Best guitar type for singers

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by mercy

There are many guitars that are good for singers but Gibsons are perfect. Its there but not in the way of the singer like Taylor's are. We have two extremes here.

OMG, I'm glad someone else feels that way. I always like the sound of a Taylor until I try to sing over it. Then I'm just fighting with it. My Gibson always just feels like its got my back and it's there to help when I'm singing with it.

[Kh1967]

This might be helpful:

https://youtu.be/-yNorTHrvvk

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Tiguarist

Thanks a lot for your answers, im writing down your recommendations and ill make a list to test at my local shop. Ill also look into the Seagull S6 Original as recommended.

Great choice.

Try as many guitars as you can. They all have their strengths and weaknesses relative to what you want to play and what you hear.

[jrb715]

Originally Posted by Kh1967

This might be helpful:

https://youtu.be/-yNorTHrvvk

I did find this, if not exactly helpful, very interesting. A disclaimer is that the recorded sound (even through high end speakers and headphones) isn't what we would hear live.

Two comments below the video caught my reaction.

The first was "it doesn't (effing) matter." And it really didn't, each guitar supported the singer and, in fact, they sounded fairly similar through much of the recording.

The second was from someone who liked the sound of the voice over the Gibson but noted that the singer seemed more involved with the short scale Collings. And, for me, how a guitar inspires me, keeps me involved in the song matters most and I trust the sound will follow: and that will clearly be different for different players, and can almost certainly be different for different songs or styles of song. (It's one reason I have more than one guitar.)

[alnico5]

IF a ToneRite can "open up" a guitar then surely, after my guitar has "listened" to me sing for 25 years, it has matched my voice.

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by RalphH

OMG, I'm glad someone else feels that way. I always like the sound of a Taylor until I try to sing over it. Then I'm just fighting with it. My Gibson always just feels like its got my back and it's there to help when I'm singing with it.

...well that surely accentuates the premise that it totally depends on the singer....there are plenty of pro singers who use Taylor guitars that get along with them just fine...who you ask?...here’s a link to a partial list...

https://www.taylorguitars.com/artists

[Glennwillow]

Which guitar works for a singer depends on the amount of hearing damage the listener is dealing with.

Hearing damage generally manifests itself as loss of higher frequencies. Based on that, what a hearing-damaged listener is hearing will be bass heavy since the treble will be missing as the signal arrives in his/her brain. Therefore, a guitar that has more bass -- such as a rosewood back and sides guitar, especially a dreadnought -- will cause this listener more trouble in being able to pick out the singer because bass is already emphasized in his/her hearing and will mask the sound of the singer unless the vocal is WAY louder than the guitar.

I have experienced this phenomenon many times in doing recordings for people. It's the performer with hearing aids that is always demanding that I cut bass in the mixdown of the recording even though what was recorded was completely flat and even though the recording I provided them sounded great to my ears.

Many older players don't like bass because it muddies up what they are hearing in their heads. Consequently, players with hearing issues tend to pick guitars to sing with that are lighter on bass, such as those with mahogany or maple back and sides.

I'm not suggesting that everyone who picks out mahogany or maple guitars is hard of hearing. People like what they like.

- Glenn

[perttime]

You have a local shop?
Try everything, even if it isn't quite in your price range.

If the one you like is cheaper, so much the better. If the one you like is too expensive, you'll at least know what to look for.

[SingingSparrow]

Originally Posted by alnico5

IF a ToneRite can "open up" a guitar then surely, after my guitar has "listened" to me sing for 25 years, it has matched my voice.

You know, while you may be kidding, I wouldn't put that outside the realm of possibility. Or even, probability. I like to the world is pretty cool like that

[RalphH]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

...well that surely accentuates the premise that it totally depends on the singer....there are plenty of pro singers who use Taylor guitars that get along with them just fine...who you ask?...here’s a link to a partial list...

https://www.taylorguitars.com/artists

Oh absolutely, and I said exactly that several replies ago - my wife's voice goes really well with my GS mini. I'm just glad that I'm not the only weirdo that can't seem to sing over a Taylor -- I thought it was just me! (and I will add, for the benefit of the OP -- i've not tried every type of Taylor; my local shop has never had a GP model in, and if there's a Taylor that would work for me, that's probably it).

Go to a shop and try everything in your price range -- the high end stuff from the cheaper brands, the cheaper end stuff from the high-end brands, everything. Just make sure you sing with them in the shop.

[EZYPIKINS]

Originally Posted by J Patrick

...well that surely accentuates the premise that it totally depends on the singer....there are plenty of pro singers who use Taylor guitars that get along with them just fine...who you ask?...here’s a link to a partial list...

https://www.taylorguitars.com/artists

If Taylor gave me a 614 I'd play it every day. I'd put different electronics in it. And get rid of those Elixir strings. But if I'm laying down my cash, I'll choose a guitar with a better tone out of the gate. I agree the Iphone age does lend itself to the Taylor tone. I don't listen to music on my phone. I use my phone to call people. I come from an older era.

[Richard_H]

I'd think that the choice of guitars for any singer would be based on how strong a voice they have and on the comfort and playability of the guitar.

Any decent quality guitar should work, but a smaller individual may not be comfortable with a large guitar like a Jumbo or Dreadnought.

On the other hand, a person with a very loud voice may need a Jumbo or Dreadnought to balance their voice.