Quote:
Originally Posted by sr1129
does anyone know anything about these guitars? there is one used in the local shop near me, 650 bucks, so i assume all solid woods and i know for sure its mahogany and spruce, my first impressions sonically werent great, the lows seemed big but muddy and the highs not very present, i did not spend long with it maybe 3 minutes or so, but i want a dreadnaught thats solid wood, nothing terribly expensive...
if anyone has experience with tacoma guitars and if so throw out some advice or maybe some links to sound bytes that would be great,
thanks
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I started to learn guitar in 1959. One thing I've learned from playing all these years is that, especially when it comes to acoustic guitars, you play it and if you like the sound and the way you "connect" with the instrument you buy it. If not, keep looking. I've played some pretty mediocre name brand instruments and some mighty impressive off brands and so-called entry level instruments. Ya gotta play it to know.
I decided on my Alvarez J-200N clone back in '73 after playing it against a Gibson J-200N in the same store. The Alvarez kicked the Gibson's butt for a fraction of the price and it's still kicking butt. I bought my Ovation Celebrity to have as a "throwaway" guitar for traveling, but I still played all 7 they had in stock at the time and went with the one I have now. It's a pretty sweet guitar for a cheapy.
My Tacoma DM9 is one of my all time favorites. I bought it a couple of months ago for $250 from a guy on Craig's List. It's pristine. It had been sitting in the case for 6 years without being played and had DEAD strings. I STILL liked the way it sounded and was willing to take a chance it would sound better with new strings. I was right. Went back with D'Addario strings like it came with and I'm very satisfied. I don't know how it sounds compared to other DM9s, but it will hold its own with most of the Martin D15s and DMs I've played. I've played it more since I bought it than I have my other guitars and they're getting jealous.
I'm not a tonewood fanatic when it comes to body woods. Back in the 1800s, Torres built a guitar with a papier mache body that (according to all accounts) sounded great. He did it to show that the top is the main component in sound. Ovation and, more recently, Martin's X series guitars support that. That said, mahogany does seem to impart a warmer sound (that some people think is muddy) and rosewood a little brighter sound. If I'm looking at a guitar in a shop and the strings are dead, I'll ask them to replace the strings so I can try it out. I've never been refused. They want to make a sale.
You didn't say what year the guitar you're looking at is. If you have the serial number you can find out a lot about the guitar (year it was made, whether it's a first quality instrument, or if it's been returned to the factory for repairs). From what I've seen DM9s going for online, $650 seems to be a fair price. If you decide you want the guitar, though, it can't hurt to dicker a little. Good luck.