#16
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What does a $2000 guitar look like? Glossy lacquer and lots of abalone? There are lots of high end guitars that have neither. I am not sure I understand your objections to Waterloos.
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#17
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Quote:
If I spent 2,000 on a guitar that didn't "look it's price" my wife would say "you paid how much for that?" "Reality" vs guitar world. Unavoidable, even though we know better.
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Barry Sad Moments {Marianne Vedral cover}: My SoundCloud page Some steel strings, some nylon. |
#18
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I'm one of those guys who say you should just buy an old ladder-braced guitar if that's what you want, the Kalamazoo KG-14 in particular, since that's what the original Waterloos were based on. Many people have no idea what a ladder braced guitar is like, what they are good for and what they are not good for, so perhaps there is a built in disappointment factor, I don't know.
Just for the record, Kalamazoos were built on the Gibson line by the same people who built all those golden age guitars with wood that is solid and now 80 some years old. For me that puts them way ahead of a new guitar copy built by anybody. But they are ladder braced guitars for sure and that is what they sound like. If you dig it, they are great. If your ear is used to ladder bracing, they suck. And Gibson made a ton of Kalamazoo guitars so you can pick and choose a good one with a little shopping. You can certainly find them with good necks and stable bodies if you look. This idea that older guitars need more care and maintenance just depends on the guitar. All guitars need care and maintenance sooner or later. The bridge fell off of my 15 year old Martin because of the way they glued it on. That is just how they do...
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2003 Martin OM-42, K&K's 1932 National Style O, K&K's 1930 National Style 1 tricone Square-neck 1951 Rickenbacker Panda lap steel 2014 Gibson Roy Smeck Stage Deluxe Ltd, Custom Shop, K&K's 1957 Kay K-27 X-braced jumbo, K&K's 1967 Gretsch 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville 2024 Mahogany Weissenborn, Jack Stepick Ear Trumpet Labs Edwina Tonedexter |
#19
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@ SillyMustache, I loved your version of I’ll fly away! Great job and I love the tone you get on that capo’d Waterloo. Thanks for the Romero video too. I’ll have to check them out in more detail.
As for turnover, these are relatively inexpensive guitars, easy to find, and easy to buy. The tone is quite specific. What may really entice you to get into old time music in the store may just not work out. But I don’t think the turnover is any higher than any other type of guitars. I’m a WL-12 owner and I adore mine. I paid $1800 out the door and I bet I could sell it for $1600. That’s only a $200 rental cost. I think a lot of us think like that so it’s worth a try. |
#20
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Give me a '30's Kalamazoo KG-11 or KG-14 any day. Terrific guitars. Light as a feather, with a loud, direct, fundamental tone from the ladder bracing really cuts. Great for old time flatpicking.
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Neal A few nice ones, a few beaters, and a few I should probably sell... |
#21
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Brings back a fond memory
"If I spent 2,000 on a guitar that didn't "look it's price" my wife would say "you paid how much for that?"
I was sitting at my favorite guitar store, while my wife and daughters were across the street checking out a dress shop. When they came into the shop, I was playing an older Gibson LG1, that had been Loved pretty hard over the years. As bad as it looked,,,,it sounded so much better. She looked at the guitar, and then at the price tag,,,,and in an unintentional loud voice stated,,,,"please tell me that you arn't going to pay that much for a guitar that looks like you drug it a couple miles behind your truck. The only thing that kept me from walking out with it that day was the incredibly narrow nut, not very comfortable for me to play. To this day she doesn't understand my attraction to well loved guitars. As far as the Waterloos, I wish there was a dealer close to me so I could try a few of the different models. |
#22
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I was very interested but never went out to play one. I really appreciate the Collings name and quality, but they were a little too pricey, even the used ones.
I know I would have liked/love it, because that is the type of old-timey sound I was looking for, and it would be only one of four acoustics, so I was not concerned about its perceived sonic limitations. But the price... So after further research I ended up with a much less expensive Martin 000-15sm. It is a very fine guitar with its own old-timey voice, and it is an absolute blast to play. |
#23
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I don't own one yet, but they're high on my list. I agree they're a niche type guitar, but well suited for the finger style blues I love to play. Ive gone out of my way to play every Waterloo I can get my hands on, and each has had its own unique voice, and everyone has really intrigued me. I'm a fan.
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'19 Waterloo WL-14X '46 Gibson LG2 '59 Gibson ES125T '95 Collings 0002H '80s Martin M36 |
#24
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I think it's like a resonator. Lot's of people think they want a resonator but after they have one for a while, they get tired of it. Same with 12 strings.
Same with Watrloo's? |
#25
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Quote:
Cannot afford one, even though I might like a 12 fret ladder braced version. I even cannot try any since there are no Collings dealer in the radius of 1000 miles from me. |
#26
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Not in my experience. I still have my 12 string, my resonator and my Waterloo.
My wife buys the car she wants, the shoes, etc. I buy the guitars I want, works out great. Quote:
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#27
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Perfect analogy! If you’re buying a guitar just to achieve a “look,” you likely won’t keep it long. Fall in love with the tone, and you’ll never part with it.
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#28
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I'm not trying to make you understand anything. It's just my opinion.
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#29
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A well built guitar needs to be played for a couple of years before it will start to sound played in.
I've been playing my Waterloo WL-14XTR for a couple of years now and only recently has it started to open up. I expect in a couple more years it's going to get even better. It seems like many folks buying new guitars don't understand that a new guitar will sound stiff and tight for 2-4 years. They want immediate gratification. When they don't find it they sell the guitar. Guitars from Gibson, Martin, Collings, etc. get better with time and playing. It's a proven fact and it's one of the reasons that premium vintage guitars cost more than new guitars. Torrified or "baked" wood guitars are treated to sound more like an old guitar that has dried out and been played. I'd guess that even so they will improve with time. |
#30
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I think this is one of those deals where people might like the idea of something more than they actually like the real thing. From what I've heard, many people might not bond with a straight braced, small guitar that excels in blues/ragtime/folk music when they are used to more modern guitars with more sustain and volume.
Or maybe the people that are interested in Waterloos end up graduating to the real thing. Like a Gibson L-00 or a Kalamazoo. Some of those older guitars can be had for less than Waterloos. But in the end, who knows...
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My Therapy: Martin 000-18GE 1937 Sunburst MFG Martin 000-15 Kevin Enoch Tradesman Open Back Banjo Collings MT2-O Honey Amber Royce Burt #560 5-String Fiddle |