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  #1  
Old 06-04-2023, 06:56 AM
Aahzz Aahzz is offline
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Default A very short trip to Nashville...

Ended up with a couple hours in Nashville yesterday, so of course I took advantage and hit up Gruhn and Carter Vintage. Got to play some stuff I've never been able to play around the Cincinnati area, and quite enjoyed it. Gruhn has more Martins than I've ever seen in one place! Also, lots of other stuff.

I got to play Collings, Martin, Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, Lowden, Oregon Breedlove...some notes

Martin D-28 Authentic 1937 - nice, deep, very full and dry sound. Played really well.

Collings D1AV - I was expecting more wow factor. Don't get me wrong, it was very nice, but I now really understand why I've heard people say that Eastmans sound a lot like Collings, because it sounded a whole lot like my E6D-TC, at 4 times the price. I didn't get to play them side by side, since I didn't have my Eastman with me, but the vibe was very similar.

Lowden The Old Lady - quite possibly the loudest acoustic I have ever played, and chock full of overtones. Sounded utterly amazing, but would so not be the right guitar to accompany my singing, which is my primary style.

Martin D-28 Satin - Sounded surprisingly dull - I expected to like it, and I just didn't. Also, I don't care for the satin amberburst in person.

Martin D-18 Standard - had to play something as a control, since I didn't have any of mine with me. I'm a sucker for Sitka over Mahogany, and it didn't disappoint.

Santa Cruz Dread - not recalling the model, because I hated the neck instantly.

Bourgeois - played a couple, a slope and something smaller - sounded good but I hated the neck.

Oregon Breedlove - GA-ish in size, sounded nice but didn't wow me.

At the end of the day, I prefer my Guild D-40E to any of them except the Lowden, which isn't for me. Runner up would be the D-18 Standard.
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Last edited by Aahzz; 06-04-2023 at 07:04 AM.
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  #2  
Old 06-04-2023, 07:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aahzz View Post
Gruhn has more Martins than I've ever seen in one place!
That got my attention. LOL! I was going to ask if you saw any live music, but I see you were otherwise occupied!
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  #3  
Old 06-04-2023, 07:19 AM
Aahzz Aahzz is offline
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Originally Posted by janinep7 View Post
That got my attention. LOL! I was going to ask if you saw any live music, but I see you were otherwise occupied!
I really wanted to see some live music, but was only there for a couple hours. But yeah, if you're a Martin fan, you should get there.

Just a quick shot of the main section - but there are multiple side rooms filled with guitars. I'd estimate around 100 various Martins out and playable. The whole wall to the left was all Martin.

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Old 06-04-2023, 07:22 AM
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Look at all those guitars!!! I bet that place smells so good. I love the smell of Rosewood, Mahogany and Spruce in the morning.
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Old 06-04-2023, 07:29 AM
abn556 abn556 is offline
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Nashville is definitely the place to look at guitars now. My wife and I went up there during Covid. I ended up getting a Gibson Custom Shop 64 SG with Maestro at the Gibson Garage. That was fun place to spend a day. Much more electric oriented though.

Lots of really good players in the bars up and down Broadway. Good music all over town and I am not really a country music fan.

My advice on Nashville as a guitar player - don’t go unless you’re prepared to buy something. There are just too many temptations….

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Old 06-04-2023, 07:37 AM
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I am not really a country music fan.
Them is fightin' words!

Quote:
My advice on Nashville as a guitar player - don’t go unless you’re prepared to buy something. There are just too many temptations….
You mean like "spending accidents?"

(I dream of Nashville and Nazareth!)
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Old 06-04-2023, 09:13 AM
rstaight rstaight is offline
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Originally Posted by abn556 View Post
My advice on Nashville as a guitar player - don’t go unless you’re prepared to buy something. There are just too many temptations….
I live in Lafayette Indiana. I have a hard time going into the local shops with out dropping some large coin. I have yet to find a guitar shop that I couldn't take another guitar home.

Thank goodness for my wife keeping me in check. But sometimes she says that one looks nice. That tells me buy one.
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Old 06-04-2023, 09:20 AM
birkenweg42 birkenweg42 is offline
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Living in a guitar wasteland, the Sierra Nevada foothills in California, I am a little envious. One day I will make the trip to Nashville.
Thanks for sharing.
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Old 06-04-2023, 09:38 AM
mattwood mattwood is offline
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It's truly one of the best places to play a lot of different brands and models of guitars. I could have spent hours but non guitar family members were with me so I didn't want to make them wait that long. Next time...
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Old 06-04-2023, 09:45 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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It's good to know that you already have the right guitar!

- Glenn
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  #11  
Old 06-04-2023, 10:59 AM
K20C K20C is offline
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Any Carter Vintage pics? I bought a guitar there but have never been.
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Old 06-04-2023, 11:37 AM
Aahzz Aahzz is offline
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I wish I'd gotten a Carter Vintage pic or two, but they were rather crowded and I didn't feel good about capturing a bunch of people in the pic.

In the meantime, if anyone is looking to drop 8 grand, this Lowden at Gruhn is indeed spectacular, and the loudest acoustic guitar I've ever played. Ridiculously responsive as well.

https://guitars.com/inventory/am8929...susan-old-lady
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  #13  
Old 06-04-2023, 01:47 PM
Br1ck Br1ck is offline
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The amount of guitars greater than $8000 astounds me. Last time I went to Sylvan, I stood in front of the SCGC section which was next to the Froggy Bottom section. SCGCs were $7500 up and the Froggys were $10,000+.

Still, I'll drive my 05 Honda forever to spend every extra cent on guitars.
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Old 06-04-2023, 02:37 PM
MichaelPatrick MichaelPatrick is offline
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We have some airline credits and have been considering a trip to Nashville. Looks like this would be well worth the visit.
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  #15  
Old 06-04-2023, 04:33 PM
IraDuncan IraDuncan is offline
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This thread is going to cost me money eventually.

I had the pleasure of visiting Guitar Gallery in Whitehouse several years ago, and I have never been to Gruhn or Carter Vintage.

CVE has a couple I'm interested in but I'm not planning on going until I have a certain amount of cash ready to drop.

If it takes me a little while, so be it.
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