Pleasant surprises and guitars that outpunch their weight

[zmf]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I wish I had a dollar for everyone who says that their model guitar sound as good as one twice it’s cost. What I want to know is which guitar punches below its weight.

To my ears, that would be the six or seven 000-28 EC's I tried out. Maybe I was hoping for too much Clapton magic. As always, YMMV.

[Glennm]

Originally Posted by mikiekimi

My Gibson L-00 Studio...I've been disappointed since the first day.

I had a Gibson Hummingturd like that...probably like your L-00, all show and no go. But conversely, I’ll always sing the praises of my Alvarez Masterworks MD60BG. Those guitars are a great value. I call mine “the D-18 impersonator”.

[Brucebubs]

In 2018 I bought 2 used guitars - both made in 2012, one cost 10x more than the other - both are Maple, full body straight acoustics - the more expensive one is lightly built and extremely responsive - the other needs a firmer approach - I find both are fantastic to play.



2012 Epiphone EJ-200 - 2012 Huss & Dalton MJ Custom

[ataylor]

I have been consistently impressed with the Yamaha FG guitars. Every one I’ve played — the FG800, FG830, FG820-12 — always make me look at the price tag and shake my head at how little is being charged for so much guitar.

[ruger9]

"punches above it's weight": Farida OT-22 here!

[woodpecker87]

Originally Posted by ruger9

"punches above it's weight": Farida OT-22 here!

Also just recently bought a Farida OT-22W (the 1.75" nut width version) and I'm beyond impressed with both sound and playability. Time will tell regarding durability but it is an excellent value at just over $400.

[llew]

Originally Posted by woodpecker87

Also just recently bought a Farida OT-22W (the 1.75" nut width version) and I'm beyond impressed with both sound and playability. Time will tell regarding durability but it is an excellent value at just over $400.

Yep...I got one for my wife so she could keep a guitar in altered tuning and had my luthier fabricate a new bone nut and saddle during a setup. It's way better than it's price would indicate.
The other is my Eastman E2D-CD. Same boat as the Farida only solid tone woods. I'm also curious about some of the new Recording King models that seem to parrot the Farida and Eastman.

[stephenT]

Value for fun factor and bucks spent award in my house goes to a Martin D jr I got from sweetwater, maybe 5 years ago, $420 and tax. just a great guitar. nice size, dreadnought voice for cheap, it's solid wood, 1 3/4ths nut,.. I got lucky and mine sounds very good.

You should be able to buy a satisfying very decent acoustic guitar for $1500-ish. I bought a used Waterloo WL-12 for $1550 and a new LAGS custom Martin 00-15 for something like $1270 seven or so years ago. I consider those guitars as bargains. I enjoy both, they are professional grade/quality instruments.

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Ralph124C41

Please do not throw bricks at me but you probably do not have a guitar with solid rosewood back and sides. You likely have a guitar with solid Santos rosewood, which is another marketing name for Pau Ferro or Morado ... none of which is a true rosewood.

This is from the current Saga listing for the model: Select solid Santos rosewood was chosen for the back and sides while the top is made of select solid Sitka spruce.

A few years ago AFAIK, Saga/Blueridge started using Santos rosewood, both solid and laminated, in many of its guitars.

I just wanted to point this out to you because for a long time I had thought the Blueridge guitars used true rosewood for its laminated and solid back and sides ... and not another type of wood that is similar to rosewood but isn't rosewood.

Originally Posted by mikiekimi

That very well may be...I was just going by their specs and it looks like rosewood, but I'm certainly no expert...I guess at the end of the day it doesn't change anything

Blueridge switched from EIR to Santos when CITES blew up a few years ago. As you said, it doesn't matter, if you enjoy the end product.

[rokdog49]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I wish I had a dollar for everyone who says that their model guitar sound as good as one twice it’s cost. What I want to know is which guitar punches below its weight.

A number of leftover Taylor’s at Wildwood Music in Coshocton, Ohio before they closed their doors. That’s why they were leftovers. $1500 and up and not one of them was worth anywhere close to their “weight”.

[Goat Mick]

I have two that have floored me from the first strum. My Ibanez AVC6 and my Farida OT-22w. Both were very similar in price and both are astonishingly good. I recorded two of my CDs with the Ibanez because it just had the perfect woody tone I wanted for the projects.

[NotveryGood]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I wish I had a dollar for everyone who says that their model guitar sound as good as one twice it’s cost. What I want to know is which guitar punches below its weight.

GS Mini Koa. Wanted to like it but seemed like a toy really. Fingers kept tripping over the narrow neck ,and a capo pulled it out of tune. I dont miss it.

[TorzJohnson]

Gibson J-45 Studio Rosewood. It's easily earned it's place right next to my D-28 and D-18.

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I wish I had a dollar for everyone who says that their model guitar sound as good as one twice it’s cost. What I want to know is which guitar punches below its weight.

Taylor 317 Grand Pacific. An $1800 guitar that sounded like a $317 guitar. I won't even consider another Taylor after that.

[Rmccamey]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

My initial thoughts are Yamaha and Godin guitars (Seagull/Simon & Patrick) in the sub $500 range; however, it's been years since I've been surprised by how nice they are. They just are. Still, some people are unaware so I'll include it here.

I have a Collings OM and an S&P mini-jumbo. They are almost identical in size and both are solid wood with Spruce tops. The Collings has more projection and sustain...but...the S&P is so nice, easy to play, sounds fantastic, and at 10X less than the cost of the Collings, had I bought the S&P first, I'm not sure I would have been able to justify the $ difference in the cost/quality/sound equation between the two! I probably play the S&P 2:1 over the Collings.

[Matthutch]

Yep, another S&P fan here. I have a Simon & Patrick cedar topped dreadnought that my wife bought me as a wedding present 15 years ago. Think it cost £300 at the time. It's a lovely guitar. A few years ago it started to become hard to play as the action was creeping up. Took it to a luthier who sorted it out and it's played and sounded like a dream ever since.

I'm half thinking of getting something 'better' next year for my 50th, partly because I'd like something with a spruce top too. We'll have to see. Once it's a bit easier to go into shops and try things I'll play a few higher end guitars and see how I feel!

Here's a clip of me playing it if you're interested.