Seeking best possible a/e dreadnought with cutaway, hopefully under $1k

[WildBill82]

I've got a Stage Dread, love it. It's a big, clear sound without being too bright, and the neck profile/general playability is almost as good as a Taylor. Dollar for dollar it's a great rosewood dread and with 80/20s it just plays like butter. But like someone else said, it's not a guitar that you see every day on your local used market so Reverb might be the way to go (if you have to have one).

I recently played the Epiphone 500 mentioned above, was surprised by the tone of it but I didn't get a chance to go up the neck. I know the next cutaway I get will be one of the old Taylor 714's with a cedar top, I've wanted one on and off since 2004 and it's time to get one.

[maxtheaxe]

Some good suggestions here...I especially like the idea of the Epi Masterbuilts for the money...the only thing with them is they're a bit inconsistent so you'll want to cherry pick if you can. In particular, I've picked up a few of these that needed a lot of fret work, but would be fine guitars with a good set up & fret level/polish.

Here's a little different take...very slightly smaller than a dread but sacrificing almost none of the depth, power & volume...Larrivee LV-03e with B-Band electronics. Big fan of Larrivee here and their used pieces are a screaming bargain for a high quality, all solid wood ax.

https://reverb.com/item/10634947-lar...made-in-canada

I also see the Larrivee dreads all the time on Reverb, though I didn't see any cutaways presently. They seem to go for even less than the L-series guitars.

[guitararmy]

Today's Stupid Deal at MusiciansFriend is a cutaway all solid wood Martin with pickup for a grand...

[Digitalshrub]

Those of you who steered me towards the Epiphone Masterb(u)ilt DR-500 weren’t far off the mark at all; I played two different DR-500s at Sam Ash today and loved them both. I didn’t notice any perceptible differences between the two specimens. I A/B’d them with a Yamaha A3R several times (and made several iPhone recordings on each guitar), and came to the initial conclusion that the Epiphone had more bass presence than the Yamaha. I liked both necks almost equally, and didn’t demo the electronics (though I’ll admit I probably prefer having an on-board tuner as on the Epi...one less accessory to worry about). The Epi is also a few hundred cheaper. I’m still curious to try an A3M (seems like my ears are gravitating towards mahogany). I’ll probably leave the decision till shortly after Xmas to be prudent.

[jaytee32]

Hi

I went down the same road a while back - I sold off my Takamine P1NC because I didn't think it had enough bass to it, especially unplugged. I bought an Eastman E6D and put a pickup in it. Now, plugged, there are a few situations that just don't work because I've got too much bass.

Plugged, it's easier to add bass than subtract. So if you're buying it for the stage, the two things are how well can you play it (feel, shape, frets etc) and how well it sounds plugged in. Acoustic tone should be only used as a tie breaker :-)

[Digitalshrub]

Originally Posted by jaytee32

So if you're buying it for the stage, the two things are how well can you play it (feel, shape, frets etc) and how well it sounds plugged in. Acoustic tone should be only used as a tie breaker :-)

This is a really good point. The next step is definitely to demo the electronics on these. In performance, I’ll be going thru a PA 9 times out 10, and not an acoustic amplifier, but is there really anyway to demo something like a guitar going through a mixing board at a place like Guitar Center or Sam Ash? I feel like I’ll end up judging the electronics by how they sound coming through something like a Fishman Loudbox (which I do own, and love).

[billyboy1962]

I bought a second hand Breedlove C25 American Series CRe-H for £800 and she sounds and plays like a guitar 3 x it’s cost. Cedar over Rosewood with a mahogany neck and ebony fretboard. I like the electronics - LR Baggs Element Active - but I guess these are an acquired taste.

I can also recommend the Takamine PD1C which I owned until earlier this year. Easily within your budget. Fantastic electronics on these also

Good luck my friend