The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #61  
Old 05-20-2019, 07:15 AM
Shades of Blue Shades of Blue is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,154
Default

You will hear this many times, but go to a shop and play what you like and let the guitar choose YOU.

Having said that, I too thought Dreadnoughts were the only "real" acoustic guitar worth owning. After trying many GAs, OMs, 000s, and others, I find that other guitars certainly have their places. I now have proven to myself that while I find Dreads to be the most versatile of guitars, it's best to choose the right tool for the job.

Having come full circle, I just prefer dreads and bigger guitars. I like the chest rumbling, full bass, and volume of bigger guitars. Some prefer the response and delicateness of a smaller body. We all like something a little different.
Reply With Quote
  #62  
Old 05-20-2019, 02:09 PM
colchar colchar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 262
Default

So here is a question - I am not interested in electronics on an acoustic but I've found a used guitar that I would like to check out which has electronics (the guitar will have to be brought in from another province). I have electronics in my LL6, but they are unobtrusive. This guitar, a Taylor 414, has the three control knobs on the upper shoulder. Having controls there kind of bugs me, but I am wondering if I should force myself to get over this if I like everything else about the guitar, particularly when it is in mint condition and is available for 2/3rds of the price new. Because of the electronics I can't decide whether to have the guitar brought in or not. If it didn't have those I would be all over it.

How much of an issue should I let this be, or should I ignore it if everything else about the guitar works for me?
__________________
----------
"All of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks"
Reply With Quote
  #63  
Old 05-20-2019, 02:42 PM
personatech's Avatar
personatech personatech is offline
Charter Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Roanoke Rapids, NC
Posts: 1,039
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mycroft View Post
He is talking Canadian dollars, so is actually saying about $1700 or so in US dollars. I think that the exchange rate is about seventy-five cents us to one Canadian.
Sorry - that's correct. Here's a good site for exchange rates: xe.com
Reply With Quote
  #64  
Old 05-20-2019, 03:06 PM
Pitar Pitar is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 5,129
Default

I think the confusion is more consumer induced than anything else, and the market is engineering its products accordingly.

First off, you can play anything on any acoustic guitar so all those choices should be immediately homogenized to a personal preference for one guitar that fits your feel and ear.

Second, of the legitimate choices there are 6 and 12 steel string guitars, and then there are nylon string guitars of the classical and cross-over variety.

Once the consumer market got itself a forum the content somehow categorized which guitars are suited to which music, builders cropped up everywhere in response to it, prices went through the roof and all of it is built on forum discussions that have no factual credibility. It's 100% preference driven and of that preference I would venture a guess that most of it is just being parroted by people who have little real experience as accomplished players with developed hand and ear skills. A very few have set the tone for what music should be played on what guitar.

I learned to play Classical Gas on a Yamaha FG230 12 string because I loved the piece and the guitar sounded good. Plus, I was very young, inexperienced and to my green hands and ears all guitars were the same, aside from the number and type of strings.

So, the choices should not be confusing if you dismiss all the forum induced profiling of music and guitars. Just get what you like, learn to play it well and go from there.
Reply With Quote
  #65  
Old 05-20-2019, 03:08 PM
mcduffnw mcduffnw is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,030
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by colchar View Post
So here is a question - I am not interested in electronics on an acoustic but I've found a used guitar that I would like to check out which has electronics (the guitar will have to be brought in from another province). I have electronics in my LL6, but they are unobtrusive. This guitar, a Taylor 414, has the three control knobs on the upper shoulder. Having controls there kind of bugs me, but I am wondering if I should force myself to get over this if I like everything else about the guitar, particularly when it is in mint condition and is available for 2/3rds of the price new. Because of the electronics I can't decide whether to have the guitar brought in or not. If it didn't have those I would be all over it.

How much of an issue should I let this be, or should I ignore it if everything else about the guitar works for me?

If at all possible, you should ignore the knobs, and have the guitar brought in to try.

If you really like it, and you decide to buy it, you could at some point...if you can't get "over" the knobs being there...have the knobs removed and wooden plugs put into the holes. A good luthier/repair person can do that and match the grain of the wood of the "plugs" really well with the wood of the side the knobs were in, so you would see it very little if at all.

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

Last edited by mcduffnw; 05-20-2019 at 03:09 PM. Reason: add content
Reply With Quote
  #66  
Old 05-20-2019, 04:24 PM
RGWelch RGWelch is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 274
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by colchar View Post
So here is a question - I am not interested in electronics on an acoustic but I've found a used guitar that I would like to check out which has electronics (the guitar will have to be brought in from another province). I have electronics in my LL6, but they are unobtrusive. This guitar, a Taylor 414, has the three control knobs on the upper shoulder. Having controls there kind of bugs me, but I am wondering if I should force myself to get over this if I like everything else about the guitar, particularly when it is in mint condition and is available for 2/3rds of the price new. Because of the electronics I can't decide whether to have the guitar brought in or not. If it didn't have those I would be all over it.

How much of an issue should I let this be, or should I ignore it if everything else about the guitar works for me?
Seems to me that's a compromise you don't have to take. Is this a used guitar? To me, electronics is a major feature/blemish to a guitar. I have guitars that have electronics, and ones that don't. I won't put electronics in a guitar that doesn't because that will change the guitar, and I probably won't like a guitar better because it has electronics. If it already has them, then I liked the guitar as is, and will accept the electronics as part of that guitar. But if I looked at a guitar, and said I would love it except for the electronics, then I would move on, that's not the guitar for me. There are too many others available that will be acceptable for me as is, than for me to compromise on a guitar in that way. Especially if it's a guitar I'm spending a lot of money on. Frankly, the ones I own that have electronics are the cheaper guitars. My nicer guitars have no electronics, and I prefer them that way.

Remember, anything you do to a guitar affects it's sound, that includes adding or removing electronics.
Reply With Quote
  #67  
Old 05-20-2019, 04:42 PM
6L6 6L6 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 5,506
Default

Keep saving until you can afford a Martin '37 D-28A Authentic with VTS. You'll be glad you did!
Reply With Quote
  #68  
Old 05-20-2019, 06:13 PM
guitar george guitar george is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: 49th parallel north
Posts: 4,080
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mcduffnw View Post
If at all possible, you should ignore the knobs, and have the guitar brought in to try.

If you really like it, and you decide to buy it, you could at some point...if you can't get "over" the knobs being there...have the knobs removed and wooden plugs put into the holes. A good luthier/repair person can do that and match the grain of the wood of the "plugs" really well with the wood of the side the knobs were in, so you would see it very little if at all.
I have had quite a lot of minor repair work done on guitars over the years, by a highly skilled and reputable luthier, and from what I know from him it would be impossible to match the grain pattern of the side when plugging holes.
Reply With Quote
  #69  
Old 05-20-2019, 08:41 PM
colchar colchar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 262
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RGWelch View Post
Seems to me that's a compromise you don't have to take. Is this a used guitar? To me, electronics is a major feature/blemish to a guitar. I have guitars that have electronics, and ones that don't. I won't put electronics in a guitar that doesn't because that will change the guitar, and I probably won't like a guitar better because it has electronics. If it already has them, then I liked the guitar as is, and will accept the electronics as part of that guitar. But if I looked at a guitar, and said I would love it except for the electronics, then I would move on, that's not the guitar for me. There are too many others available that will be acceptable for me as is, than for me to compromise on a guitar in that way. Especially if it's a guitar I'm spending a lot of money on. Frankly, the ones I own that have electronics are the cheaper guitars. My nicer guitars have no electronics, and I prefer them that way.

Remember, anything you do to a guitar affects it's sound, that includes adding or removing electronics.


Yes, it is a used guitar.

Today was a holiday here, so I will call the store tomorrow and speak to the manager who was helping me. He had told me that Taylors can be ordered without electronics so I will get him to check around and see what is availabe used but without electronics.
__________________
----------
"All of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks"
Reply With Quote
  #70  
Old 05-20-2019, 09:04 PM
mcduffnw mcduffnw is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 3,030
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guitar george View Post
I have had quite a lot of minor repair work done on guitars over the years, by a highly skilled and reputable luthier, and from what I know from him it would be impossible to match the grain pattern of the side when plugging holes.

I didn't say it would be a complete match...I said it could be gotten close...which it can...I have seen it. It would be harder on Rosewood than say Mahogany or a fairly bland maple, but I have seen it done on Rosewood sided guitars where the match wasn't too far off. I have seen remarkably good matches on hole patches on vintage rosewood back and sided guitars...even spider webbed brazilian guitars. It all depends on the luthiers restoration skills...AND...the caliber and color and grain varieties of their wood stocks available to use for repair patches. Restoration patching is definitely an art form skill set in and of itself.

Remember...my first choice was to just ignore the buttons...as really...you do not see them very much at all when you hold the guitar and play, either sitting or standing. This is especially true of Taylor's ES control buttons as they are very low profile.

duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher
Reply With Quote
  #71  
Old 07-12-2019, 01:54 PM
colchar colchar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 262
Default

Just an update............

I recently came across a listing for an NOS custom Gibson Songwriter model. Only 65 were made for Canada's largest guitar store chain, and one was still floating around but the price had been significantly reduced. The originating store refused to transfer it to my local store, so I contacted the company president who got the guitar into my local store in less than 72 hours.

I played it earlier today for a brief time (was in a hurry to get home from work but made a detour to pop into the store). From what I could tell today, it is a beautiful guitar. It has a red spruce top, and the back and sides are a lighter wood than I had expected. I am not sure which wood they are, but it is a nice look. The information at the link provided below says that the back and sides are mahogany, but I don't know that I have ever seen mahogany of that particular colour before. I am not saying it doesn't exist in that colour, just that I've never seen it. There isn't as much grain showing on the back as I normally like, but I'm not about to let that dissuade me.

The fretboard badly needs some lemon oil, but that is easy to deal with. It also needs new strings, which is also an easy fix. The guitar tech at that store is a good friend of mine so I will call him over the weekend to let him know it is there and he can take care of those things for me when he returns Tuesday.

The neck felt very comfortable, and the sound was very well balanced. It never became bassy or boomy, which can be a problem with some acoustics (at least for me as I try to transition to picking with thumb and first finger and as that technique continues to develop). When playing with fingers I find that some acoustics can sound a bit muffled, but this one didn't. It was also loud as hell when played with a pick.

Overall I was impressed, and it is a great deal (new, but for about $1800 less than normal after taxes). I just have to decide whether I am ready to drop $2500 (after taxes) on it. Right now, I am fairly certain that I am, but I want to play it a bit more before taking the final plunge. I will also put my Yamaha LL6 and its deluxe case up for sale to see if that will move because I do not need two acoustics.

I managed to find a listing for one of this model on reverb.com, and have included the link below so that people can see the exact model that I am talking about. The one pictured here shows more grain on the back than mine does, but is otherwise identical (except that this one is used). Here is the link:

https://reverb.com/item/18267490-gib...rondack-spruce
__________________
----------
"All of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks"
Reply With Quote
  #72  
Old 07-12-2019, 06:23 PM
donlyn donlyn is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3,045
Default

When Did Buying An Acoustic Become So Confusing???

Actually it's an inverse relationship based on what you know about something. Ignorance can be bliss, but as others have written, just play as many guitars as you can. Use your knowledge wisely. And keep learning. One or more guitars will choose you.

Comfort, playability, and sound are your 3 boxes to check off.

Don
.
__________________
*The Heard:
85 Gibson J-200 sitka/rosewood Jumbo
99 Taylor 355 sitka/sapele 12 string Jmbo
06 Alvarez AJ60S englmn/mpl lam med Jmbo
14 Taylor 818e sitka/rosewood Grand Orchestra
05 Taylor 512ce L10 all mahogany Grand Concert
09 Taylor all walnut Jmbo
16 Taylor 412e-R sitka/rw GC
16 Taylor 458e-R s/rw 12 string GO
21 Epiphone IBG J-200 sitka/maple Jmbo
22 Guild F-1512 s/rw 12 string Jmbo
Reply With Quote
  #73  
Old 07-12-2019, 07:44 PM
Rockysdad Rockysdad is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,415
Default

As stated your best bit of advice here is play as many as you can, you'll find it that way.

Then go buy a Larrivee ( yes they have gloss finishes, 05 series & up).
Moving their business to California was business, & Jean's getting on in years and wanted a better climate. ( I'm a Canadian in the States, but STILL a Canadian)
__________________
Herman
Reply With Quote
  #74  
Old 07-13-2019, 02:57 AM
JKA JKA is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Northumberland, UK
Posts: 463
Default

Stop being confused in two easy steps.

1) Don't take any notice of what is posted on the forum
2) Buy whatever takes your fancy

Problem solved
Reply With Quote
  #75  
Old 07-13-2019, 08:49 AM
colchar colchar is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 262
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockysdad View Post
As stated your best bit of advice here is play as many as you can, you'll find it that way.

Then go buy a Larrivee ( yes they have gloss finishes, 05 series & up).
I didn't realize that, thanks. They are a bit above my price range new, but I could check used ones.


Quote:
Jean's getting on in years and wanted a better climate. ( I'm a Canadian in the States, but STILL a Canadian)
Better climate? He lived in Vancouver!
__________________
----------
"All of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks"
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=