Finger style guitars $3000 - $5,000 - suggestions?

TBman · #1 12-07-2021, 07:38 PM

(Not used)

Suggestions? I play bare fingers 99% of the time.

1. I like lower tunings, so standard scale length,

2. 1.75" nut.

3. Deep OM, dread or slightly larger, cutaway preferred, but not a deal breaker.

4. Wood binding.

5. Nice rosette, abalone is good. Not a lot of bling otherwise.

6. Simple fret markers.

7. No ivoroid.

8. String spacing similar to what I'm keeping (see below).

9. Cedar top.

Tone: Something "better" than my Avalon Ard Ri. A mellowish tone, but with sustain. Not really sure of the tone description, but not a shrill, bright tone, nor a boxy bluesy tone. Probably like my Avalon but on steroids.

I'm actually considering thinning the herd down to 4 steel guitars.
I would keep 3 of my current guitars and acquire 1 new one.

I'd be hanging on to the Avalon, Furch and Gibson.

I'm not playing my Larrivee, Martin, Guilds, Alvarez, Washburn and Seagull. So no point on having all these cases around.

No rush. Its GAS of the practical kind. I know 3 won't make me happy, and 4 would make me feel as though I have 1 more than I need, but better to have, than to have not.

If the guitar runs to $6,000ish I could probably work a trade-in.

phydaux · #2 12-07-2021, 07:50 PM

You lost me at cedar top. I have no idea.

Mycroft · #3 12-07-2021, 07:52 PM

Why not used?

TBman · #4 12-07-2021, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Why not used?

I don't want one

mattwood · #5 12-07-2021, 08:02 PM

I don't think you could do better than a Santa Cruz F fingerstyle guitar. I don't know if it meets all of your criteria but it would likely meet most of them and it's specifically designed for what you like to play. I got to play one at Artisan guitars in Nashville and was very taken with the tone. Take a listen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI0knXhKt6k&t=69s

Jwills57 · #6 12-07-2021, 08:03 PM

Hey, TBman--Sent you a private message. Have a great day! Best, Jack

justonwo · #7 12-07-2021, 08:15 PM

I mean, if you're willing to wait for something custom to be built, then I would think most of the usual Collings, SCGC, Bourgeois, etc suspects could do a great job. When it comes to cedar, though, I'm not really the one to ask. That isn't a top wood I usually seek out. It probably will mellow out the tone, as you say, but in my experience a good spruce top outperforms cedar in pretty much every application. Even red spruce, if worked properly, can make an ultra-responsive guitar.

TBman · #8 12-07-2021, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justonwo

I mean, if you're willing to wait for something custom to be built, then I would think most of the usual Collings, SCGC, Bourgeois, etc suspects could do a great job. When it comes to cedar, though, I'm not really the one to ask. That isn't a top wood I usually seek out. It probably will mellow out the tone, as you say, but in my experience a good spruce top outperforms cedar in pretty much every application. Even red spruce, if worked properly, can make an ultra-responsive guitar.

I'm open to different top woods, but not a custom. Just an "off the rack" as I don't have the patience to wait,

TBman · #9 12-07-2021, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jwills57

Hey, TBman--Sent you a private message. Have a great day! Best, Jack

Didn't get the PM J.

Mycroft · #10 12-07-2021, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBman

I don't want one

That's a shame...

justonwo · #11 12-07-2021, 08:49 PM

There are many options that will work, I suspect. In that price range, I've been impressed by Bourgeois Aged Tone OMs. I don't know that the torrefied top mattered much, but those are the only examples I've played. Bourgeois will make a deep body OM and you can find them if you look. Something like this.

https://downhomeguitars.com/instrume...hogany-custom/

If you prefer a drier sound with more emphasis on mids, go with mahogany. If you like more pronounced bass and reverb, rosewood.

islandguitar · #12 12-07-2021, 09:23 PM

Hey Barry!
Sounds to me like you're in this kind of territory:

https://reverb.com/item/41306891-low...red-walnut-new

The cut-away is harder to find with these, from what I've looked at....even harder with the Cedar top. This top is really beautiful and distinctive IMO.

I also think Redwood should also be on your list for a top wood. (just my opinion!)

Have fun in your search!
Fred

TBman · #13 12-07-2021, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justonwo

There are many options that will work, I suspect. In that price range, I've been impressed by Bourgeois Aged Tone OMs. I don't know that the torrefied top mattered much, but those are the only examples I've played. Bourgeois will make a deep body OM and you can find them if you look. Something like this.

https://downhomeguitars.com/instrume...hogany-custom/

If you prefer a drier sound with more emphasis on mids, go with mahogany. If you like more pronounced bass and reverb, rosewood.

Thanks Justin!

Quote:

Originally Posted by islandguitar

Hey Barry!
Sounds to me like you're in this kind of territory:

https://reverb.com/item/41306891-low...red-walnut-new

The cut-away is harder to find with these, from what I've looked at....even harder with the Cedar top. This top is really beautiful and distinctive IMO.

I also think Redwood should also be on your list for a top wood. (just my opinion!)

Have fun in your search!
Fred

Nice! Thanks Fred!

darylcrisp · #14 12-07-2021, 09:35 PM

my suggestion would be to consider a 2 day trip to DreamGuitars. with the budget you have listed, and the desired specs, you could try out a lot of world class fingerstyle instruments. make the appointment, be the only person there, allow yourself two days at least-in the event you need day 2 to decide, and go with an open mind-meaning that you may find the life long fingerstyle instrument but it may be totally different than anything in your list.

having hands on with all this, and the inventory they have(i haven't checked but i would think they still have a good stock of instruments), could net you your "dream guitar", with no surprises and no regrets. they have-or had a large inventory of available and sold instrument videos-if you haven't, check into that as you might find "your sound", and then the chase begins to find the pot of gold. give'm a call, or better yet an email describing what you've owned, how you play, send some of your soundclips, neck shapes sizes you like, and see what they suggest. you might find something in inventory that works for you if you can't make the trip(but the trip is worth it, trust me, its a great place). Paul knows fingerstyle and what might work for ones desired tone.

bourgeois makes or made a model that might be of interest-there's a couple of forumites that have one so they might reply if they see this. it is/was a Martin Simpson signature dread shape with a very cool shape cutaway. for some reason i'm thinking it may have been cedar top-but i could easily be wrong. i'm thinking the nut width may have been 1 13/16 but could be off on that as well. thinking "sayheyjeff" here on the forum has one.

i am about 90% fingerstyle with tips no nails for 15 yrs or more. i've owned martins, taylors, matons, collings, bourgeois, goodall,beneteau, larrivee, Japan Yamaha's, and a few more that i can't think of right now. i live in dropped tunings. a friend was in bozeman Mt back in the summer and i had him swing over to Musicvilla. they had a taylor 912ce builders edition i wanted checked out. he reported back "fingerstyle rocket" grab it. i've picked up a couple instruments from those folks and never been disappointed. it arrived, and it is amazing to say the least. has everything and more that i've chased for a decade and a half.

best of luck, there's a lot to choose from out there
d

TBman · #15 12-07-2021, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darylcrisp

my suggestion would be to consider a 2 day trip to DreamGuitars. with the budget you have listed, and the desired specs, you could try out a lot of world class fingerstyle instruments. make the appointment, be the only person there, allow yourself two days at least-in the event you need day 2 to decide, and go with an open mind-meaning that you may find the life long fingerstyle instrument but it may be totally different than anything in your list.

having hands on with all this, and the inventory they have(i haven't checked but i would think they still have a good stock of instruments), could net you your "dream guitar", with no surprises and no regrets.

bourgeois makes or made a model that might be of interest-there's a couple of forumites that have one so they might reply if they see this. it is/was a Martin Simpson signature dread shape with a very cool shape cutaway. for some reason i'm thinking it may have been cedar top-but i could easily be wrong. i'm thinking the nut width may have been 1 13/16 but could be off on that as well. thinking "sayheyjeff" here on the forum has one.

i am about 90% fingerstyle with tips no nails for 15 yrs or more. i've owned martins, taylors, matons, collings, bourgeois, goodall,beneteau, larrivee, Japan Yamaha's, and a few more that i can't think of right now. i live in dropped tunings. a friend was in bozeman Mt back in the summer and i had him swing over to Musicvilla. they had a taylor 912ce builders edition i wanted checked out. he reported back "fingerstyle rocket" grab it. i've picked up a couple instruments from those folks and never been disappointed. it arrived, and it is amazing to say the least. has everything and more that i've chased for a decade and a half.

best of luck, there's a lot to choose from out there
d

Thanks Daryl!