Recommendation for a "leave out on the stand" acoustic

[fishwatcher]

Check out Bristol guitars. These are laminate guitars by Blueridge. I love my BD-16. I bought it used for $130 (new is around $250 I think). I’ve upgraded to bone components and Gotoh tuners, but it played great stock.

[TwoMartinMan]

My Martin DXM and Yamaha FG700 go everywhere with me without humidification. They either hang on a wall or stand in a stand 24/7/365. No problems.

[Fresh1985]

I think the martin HPL guitars are definately the way to go. They sound pretty good and stand up very well to general knocks etc.

[geewhiz]

OP here. Thanks to all for the responses. Many of which were quite interesting - everything ranging from all-solid wood options (?) to CF guitars way beyond my budget/need/purpose (?), to buying a home humidifier .

As I mentioned above, it is DRY here this time of year. A room humidifier is an impractical choice, and a whole house humidifier may be an option in the future.

What I did learn from this thread is that the Yamaha FG/FS series are very fine guitars for the price - who knew? Well, me, that's who. Some of you already did. There's an FS800, virtually unused/unplayed, on my local Craigslist for $135. I gave that some serious thought, but after doing more research and seeing the responses here I realize that at 22% wintertime humidity I run real risk of cracking that top. Which I knew already, and which is why I keep my Martins in their cases with humidifiers.

I'm down to three options. A Martin X series with the formica top (bracing still wood, so there's still some risk), or something like the Yamaha FS/FG and fully realizing and accepting a certain risk that the top could crack....or the third option, which is to continue to play my Martins and keep them in their cases and not having the convenience of a guitar on a stand. All food for thought.

[Dbone]

There is a guy who just posted in the CF forum that he is gearing up to sell his 2002 RainSong something or other...

Ask him what he wants.

Cheers

[Ralph124C41]

Originally Posted by geewhiz

OP here. Thanks to all for the responses. Many of which were quite interesting - everything ranging from all-solid wood options (?) to CF guitars way beyond my budget/need/purpose (?), to buying a home humidifier .

As I mentioned above, it is DRY here this time of year. A room humidifier is an impractical choice, and a whole house humidifier may be an option in the future.

What I did learn from this thread is that the Yamaha FG/FS series are very fine guitars for the price - who knew? Well, me, that's who. Some of you already did. There's an FS800, virtually unused/unplayed, on my local Craigslist for $135. I gave that some serious thought, but after doing more research and seeing the responses here I realize that at 22% wintertime humidity I run real risk of cracking that top. Which I knew already, and which is why I keep my Martins in their cases with humidifiers.

I'm down to three options. A Martin X series with the formica top (bracing still wood, so there's still some risk), or something like the Yamaha FS/FG and fully realizing and accepting a certain risk that the top could crack....or the third option, which is to continue to play my Martins and keep them in their cases and not having the convenience of a guitar on a stand. All food for thought.

Well of your three options I would eliminate the third because the thrust of your post was to try to find a guitar you could leave out. One other thing I'd suggest is to buy something like the Yamaha FS/FG ... leave it out on the stand ... but leave it with a soundhole humidifer inserted. Yes that will take about five seconds to remove but may help with the humidity problem a little bit.

[gwlee7]

I don’t understand why the OP just doesn’t get an evaporative humidifier similar to the one in the link below, put it in his guitar room, and then leave whatever guitar he wants to out on a stand provided his cat, dog, or kid, won’t knock it over.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AIRCARE-...0800/203019394


ETA: I now see that for some reason it is “impractical” to buy a small humidifier. What reason is that?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by gwlee7

I don’t understand why the OP just doesn’t get an evaporative humidifier similar to the one in the link below, put it in his guitar room, and then leave whatever guitar he wants to out on a stand provided his cat, dog, or kid, won’t knock it over.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/AIRCARE-...0800/203019394


ETA: I now see that for some reason it is “impractical” to buy a small humidifier. What reason is that?

If I (1) played guitar at a level that I wasn't satisfied with all laminate guitars and (2) lived in a domicile that dipped to less than 40% RH for extended periods of time I'd consider a room humidifier not as "impractical", but "essential".

Alternatively, perhaps forget about acoustic guitar and take up electronic keyboard?

[brianmay]

Originally Posted by geewhiz

I have two Martins that I keep in their cases and humidified. I'm considering getting an inexpensive guitar - a "beater", if you will - that I can leave out on the stand and not worry about it. There's something to be said for having an instrument always at the ready, or one I can leave in another part of the house, or something I can take out by the fire pit or whatever.

I realize a carbon fiber guitar would be ideal for this. I owned a Rainsong for a while and it was great. But that's way above what I'm looking to spend.

My first thought is one of those all-HPL Marin X series (used). I haven't tried one. I'm not looking for Collings-quality tone or playability, but I want something that's at least decent.

What are some other choices I should be considering?

I'm assuming that anything with a solid top is out of the running because even with lam back/sides it would still be susceptible to dryness.

I live in UK.

Both my Martins live on their stands, one in the living room and the other in my bedroom.

That way they get played every day.

[geewhiz]

This is getting too complicated. I appreciate the helpful spirit of the alternate suggestions (room humidifiers, wanting to know why that is impractical, questioning why I don't have one, etc.) and I don't mean to sound ungrateful for the responses, but the entire point of my original post was simply to elicit suggestions for a guitar that I could leave anywhere in the house as a "grab and play". I've evaluated my options. We may get a new whole house unit next year. I don't want to buy, nor do I need, a room humidifier.

I already have a guitar room/studio. My "good" guitars are already properly humidified.

I was merely looking for suggestions for a "beater" guitar that isn't a piece of crap and that wouldn't be susceptible to damage from dry conditions.

[geewhiz]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Well of your three options I would eliminate the third because the thrust of your post was to try to find a guitar you could leave out. One other thing I'd suggest is to buy something like the Yamaha FS/FG ... leave it out on the stand ... but leave it with a soundhole humidifer inserted. Yes that will take about five seconds to remove but may help with the humidity problem a little bit.

This is an interesting proposition. Does this solution work well for you? My first reaction would be that a humidifier placed in a guitar on a stand in a dry room would very quickly dry out, humidifying the room as much as the inside of the guitar. It absolutely wouldn't be as effective as a guitar in a case, but if it helps even to some degree then I might consider a solid-topped laminate guitar as a candidate. Hmm...

[Birdbrain]

There's another option here. Low humidity can be a real problem, but nowhere in New York is as continually dry as my state, Colorado. Here, each week or so I switch among my favorite four guitars. One sits on the stand beside my desk, near the room humidifier, while the others nap in their humidified cases.

Dryness damage is cumulative, as I understand it. If each of my guitars gets just 25% exposure to dry conditions (indoor 30% or more), that's a risk I'll take. I bought them to enjoy, not to archive. And if the guitar I reach for on a casual impulse every day is one of my best, that's better than settling for some "beater."

Best case, maybe this is an argument for getting another really good guitar. To protect your other great guitar!

[geewhiz]

Originally Posted by Birdbrain

There's another option here. Low humidity can be a real problem, but nowhere in New York is as continually dry as my state, Colorado. Here, each week or so I switch among my favorite four guitars. One sits on the stand beside my desk, near the room humidifier, while the others nap in their humidified cases.

Dryness damage is cumulative, as I understand it. If each of my guitars gets just 25% exposure to dry conditions (indoor 30% or more), that's a risk I'll take. I bought them to enjoy, not to archive. And if the guitar I reach for on a casual impulse every day is one of my best, that's better than settling for some "beater."

That seems like a sensible and practical approach.

[Organic Sounds Select Guitars]

Hi Geewhiz. This is an “out of the box” suggestion, but it works for me. It would also give you something very different from your Martins.

This is a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin archtop. All laminate cherry. I bought it for less than $500. You can get one without the pickup for even less. It doesn’t sound like a flattop, but that’s ok, its not meant to. As a bonus, it looks good out in the family room.

[Napman41]

Originally Posted by geewhiz

I have two Martins that I keep in their cases and humidified. I'm considering getting an inexpensive guitar - a "beater", if you will - that I can leave out on the stand and not worry about it. There's something to be said for having an instrument always at the ready, or one I can leave in another part of the house, or something I can take out by the fire pit or whatever.

I realize a carbon fiber guitar would be ideal for this. I owned a Rainsong for a while and it was great. But that's way above what I'm looking to spend.

My first thought is one of those all-HPL Marin X series (used). I haven't tried one. I'm not looking for Collings-quality tone or playability, but I want something that's at least decent.

What are some other choices I should be considering?

I'm assuming that anything with a solid top is out of the running because even with lam back/sides it would still be susceptible to dryness.

What are your 2 Martins ? I’m a play what you’ve got type of person. 1 more guitar is jus that- 1 more guitar. They are meant to be played.