[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by JackC1

2 questions here:

1.

I'm very happy with my D-18 and have either already sold off all my other acoustics just because I don't play them anymore (I always reach for the D-18).

I'm wondering, if I should make some effort to explore some of the brands that I'm reading about here like Collings and Santa Cruz (and others).

If somebody likes the D-18 for everything it is; which guitar (say under $6k) would you recommend looking into?

What if the price can be moved to $8k (my absolute limit for a guitar that I can't imagine moving beyond... but I also can't believe that I'm now thinking about my D-18 replacement... oh, if we all can know the future)... I'm afraid to ask, but if price moved to $10k?

I'm curious to see if there is a guitar that I'll like more.

2.

I found my D-18 by accident; but, once found, I knew this was the guitar for me for life. Being on AGF as much as I am, no surprise that I'm thinking about something else.

How did you find your great guitar?
If you were happy and totally satisfied with a previoud guitar, what caused you to look?

Definitely have wrestled (way too much) with all the above. It's fun, but I wonder if it ever got me much of real value. I know a lot about different guitar brands and how they play and sound. Definitely cool to talk about on a forum...until it starts to get boring. Looking back, if I'd just kept the first D2H I bought, I'd be no better a guitarist and have a better guitar than 99% of people in the world. I'm not a pro, I'm not even particularly good. Others are in very different places, so will have very different opinions. All good. With that preamble, I'd maybe consider these questions...

• Do you live in an area where more expensive guitars are available to play? If not, be deeply tempted to forget about it and enjoy the great guitar you have. Chasing tone online is...interesting, but a crapshoot no matter what people say on forum. Yes, there are consistent builders. Even among those, you get mostly very good guitars. Exceptional ones landing on your doorstep is rare. Very, very, rare. Convincing yourself yours is exceptional is easy enough, but what does that get you? What are you comparing this guitar which lands in your home to? The one you have, and likely little else. Very different from going to a store where you can play 10 incredible guitars. If you have that locally or want to travel to do that, great! Do it. But this forum can create pointless comparisons and wants rather than needs. There are always going to be a lot of people with guitars you're going to want.
  
• Is there something specific your D-18 isn't doing for you? Could be tone, playability, looks, brand name, showing on a forum, feeling like you have as good a guitar as someone else, whatever. Be honest with yourself about why you're looking. Given the reason you're (possibly) looking, are any of those reasons in line with your own personal values? By spending on a new guitar, is that getting you closer to your goals and values, or moving you further away? If yes, chase on! If no, resist the urge and focus on the guitar you have. There's always another guitar to chase later in life.