I Want A Loud Guitar

[Shades of Blue]

I am also looking for a loud guitar. Problem is, I have still yet to play a guitar that wowed me in the volume department. Everyone calls Martin Dreads canons, but I've yet to be wowed by one. Maybe I'm just expecting/wanting something that doesn't exist.

The irony, is that I currently have a J-45 and 000-28, which are theoretically not loud guitars. However, I find the sound of both worth giving up some volume. I still want a loud guitar that rumbles and shakes the house like many claim Martin Dreads can do... I just haven't heard one yet.

[svea]

The loudest guitar I ever played that wasn't a dread or a resonator was a Greven Prairie State in Brazilian/Adi. But good luck finding one.

I also have a very loud Eastman AC222, which is almost the size of a dread but has a tighter waist. I don't think they make that exact model any longer. But I did find one on Reverb! https://reverb.com/item/1869886-east...ruce-top-ac222

Svea

[Johnny K]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

As a thought, there is a reason that Gibsons (if your Epiphone is based on a Gibson design, as most are) are generally not thought of as a Bluegrass cannon. You might want to look at something modeled on a Martin, the definitive Blusegrass guitar. (irregardless of if playing Bluegrass or not)

Or an actual Martin, I suppose...

At the bluegrass camp I attended back in March, I didn't see a single Gibson or anything other than dreads.

I did not bring my Martin to the camp, but over the course of 4 weekends I did bring in order my Seagull Spruce/Mahogany solid wood Artist Series CW Dread, my Seagull Spruce/Mahogany SM12 12 String dread and my Seagull Spruce Deluxe dread. The Artist Series CW dread came back for week 4. It cut thru and sounded best with the banjos & mandolins, strumming and soloing. But the SM12 was the loudest and was it hard to keep down. It's was a surprising loud guitar in with the banjos and mandolins.

Against all those Seagulls, my HD28V is still the loudest cannon.

[nickv6]

Originally Posted by Chickee

You know what a piano sounds like when the musician is starting to dig into it?
It’s that glorious wash of sound that surrounds. That is the catalyst.
Thats what I want to hear. Bold, beautiful, thick. Maybe a dream.

Loudest guitar I ever played was a d hole Maccaferri. Hugely loud but a very specific tone, not great for general work.
Nick

[Doranged]

Check out a Takamine EG523SC. Jumbo with maple. Super load and super inexpensive with great playability and sound. Used around $500.

[grasser]

Having played bluegrass banjo before guitar, I think a lot of the talk about volume is relative. No guitar seems "that" loud to me, but most Martin-esque dreadnoughts (solid top, scalloped braces, etc,) can produce enough volume to at least make their presence known, when you have the right string gauge, pick, attack, etc.

[Cameron_Talley]

How loud do other's think you are? It can be hard to hear what you sound like. Also, if you're just playing for yourself, think about where you play. Playing facing and close to a wall will be a lot louder than in the middle of the room.

[Br1ck]

I haven't plowed through the last three pages, but I remember trying a D 16 that had an adi top that was louder than the D 18s in the same store. They discontinued it, probably because it ate into D 18 sales. Used one could probably be had for $1500. See how good I was only blowing your budget by 50%?

My loudest guitar is my Epiphone Texan, but it is 53 years old now. Basically a long neck J 50. Short scales limit the energy to the bridge.

A Guild D 40 bluegrass could be had in the over $1000 range too.

One thing I've found, loud is loud, but not necessarily a tone that would please you every day. Depends on how often you need to overcome banjos.

[Cypress Knee]

Originally Posted by svea

The loudest guitar I ever played that wasn't a dread or a resonator was a Greven Prairie State in Brazilian/Adi. But good luck finding one.........

Svea

I consigned an EIR Prairie State to Ted at LA Guitars - call them for more info. It is loud, mainly because it is a 17 inch jumbo with all that rumble, but it is rather shallow bodied so the sound is immediately projected out and it is very loud. Also way out of your stated budget range.

It has a long scale too, which was a bit much for me, which is why it is at Ted's place now.

[simpl man]

Without quoting the multiple threads above, there are a few points mentioned there that I happen to strongly agree with:

1) A guitar can be deceptively loud. The volume is there, but the timbre is
lush & it doesn't necessarily "cut" through a mix.

2) Volume is relative. Depends on what you're used to & the surroundings,
etc. We're talking guitars here, not brass horns.

3) A guitar that is the "in your face" type of loud is likely not going to have a
very full or pleasing tonality on it's own.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by Chickee

You know what a piano sounds like when the musician is starting to dig into it?
It’s that glorious wash of sound that surrounds. That is the catalyst.
Thats what I want to hear. Bold, beautiful, thick. Maybe a dream.

Are you looking for "loud" or are you looking for "lush?"

[Chickee]

Originally Posted by Shades of Blue

Maybe I'm just expecting/wanting something that doesn't exist.

I never expected this number of responses to my original query about wanting a loud acoustic guitar. I have read every post on this thread and then read them again and want to thank everyone who voiced an idea, opinion, experience. Who better than you?
When I find my unicorn I will be sure to do a NGD post and share my purchase with all of you very cool cats!
Chickee

[The Bard Rocks]

If you want loud to you, so you can hear yourself while playing with others, consider a sound port. If the others can't hear you, the sound port won't help. Then you need a louder guitar (or electrical connections).

[tomcstokes59]

I would second (or 3rd, 4th) the Eastman E8D. The E8 is sitka/RW. They also make the E20 with adi/RW. I have no experience with E20D but the adi is reported to appreciately boost the volume. I have the E8D with Santa Cruz medium tension strings BUT also with a John Pearse armrest. With the change of the strings and the addition of the armrest, this dread rumbles. Also I didn't notice if anyone mentioned a Larrivee SD-40R 12-fret dread with an enlarged sound hole. I have tried a couple and they were very loud and the neck was exceptionally comfortable.

[tippy5]

Blueridge 140A is one of the loudest under $800.