The "best" maple guitar is. . .

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

For the sake of those who live and work lower in price ranges I'd look to Guild, which the OP doesn't have on their list, even though when I think of maple backs I think of the arched maple backs on some classic Guild designs along with the Gibson jumbos. I've certainly heard nice playing and recordings using those two, and I like my US Guild JF30-12.

Guild F-55 Maple - filmed at the Guild plant in front of the actual press used to make the laminated arch backs.



I bought a Gibson SJ-200 in 2020 but the Guild F-55 Maple was a close 2nd choice.

[mcduffnw]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Guild F-55 Maple - filmed at the Guild plant in front of the actual press used to make the laminated arch backs.



I bought a Gibson SJ-200 in 2020 but the Guild F-55 Maple was a close 2nd choice.

Man O Man...what a GLORIOUS sounding Guild!!!

Really nice nice playing, really and truly pulling that wonderful tone out of the guitar.



duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

[llew]

Wonder if Guild would build a F-55 Maple with a 1 3/4"nut and a 2 1/4" saddle spacing? Never have heard anyone mention whether they have a custom shop.

[Sadie-f]

Originally Posted by mcduffnw

If you watch, as you listen, you can see/hear that Mary is intentionally playing to keep the bass in the background relative to the mid and treble strings. If you listen to a bunch of her epic "Songs From Home" Youtube series during the height of the Covid pandemic, you can hear the power of this guitars bass when she wants to bring it forward...but...she tends to use the bass, especially the low E string very very judiciously on most of her songs. That particular guitar has a very firm, medium deep bass that is very warm, deftly resonant, and present, but not big, round, and boomy...very much Gibsonesque...in a good way...from a J-185 body style, which is what John patterned this model of his after.

From a technique standpoint, MCC is quite remarkable, for a singer/songwriter, in her skill and command of very nuanced control of her tone, timbre, and dynamics both strumming and fingerpicking...and that Greven guitar is very equally adept at exceptional response to her command and control.

I have personally played the OOOOM...John calls it a OOOOF model...guitar that he made for John Denver, back in 1982. It is a truly fabulous sounding guitar...very very smooth, warm, and deep sounding, with a really firm and deep bass.

If you go to SoundCloud at look up John Greven or Greven Guitars, and listen to the soundclip of the OOOOF, that is me playing a song that I composed on John Denver's former Greven guitar. It was such a delight to play. Unfortunately, when they transferred the sound file over to SoundCloud, it created a little distortion in the file, but you can still get a really good idea of how really really nice that guitar sounds. It is/was one of the "playing" highlights of my life, being a HUGE JD fan, to get to hold and play that guitar over a few days time at John Greven's house.

I found an F0000 recording, and that's a great sounding guitar (and playing!).

I listened to the MCC recording with better headphones, I still think that (again, looks to be) SM-58 isn't really doing the guitar justice, and on looking more closely I see that mic is focused on the soundhole, and the bass notes are sounding a shade boomy. It's hard to say for sure, but her vocals are on either a Neuman U67/U87, or something clearly designed to look like same, so they're optimizing her (wonderful) vocals over the instrument anyway.

THe MCC Songs From Home only make it clear that the mic(s) are a long distance from the singer, and I would say the bass of that guitar wasn't very present in any of those videos.

Clearly Greven is making a maple guitar with impressive bass, wish I could hear that one in person, it sure sounds like it's on a par with the Froggy Bottom I played a few weeks ago.

[Hank T. Tone]

Taylor doesn't make 'em anymore but if you can get your hands on a used mid-2000s 615 jumbo I highly recommend it. This guitar has the nickname, "the Cannon," because of its booming projection that can cut through any acoustic ensemble. Maple back and sides, sitka spruce soundboard and binded ebony fretboard. Great action and a joy to play whether strummed or picked. Makes a happy jangly sound strummed or flat-picked, or darker and smoother with finger-picking, but always with sparkling clarity and an impressive bass tone. The only way to relieve my of my Taylor 615CE is pry it from my dead cold stiff fingers. Get one if you can but don't put out a hit on me. You wouldn't want mine anyway, it's a lefty. ;-)

[Pura Vida]

Originally Posted by Guitarplayer_PR

. . . the one I'm looking for, so help me decide

In order to help you, I think we'd need to better understand your needs. Is this a strummer, fingerstyle, both guitar? What body size are you looking for? Also, what is your budget? I've seen suggestions here, ranging from $1000+ all the way to over $30,000.

I own two Eastman Maple guitars: one Jumbo, one GA size. Both are excellent, but completely different instruments. The Jumbo has evolved nicely and keeps getting better, while the GA is only a few months old.

AC622CE (Euro Spruce, Maple, GA body size):
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=646716

AC630-BD (Engelmann Spruce, Maple, Jumbo body size):
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=561424