Consistent Quality. Does it exist?
I just read a thread here about guitars you’ve owned that disappointed you, I’ve also read tons of posts that say the vast majority of guitar manufacturers produce instruments that are horribly inconsistent in build quality, tone & playability.
Let’s flip that around. Which high-end guitar manufacturers have you found that build good or even great guitars with great consistency? I mean...they can’t all be flaky! Or can they...? |
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Since guitars are made of wood, and all wood is going to be a little bit different, even from the next cut of the log, you're never going to see anything approaching 100% consistency from any builder, even the small ones. The biggest problem with your question is determining what is a great guitar. Everything to do with tone is going to be highly subjective so you'll never be able to come up with a universal definition of greatness by which to judge any guitar. |
Taylor is probably my pick for the big brand that makes consistent, quality guitars. All of them sound nice.
But a step above would be Furch. A little lesser known, but imo sound better. Still, variation exists and that inevitably means some will be better sounding than others. I like Taylor’s playability, sound and build quality. It surprises me that most other guitars have their nutslots set too high. Sure it’s a buffer for those who like it a big higher, but since virtually EVERYBODY gets that lowered, it hints that they’re set too high. |
Based on all of the large scale manufacturers and boutique brand guitars that I have played, there's no other company with the quality control and tonal consistency of Collings Guitars. That doesn't mean I necessarily prefer their instruments - I like their Gibson-inspired models more than I like their Martin-inspired models - but there's no other firm out there that reliably makes guitars as consistently excellent as Collings does.
Of the larger companies, I would probably agree with Chalk's assessment: Taylor is very consistent. But every guitar company out there is getting better at producing consistent instruments, as both the market demands it and the ever-improving manufacturing technologies provide it. But Collings is the overall champ. No question about it in my mind. Wade Hampton Miller |
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Wooden guitars are organic. The best QC one could have wouldn't prevent sonic inconsistencies.
A carbon fiber guitar would get you closer to consistency. |
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Another vote for Collings builds. Consistant quality in every guitar they build. A real tribute to Bill. And the Santa Cruz models I've played have been very similar.
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Taylor makes more guitars than anyone else and no matter where you go, whichever corner of the country, overwhelmingly Model A in a boutique shop in Boston feels, looks, plays and sounds pretty much exactly like Model A in Guitar Center in Los Angeles, etc. I can't even pretend to say that about anyone else pumping out even a modest volume compared to them. They also completely focus on that element, over lots of other things. They are truly and innovative and progressive manufacturing company from which manufacturers in other sectors can take notes.
I think you can't really talk about consistency with companies that make very few instruments because that's not a true body of work to base anything on. Make 20-50 guitars a year even, you should be able to agonize over every detail. That doesn;t necessarily translate to tone, but fit and finish should be exceptional every time when you're making so few and can take as long as it needs. PRS, I feel, has become the Taylor of the electric guitar world with a growing offering and I can't say I've seen any new PRS over the last 5-6 years that weren't perfect. Solidbodies can be tough with weight and some appearances, but they are remarkably great one to the next and wherever I roam, they seem to be the same standard, which is quite high. |
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I think Taylor guitars are the most consistent of any major brand I've ever encountered. I suppose you can love or hate that:) I love it.
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Collings are certainly the cream of the crop, IMHO. Way out of my range, too. But everyone I've ever had the pleasure of playing was incredible.
For my money, the builder I've had the best luck with is Larrivee. I've purchased 3 of their guitars over the last few years, all online, and all were stellar. In fact, every new Larrivee I've had a chance to play in person were equally impressive. There is a consistency there that I appreciate. Perhaps the consolidation to one factory in CA a few years ago helped this along? Whatever it is, I think they deserve a place in the discussion for factory-made instruments. |
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In my limited experience, I would have to say Collings as well. When I visit high-end guitar stores if they have any Collings, Santa Cruz or Huss and Dalton's, I usually want to check them out. Of those three, I find that Collings is the most consistent. I find that it is harder, for me, to judge the consistency of both Martin and Taylor because they make so many different models at different price points. I have pretty much experienced Gibsons to be all over the place in terms of consistency.
Best, Jayne |
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