000 guitar on a budget - ideas please

[gr81dorn]

Have you looked at Faith guitars? I believe they are a UK company (guitars built in Indonesia) so they should be readily available in the UK. I have heard tremendous things about their quality and I suspect they are made in the same factory as Ponos, which I would suggest if they were readily available to you, but Faith guitars appear to be almost the exact same models, quality, etc.

[jseth]

The Alvarez Masterworks "Folk" model... basically an OM on the platform of a Martin OM-18... all solid woods, beautiful herringbone purfling, tremendous fit and finish and a deluxe hard shell case...$599, here in the States...

[Robin, Wales]

Thanks everyone for your replies so far. I am investigating each suggestion and have tried a couple of guitars - but as yet with no success in finding the right one for the job.

I'm looking at 0 and 00 size as well now, but not parlour 12 frets. The crucial factor is being able to sing comfortably across the guitar. Many of the options presented here are advertised as 'full voiced' or 'strident' or 'lots of volume for its size'. No manufacturer seems to want to advertise their particular guitar as 'quiet'. But that's what I'm after - a nice rounded tone but with just moderate projection. I thought I'd found the answer with a Martin 0x1e but the build quality was suspect in the two I tried (sag in the tops in front of the bridges and bumps where the fretboard joined the body leading to fret buzz).

The thing is, I know that I'm just as likely to find a good fit for my needs from a $400 as from a $2000 guitar. Going up the food chain in terms of price is no guarantee I'll find that comfortable to play, full voiced (not boxy) but quiet guitar I'm after.

Keep those ideas coming!

[Birchtop]

Yamaha LS6... the rosewood model, not the LS6M (Mahogany). An excellent guitar for the $$. Personally I like the all-wood LS16 with ebony fretboard and bridge, but that bumps up the price some.

This review/specs comes from kraftmusic.com:

The Yamaha LS6 A.R.E. Handcrafted acoustic guitar has a solid Engelmann spruce top and rosewood back and sides. It also features a new non-scalloped bracing design that delivers a beautiful and well balanced tone. Choice materials and Yamaha's unique ability to blend traditional skills with advanced manufacturing make the Yamaha LS6 an exceptional guitar at a reasonable price. This model includes a case to protect it at home or on the road.

The LS6 features Yamaha's proprietary Acoustic Resonance Enhancement (A.R.E.). Models treated with A.R.E. give you an enhanced high range response with increased high range decay, giving you more clarity on the top end, while simultaneously enhancing the low range sustain.

[AZLiberty]

Alvarez "Folk"

It's a 000, 1.75 nut, 24.9 scale.

The Artist version (lam back/sides, solid top) is well within your price.
The Masterworks (all solid) is well within your price in the US, no idea about the UK

[PeterMN]

Eastman E1 OM

[PeterD18DK]

See my post on the Blueridge Br-43 is this forum.
If you are on a really tight budget, this guitar:
https://www.thomann.de/dk/harley_ben...ne_cla_16s.htm

is good (for the money it is better than good!). I would say it is a budget take on a Martin 000-18 clone. I think it is made at the Cort factories. I am not so found on the neck construction. However I read that nowadays glue is stronger than wood. So it may not be a problem. Please comment if you know anything about this type of neck.