Good allround acoustic guitars for recording.

[Senap]

Loooking around for a good acoustic for the studio. I subconciously look at all the classic brands like Gibson, Guild, Martin and Taylor. Thats what my heart says. But knowing that Gibson, for instance, does not make 'em like they use to, my brain shouts NO! How about the other ones? Do I pay for the pearl inlay logo or do they still make good guitars?

That said, the best acoustic I've heard the last 10 years was a Chech Republic made Furch. It sounded absolutly brilliant.

Point me in the right direction. I could stretch it up to about 1.700 dollars, but thats where my wallet says no.

[Tim Armstrong]

Like most things, acoustic guitars are as good or bad as they are. Some brands are consistently better for some things, and more expensive ones are often better than cheaper ones, but in general, I find acoustic guitars can be pretty variable!

For instance, one of the best-recording acoustic 12-strings I've come across is an old cheap Italian-made EKO copy of a Gibson that my brother owns. I think he paid fifty dollars for it!

Gibson is one of those companies whose stuff is extremely variable, and often overpriced, but sometimes you'll find one that's magic. Martin guitars are a lot more consistently fine, I find. My own go-to lifetime acoustic guitar is a Larrivee (often very good value for the price, too). I've never been able to get on with a Taylor, but that's just me!

Then there's style of guitar. Dreadnoughts can be kinda boomy if you don't mic them up right, smaller body styles often record great, etc.

Cheers, Tim

[lebouche]

I like Simon Patrick very much.
Had some great results.

[weedywet]

Loooking around for a good acoustic for the studio. I subconciously look at all the classic brands like Gibson, Guild, Martin and Taylor. Thats what my heart says. But knowing that Gibson, for instance, does not make 'em like they use to, my brain shouts NO! How about the other ones? Do I pay for the pearl inlay logo or do they still make good guitars?

That said, the best acoustic I've heard the last 10 years was a Chech Republic made Furch. It sounded absolutly brilliant.

Point me in the right direction. I could stretch it up to about 1.700 dollars, but thats where my wallet says no.

Last year I went with a friend's son who was looking for an acoustic in about your price range (or a bit less).

We went o a famous shop that has just about everything (from the low end to $75,000 collectable old guitars) and spent hours playing and comparing.

and the CLEAR winner, in the price range, was a Gibson Rosewood J-45

take it FWIW

but even though they're NOT what they used to be, it was a really nice sounding and playing guitar.
FAR nicer than any new Taylor or Martin in that price range.

and yes.
they all vary.
PLAY the actual guitar you want to buy... play a FEW of the same model if you can and pick one.
NEVER play a floor model and then walk out with another one in a sealed box.

[Comte de St Germain]

I like small bodied guitars for most stuff.

The Santa Cruz OM and the Collings OM are my faves besides a real martin (the Eric Clapton is the best reissue).

I also dig a couple Gibsons for lead work but the www.randywoodguitars.com (http://www.randywoodguitars.com) parlor model is my all time favorite recording guitar bar none. His method of bracing is the best of seen and heard.

[Al Who]

Some of the early Yamaha and Takamine guitars are excellent. You want to look for something that is all solid wood and made in Japan by the Japanese luthiers. Prices are going up but you'll find some good ones in your price range.

Acoustic guitars take a long time to get played in. A new guitar will sound a lot different after 4 years of playing it every day. They're made so they sound a little stiff at first to allow for the break-in. With cheaper acoustic guitars and guitars with cedar tops break-in is not so dramatic.

As Weedy and the others have said, every guitar is different. If I were looking in your price range I'd look for a well cared for used guitar with a spruce top that's in good shape and is already broken in. Then take it to a good luthier for a set-up.

[otek]

Just remember that with those classic brands, in Sweden you have to come up over the SEK 25,000 mark to find anything truly worthwhile.

The rest is pretty much Russian roulette.

The Furch guitars are ok, but I don't believe they're built to last. You can make an instrument sound more impressive right out of the store by building it with a shorter maturity curve.

Ever wonder why people don't rave about pre-war Washburns the way they do with Martins? :Roll eyes:


otek

[Al Who]

You can make an instrument sound more impressive right out of the store by building it with a shorter maturity curve.

Ever wonder why people don't rave about pre-war Washburns the way they do with Martins? :Roll eyes:


otek

Amen!

[Senap]

Thanks for the input.

I tried out some acoustics at the local banjo mart yesterday. I was really impressed with a kind of cheap Guild. Played and sounded great. It had a really small body and a dark brown wood finish. Can't remember the model but I think it was this one:

http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments/search.php?partno=3810100821

Any experience with Guilds cheapo line?

I tried some more pricey guitars too and they did'nt do it for me.

[bbkong]

Acoustic guitars are like women.

You have to hold them close in your arms, use your fingers to touch every note and feel the response.

If you love every note they make, you've found a mate for life.





If you're just looking for a shop ho, a J-45 isn't a bad place to start.

[otek]

I tried some more pricey guitars too and they did'nt do it for me.

This seems a bit counter-intuitive.

Did you find there was some kind of common attribute in all the "more pricey" guitars that made them less appealing?

Or did you just simply play the (for you) wrong pricey guitars?


otek

[Senap]

This seems a bit counter-intuitive.

Did you find there was some kind of common attribute in all the "more pricey" guitars that made them less appealing?

Or did you just simply play the (for you) wrong pricey guitars?


otek

Well.... What I mean is... They all sounded different but I did'nt think the "pricier" guitars sounded a 1000 dollars better than the cheap Guild. They where pretty close in tone and playability. I tried a few Gibsons, Martins and the more expensive Guilds. The only difference in my opinion was the pricetag. And the fancy pearl inlays. I don't need fancy pearl inlays.

Oh... one more thing. Even if an acoustic is bought for the studio, would you get one with a good pickup? I mean, you'll never know right? It might end up in a live situation. Probably not on my belly but...

[Knastratt]

Acoustic guitars are like women.

You have to hold them close in your arms, use your fingers to touch every note and feel the response.

If you love every note they make, you've found a mate for life.

Word, man! :Thumbsup:

[lebouche]

The Furch guitars are ok, but I don't believe they're built to last. You can make an instrument sound more impressive right out of the store by building it with a shorter maturity curve.

Ever wonder why people don't rave about pre-war Washburns the way they do with Martins? :Roll eyes:


otek
I've heard people say that Ceder doesn't age well.
Any beans to spill on wood types anyone?

[otek]

Well.... What I mean is... They all sounded different but I did'nt think the "pricier" guitars sounded a 1000 dollars better than the cheap Guild.

This is always a consideration, and one which only you can make for yourself.

You are correct however about the more expensive guitars many times being a matter of adding more fluff - inlays, etc.

There is a kind of "median", above which most of the really good brands - Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, Collings, Breedlove etc. - no longer impose any particular limitations on the basic construction quality and materials of the instrument. I have observed this median to hover around the SEK 25,000 mark in most cases.

This is not to say you can't find a good-sounding instrument below that median, but there generally is some kind of compromise made somewhere. In 20 or 30 years, that Martin D-45 will sound greater than ever, whereas a lot of the budget models will have fallen apart.

You will probably also be able to sell it for very close to what you paid for it.

Oh... one more thing. Even if an acoustic is bought for the studio, would you get one with a good pickup?

I would certainly consider having a good pickup installed at least.

You may also wanna check out the D-Tar Mama Bear, which is a pretty good piece of kit if you want to improve the sound from a piezo.


otek

[Knastratt]

Otek - how's about the Molkom triangular piezo - any news?

[G. Hoffman]

My favorite production acoustic right now is the Martin style 15 guitars (i.e., the D15, the OM15, the OO 15, etc.) They are incredible guitars for the money, and I think they are probably the best value guitars out there. I haven't priced them in years, but I would be surprised if you couldn't get one for right about $1,000. Personally, I don't much like drednaughts for anything but Bluegrass, so I'd look at the smaller bodies, but try as many as you can, and get one you like.


Of course, for that kind of money you could probably find an old Harmony Sovereign and have it fixed up (expect to spend more on the repair than the guitar is worth). Those things are shockingly good guitars, once they are fixed up (they almost always need to be fixed up). I have no idea if you would like the sound, but they can be very cool.



Gabriel

[Molly's Lips]

I've got a D-16 and it records great.

[weedywet]

that J200 you would have paid even $1500 for in 1968 is now selling for what? $15,000-$30,000?

I'd say, yes, you certainly would get your money back on a good quality, name brand acoustic.

the other thing is: if RECORDING is your goal, then you might also consider having someone else (someone GOOD) play it while you stand in front and just listen; maybe even blocking one ear and pointing it like a mic... and see from THERE what it sounds like.

Until you actually stick a mic in front of it you don't know for certain, but you can get a pretty good idea which ones sound SPECIAL and which don't.

while you're the one playing it, it's much harder to tell.

When someone sits down in front of a great mic with the 1964 J200, everyone in the room goes "wow".
trust me.
you don't get that with the new $800 yamaha.

how MUCH more that's worth to you is up to you.
But you can't pretend it's the SAME

[David Aurora]

NEVER play a floor model and then walk out with another one in a sealed box.

+1.


i went out acoustic shopping with a buddy recently and the thing that came out far above everything else we heard (im talking probably 30 or 40 guitars in an afternoon) was a breedlove. in saying that though, since he bought it a couple weeks ago it has developed an insanely loud rattle rendering it useless for recording. i know he didnt abuse the guitar either, he treats it like a baby :lol: :lol: so yeah, i dunno whether its common for breedloves or not, but it wasnt good advertising for the brand in my opinion to hear an AU$2000 guitar rattle like that within a week.


aside from that, the best thing i ever heard was a guild from the 70's that weighed about a tonne. the owner wanted to record it through the dean markley pickup he slapped on it, through a boss chorus pedal and into a d.i...... when i could speak again, i mic'd it up and showed him what it should sound like, and he got the point.

so yeah, if you have a time machine, go back and buy one of those!

[David Aurora]

oh yeah, and you'd be surprised what can be done to a guitar with a little effort too. my current acoustic was a cheap takamine i picked up purely cause i was travelling and didnt want to risk my regular acoustic. it sounded surprisingly nice and when i got home i got my brother (he's a luthier) to do a little work on it. a set of good quality machine heads, a little tidying up inside and a brass saddle later, the thing sounds mind blowing.

[otek]

...a breedlove.....

....since he bought it a couple weeks ago it has developed an insanely loud rattle rendering it useless for recording....

...dunno whether its common for breedloves or not...

They have a budget line called Atlas I believe, which I have no experience with, but every Breedlove I have heard was wonderful, and the workmanship is awesome.

I think the problem may have begun in transit around the globe, and exacerbated by the usual stuff that happens when you glue pieces of wood together in Oregon and then ship them to the Australian outback. :lol:


otek

[David Aurora]

They have a budget line called Atlas I believe, which I have no experience with, but every Breedlove I have heard was wonderful, and the workmanship is awesome.

I think the problem may have begun in transit around the globe, and exacerbated by the usual stuff that happens when you glue pieces of wood together in Oregon and then ship them to the Australian outback. :lol:


otek

i would take a guess that the problem here was the instore setup guys. im not gonna say luthiers. you know the cockbrains that drop the action on every guitar in the store till it sounds like a sitar? yeah, those clowns... fuckers sent my mate away with a "too bad, deal with it" response when they couldnt hear the difference between a rattle caused by certain notes resonating and string buzz caused by hitting an open E chord with every ounce of their strength so the strings were flapping. so yeah, i think hes gonna take it up with breedlove direct now

[G. Hoffman]

i would take a guess that the problem here was the instore setup guys. im not gonna say luthiers. you know the cockbrains that drop the action on every guitar in the store till it sounds like a sitar?


In my experience, that is usually not caused by the in store setup (those kinds of stores don't DO setup, not really), but due to the store having insufficient humidity in the room.



Gabriel

[Al Who]

So much depends on the player.

I used to gig in Los Angeles with a top pro session guitar player. I once asked him what was his best acoustic guitar for recording. He answered that he had an Ovation that engineers really liked because it had no overtones. It gave you the fundamental notes very clearly and it was easy to fit it into a mix.

I never heard his Ovation. For the stuff we did he used an old Martin--a small, beat-up mahogany 00-18 from the 40's. That thing was amazing!

Anything and everything that guy played sounded great. He had over 50 guitars and every morning his cartage service would set them up in studios all over town. Then he'd show up, play the gig, and move on to the next gig.

I swear this is true... if that guy played one of my guitars, it came back sounding better. It's like the guitar learned something while he was playing it.

[otek]

In my experience, that is usually not caused by the in store setup (those kinds of stores don't DO setup, not really), but due to the store having insufficient humidity in the room.


Spot on.


otek