Affordable modern guitar

[abn556]

Larrivee OM-40R or the M if you prefer a hog model. You can pick them up very clean used on Dave’s for under $1500 regularly. Its a great deal for half of a new 000-18 Martin.

[rollypolly]

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Try a Seagull. Everthing you need, nothing you don't need.

Thanks Charlie

I do already own a couple Seagulls. Got a newer S6 which I agree does have a little of what I'd call modern tone, and a S6 folk which to my ear is much more fundamental and raw which is also cool. I guess what I'm after is rosewood or at least something with a lot of swirling overtones , since nothing I have right now has much of that going on. What's nice about cheaper axes, I can have a bunch and I don't get divorced!

[Pdubs76]

I think the Taylor 214e is a fantastic do it all guitar with the modern tone for right around 1k. I play mine far more than I play my 814. Something about those 100/200 series that seem to scratch the itch for many.

[thefsb]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

Any other ideas?

Do you mind buying used?

Do you have a shape and size preference?

[Zissou Intern]

Audition a Recording King Tonewood Reserve RO-328 or RD28. They are surprisingly good guitars for $800.

[broy]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I have plenty of guitars with what I’d consider fundamental tone, plenty of hog and other simple tonewoods. And I recently sold my more expensive guitars to stick with an under $1k rule.

I love this $1k rule! Game changer when looking at the market. Also, if I guess wrong, I'll have a less vested interest in moving it along. I've just gone from fantasizing over a $7k guitar, to realistically being able to slide 3 - 4 guitars in over the next year if I keep them all to under $1k. Also, a trip to the local GC is more of an exciting thought for me... much more testing to do

You said you were looking for Rosewood... I believe I saw a few Epiphone rosewood dreads in the right price range on Reverb... have yet to play any, but have heard good things about them

[Rogerblair]

I’ve played higher end Martins and Gibsons all my life. I just bought an Alvarez Masterworks grand concert model, cedar over rosewood. It lacks NOTHING in tone, playability, and overall quality.

Check out the Masterworks lineup, lots of choices. I think you’ll be impressed.
I still have the Martins and Gibsons, but this new one is 95% the guitar that any of them are….seriously.

Roger

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by broy

I love this $1k rule! Game changer when looking at the market. Also, if I guess wrong, I'll have a less vested interest in moving it along. I've just gone from fantasizing over a $7k guitar, to realistically being able to slide 3 - 4 guitars in over the next year if I keep them all to under $1k.

Just to be devil's advocate, I would only go for 3 - 4 $1 k guitars if they were all different - one resonator, 1 all mahogany, 1 parlor, 1 cedar top, etc.

IF the idea is 3 - 4 spruce topped dreads at $1,000 each, IMO you're better off saving up and getting a single $4 k dread instead.

[BlueBowman]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

I've got to plug the Eastman E2OM-CD (again). For me (and a few other AGF members) it's hard to believe a guitar that plays and sounds this good with such high quality fit/finish can be had for so little.

Big thumbs up. I'm not sure you can find a more resonant OM guitar for the price. Of course, you need to like cedar. I own guitars from most tiers, and my E2OM-CD gets played alongside all of them. I think that says a lot.

[fingerling]

Me too, went with a GT, the 811e, because the scale length was a bit shorter at 24.125 and the nut width a bit smaller at 1 23/32 versus the 24.875 and the 1 3/4 for the GC or x12 series Taylor. And I find it a lot easier to play, just terrific spec in an guitar in the sweet spot size between an OO and OOO.

[rollypolly]

Would anyone think of the newst G-45 iteration as more modern sounding? I’m guessing with the walnut it may be.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

I have plenty of guitars with what I’d consider fundamental tone, plenty of hog and other simple tonewoods. And I recently sold my more expensive guitars to stick with an under $1k rule. So now I get to pick out an affordable but modern axe for the stable.
I want something that will get me close to a boutique sound but costs Walmart money. My first inclination has been a Yamaha LL in rosewood.

Any other ideas? In the 500-800 range.

I've been playing for 60 years and if I would recommend the Taylor Academy Walnut series of guitars, either the dread or preferably, the Grand Concert version.

They meet your specifications and are good enough that they could be a "forever" guitar.

Since I play amplified fairly often I would purchase the acoustic A22 (Grand Concert body style, without a pickup) and install a K&K Pure pickup. These guitars in their non-pickup versions are probably the best value in a sub-$1000 guitar available today.

[rollypolly]

Thanks Rudy, those do look sweet. I’ll have to go check them out. I wonder about the tone of the walnut top. The one thing is that for the same price of the academy you can get a used 114 or maybe a DN3 or something.

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

I think the Taylor 214e is a fantastic do it all guitar with the modern tone for right around 1k. I play mine far more than I play my 814. Something about those 100/200 series that seem to scratch the itch for many.

When I think of “modern sounding,” as in guitars that are not voiced like Martins and Gibsons, I think of the custom guitar world, and guitars like the Taylor Grand Auditorium (x14) model and similar guitars (Eastman ACs, Furch, etc.). Sure, companies make more modern sounding versions of Martin and Gibson models (e.g., for a lower price, guitars such as Eastman, and for a higher price, guitars such as Collings, etc), but they aren’t what I consider a modern sound.

When I think of modern sound, I think of the Somogyis that were played on Windham Hill recordings. I had no idea who Somogyi was, but I knew the sound. The tricky thing is, to get that sound, the top and back need to be very carefully (and lightly) built to be very responsive (the sides are typically very rigid). That isn’t easy to do, especially for $1,000.

I think a Taylor 214 is in the ballpark, as would a used Eastman AC422-CE. There is probably a Furch model that fits the bill as well. The Martin GPCs have a similar shape, but sound more like Martins.

[Zissou Intern]

Originally Posted by sinistral

When I think of “modern sounding,” as in guitars that are not voiced like Martins and Gibsons, I think of the custom guitar world, and guitars like the Taylor Grand Auditorium (x14) model and similar guitars (Eastman ACs, Furch, etc.). Sure, companies make more modern sounding versions of Martin and Gibson models (e.g., for a lower price, guitars such as Eastman, and for a higher price, guitars such as Collings, etc), but they aren’t what I consider a modern sound.

When I think of modern sound, I think of the Somogyis that were played on Windham Hill recordings. I had no idea who Somogyi was, but I knew the sound. The tricky thing is, to get that sound, the top and back need to be very carefully (and lightly) built to be very responsive (the sides are typically very rigid). That isn’t easy to do, especially for $1,000.

I think a Taylor 214 is in the ballpark, as would a used Eastman AC422-CE. There is probably a Furch model that fits the bill as well. The Martin GPCs have a similar shape, but sound more like Martins.

I read it that way at first as well, that the OP was looking for a modern sound, but then I noticed, "what I’d consider fundamental tone". That's not what I consider a modern sound. But what do I know? All I care about or like is based on vintage Gibson and Martin tones.