Best Budget (<$600) Guitar for 60s/70s Sounds?

[danishsloan]

Hi, I was wondering if you guys wouldn't mind sharing your wisdom.

I'm looking for a cheap (below $600 street value?) acoustic for both fingerstyle and pick playing — for recording, not playing live (no pickup/electronics needed).

Sound-wise, aiming for Beatles (together & solo), Simon & Garfunkel, etc. A contemporary reference would be Weyes Blood (who plays a vintage Guild D-40). Definitely not the trebly tone of, say, a Taylor.

So far, I have as ideas: Recording King RD-318; Eastman E10d; Blueridge BR-40; Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500 or AJ-45 or Texan; Guild D-140. Would a budget Martin be a mistake (i.e. I'd be paying for the name on the headstock)? I don't have the ability to try many of these out in person.

Can anyone give me advice on this? Sorry, I know there are other posts asking about cheap guitars, but I didn't see any specifically asking about aiming for a
traditional sound.

[Dru Edwards]

Hi Danish, Welcome to the AGF!

Have you ever heard of Seagull or Simon & Patrick guitars? They're made in Canada by Godin and most of them are priced well under your $600 range. A nice cedar topped one will suit your needs and they also have spruce. Give them a try.

When you mention 'tradition sound', are you talking about Martin or Gibson? If so, Seagull probably wouldn't do it for you (nor would most other guitars in that price range).

[roylor4]

Of those you listed - go with the Eastman. My .02

[zmf]

[QUOTE=danishsloan;6527866]Would a budget Martin be a mistake (i.e. I'd be paying for the name on the headstock)? /QUOTE]

That's a good perspective to take. Not saying some cheap Martin wouldn't strike your fancy, but I'd lean towards Eastman and Blueridge. Seagull is also a good suggestion -- the S6 is likely to keep you clear of the thin, tinny sound on many cheaper guitars. Absence of "thin/tinny" is as important as getting a "traditional" sound -- and I'm not sure what the traditional sound is.

It's a tough choice when you can't actually play the guitars.

[zombywoof]

If you look at the Guilds, Martins, Gibsons, Epiphones, and whatever which were playing in the 1960s, the thing they tended to have in common was they had rear shifted, non-scalloped X bracing. Not an easy thing to find today even with the most budget friendly instruments. So best thing I can tell you is forget the 60s thing and just find a guitar you like the feel and sound of.

[Ralph124C41]

When I think of "tradition" sound I think of first Martins, second Gibsons and perhaps a third, Guilds.

So of those guitars listed I just wouldn't put in the Eastman because it has its own sound ... but I don't know if it could be called a "traditonal" sound.

If you like the Martin sound, then maybe the Blueridge, just bear in mind that newer Blueridge guitars have Santos rosewood (Pau Ferro or Morado) and not true rosewood but I do think they have a very close sound to a Martin, especially the older models with the laminated rosewood back and sides.

For the Gibson sound, maybe an older Epiphone Masterbilt? I'm not impressed with the newer models.

I can't suggest anything if you are after the Guild sound.

As for getting a cheaper Martin I do think that you are paying a lot for that Martin name, but maybe you want that and also maybe you are thinking about the resale value. However I've played some of the cheaper Martins and frankly I was not blown away by their sound.

But I do think an older Masterbilt or the BR40 would be a good choice. The Masterbilt, moreover, will have all solid wood construction, either back and sides of mahogany or rosewood. I got my AJ500MNS with a case for $300 from Guitar Center but it was a heck of a deal which I haven't been able to find since, but I did find one without a case for about $350.

[L20A]

Some of those 60's/70's guitars were laminated guitars.
Many of them had thicker tops that didn't resonate a lot.
So that is one sound that you will get with guitars like some Epiphones.

The other sound is the Martin sound.
You will have a harder time finding guitars under $600.00 that will have that sound.
A few that are close are made by builders like Eastman, Recording King, Import Guilds, Yamaha, and Blueridge.
All of these makers have guitars for under $600.00.

[Rosewood99]

I never thought of guitars from that decade of having a certain sound. Doesn’t just about any guitar have ability to play 60s and 70s tunes?

[guitararmy]

I had a used Guild D55 that had that sound, but needed a neck reset so I traded it away.
I would also suggest that Eastman dreadnought or even a budget Martin to get that mellow sound.

[Ten]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

I would also suggest that Eastman dreadnought or even a budget Martin to get that mellow sound.

I would not describe an E10D as a mellow guitar.

[flaggerphil]

Any decent budget guitar should do, really.

[llew]

The Eastman dreads are more vintage voiced IMO. There is also the Recording King RDS-11 that I've not played but seems to get great reviews by the likes of JP Cromier. $459 in the US.

[JERZEY]

With a 600$ budget the Eastman E1D and E2D are as close as vintage sound as you can get. The E2D with the cedar top just begs someone to play some old folk on it. Not to trebly but not without sparkle. All solid wood fantastic playing and sounding guitars.

[LifesShort]

When I think of vintage sound, I immediately think of Martin. If you can find one, try a Martin DJR-10 I think you might be pleasantly surprised. It's an all solid wood guitar that definitely has the Martin sound, but isn't expensive. Used ones are well under your $600 limit.

[Guitartanzon]

This new segull s6 I got is a strumming cannon with quality new strings and an amazing finger picker too...and its looks the part as well. I doubt you could do better anywhere for $500 bucks. Its a really nice guitar, in all respects.

That said....you can also look at this
Epiphone 1964 Texan Peter FRAMPTON MASTERBUILT limited edition. hit below link

https://www.americanmusical.com/epip.../EPI-EEPF-LIST