Is there such thing as "the nicest sounding 6 string acoustic" ?

T42 · February 2018

Just wondered there was a guitar that led the field in terms of quality/sound.
I realise it may not be attainable for the majority but just wondered out of interest.

Thanks in advance.

ICBM · February 2018

Martin D-28.

(Even though I actually prefer my Gibson Dove.)

crunchman · February 2018

In one word - No

Different guitars are better at different sounds. A Martin dreadnought might be great for some things but it probably won't sound as sweet as an OOO18 for delicate finger picking.

Something with different bracing like a Lowden might be better for "Celtic" kind of stuff.

maltingsaudio · February 2018

Not really, it is very much the same as electrics in what sound you are looking for then start with a similar guitar. Factor in then playing style finger or plectrum, and the genre of music you want to play.

With very broad brush strokes I tend to find American acoustics heaviour in construction and more suited to strumming, English guitars seem to be lighter in construction and more suited to finger picking, and the Spaniards make the best nylon/classical/flamenco style guitars.

This of course all changes when you plug them in.

jellyroll · February 2018

Depends what you want to do with it. Flatpicking? Strumming? Fingerstyle?

Plus, each brand tend to have their signature sound. Not better, just different. Some swear by Martin ,others Collings, others dislike Collings (they'll be along here in a minute.....).

Also, how much do you want to spend? £1k on a Larrivee? £2k on a Martin? £5k on a Santa Cruz? £10k on a Froggy Bottom?

Martin pretty much invented the steel string acoustic and are widely (but not universally) regarded as the benchmark.

sweepy · February 2018

They all have their own characteristics and strengths / weaknesses

AliGorie · February 2018

T42 said:

Just wondered there was a guitar that led the field in terms of quality/sound.
I realise it may not be attainable for the majority but just wondered out of interest.

Thanks in advance.

ah - surely that's down to the listener (and what and how is being played on it).
A plucked wire stretched over a wooden sounding box is just that - with varying amounts of fundamental vs odd and even harmonic partials.
It's listener preference that determines it's 'niceness'.
I prefer a traditional 'Spanish' sound that u get from nylon strings - but I like to play and compose 'in tunings which does not sit well with the tensions that nylon can be used at - so I play wire strung, which by virtue of the string material - guess what - sounds metallic - no mater what make or how the player plays it - it has the sound of a 'plucked' wire strung instrument.
Sorry for stating the obvious.

AliGorie · February 2018

crunchman said:

In one word - No
Something with different bracing like a Lowden might be better for "Celtic" kind of stuff.

saw Davy @ Les Cousins playing an ol' 'modified' cowboy guitar (J50 ?) playing music from the Gaelic parts - convinced me.
Could have been his father was a Gaelic & English teacher from Skye - in the blood like - in other words - the guitar was irrelevant and mor eso the bracing.
didn't Arty McGlyn play a Takamine and Paul Brady a Yammy - way back?

ToneControl · February 2018

T42 said:

Just wondered there was a guitar that led the field in terms of quality/sound.
I realise it may not be attainable for the majority but just wondered out of interest.

Thanks in advance.

If anything, acoustic guitars are even more a matter of personal preference than is the case for electric guitars

However, I would strongly argue that top-name workshop guitars are almost always better than top-name factory guitars
i.e. Lowden, Avalon, Santa Cruz, Goodall vs Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Larrivee

rossyamaha · February 2018

Yes, the next one.

ToneControl · February 2018

AliGorie said:

T42 said:

Just wondered there was a guitar that led the field in terms of quality/sound.
I realise it may not be attainable for the majority but just wondered out of interest.

Thanks in advance.

ah - surely that's down to the listener (and what and how is being played on it).
A plucked wire stretched over a wooden sounding box is just that - with varying amounts of fundamental vs odd and even harmonic partials.
It's listener preference that determines it's 'niceness'.
I prefer a traditional 'Spanish' sound that u get from nylon strings - but I like to play and compose 'in tunings which does not sit well with the tensions that nylon can be used at - so I play wire strung, which by virtue of the string material - guess what - sounds metallic - no mater what make or how the player plays it - it has the sound of a 'plucked' wire strung instrument.
Sorry for stating the obvious.

what tensions and tunings are you wanting to use on a nylon guitar , you have captured my attention

BigLicks67 · February 2018

Regards Nylon and tunings - Sevilla by Albeniz is arranged for DGDGBE and I've seen Traumerei by Schumann arranged for CGDGBE. I had my classical tuned to DADGAD at one point.

BigLicks67 · February 2018

Back to the OP's question - if it was just for sound I'd say Pierre Bensusan's Lowden on the Intuite album. Which is a large bodied Lowden with cutaway made with Cedar and Mahogany. How much of this is down to player and not guitar I don't know. However, the guitar looks an unwieldy beast to play when you see Bensusan wrestling with it.

When played with a plectrum the D28 sounds great and is universally popular with flatpickers, but even small bodied guitars can be made to be effective for this type of playing :

.

Therefore, I'd say it's impossible to generalise that certain guitars are good for certain things.

Teetonetal · February 2018

No, of course not. Best in music is subjective.

AliGorie · February 2018

yeah u'r right D & G tunnngs and variants can work to a degree, which I use but I use tuning's in C & B on the bottom three -
U got me thinking - I've played 'wire strung' on and of for over fifty yrs - use 13 - 56 most o' that time so at this late stage o' the game - maybe I'm unable to embrace change

tralfamadan · February 2018

Martin OM-21 for me. Sadly I don't own one

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Is there such thing as "the nicest sounding 6 string acoustic" ?

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