Best acoustic under $1300?

[Sergievsky]

I'm looking to buy an acoustic and am getting a little overwhelmed with the choices. How about some experiences that you have with guitars in this price range?

 

It's been difficult to research because...well, for example, a lot of people love Taylor guitars, yet the two that I've tried totally didn't impress me, but then maybe their other models are better. Same with Martin and Larrivee, though I've only tried one of each. I'm a keyboard player, which means the callouses hasn't quite built up yet. I own a Framus Tennessee semi-hollow electric which I absolutely love, mainly because it looks awesome, it sounds good, and the neck is smoooooth- a joy to play. I'm not even any good yet, but the playability makes it easier and more enjoyable for me to practice and learn. So basically I'm looking for the same type of thing in an acoustic.

 

Does anyone here own a Yamaha Compass CPX15 guitar? It has some features like an adjustable bridge and ebony fretboard that sounds good, and it's made in Japan and handcrafted, which I guess means it ain't part of their cheapo line. I was looking at that and also the 2001 collectors Ovation, the one with the redwood top. The thing is I've tried a couple of Ovations and their actions were high and just basically cut up my fingers, although they were the cheaper line. Would like opinions on that too.

Thanks

 

Raul

[Tedster]

I'd say wander in to your favorite local dealer and start (make sure the shop owner says OK) grabbing 'em off the walls and playing 'em. Acoustics are such a personal choice, that what works for one might not work for another. Tonal balance, playability, projection, vibe...you'll know when you pick up the right one. And, no matter what any high-end snobs say, for $1300 bucks you oughta be able to come up with something pretty nice. I play a lower-end Guild with a Fishman built in. Bought it used for $450 (collective gasp from the high-end snobs). Plays and sounds like a charm.

[michael saulnier]

I've got several acoustics including a Larrivee L-9. The L-series are the only Larrivee products that use Jean Larrivee's unique "new shape" he developed when he first went into the guitar business.

 

Its main benefit is a really "balanced" tone that records very nicely and also sounds great live. It's not their "high-end", but I prefered it to a personal "play-off" with many of their other models.

 

Check out the reviews, (including mine) on harmony central, and you'll find most people really like it. There's more info about it on Larrivee's website as well. I noticed that most of the guitar stores that carry Larrivee don't also carry this product, so you may have to hunt one down... but it's worth exploring.

 

I'd also agree with Tedster, (I seem to do this alot, LOL), that individual tastes should rule your choice, so I'd suggest trying before you buy, or at least a liberal return policy.

 

I don't know what you didn't like about the Taylors... I have two including a 414ce that is awesome. the 300 series line is essentially the same as mine... the Taylor sound at the lowest prices... try a 314ce or 310ce if you haven't and maybe that will be a fit for you.

 

One last thought, a friend once told me to bring someone along when buying an acoustic, and I have found this to be very useful. Have them play something while you listen and vice versa. I think you'll be able to both see and hear the difference in the tone when you're playing and someone else is...

 

guitplayer

[Tedster]

>>I'd also agree with Tedster, (I seem to do this alot, LOL), that individual tastes should rule your choice,

 

HAHAHA...perhaps we've both been burned in the same ways before...hehehehe... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

[Sergievsky]

My main problem is I'm currently residing in Manila, Philippines. I don't know when I'll get to go back to the US, probably not till later this year, maybe. There isn't a whole lot of choices here. One store had a couple of Larrivees, but it didn't say which it was. It did have a Florentine cutaway though, but no electronics. It sounded good, but not great, probably because the action needed work somehow. Did get to try some Seagulls though and it sounded pretty decent for the price. I think maybe it was the cedar that appealed to me. I do have a guitarist friend in Chicago who I'll be calling once I get my choices down to a few, and I trust him enough to judge for me.

 

I went to the Martin site and the Jumbo rosewood cutaway intrigued me. Anyone? The Larrivee 09 seems a tad over budget though, since I would really like to have pickups with it already. But I don't know if there's a big dropoff in quality from the 9 to the 4. The Lakewoods seems kinda cool also, must be the 3 years I spent in Germany and my good feeling towards my German electric.

 

Anyway, I do understand that one needs to really play with it. I've been to a couple of stores to look at some guitars before and expecting one to sound one way and then it ends up sounding like total crap. Still... I can come pretty close to getting something good through research, and my friend in Chicago, and my friends HERE, right?! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif So keep 'em coming.

 

Raul

[Guest]

Raul, shopping from halfway 'round the world is difficult

at best. You may decide on a make and model based on these

discussions; problem is, even within that selection, there

may be 99 average guitars and one SUPERB guitar. If someone

knew exactly what you are looking for, it's still tough to

choose from afar. However, if you do narrow down the choices

and can tell us about your style of play and if you need

on-board electronics, what type of gigs, etc., post it up

and we could go on a cyber- "treasure hunt". Bob Wood.

 

------------------

[Beagle1]

What kind of music do you plan to play on your acoustic guitar? This will dicate somewhat the choice of instrument. For mostly strummed chords (pop, folk, etc) even the entry level Martin dreadnaught line (D1) can sound very good. For fingerstyle, I prefer the Taylor grand auditoriums (314, 414, 514, 614, 714, etc). They have a wider neck, IMO a more tonally balanced sound, and are easier to play (low action). With either Martin or Taylor you can find a really fine instrument for $1300 or less. But the quality does vary quite a bit even among the same model so keep shopping until you find one you really like.

[DBENNVAhotmail.com]

Peeps,

 

For the price you stated you should be able to get a top of the line

Takamine. They have just about the best nylon string guitar around these

days, & their 6 string steel guitars are in the running with Martin, & Taylor. Check out Acoustic Guitar's web-site to see their guitar popularity poll. That should give you a good indication of where to start depending on the type of acoustic you're trying to buy.

 

Quantum! C/O

DBENNVA@hotmail.com

[Sergievsky]

OK, first thanks for your responses and questions. They helped me think it out better. After going around and trying out guitars in the lower end scale hoping I can save some money, I decided to go back to the one store where they had higher end guitars. I also checked out ebay after the suggestion of doing a cybertreasure hunt, and thought it was a great idea. I actually found a couple I was interested in, but realized it'll take some time for it to get here, and knowing how they handle shipments here in this country, well, I'll be lucky if the neck stays connected to the guitar...that is, if it ever gets to where it's supposed to go. I need this guitar asap since I'm trying to arrange a couple of songs that I just can't seem to put together using acoustic guitar samples nor my electric.

 

Anyway, the choices got narrowed quite considerably. They had one Larrivee left, two Santa Cruz, and the rest were crap..oh, and a Gibson which I didn't even bother picking up because I'm still pissed off about the whole Opcode thing. To make my already too long story short, I bought the Larrivee. It was a really hard choice, because what really sounded the best to me was the Santa Cruz OM, which even though was smaller sounded even better and bigger than the dreadnought Santa Cruz. The guitar voodoo y'all were talking about. The Larrivee turned out to be a C09 no electronics. Again, it sounded good, but didn't knock me out like the SC did. I then had them put in new strings since the ones on it were there probably since they opened shop 3years ago! So I was hoping it would then bowl me over as expected. They put in a set of Martin strings, regular I think, not SP, and...well, the old ones sounded bigger and less...twangy.

 

Ok, I feel like a moron, but I didn't realize the strings could make such a huge difference. Struck by this brilliant deduction on my part, I assumed given the right strings this beautiful Florentine cut Larrivee would finally kick up that good sound into a great sound (my-ears-great that is). Unfortunately they didn't have a whole lot to choose from string-wise. (Third World remember?) There were a couple of tiny scratches on the bottom though, probably from putting it on and taking it off by punks who had no idea what the heck it was, (there were actually 10 of them who came in while I was there...this store could fit about 9 people...I grabbed the C09 and went behind the counter and sat down) I was looking for a warmer string sound and figured I can find it later.

 

After calculating the peso-dollar rate, the guitar ended up priced at $1,050! The Santa Cruz were just as big a bargain, but I really had to draw the line somewhere. As far as I know this was one hell of a bargain, and it even included a fancy Larrivee hardcase. So I bought it. So now please tell me what I desperately want to hear. I have read that strings like Thomastik Infeld Plectrums (Spectrums?) DO actually make a difference. Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill myself. I have a beautiful guitar that rocks (it's actually better suited to the things I'm doing now, pop rock strumming stuff), but would really really like the option of getting a much warmer sound when I actually learn to do fingerstyle. The Sant Cruz OM fit more that mold by the way...but again, it was about 2 grand. Or if you know of other strings that has that quality I would like to know.

 

Also, I will be putting in pickups in this thing, though probably not until I fly to the US (don't really trust anyone in that store to actually drill a whole in the bottome of my guitar...necessary BTW since it doesn't even have a strap button), so any suggestions on which is the best fire away.

 

I'm telling these stories by the way just in case there are others who might be in the same predicament. I have learned quite a bit in these forums, and perhaps some other can learn something from these discussions.

 

Oh, a couple more things. The Takamines I like, but I liked them more plugged in. I wanted something that sounded better even if it's unplugged, and the C09 was definitely fuller, sustain et al, but clearer than the full body Seagulls. But it still couldn't quite measure up to the Scruz OM...is it because of the Florentine cutaway? The difference didn't merit the extra $1,000, although if I were as wealthy as George Massenburg or Roger Nichols then i would probably feel different. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Anyway, back to my questions...strings and pickups.

 

Thanks again

 

Raul