Best fingerstyle guitar money can buy?

[ssstewart]

Martin 00-18 (1950) or Martin 00-28 (1950)

[Ezp]

I played a SCGC 00 with maple b&s a while back that was phenomenal for fingerstyle. Something similar would be on my search list.

[Shortfinger]

Martin D-18

[KevinH]

You didn't mention how long you've been playing. If a long time, I'd think the best finger style guitar you could get would be one commissioned from a luthier that can design/build one to your particular tonal requirements and playing style. But that assumes you know exactly what you want.

If you haven't been playing for a long time, I'd say trying to find one lifetime guitar off the bat is a pretty big leap. For me, and from what others say here, figuring out what you really want in a guitar is an evolutionary process that can take years.

[jojobean39]

Olson, Charis, Froggy Bottom, Santa Cruz and my personal fave… Lame Horse.

[Dryfly]

Originally Posted by kmtyb

I only have dreads but my Santa Cruz D12 is great for finger style.

Definitely

[douglasfan1]

I would say an Tippin Forte Fan fret guitar.

[Skip Ellis]

Don't forget Brook - you get a lot of guitar for your money and they'll build you what you want. Check out some of Phil Taylor's videos on the forum and YT.

[Brucebubs]

I imagine this Doerr Legacy Brazilian Rosewood with Swiss Spruce top listed here in the AGF classifieds would be pretty amazing!
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=626627

[Dustinfurlow]

It all depends on what type of fingerstyle you are playing. As I've said here before, there is no "good" or "bad" choices, better to say "helpful" and "not helpful".

A lot of sustain and overtones (which many would say constitutes a good fingerstyle guitar) won't help you if you are playing Jerry Reed thumbpicking tunes, but it will certainly help you for a Celtic ballad. That said, one might want a very expensive old Martin, or conversely they may want a grossly expensive Brazilian Lowden or Olson. Either of those are bound to appreciate.

[s2y]

Basically define the tone, size, and feel you want.

If money wasn't an object, I'd probably want some sort of Somogyi or Matsuda wild guitar.

[M Sarad]

Wingert
Jang

[colins]

Like many here, I’ve been buying, playing and selling guitars by around a dozen different builders over the last twenty years on my own journey to find the guitars I like. And my personal favourites for the past ten years or so may be a complete waste of time for you due to different musical tastes, playing style, location of playing (gigs versus at home), and hand/shoulder preferences.

So the "best" I can do is help you look for the answer yourself. Check out the high end shops: Guitar Gallery in TN, Luthiers Collection in CA, and for shops with reasonable sound bites: Dream Guitars and TNAG. They will give you an idea of the huge range available, the pricing (new and used) and the sounds produced. At the minimum, cruise their websites for a while, but even better go and visit a couple, or the next tier of shops like Music Emporium, Dusty Strings etc. Every visit to one of these shops can be a great learning experience. I made the effort to get to Music Emporium years ago, specifically to try a guitar by a builder I was interested in. I ended up not liking that guitar but falling head over heels for a guitar by a different builder I’d never even heard of. Now I have three of that builder’s work!

Buying a good used guitar from one of these shops (or from a friendly AGFer) is another good way to get close to a particular builder’s work, so you can increase your knowledge even more without serious sticker shock if you decide to sell it.

And finally, to actually answer your question: Baranik, Wingert, Claxton, Galloup.

[Michael Watts]

Depends whose money you're spending...

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by leo12

What is the best un biased fingerstyle guitar money can buy? "no budget"

I am looking at froggy bottom or lowden but open to others and not sure which models are best for fingerstyle from them. I want to buy 1 guitar and keep it forever hopefully it will even appreciate in value down the road.

The 'best' is what you pick up, play and say to yourself, 'this is the one', and not what an anonymous forum poster decides for you, and which is invariably a subjective opinion.