Beatnik Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 OK, we all know Martin Guitars are the best, but some of us can`t afford a Martin. Which alternative brands are models you recommend? "Creo en la Reflexión, no en Dogmas" Beatnik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Seagull, but play a few first in all materials available. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 a seagull is a great choice. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 two for seagull. i also really dig the low end l'arrivee guitars. tacoma's are also worth looking into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave da Dude Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I haven't played the Seagulls (or the Godins), but I have played a Taylor (in a store) and was very impressed by it. Nice low and easy action (compared to a Martin) with good tone. The tone was not as "deep" and mellow as my Martin D-18, but was very pleasing. The Taylors aren't real inexpensive, but quite a bit less than a Martin. I also played a Fender acoustic, w/ single cutout, and was impressed by that, especially considering the $150 to $200 price tag. I don't remember the exact price tag, I was "audiitoning" it for a friend. Not a Martin or a Taylor (probably not a Seagull or Godin either), but very playable with decent tone for not a whole lot of money. My two cents. BTW, I think Martin makes an "Economy" line that is also very good. Dave the Martin Dude Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukbut Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Blueridge makes exact duplicates of early Martins. I bought a BR-70 from a store that sells both Martin and Bluridge. In a blind test neither myself nor the store owner could tell the difference in guitars. You can get a top of the line Blueridge for way under grand. Ebay offers a number of them. I love mine, I play it more than a 1976 Gibson J200 I own. DUKBUT "If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand." Dalai Lama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 If you ever come across an "American Acoustech" flat-top, made under the auspices of Stuttman Guitars in the greater Rochester, NY area, a lot of serious R&D went into them, and they played and sounded great. Some were made with cherry, and I think some with walnut; tops were spruce, and I think some cedar. All were very good. I saw some prototypes and early production models a few years ago, and haven't the slightest idea why they seem to have fizzled-out on the launching-pad, they were great guitars for very low prices. (Boggs, and any of you other Rochesterians? Any idea?) I think the line from Alvarez-Yairi is great, although their prices are higher than they used to be; still, good values and great guitars! I believe they still carry a LIFETIME warranty, too! That says a lot, in my book! I haven't tried one, but the Carvin "Cobalt" line looks promising, at good prices, too. Oh, yeah, I'll second funk_jazz; anything from Larivee is nice, too! Of course, if you know what you're looking for, a good bargain on a used flat-top can be a serious good deal... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teahead Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I couldn't afford a proper Martin either, but I got a Martin D16 Gloss Top, which lacks all the binding and inlay work, for a very sensible price! It sounds great and plays even better, check out the 'budget' Martins to see if they're in your price range. Failing that, the Taylor Big Baby is an excellent guitar for the money. Pedal Clips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggs Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 If you like the resonant feel of a body-resonant design as Martins typically are, I would suggest any of the mahogany Carvin Cobalts. If you want more piano-like ring but less body-resonant and much better projection than the "typical" Martin that cuts through a mix, then I would recommend the rosewood Cobalts. Either way, I personally like the feel and playability of the Cobalts actually better than the Martins. They are more Taylor-like in feel but more Larrivee-like in tone. www.carvin.com/cobalt . Boggs Check out my Rock Beach Guitars page showing guitars I have built and repaired... http://www.rockbeachguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I don't like Seagulls. I have a friend with two of them and I don't like the way they play. The sound is ok but not great. I'm also not a Taylor fan. Guitplayer has the only Taylor I've ever played that I like the feel and sound of. Tacoma, Takamine, Carvin Cobalt, Larrivee and Yamaha are all brands that I've played and like very much, that are reasonable for the quality of guitar and sound you get. You might also look for an old Ventura 6 string. They made several models, from fairly Plain Jane models to so very nicely appointed guitars. They'll not be too expensive either. The ones I've seen use the "0" fret if you don't mind that. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batterypowered Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I fell in love with a Martin, once..... and someone bought it the very next day, right before I went down for my second playtest. (not that I could've afforded it, but STILL) Anyway, the guy at the store handed me a Taylor that day, then a Larivee. I was impressed by neither, especially considering the 3000-4000 dollar price tags. I picked up a 300 dollar Seagull the next trip, and it was dreamy. So x3 for Seagull. I also toyed around with a parlour guitar that day, that sounded swanky, but I can't remember who..... let me think on it. OH, it was Art and Lutherie, a Canadian company. They may be hard to find in the States, but they're everywhere here. I played a couple of those and they were nice. Check out their parlour guitars, aren't they cute? The one on the left, the antique burst, is the one I played. http://www.artandlutherieguitars.com/amiburst.jpg twoblock.net batterypowered.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Art and Lutherie, Seagull, Simon Patrick and Norman are all made by Lasido which is by the way is the parent company of Godin. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave da Dude Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 daklander, Tacoma, Takamine, Carvin Cobalt, Larrivee and Yamaha are all brands that I've played and like very much, that are reasonable for the quality of guitar and sound you get. A friend of mine, a long, long time ago; had a Yamaha 12-string that was simply beautiful. Yamaha makes very fine musical instruments of all kinds They can be very expensive too though. Dave Gotta' geetar... got the amp. There must be SOMEthing else I... "need". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy d Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Advice - look at used guitars. You can often make out much better than with a new one and if it is a good, well-made guitar, the warranty isn't an issue. There are some really nice guitars out there for reasonable prices. Look for all solid woods, good workmanship, a sound that makes you smile, and playability that makes you want to play more and more everyday. I'll throw two monkey wrenches in here... first, Martins aren't necessarily the best. Some folk love them, others don't, and there are lots of options - many of which cost a lot more than Martins. Those who like high end acoustics refer to this time as the golden age of luthery because there are so many great guitars being built. I play a lowden. I sold a Martin to have cash for my first Lowden in '87 and never regreted it for a second. When that guitar was stolen, I ordered another Lowden. (listen to them at http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/alexisdmusic.htm ) second, martins aren't expensive when you think about it. $2K for a guitar that you play for years (or decades) and doesn't lose value in the long run isn't expensive. Now a 20K car that drops 20% when you drive it off the lot and in 10 years is worth nothing is expensive. So is a guitar that you pay $500 for and never play. Also compare guitar prices to any other instrument. You can get a pro quality guitar for under 2K and a really good utility instrument for well under $1000. You can find amazing guitars made by individual luthiers for under $3000. My daughter plays lever harp. A student model lever harp with 34 strings goes for over 2K. A lever harp of similar quality (factory built, good quality) to a Martin guitar runs around $4000. My son plays violin. A pro quality violin runs $10K and up. A good Chinese factory made student violin costs $500 or more + a bow and case. A good bow can run thousands of dollars. Look at oboes, pianos, french horns, any of them and you'll see that a guitar is a real bargain. All of that makes me say, find a guitar that you can see as not disposable - ie a lifetime guitar, save your money, and be happy with it for a long, long time. It will inspire you to play better and more and you'll not regret the choice. roy Roy http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/alexisdmusic.htm "once it stops bein' a mystery it stops bein' true" David Mowaljarlai - Ngarinyin Aboriginal Elder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gato Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 ALVAREZ YAIRI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gato Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 ALVAREZ YAIRI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dukbut Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I'm serious, these are great guitars. I have a friend that owns 3 Martins, he tours the country playing bluegrass. Did a stint with Rhonda Vincent and her band, he no longer takes his Martins on the road with him. He plays a Blueridge. See if you can find a dealer near by and check these pups out. This is what one mail order house has to say about the model I own. DUKBUT Blueridge BR-70 One look at any of Blueridge guitars will tell you that the craftsmanship, style and quality of the golden era of the 1920's are still alive and plainly evident in every Blueridge guitar. The intricate pearl inlays, the careful workmanship and professional tone quality of each Blueridge ensure that these fine guitars will be the collector's items of the future - as surely the are the benchmark of quality and affordability today. Blueridge guitars exemplify every aspect of old-time quality, craftsmanship and tone, yet the prices asked for them are notably "old-fashioned" too - far lower than most of today's similar offerings and in fact far closer to the original moderate prices of the legendary collector's items when they were new. The Blueridge BR-70 Has the following features: Select, solid Sitka Spruce top with hand-carved parabolic braces in the authentic prewar forward X-pattern East Indian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge Ornate mother-of-pearl peghead inlay Bone nut and saddle Black pickguard Natural high-gloss finish Style A peghead Choice Brazilian Rosewood back, sides and peghead overlay Intricate abalone pearl inlay on soundhole rosette, top and fingerboard Vintage style enclosed 14:1 ratio tuning machines with traditional butterbean buttons, heavily gold plated Delicate wood marquetry center strip on back Slim, fast action neck with adjustable truss rod _________________________________________ Retail for the Blueridge BR-70 $595.00 Pickin Parlor Price $415.95 "If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand." Dalai Lama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 aparrently no body likes ovations Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Originally posted by EmptinessOFYouth: aparrently no body likes ovationsLOL. nope, at least those that do are in the minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Originally posted by daklander: I don't like Seagulls. I have a friend with two of them and I don't like the way they play. The sound is ok but not great. I'm also not a Taylor fan. Guitplayer has the only Taylor I've ever played that I like the feel and sound of. Next time you come up here Dak, remind me to pull out my ten year old (but looks brand new) Taylor 510 and let you play it for a while. Taylors are nice, BUT I don't consider them to be less expensive than a Martin - each company has budget models as well as much more upscale models. For a "less expensive" Taylor, the Big Baby is pretty cool. On a budget? Seagulls can be nice. Yairi's can be extremely nice, but again, at the upper end, they're not cheap. Some Guilds are very nice - if you can handle the necks, which can be a bit chunky for some hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fendercaster Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I've played a couple Ovations and thought the sound was okay, but their design is totally useless for playing sitting down. My gear: http://fendercaster.freeservers.com/guit3.html If you own two Lexus cars, do you have Lexi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
batterypowered Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I've only played a couple of Ovation acoustics in my time, and they're OK. I'm not too amazed, and of course I don't like the fact that they don't age very much, being a big plastic bowl, but that's their spiel. twoblock.net batterypowered.org Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 ive never played or heard one, but i never heard bad stuff about them...oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 I paid around $500-I had bought a used spruce one for about $200 that had such high string tension it was almost unpickable. I was taking it in to sell, looked around and saw another Seagull, flame maple-I played it and couldn`t believe the difference, feel, sound, everything. I grabbed it and haven`t looked back, I would put it up against most guitars for double the price. Definitely not into Ovations, don`t like what that roundback does to the sound. They`re at their best plugged in. They seem more for electric players who don`t usually play acoustics. Takamine is a good choice-nice sound and looks at reasonable prices. Yamaha is very inconsistent-a friend had one many years ago that was wonderful, haven`t heard one like it since. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgstrat Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 The best alternative to a Martin is a... Martin. Check out the "15" series (D-15, 000-15, etc.) Matte finish, but all solid mahogany construction, including the top. No laminates! Great tone and it will get better over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Originally posted by Dave th Dude: daklander, A friend of mine, a long, long time ago; had a Yamaha 12-string that was simply beautiful. Yamaha makes very fine musical instruments of all kinds They can be very expensive too though. DaveDave, if you ever see the LL series Yamaha, pick one up & give 'er a pick 'er two. I've played the LL-400 & LL-500 guitars. The 400's were pretty good but, damn, the 500s were absolutely wonderful to play. The store I was in had 4 of them & they were all keepers but at nearly a grand a piece they were out of my price range. Supurbly finished too. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 Originally posted by Philip O'Keefe: Next time you come up here Dak, remind me to pull out my ten year old (but looks brand new) Taylor 510 and let you play it for a while. Taylors are nice, BUT I don't consider them to be less expensive than a Martin - each company has budget models as well as much more upscale models. For a "less expensive" Taylor, the Big Baby is pretty cool. On a budget? Seagulls can be nice. Yairi's can be extremely nice, but again, at the upper end, they're not cheap. Some Guilds are very nice - if you can handle the necks, which can be a bit chunky for some hands.I'll take you up on the offer Phil & I do appreciate it. I know how you are with your guitars, I've been told. I'm being totally honest about the Taylors too. A very good friend has one. When she first got it and brought it to a jam we were having it looked great. She passed it around and I have to say it was the most disappointing guitar I've EVER picked up. Anyway, after a few weeks & several other folks saying something to her she took it back. They replaced it and that one was better but got replaced too. Her current Taylor is better but not as good as Guitplayer's & I'll still take any of my guitars over that one of hers except the Guild. With the Guilds I agree about the chunky neck. I have a real problem with killing the high "E" string with the fretting hand. No other guitar I have gives me that problem. I'm also not too fond of the mid range honk they seem to have though the DR Strings Rare Phosphor Bronze .011s have helped tone that down as did a chnage to ebony bridge pins. As to the Seagulls, of the two that Dennis has, the cheaper one sounds and plays the best of the two. I'd much rather play his old Martin I think it's a D28. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 There's probably never been a time where there have been more acoustics available that play and sound anywhere from good to great than now. Certainly widely marketed and respected makers like Martin, Gibson, Guild, Taylor, Larrivee, and others make nice guitars in various price ranges. As Dak mentioned, I have a Taylor 714-LTD that is, as the saying goes, "to die for"... But that doesn't mean I don't like, admire, and respect many other guitars. There's enormous variety at the high end... just pick up a copy of "Acoustic Guitar" magazine and go through the ads... dozens of fine builders. But the topic was "lower cost alternatives" wasn't it... Like others here, I don't see Taylors as being an true alternative to Martin... they're really voiced differently. Some of the modestly priced Larrivee's would be on my list. Takemine also makes fine guitars at reasonable prices. My brother has one that probably cost about $500 or so, that plays and sounds great. Heck, even Fender has recently upgraded their models with finer materials and build quality. I happen to live close to Carvin's factory, and everytime I'm there I take a few minutes, (or 30), and play the Cobalts they have on display. They are nicely made, great action, and generally sound much "nicer" than their price would indicate. They would certainly be on my list for an affordable, nicely made guitar. I've had a couple of Ovations over the years, and they have their "sound"... it's quite distinctive... and of course the deep bowl takes a bit of getting used to. They really project however, and if you're playing where acoustic sound is the "amplification" you can be sure you'll be heard with an Ovation. I prefer the quality of the American made ones, but the Korean ones are increasing in quality just like all Korean made guitars. They also have a unique "sound" from an amplified perspective... the 12 strings are widely used on stage and in studio. I have an Ovation nylon string that plays and sounds great... but the bowl is always a little unsteady to hold. If I had to... I'd tier the current crop of acoustics like this... - Sub $300. Generally lower quality materials and build... maybe some occasional gems. If that's all you can afford, try used instead... or be selective. Try for a solid top if possible... but not too likely. - $300 - $500. Lots of nice choices. Look for solid tops for better sound. Many have built in electronics at these prices. Carvin, Takemine, Yamaha, Fender, and many more have decent models in this range. - $500 - $1,000. More choices. Nicer versions of previous builders. Better wood, upgraded electronics, fully solid bodies in some cases. Both Martin and Taylor have entry level guitars that fit in these prices... US Ovations start here. Lower end Guild, Larrivee, and others. - $1,000 - $3,000. Yummy. If you can't find a great guitar in this price range, your tastes are pretty narrow. Still, you're in the mass production product or at the low end of custom builders. Play a bunch and buy the one that MAKES you take it home. That's what happened with my Taylor, and I doubt I will regret it in all the years I'll own it. - $3,000+. Double Yummy! You'll be "livin' the dream" at these levels. You can order custom guitars, rare exotic wood, the best electronics, inlays... basically ANYTHING is possible. Some of the "hottest" builders have multi-year waiting lists, but often specialty dealers may have some models available. My favorite local dealer for these high end acoustics is Buffalo Brothers. www.buffalobrosguitars.com They've got a great 100% initial cost upgrade policy that lets you get FULL credit for bringing in your well maintained guitar purchased from them, trading it in for another more expensive guitar. This is not hype... I did it... and am I ever happy. Besides this policy, they have tons of great guitars from lots of the top builders. (I don't work for them or anything... I'm just a REALLY happy customer!). There are a number of other highly regarded acoustic vendors at this level as well like www.guitaradoptions.com and some of the big dealers... Finding an acoustic you love is a fun and interesting journey... have fun on yours! guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 sorry...double post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmptinesOf Youth Posted January 8, 2004 Share Posted January 8, 2004 anyone here ever try one of the acoustic electric martins i think the model i was lookin at is called an AXE00 or something close to that, its a thinline, one of the ones that come in black, around $500...any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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