Suggestions for comfortable dread

[Boozehound]

Originally Posted by brencat

Santa Cruz dreads should get strong consideration. Many people don't realize they are dimensionally smaller than a comparable Martin or Collings dread.

My D/PW for example is 1/4" shallower at the heel and tail, while my 1934D is 3/8" shallower at the heel and tail and 1/2" smaller across in the upper bout vs the above two brands' dreads.

They are super forgiving to play, sound awesome with Light strings, great 'snap' in the highs, strong but not boomy bass, and an enhanced midrange with rich harmonics.

Seconded. If you can swing a SCGC Dread it's most definitely worth a look. They are smaller, lightly braced, and play well with light strings but still sound great. It all adds up to a guitar that is a joy to play.

[llew]

So are all the Santa Cruz dreads smaller than say a standard Martin dread?

[lowrider]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Ever considered a Martin J-40? You should - covers all your bases.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

Yup; Martin J-40. I have two Martin J body guitars, a J-40 and a custom shop J-17. They will have to ply them from my cold dead fingers!

[donlyn]

Originally Posted by JC.

You might also consider a Jumbo shape, like a Gibson J-185. They have tighter waists than dreads so sit lower on the leg when played seated.

Not only a jumbo, but also a Taylor xy8 Grand Orchestra. I have an 818, and it has a big bass sound if you want it, but also sounds great when played with a lighter touch. And the the shape reminds me of a jumbo with a wider waist or a dread with a bit of a waist. Great guitar. I fingerpick on it, but then I fingerpick all my instruments. I string the 818 with Elixir PB HD Lights, .013 - .053, and still have plenty of bass, but it doesn't dominate the trebles. And it's comfortable to play, especially seated.

Don
.

[Rogerblair]

I have a Taylor 510 (first Taylor I’ve ever liked, although I haven't played that many) that is a dread shape with a narrower body and a short scale neck. The sound is pretty incredible...much like a Martin D18, believe it or not. Smooth, rich with a nice tight rich bass.

It is very comfortable to play.

Rb

[dirkronk]

My suggestion will be quite far down the economic scale from most guitars mentioned above. However...

My ancient Yamaha FG180 (1969 Nippon Gakki) seems to fit the bill for the OP sizewise: slightly narrower upper bout, more pinched waist and shallower depth than a Martin-style dreadnought. So even in my creaky dotage, I find it easy to fit in my lap. Of course, you can't buy it...no way am I giving my old laminated pal up...but Yamaha has been reissuing FG replicas in solid wood over the past few years (I've seen several models, w/ and w/o electronics) and one of these might just be what you want. My own FG has aged beautifully, laminates notwithstanding, and has surprising volume, but the new replicas with solid woods given the ARE treatment seem pretty capable in the loudness department. Might check 'em out, anyway.

What I like tonewise about the FG is that the bass (esp. the low E) has both volume and real clarity. In contrast, I've always admired Gibson slope-shoulders but not the "thud/thump" of the low E on those models...YMMV.

Good luck finding what you want.

Dirk

[Mr. Jelly]

The SCGC D-12 is definitely thinner than standard dreads. It was designed for Norman Blake years ago.

[Dryfly]

Originally Posted by brencat

Santa Cruz dreads should get strong consideration. Many people don't realize they are dimensionally smaller than a comparable Martin or Collings dread.

My D/PW for example is 1/4" shallower at the heel and tail, while my 1934D is 3/8" shallower at the heel and tail and 1/2" smaller across in the upper bout vs the above two brands' dreads.

They are super forgiving to play, sound awesome with Light strings, great 'snap' in the highs, strong but not boomy bass, and an enhanced midrange with rich harmonics.

There is also the SCGC D-12 to consider.

[Monts]

Several of you mentioned the Grand Pacific, I have no idea why, but the body of my 317 did nothing but slide down my leg when I played it!

I've heard a few other people say that as well... just FYI if you consider getting one of these in terms of a more comfortable guitar. That being said, it was comfortable, but if I played in jeans that thing ended up down by my knee every time!

[brencat]

Originally Posted by llew

So are all the Santa Cruz dreads smaller than say a standard Martin dread?

Hi Jim, yes they are.

[cliff_the_stiff]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Ever considered a Martin J-40? You should - covers all your bases.

The usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

This is a great suggestion. I love the J-40.

[Wildgift]

Loving my Taylor 317. It's dread-is. I'm not a big guy and it's quite comfortable.

[maxtheaxe]

Originally Posted by llew

If you already like the Larrivee voicing perhaps an L body Larrivee? It sort of splits the difference between a dread and an OM (closer to a dread IMO) and still provides wider string spacing and almost all a true dread can deliver.

+1 on this. I have a couple L-series Larrivees and they are quite a bit more comfortable for me to play, while sacrificing virtually nothing, tone-wise, compared to a Dreadnought.

Lower bout of the 'L' is about the same as a Dread, at 16", and body depth is comparable, but has a narrower waist and rounded shoulders on the upper bout. I think the body might be slightly shorter as well, although haven't measured, so I couldn't swear to it.

I can tell very little difference in tone between my Dread and the L-series, but compared to the OM-40r I used to have, there was a very noticeable difference, which is why I finally sold it.

[DukeX]

Just an awesome, beautiful, very affordable slope dread. Tone and playability, 12-fret, 25.5 scale, 1.75 nut.

Comes with a great case, too.

[Dirk Hofman]

Originally Posted by brencat

Santa Cruz dreads should get strong consideration. Many people don't realize they are dimensionally smaller than a comparable Martin or Collings dread.

My D/PW for example is 1/4" shallower at the heel and tail, while my 1934D is 3/8" shallower at the heel and tail and 1/2" smaller across in the upper bout vs the above two brands' dreads.

They are super forgiving to play, sound awesome with Light strings, great 'snap' in the highs, strong but not boomy bass, and an enhanced midrange with rich harmonics.

+1, I was going to say the same, they are meaningfully smaller than other dreads.