pipewatcher