Looking for a fingerpicking blues guitar

[anton]

I'm looking for a third guitar to complement my two other more modern sounding acoustics. I currently have a spruce/rosewood OM by Fabrizio Alberico and an old Goodall Rosewood Standard.

To my ear I would say both these guitars have lush sounds with lots of overtones. I mostly play fingerstyle arrangements of celtic music, so these guitars work well.

I've been doing more alternating/steady bass blues and roots based fingerpicking, mostly via David Hamburger's excellent Fingerstyle Five course. I've got room for one more guitar, and thought it would be nice to get a guitar with a different sound, maybe more fundamental, quicker decay, more note separation. For this type of playing I use fingers with a bit of natural nail. I'm thinking

• $3K budget
  00 or similar body size
  Short scale
  1 3/4 and 2 1/4 nut/bridge spacing minimum
  Open to 12 or 14 fret

I'm in Portland, OR, and open to buying online, though in person is always nice, or with a trial period at least.

Iris guitars is a big one on my radar, I played their AB in spruce/maple up in Seattle at Dusty Strings and really liked it. But i don't want another guitar that big. I'd be interested in trying their OG model, but all the ones I see have the narrower string spacing. Dusty Strings just got a bunch of OG's in stock, so maybe I need to make a trip up there to at least try one, and then I could order one with the wider string spacing.

Played a Martin CEO-7 locally and had high hopes, but it was to dark and mellow for my taste.

I was initially thinking about a Waterloo, but they seem impossible to find now, and I don't know that I want to pay the current asking prices for one.

I really like the look of the Huss & Dalton 00-SP. I played some a few years ago and remember enjoying them. Finding one in my budget might be tough, and the rosewood model might be close to what I currently own.

I had a call with Mighty Fine Guitars about this Nick Lucas style guitar by John De Lapp. http://mightyfineguitars.com/invento...ck-lucas-maple



The specs are what I want, good price, and it sounds nice in the video, plus its certainly different from what I have. And I could trial it for a few days. Part of me is hesitant about buying a guitar made by a relatively unknown luthier with no website. Though if I like the guitar I suppose that does not matter.

Thats where I am at, thought I would solicit suggestions from you wonderful folks here.

[KevinH]

I recently signed up for the Fingerstyle Five course and have found my Martin 00-18V to be a perfect fit, especially with some old Martin Monel strings. And of course David uses a 00-18. How about one of those? Seems to tic all the boxes.

[DBW]

I would go with a 15 or 18 series Martin.

[zmf]

No specific suggestions here, but you might check out the Daddy Stovepipe website for ideas. He gives youtube lessons on a range of blues styles, and uses a number of different guitars. I'm not suggesting that you buy exactly the guitars he's using, but it might point you in the general direction.

[mclarry53]

I think a Waterloo would be a great choice, especially one of the ladder-braced models. Some people think they've become over priced, but it should still keep you under $3000.

[anton]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Oh yea, how could I forget about the 00-18V. I too was drawn to David’s playing on his. I think I’d have to get the V. The standard 00-18 has narrower string spacing at the bridge

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by anton

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Oh yea, how could I forget about the 00-18V. I too was drawn to David’s playing on his. I think I’d have to get the V. The standard 00-18 has narrower string spacing at the bridge

BTW, if you do take a trip up to Dusty Strings, I'm right on the way up (20 min off I-5, near Tacoma). I'd be happy to let you try out my 00-18V if that would help.

[Mycroft]

Originally Posted by anton

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

Oh yea, how could I forget about the 00-18V. I too was drawn to David’s playing on his. I think I’d have to get the V. The standard 00-18 has narrower string spacing at the bridge

Hamburger plays a mid-50s 00-18, so, 1 11/16" nut and the the narrower bridge spacing, V neck. Never let the search for perfection be the enemy of the very good.

The 00-18V is a great model, however.

Did you try the 000-18 that is at Dusty?

[mcmars]

I think you are on the right track with waterloo, Iris, H&D or others in a 00 size and maybe spruce top/hog or maple B&S for a nice dry and woody tone without too many conflicting overtones for fingerstyle.

For waterloo, the WL-S is a wonderful choice if you can find one, might be one on AGF offered for a trade for a WL-12, another great choice. Been looking for a wl-mh for a few years, but so hard to find. The WL-K is also a good choice, the lightest waterloo build and very resonate dry tone, but know you are limited to custom light, 11 gauge strings due to the light build. All the smaller 00 and 000 waterloo's have the wide 2 3/8's saddle string spacing which I find makes fingerstyle right hand very easy for learning and playing.

If you keep looking for a Iris OG with the 1 3/4 nut and 2 5/16 saddle spacing, you will find one. I think they are just perfect for blues fingerstyle and maybe a tad less boxy and more versatile than the waterloo's IMHO, kind of subjective. You can write Adam at Iris and inquire about where to find one as he knows who is getting what and when of his orders. I have spruce/hog 12 fret and a spruce maple 14 fret OG, both incredible guitars. Iris is also making RCM-000 and now a L00 style, MS-00 styled after the gibson L00.

From there you can go up in price to the H&D, collings or any number of custom style boutique guitars. You can also explore a shop like Paramount guitars who carries a number of really great guitars in the $2-3K price range, an also has used ones for great prices.

There are other more affordable choices, Eastman parlors, although the 1 13/16" nut size was a tad big for my hands. I found a used Pono cedar topped 00 here I really like for under $1000, although the bridge lifted and is in the shop now. There are all the martin 15m and Sm choices and ceo some people really like.

Fingerstyle blues is just awesome and very fun to play, many performers have played all kinds of instruments, from Rev Gary Jr on a J200 to John Cephas on a Taylor. But for me, I like 1 3/4 nut with the wider string saddle spacing an a smaller 00 or 000 size, 12 fret for sweeter tone and shorter scale for easy bends and nice tone with hog or maple back and sides for nice dry focused tone so the strings are not clashing with too many harmonic overtones as you might get with rosewood.

[Dudley]

Martain 000 15 SM is a viable option and one I'm considering as a predominant finger style blues player.

[cc132]

I'd also consider a Martin 000-18GE if you can find one.

I've run the gamut with small Gibson-type builds and really enjoyed a lot of them. I'm currently going through a pretty serious Martin phase, and I'm finding that the Martin sound is much more versatile overall.

I currently have both a Waterloo and a Martin 000, and I'd definitely keep the Martin if I had to choose. They're both fantastic guitars, but the Waterloo covers a lot less territory

[SRL]

$3K budget
00 or similar body size
Short scale
1 3/4 and 2 1/4 nut/bridge spacing minimum
Open to 12 or 14 fret

The Martin 00-18, or the all-mahogany 00-15m, is a great choice for a vintage-style instrument.

If you're looking for a more modern styling, you might check out the Breedlove Concertina, which is available in all-mahogany or in various combinations of cedar, redwood, sitka, red spruce, and myrtle/rosewood/cocobolo. Should be easy to find some stores in Oregon that carry it.

[Dudley]

Originally Posted by SRL

The Martin 00-18, or the all-mahogany 00-15m, is a great choice for a vintage-style instrument.



If you're looking for a more modern styling, you might check out the Breedlove Concertina, which is available in all-mahogany or in various combinations of cedar, redwood, sitka, red spruce, and myrtle/rosewood/cocobolo. Should be easy to find some stores in Oregon that carry it.

I would consider a 000 15 SM Martin as well.

[dkg1616]

Gibson LG-2 Nathaniel rateliff

I just got the 1942 reissue which may be a tad out of your price range - but lg-2 all day for sure!

[Bob from Brooklyn]

Martin 15 Series are all long-scale, no?