Guitar recommendation please...
 

Hi guys,

I'm delighted that my new project has taken off -- which means that it's time to pick up a new guitar. I'll be mostly strumming rhythm and singing while my partner will be playing guitar and banjo. We'll be playing through a PA in coffee shop / quiet bar settings. Mostly folk/country/grateful dead type music.

I'd like a narrow nut as I'm mostly an electric player. I'll be playing with a pick 100% of the time. I'm also very shape conscious as I have a lousy back/shoulder from years of bass and archtop playing. In fact, the depth of some of the smaller bodies is a pain for me -- so any of the big/deep shapes are out. My preference would be a shallow GS type shape -- light weight and comfy (although perhaps I wouldn't notice much of a difference if switching to a GC/GA -- I just don't know enough here yet but it seems like depth is more of an issue than size).

For the time being, I have been fiddling around on a friend's Ovation Legend LX that is a very *comfortable* guitar to play -- but I think I need to go a bit more traditional with this one.

I suspect that I will end up buying a Baggs pickup -- so I don't need built-in electronics.

I'm looking to keep 'er under $1000. I don't care too much what it says on the headstock -- but I kind of dig the way those Blueridge spotted pick guards look :D

Thanks!

Might want to look at the Yamaha APX1200. Great small shape with a big sound. Very thin and comnfy. Also comes with Yamahas new pickup systmem which sounds really good. Also is pretty much in your range, price wise.

Spotted pickguards
 

No matter what kind of guitar you get, you can remove the existing pickguard with a hairdryer and replace it with a Greven Tor-Tis pickguard. They cost quite a bit, but are very fine. Do a Google search and you'll find them.

Removing a pickguard on a Taylor is impossible. Don't even think about it.

Thanks for the response, Russ and JL.

I'll check out the Yamaha mentioned above. Are there models in the Eastman/Larrivee/Blueridge line up that I should be checking out?

Also -- out of curiosity, if I bump my budget to $2k are there some real gems that I should be looking at?

Thanks!!!

If you're going to amplify the guitar with a pickup, there's no need for the size of a GS or dreadnaught. Those guitars are both pretty thick, so they wouldn't help your shoulder. You could look at a Martin 000 size, which is less thick and will have a somewhat narrower neck (1-11/16). If that neck is still too wide, you might also see if you can find an older Gibson or Epiphone acoustic, which I understand had 1-5/8 or 1-9/16 nuts.

Well, I had the pleasure of visiting the LA Guitar Sales showroom today and must've tried 15 guitars. Larrivee, Martin, Taylor, Voyage Air... you name it. What a class act business. Absolutely wonderful.

After a solid hour of back-and-forth and back-and-forth, I ended up with a few guitars in the $1-2k range and a Blueridge BR43. Truth be told, I couldn't bear paying up for a pricier model when there was a Blueridge competing at a fraction of the cost (and that's not to say there weren't differences... it's just they seemed subtle enough where I wasn't going to sweat it).

I am blown away by the richness and ease of playing of this fine instrument...oh, and I'll reiterate how great the LA Guitar Sales folks are.

Cheers and thanks!

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Congrats on the new Blueridge, and for making it out of Ted's shop so cheaply. Sounds like you made a good move, those solid top Blueridge guitars are amazing!