Second Acoustic Help - pair with GS Mini

[CTIMOTH]

Looking to add a second guitar to pair with my GS mini mahogany. Interest is finger style blues and old time fiddle tunes. What would complement the mini well? Budget 500-1200ish prefer no electronics.

Was considering:
Martin ooo-15
Alvarez MFA66
Alvarez MF600
Eastman E6OM
Guild OM-120
Yamaha LS16

Any other recommendations?

I discovered the GS mini from reviews here and it is really enjoyable to play.

[BillyMays]

Have you checked out any Breedlove guitars? Oregon Concert series and they have a wide variety of tonewoods to select from. They have some fantastic models in your price range. They are beautiful too. Also, Takamine has some fantastic guitars.

I sometimes feel like I am pushing Breedlove, but honestly I have not had as much fun with any guitar as I have with my Breedlove. The sound, the look and the feel is top notch.

[gr81dorn]

Although I think 000-15 is the best guitar value on the planet, you already have a hog top, so I'd get spruce in the mix. That Eastman will be hard to beat for the money. I'm so impressed with what Eastman can do for the price. So many high-end touches and quality is fantastic and sound is impressive. I'd do the Eastman.

[KevinH]

+1 on Breedlove. They do have a wide range of tone woods and many within your price range. If you like the size of the GS Mini, you might try a Concertina model. It's about the size of a 00, so a little smaller than the Concert, but bigger than the Mini, and it's 12-fret.

Originally Posted by BillyMays

Have you checked out any Breedlove guitars? Oregon Concert series and they have a wide variety of tonewoods to select from. They have some fantastic models in your price range. They are beautiful too.

[Archemi]

I just picked up an all-solid sapele Eastman E2OM and it’s an amazing guitar for the price. There’s one on Reverb for around $600. The newer version now has a cedar top and sapele back & sides - I cant speak to the cedar, but I imagine it sounds great too.

If you’re looking for a similar sized small-body, here are some other ones I’ve had good experiences with:

Cort Gold O6/A6
Yamaha FS3/AC3
Alvarez AFA95CESHB
Breedlove Concertina series
Guild GAD F130/M120

I also highly recommend the Alvarez AFA95. Short scale folk body with a cedar top and acacia back and sides. I picked up a slightly blemished new one for under $400.

It’s an amazing sounding instrument with great playability. Very clear for finger style but does strumming equally well.

[TBman]

I'm partial to the Guild OM-120 as I have a D-120C and really like it. I play Celtic and other folksy finger style stuff and the Guild rings out well for that. If I got back to playing blues again though I would use my J-45 because it has shorter sustain and sounds cool for blues. That's just me though, you can play blues on whatever, it really doesn't matter, especially if you palm mute.

[Toucan]

Originally Posted by KevinH

+1 on Breedlove. They do have a wide range of tone woods and many within your price range. If you like the size of the GS Mini, you might try a Concertina model. It's about the size of a 00, so a little smaller than the Concert, but bigger than the Mini, and it's 12-fret.

+1 again on Breedlove. Just got my 2nd one today (Wildwood series Concertina). Best bang for the buck IMHO.

[CTIMOTH]

I was not anticipating the Breedlove option. I did play an all mahogany "stage" model when I purchased the gs mini and it was great just more than i was willing to pay at the time ($850). It had a different headstock which is unusual.

other than concertina body any advice - is the organic series worthy? the Oregon series is a significant step up it seems.

Thanks for the feedback much appreciated

[Shadowfox]

This would be an incredible deal, and punch far above those others imho.

https://reverb.com/item/31475858-furch-om-30sm-2018

[NotveryGood]

Eastman or Alvarez. Great value.

[CTIMOTH]

The Furch does seem to be a good deal it probably will not be available long. I would like to try a few of these guitars if possible. My local shops have a variety of Breedlove, guild and Alvarez to try. Eastman would be unlikely to find in a shop but the reputation is really good. Any specific model or wood combos that are favorites? The Breedlove models and wood combos are overwhelming - I am partial to traditional body without cutaway.

I do really like the tones of the Gs mini mahogany for fingerstyle. A small body couch picker but something that feels special to play is my target. A compliment to the style of GS mini but a different experience when playing.

Maybe add gibson l-oo to the list but would stretch the budget

[musicman1951]

Over my lifetime I've purchased mostly used guitars, because (like most of us) I wanted a better guitar than I could afford. And that's what you get with a used guitar - more guitar for your money.

Alvarez and Yamaha get a lot of love on the forum. I'm not really conversant in your price range, but I would be most interested in finding to tone that pleased my ear. I don't know how easy that is in the time of Covid. Good luck with your search.

[Toucan]

Originally Posted by CTIMOTH

I was not anticipating the Breedlove option. I did play an all mahogany "stage" model when I purchased the gs mini and it was great just more than i was willing to pay at the time ($850). It had a different headstock which is unusual.

other than concertina body any advice - is the organic series worthy? the Oregon series is a significant step up it seems.

Thanks for the feedback much appreciated

The first Concertina I bought was the Organic Preformer. With the European Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides. Found it went well with my GS Mini Koa. Bought it on Reverb new for $650. Again, I like it so much I just purchased the Concertina Wildwood.

[Archemi]

Originally Posted by CTIMOTH

The Furch does seem to be a good deal it probably will not be available long. I would like to try a few of these guitars if possible. My local shops have a variety of Breedlove, guild and Alvarez to try. Eastman would be unlikely to find in a shop but the reputation is really good. Any specific model or wood combos that are favorites? The Breedlove models and wood combos are overwhelming - I am partial to traditional body without cutaway.

I do really like the tones of the Gs mini mahogany for fingerstyle. A small body couch picker but something that feels special to play is my target. A compliment to the style of GS mini but a different experience when playing.

Maybe add gibson l-oo to the list but would stretch the budget

As mentioned above, you should look into the Eastman E2OM. The older version which I have is all-solid sapele, but the newer one is cedar & sapele. Amazing sound for less than $600 new or used. It’s hard to beat the sound of cedar for fingerstyle, in my opinion. Otherwise, I’d look at a folk sized Alvarez Yairi/Masterworks/Artist if you can’t find an Eastman locally.

If you’re open to buying online, I also recommend checking the inventory of Guitar Center since their return policy is pretty long. If I don’t like a guitar I can always return it in store for up to 45 days, and I’m only out $30 for shipping.

[emtsteve]

No affiliation, but that Alvarez OM in the classifieds is a lot of guitar for the $ and would likely fill your needs well. I have owned a couple Eastmans but I guess I just haven't found the right one. The cedar topped model mentioned previously seems to be nice, I love cedar tops. And a used Martin 000-15M is always a great choice in your price range. Even though it replicates the mahogany top on your Mini, they are two very different guitars (I own both).

Let us know what you end up getting and have fun!