Goddall Aloha Koa Concert Jumbo ?

Admiral · #1 10-04-2001, 11:56 PM

Anybody have an opinion on a James Goodall AKCJ (Aloha Koa Concert Jumbo)? It is their entry level guitar. I played one last month in another state (there's not a dealer in my state) and liked it alot. I had a friend of mine who lives there go and try it out. He went twice. The second time to compare it to a Taylor K14C and he couldn't believe how much better sounding it was. He A-B'd them. I wish I had been there. I'm thinking of trading in my Taylor and buying that Goodall. I would like anyones opinion on that guitar or Goodall's in general.
thanks,

Admiral · #2 10-05-2001, 12:04 AM

Sorry for the mispelling of James last name and one of my sentences wasn't constructed right. Any I would appreciate your thoughts.
thanks again.

kenliu · #3 10-05-2001, 03:07 AM

Well I've never tried an Aloha, but I played an RCJC (rosewood-cutaway-jumbo-concert) and it had the most amazing tone of any guitar I've ever played (but I've never played any PS Taylors).

This thing was crazy loud, even with a relatively small body and light strings, and the resonance seemed like it would never end.

How much did the Aloha cost?

Ken

Admiral · #4 10-05-2001, 04:41 PM

It lists for $2895, I think, and they were asking $2400.

kenliu · #5 10-05-2001, 05:28 PM

That sounds like a great deal, considering the street price for a K series Taylor. The Goodalls are awesome, without a doubt.
The one I tried was selling for close to $4k, so it's pretty far out of my price range. I really liked the CJ size. It was pretty big sounding, but the body wasn't too small or too big for me. The Taylor dreadnought size that I own is great, but I find that my right arm gets tired after sitting and playing fingerstyle for a while.

There is a Goodall discussion list, but there's not a lot of traffic. You can probably find more information there. It's called goodallguitars at yahoogroups.

Ken

leftydude · #6 10-05-2001, 07:34 PM

There have been a couple of Aloha series Goodalls recently go on ebay in the neighborhood of $1700-1800. One was a gorgeous koa and if I wasn't a lefty, It'd be mine right now.

i-doc · #7 10-05-2001, 07:50 PM

I have a Goodall Koa Grand Concert.Wonderful tone for fingerstyle...not for flatpicking. I highly recommend them...you gotta play them to understand.

Shawman · #8 10-24-2001, 09:44 PM

In response to your Goodall question. They are an incredible guitar. I own a Koa Concert Jumbo and it beats my Taylor hands down and I have an incredible Taylor that I'll probably never part with. I bought my Goodall directly from James. I called him up one day to ask about wood combinations and he said he had a guitar in his office with a slight flaw that he couldn't sell to a store. He gave it to me for $2300 and I've since seen the identical guitar in the store for $4600. The flaw wasn't even worth pointing out, but James wanted to be honest. You might call him and ask if he has any flawed guitars sitting around.

PaulLePine · #9 10-25-2001, 02:09 PM

He does. A co-worker of mine was in Hawaii 2 weeks ago, and visited the Goodall shop. Jim showed him a guitar with a slight blemish on the top, for somewhere around 25-30% off list, I think. (Might not sound like a bargain rate for a Taylor, but for a Goodall that's a substantial discount.)

It was rosewood and spruce, but unfortunately I don't recall whether it was a concert jumbo (RCJ) or grand concert (RGC.) He sent me a JPG of him playing it, but of course I've deleted now!

Jim said he doesn't sell factory direct, only through dealers... EXCEPT when he has one of these "seconds."

Admiral · #10 10-26-2001, 12:32 AM

Thank you i-doc for your testimony.

Thank you Shawman and PaulLePine for the lead about "second".
I'll look into that and see if something is available. That possibility never occured to me. I did email James about a month ago and ask him if he thought adding a LRBaggs iBeam would affect the sound of the Aloha guitar and he said:
"We use the L.R. Baggs 'I Beam' almost exclusively now. I think it is the best sounding pickup around. It will not dampen tone at all because of it's incredible light weight. We like the one with the internal pre-amp best."
That was dated 9-17-01 from James himself. I was greatful for his personal reply plus his endorsement of the new iBeam. I've never heard the iBeam but have been asking about it here on the Taylor forum since it first came out. I would like to put it in my next guitar.

thanks again all. I'll let you know what I find out..

trombone · #11 10-26-2001, 08:21 AM

I played one a couple of weeks ago and it was very nice. Well made, sounded great. James does an excellent job. If I didn't already have some of those limited editions on order.........

Kayak Ed · #12 10-29-2001, 12:58 PM

I played the "second" Goodall last week while in Hawaii. It was a Engelmann top with Rosewood sides in a Grand Concert (OM) sized guitar. The second was a blemish in the wood, that I would not have noticed (but I'm certainly not an expert at that). It was an excellent finger style guitar. I did not try a pick with it so I can't comment on strumming or flatpicking this guitar. I believe he was looking for $3300 (don't hold me to this price) including case for this guitar.

On an aside, I did not play a guitar that I did not really like. James and Gene (James wife) are as very nice folks. They kept putting guitar after guitar in my hands. Even some of their employees came to listen to me play. A nice ego boast for me.

They had an awesome Aloha Koa with Sitka spruce top in a CJ style that one of the employees was going to purchase.

My next guitar will be a Goodall.

Good luck, and if you talk with James or Gene, tell them Ed from Clermont, Florida gives them his best.

PaulLePine · #13 10-29-2001, 01:46 PM

Yes, that's the one my co-worker called me about.

For the record, it's Jean, not Gene.

Kayak Ed · #14 10-29-2001, 06:54 PM

I used to date a girl named Gene (spelled like the man's version). We nick named her "Play misty for me, Gene" after we quit dating, but that's another story. What a goof up.

James told me the main differences in their Aloha series was: Less expensive binding and wood on the fretboard and bridge. Items that would not change the great sound. The difference in sound I heard between the Koa CJ and the Aloha CJ were negliglible (sp?). I'm sure you can't customize the Aloha, either.

Admiral · #15 12-03-2001, 11:06 PM

I have ended my search for another guitar, I traded in my 98-810 for a new 98 K14c at the same dealer that I bought my 810. He never had sold the K14C. I've played it off and on for over 2 years dreaming about it and now it is mine. I love it more than I did the 810. The 1998's came with cedar you know. Yea! So I have given up on my quest for a Goodall. They sounded great but the dollars for their cheapest one was still too much for me. I got a great tradein for the never-been-sold new k14c. That was the only way I could afford it. I really like being back in a light guage strung guitar too.