Best Woody/Fundamental Sounding guitar under $1200?

[zombywoof]

I guess it comes down to what you mean by "fundamental". To me it means a guitar with a quick decay and leaner on overtones/harmonics. Gibsons, particularly the non-scallop X braced guitars had this going on. It also brings to mind something like a Grand Concert size ladder braced guitar. Thing is though guitars are built to please a modern ear so they tend to ring out longer and will be richer in overtones.

A ladder braced Waterloo would be seem to be a good bet. I remember playing an X braced and ladder braced WL-14 side by side and came away thinking I preferred the ladder braced version because it had a nice dose of raw power I did not hear in the other. But they are above what you are wanting to spend.

That said I tend to agree with an above post that a mahogany top guitar might get you closer to where you want to be.

[Treenewt]

A good friend has the 000-17 from Martin, and it’s hands down one of the best acoustics I’ve heard for that dry/fundamental tone. He has a K&k in it and runs it direct into the board. It sounds incredible. If that was the tone I was chasing, I’d be all over one.

You also can’t go wrong with a 000-15. Some of the consistently best Martin’s I’ve played, and hits right in your tone target.

I’d put a K&K in whatever you got.

Best of luck.

[tomcstokes59]

I did not know that about plywood giving a dryer sound. If this is the case, you might to check out this one in classifieds. It's a Beard Highball with a Birch ply construction.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=616665

[BoneDigger]

Martin all mahogany 15 series of your choice.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Of my small herd the 00015sm is the one I consider 'woody'