Opinions on acoustic guitars (Takemine, Ibanez, Cort, and Seagull)

bluesguy94 · #1 03-23-2023, 07:30 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to purchase an acoustic guitar for an upcoming concert series, and I came across a few ads on an auction website (think ebay, but only in one country). The guitar won't be amplified via a microphone, but will be connected via a DI to the mixing board.
Unfortunately I can't try them out before buying, so if anyone has any suggestions, or opinions about these guitars, please don't hesitate to write it
The guitars are:
- Takamine GN93CE (420$, solid spruce top, black walnut/maple sides/back, tk40d preamp)
- Ibanez Artwood ACS1150ECE-NT (550$, solid cedar top, solid rosewood back/sides, B-Band UST pickup, B-Band A5T preamp)
- Ibanez AE400 (550$, from the 1980s, spruce top, mahogany sides/back, piezo pickup)
- Cort AS-M5 (500$, solid spruce top, solid rosewood back/sides, Fishman Matrix pickup, Fishman Ellipse Blend electronics)
- Seagull Entourage Rustic CW QI (500$, solid cedar top, wild cherry sides/back, Godin EPM Quantum I electronics)

Since I know next to nothing about acoustic guitars, I read up a bit about it, and it seems that solid wood is preferred. Does that mean that I should buy the Ibanez Artwood or the Cort? The concerts will be amplified as mentioned above, so I'm guessing the microphones/pickups/electronics count for something as well.

Have a nice day and thanks in advance!

thechoochlyman · #2 03-23-2023, 07:51 AM

All solid wood can only go so far depending on who's making it. If you're looking to plug in, Takamine has the best factory electronics, hands-down.

guzzijeff · #3 03-23-2023, 07:58 AM

Good morning Bluesguy94. I am no expert… and I don’t have hands on experience with any of those models… But, don’t just rule out laminates. They can often be tonally indistinguishable from solid wood guitars. Many professionals use them as their gigging/performance guitars. Of the models you listed, I would put the Cort at the bottom of the list… IMO. Good luck with your search.

Colin_Mac · #4 03-23-2023, 08:27 AM

If i was in the market for a plug-in and play guitar then I'd look at Takamine and nothing else. Solid wood doesn't matter so much for amplified tone.

I had a NEX cutaway Takamine for a long time, and it never let me down. If I needed a guitar just for playing on stage then I wouldn't hesitate to get another.

rmoretti49 · #5 03-23-2023, 08:47 AM

I think you will find that Takemine, while not frequently discussed on this forum, is pretty well regarded, especially for plugged-in playing. I have owned only one, but it was good enough for me to keep it for many, many years.

bluesguy94 · #6 03-24-2023, 01:23 AM

Thanks for opinions everyone!

seems like the Takamine is the winner, so I'll try to get that and see how it is.

Railroad Bum · #7 03-24-2023, 01:48 AM

For a gigging guitar that you want to plug in and play, Takamine is tough to beat. Jerry Garcia used them quite a bit, so there you go, lol.

jwhelan56 · #8 03-24-2023, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Railroad Bum

For a gigging guitar that you want to plug in and play, Takamine is tough to beat. Jerry Garcia used them quite a bit, so there you go, lol.

This^^, plus The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.

Obviously by my signature, I am a Takamine guy and fan. Not only do mine sound great plugged in, but they sound great unplugged as well. I have some higher end "Limited Edition" models, but my 12 string is the GD30CE-12 and it has all the sound you'd want from a 12 string.

I also recently acquired a higher end Ibanez, the JSA20 Joe Satriani model that has the Fishman Aura pickup system in it. I have found it to sound great plugged and unplugged.

As others have said here, really hard to go wrong with the Takamine, especially at the price point.

Good luck!

Jim