#16
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I don't hate on either Gibson or Taylor, just didn't try one yet that I was really drawn to.
I'm having a hard enough time trying to figure out various configs and names of Martin so far, I have yet to understand/study the Gibson or Taylor nomenclatures. Local stores do have A LOT of guitars, they are typically locked up so one goes in and ask to try 2-4 different ones - I am even trying to understand which ones to ask for. I really liked the way the D41 I tried sounded and handled, but I don't feel like paying a lot extra for all the pearl bling, but I guess a D35 is sort of similar? |
#17
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Too many possibilities to mention. Forget all recommendations and try to play a as many as you can. If you decided to buy online make sure they have a good return policy.
If you are looking for a lifetime guitar do not rush the process. I feel in love with many guitars only to outgrow them or find out later there was something missing in them. I personally think it takes years to truly know what you want. |
#18
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don't look at is as a lifetime guitar. Just find a guitar you will love for now and just maybe it will stick with you for a long time
my humble opinion would be an OM just find the maker that you like
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Rainsong CH-PA |
#19
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You will need two guitars, it’s just the way it is
I know you’re looking for “The ONE”, but that is part of the journey and it will come in time. You mentioned Yamaha. They are an awesome guitars that sound and play 2-3 times better than their price would have you believe. May I suggest you consider picking up a new pair of Yamahas, a FG (Dread) and FS (Concert/000) series. I would go with the FG830 and the FS820. Or visa versa, FG820/FS830 (stay away from the 800s). This way you get two different sizes, tone woods, and quality that will cover a lot of territory (cover your basis if you will). It will help you decide what you are looking for Use this pair as your mainstay, while you go on the search for the “ONE”. Of course, you could always just get a Martin 000-18 and be done with it.
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Martin D-35 Martin 000-18 |
#20
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As you're kind of starting out again, don't spend a ton of money. Just get one guitar. Two will be a distraction. Get something for under $500 that feels easy to play, pay for a set up and a low action and just play the thing.
Once you've got some callouses on your fingers and you're playing a few songs then you'll have a much better idea of what you're looking for and you'll base it on what you want rather than on what you think you should have. Then find a guitar that feels comfortable to play, sounds good to you and that you like the look of and play the heck out of it. It's through being played that it becomes "your" guitar.
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Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Mark Twain |
#21
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Arlington,
If your name indicates where you are in Virginia, then I recommend you visit Action Music in Falls Church. My son lives in Arlington, and he and I have visited Action Music a couple of times: first just to have a look and second to have them set up a Collings. Not a huge shop, but when we went there they had a nice selection of Huss and Daltons, Collings and Waterloos as well as some Gibsons and Martins. Just checked the website, and they list eight H&Ds, including a Road Series Dread under $3K. (The Road Series were satined and slightly less well-appointed versions of their other guitars they sold for substantially less. They sound terrific. I could certainly see one as a lifetime guitar.) Good luck! |
#22
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Have you tried a carbon fiber guitar? Rainsong is made in the USA
http://www.rainsong.com I think Blackbird may be created in the U.S.A. https://www.blackbirdguitar.com Good luck!
__________________
When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down, “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life. —John Lennon |
#23
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I second checking out Larrivee. There are probably a number of guitars/luthiers that would fit your described needs but IMHO, a Larrivee OM-40(mahogany), OM-40R(rosewood), L-03R should be on your short list. (The L body is a Larrivee design and is very versatile, but so are OM’s.) I own 2 Larrivees, now 26 and 14 years old respectively. They sound great and hold up very well. As others have said, do your best to play them before you buy. These can be had new for around $1500-$1800.
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“The tapestry of life is more important than a single thread.” R. Daneel Olivaw in I. Asimov's Robots and Empire. |
#24
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Larrivee L model.
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#25
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I'm not sure if you have something at the moment or not. I was in your shoes 6 months ago. I was playing on a 1980s horrid cigar box guitar whose headstock was broken and had been reglued with elmers glue (back in the 90s). So I was kind of in a hurry to just get something. And I had a bias toward Martin. And I wanted (primarily) folky fingerpicking.
I ended up getting a learner guitar with a 1 11/16 nut width and this gave me something to practice on and get some "C" legs with. It took the pressure off the drive for the big gun (well, yea, some of the pressure). I also learned that a 1 11/16 nut width was frustrating to play with, and it forced me, against my will, to develop some good habits regarding the fretting hand. Glad I did it now, but sheeesh it was frustrating. Eventually I got the guitar I wanted (with a 1 3/4 nut width) but I still play on the learner about 40% of the time. I don't know that we've bonded but we're friends. So, TLDR - get a low cost guitar to putz with and take the pressure off. (Like Lakewood_Lad said in the earlier post) |
#26
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Quote:
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#27
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__________________
Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |
#28
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Quote:
Well the best advice any of us can really give you is to head to your local guitar shops and play everything that looks in some way appealing to you and see what guitar or guitars really do appeal to you, and then work with those "first round favorites" a bit more extensively until you find the right one. Or...if you are really lucky, one guitar of the group you try will really just look, and feel, and sound all around right and terrific for you, and you will have found "the one". Oh, and please don't think that you can't own a Huss & Dalton...or any other brand that is often tied closely to bluegrass, or any type of musical style that is not what you would play on it. Any brand, any model can be the right one for you! Any brands or models we suggest are just what we may like, but really, the only thing that matters is that you find the one that YOU like. That's the right one! Have fun...and THANKS for supporting your local shops!!! duff Be A Player...Not A Polisher |
#29
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Quote:
__________________
Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. Mark Twain |
#30
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How about the new Guild F512 12 string - this look spectacular. It's also got big historic musical connotations
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advice, martin, new guitar |
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