What would your wind-fall purchase be?

[OMGoodness me]

My intention has always been to take a weekend trip to Northern Ireland and visit both Lowden and Avalon Guitars in the hope of finding my holy grail of acoustic guitars! You know, that ‘wind-fall’ purchase we often dream of!

Having finally decided to sell the Bike, a trip to NI in the Spring was on the cards, but I didn’t want to wait until then to find out how a Lowden actually sounded… I had to take a trip to Demark Street - a first for me - and so began a happy day of playing many different guitars… Martins, Taylors, Collings, Atkins, Gibsons, Fenders and of course Lowdens.
I lead the sung worship at my local church and need to cover many styles from gentle ballad to lively worship; I’m more of a rhythm guitarist that also uses a fair amount of finger picking.
So, the models that stood out to my ears and were a joy to play were:
Martin GP28E £2895
Martin 00028EC £3575
Martin OM28
Taylor 814CE DLX V-class £3999
Taylor 317e Builder’s edition £2799
Collings OM £3999
Atkin J43 Relic £2899
Lowden F35 Redwood £4395
Lowden F32 Indian/Spruce (used) £3150
Gibson Montana (body-wise not a fair comparison) £5199
McNally OM
Both the Martin 00028EC and the Taylor 814ce were extremely tempting to my ears, and I tried to go back to make fair comparisons wherever possible, but nothing caught my attention and kept me going back like the McNally OM, it is unquestionably a beautifully crafted instrument, but more than that, it responds to you giving plenty of volume without sounding brash, and with an evenness of tone like no other (to my ears anyway). At £3400 it wasn’t the dearest, but for me, it was the obvious choice.
Ciaran McNally is not just a great craftsman; he’s very approachable and was a great help in our email conversations, which helped me to make my final decision.
If you get a chance to try one… do!
Stephen

[Wade Hampton]

I’m not familiar with Mr. McNally or his guitars, but if that one spoke to you even when directly compared to those other fine guitars, that says a lot.

At some point I want to visit Ulster, because that’s where some of my people came from generations ago. (Newry, County Down.) One of these days I’ll get there.

Good luck in your quest!


Wade Hampton Miller

[Silly Moustache]

I would like to get to Gotland one day a that is where part of my family came from, but I doubt thee are any guitars there!

OMG - welcome to the AGF - we must be near neighbours.

[TDavis]

Honestly...I had an opportunity to play a new Collings OM1 with a baked top at a local guitar store recently that absolutely captured my heart with its beauty, craftsmanship, playability & voice. Absolutely the most amazing instrument these hands have ever played. But, it’s price tag was almost double what I’ve ever paid for a guitar...and I don’t believe in getting into uncomfortable debt. The price isn’t much for a lot of people here...but it is for me.

But, if I were to have a windfall there is no doubt I’d own that guitar.

[RP]

I'd like to wish the OP a hearty welcome to the Acoustic Guitar Forum. I'd also encourage him to stop by Emerald Guitars, even if you're not a carbon fiber fan. A trip to Emerald could change that...

[cdkrugjr]

Interesting question.

I played an 00-body Collings when I could barely play in D that sounded FABULOUS, even at that stage of playing.

There was also a 12-fret Martin 00-18 that gave me the same "Oh THIS is what a guitar sounds like" feeling...

Then there's that Amazing $$$$$ Classical I got a chance to play. Picture a soap bubble with a log attached . . .Gorgeous . . .

Since this is the Acoustic Guitar forum I won't mention the high-end Tele . . .

[zombywoof]

While there are a few older instruments on my drool bucket list (topped by a 1939 Gibson J35) about the only newish guitar that I missed and would like to snag would be a Gibson Jackson Browne Model 1.

[ChrisE]

I like the guitars I have, but I would like to have something vintage, like maybe a 1950's Gibson J-50 or J-45.

[UncleJesse]

I would like a real pre-war Martin dreadnought. But if it wasn't that much money a Pre*War Dreadnought would be fine with me

[Mr. Paul]

I would love to find all the newly announced Gibson Heritage lineup in one place and get the one I liked best

[musicman1951]

I'm most of the way (is anyone really all the way) done with my GAS. But I sometimes dream about some of those $16,000 Froggys I'm afraid to try.

But I think the op did it exactly right - play a bunch and purchase one when you fall in love.

[Ludere]

Don't know yet; I'm fairly certain that a significant windfall would expand my search parameters.

...

[hubcapsc]

A custom made dreadnought with an old-growth
southern yellow pine top and walnut back and sides
and neck and some kind of really hard stable
"southern" wood (if possible) for the fingerboard
(dogwood?) and maybe it would say "dixie" on
the headstock or something...

On this board I read that Deadwood Guitar Company,
just a day trip away from me on nice country roads in
Georgia, has made a guitar with a yellow pine top before. I
plan to make a day trip over there soon.

-Mike

[dneal]

I could think of a great many, but the first two that came to mind were:

Dake Traphagen 00
Bruce Sexauer 0

[Naboz]

Most assuredly there would be a Duane Noble harp guitar coming my way!
I'd speak with him and work out the woods and other appointments, watch every step of the build, and then most likely settle in to playing it every day.

If there was some "change" left over a Martin D-1 12 fret in sitka/quilted mahogany must find its way to my hands!
Ahh...to dream