Acoustic for fingerstyle?

kswilson89 · July 2019

I play a lot of fingerstyle bebop tunes and have been playing them on my telecaster for a while now. I'm looking to venture into a more acoustic sound, does anyone have any suggestions? Price range around £2000-£2500. I'd definitely like at least a 1 3/4" nut width and prefer a more mahogany sound than rosewood for the back and sides. I'd also like it to have a full gloss finish on the body. I really like the Taylor 612ce 12-fret but just can't reach the £3499 they retail for. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

BigLicks67 · July 2019

Martin D18 or OM18 are good choices, but my J45 sounds good for Kenny Burrell type numbers.

monkaiboy · July 2019

Depends on the sound you like - Taylors have a sound, as do Martins. Or there is the more overtone laden sound of Lowdens, Avalons etc. Beautiful, if that is your cup of tea.

For me I like the Martin thing, but it's a personal thing. YouTube is your friend, until you can get yourself to a good guitar shop

Jimbro66 · July 2019

Take a look at Atkin guitars' range:

https://atkinguitars.com

Beautifully made, great playability and they sound wonderful.

octatonic · July 2019

I think 000's are perfect for fingerstyle.

TimmyO · July 2019

octatonic said:

I think 000's are perfect for fingerstyle.

I almost always prefer OM over 000 - something about that shorter scale length that (when comparing) I don't take to as much.

I know you (OP) said Mahogany but a new Martin OM21 reimagined is in budget, even without any haggle/discount and well worth a try

ToneControl · July 2019

For value and quality, I'd recommend phoning Avalon
You can pop over to Frailers to try a load of used USA-built guitars (Martin, Gibson, Taylor, |Larrivee), also new Lowdens (which Avalon used to make)

TimmyO · July 2019

Actually there are a lot of good options in the classifieds here currently

Atkin
Avalon
McIlroy
Eggle
Taylor

octatonic · July 2019

TimmyO said:

octatonic said:

I think 000's are perfect for fingerstyle.

I almost always prefer OM over 000 - something about that shorter scale length that (when comparing) I don't take to as much.

Do you work a lot in alternate tunings?
Both my Forshage headless guitars are 24.9 as well as my two self made 000's.
It just feels like home, especially in DADGAD.

TimmyO · July 2019

I don't much at all but intend to more

Fuengi · July 2019

I'm not sure there are many "what's the best acoustic for..." questions to which the answer isn't "a J45".

Such a great guitar to play, does subtle finger picking through to booming cannon open chords and pretty much everything in between.

TimmyO · July 2019

Fuengi said:

I'm not sure there are many "what's the best acoustic for..." questions to which the answer isn't "a J45".

Such a great guitar to play, does subtle finger picking through to booming cannon open chords and pretty much everything in between.

See, I own a.good J45 ("J45 Vintage" with Adi top) and I do agree it can do anything but I don't think it's the BEST at any if them

GTC · July 2019

Personal preferences / playing style are a major influence of choice.

For me, Avalon have been a revelation after trying Taylors, Martins and a Lowden. I've got a 2018 L2-20 lefty (like the right-handed one that is currently listed in the classifieds) and it is the best fingerstyle guitar I've come across to date - although I'm hoping it will be surpassed by the custom Avalon I've currently got on order. I find it works well with Elixir Polyweb lights.

What surprised me about it is that, although it is a jumbo, it feels completely comfortable for complex fingerstyle playing.

In addition to the L2-20 in classifieds at a great price, there's also the mahogany back and sides equivalent (L2-10) new 2019 model currently on eBay from I supplier I can wholeheartedly recommend - not costing much more.

With your budget you could also get a custom made guitar from Brook in Devon if you are prepared to wait a bit (I've got one coming later in the year).

VimFuego · July 2019

the best acoustic for fingerstyle is the one you have. Not being flippant, but once you get beyond a certain price point (and even below that you can find cracking guitars) you won't buy a duff one, and there are plenty of really good players playing on all manner of sized guitars.
If you don't yet have a decent acoustic, then any of the ones in the classifieds will be great, otherwise toottle along to your nearest reputable guitar emporium and play a load, buy the one you like best.

earwighoney · July 2019

kswilson89 said:

I play a lot of fingerstyle bebop tunes and have been playing them on my telecaster for a while now. I'm looking to venture into a more acoustic sound, does anyone have any suggestions? Price range around £2000-£2500. I'd definitely like at least a 1 3/4" nut width and prefer a more mahogany sound than rosewood for the back and sides. I'd also like it to have a full gloss finish on the body. I really like the Taylor 612ce 12-fret but just can't reach the £3499 they retail for. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

I'd say aside from nut width, a really important aspect which is often overlooked for playing fingerstyle is the string spacing at the saddle, and it's something which all depends on your own preferences, but too narrow or too wide can make things tricky.

Another thing to keep in mind is neck profile, and one's preference is likely to be down to one's playing style and individual ergonomics.

WindmillGuitars · July 2019

@kswilson89 Take a look at the Taylor 616 "Big Leaf Maple" Limited Edition I have listed in the classifieds.

Andy79 · July 2019

I played a new D18 in Project the other day. I could pick that thing for the rest of my days and not look anywhere else. Utterly fantastic. Nobody makes a Martin as good as Martin

elkay · July 2019

I currently have a Martin 000-18, a Gibson J-45 Standard, and, until recently, also owned a Taylor 812ce 12 fret. The Taylor produced lush chords which are hard to equal, but I found it to have far too complex a tone for individual note clarity. Of the 3, for the type of music you specified, I would have to say that, in my opinion, the 000-18 is easily the best suited, as it not only has amazing single note clarity but also has a lovely chime from the mahogany back and sides.

MichaelWatts · July 2019

If you liked the Taylor 6 series but you're after a mahogany sound then check out the new 322Ce, I just reviewed it for Guitar, you can read my thoughts here

jellyroll · July 2019

MichaelWatts said:

If you liked the Taylor 6 series but you're after a mahogany sound then check out the new 322Ce, I just reviewed it for Guitar, you can read my thoughts here

Good review Michael. Nice to read a balanced piece, not the regular gush-fest one often comes across. One criticism - of the photographic editor - since the back and side wood are the unique feature, a photo would have been interesting.

BahHumbug · July 2019

I have a Taylor 712ce, which is great for finger style, having a short scale , smallish body and quite wide string spacing. I also find that it is a surprisingly good strummer too.
I once tried a 12 fret 712 and found it rather bass heavy.

If the OP has considered a 612, but doesn’t like the price, and wants mahogany, I would suggest taking a look at a Taylor 322. Same dimensions, but all mahogany! I don’t know whether there is a 12 fret version, but they are much less money than the 612. I’ve tried one, it was good.

Just in case no one else has mentioned Brook, I will. A lovely bunch of chaps in Devon, who turn out hand made instruments at reasonable prices. My current go-to instrument is a Brook Torridge, which cost £2150 new.

BahHumbug · July 2019

Hmm, I’ve just read @MichaelWatts review of the current Taylor 322ce. I’ll Clarify my comments, as they refer to the old 322, which is a slightly different beastie. Different in that I tried a 322 at least 5 years ago. It had no cutaway or pickup system - just a bare acoustic guitar. My recollection is that it was all mahogany, but I could be wrong. The price at the time was £999. I was very tempted. The new one costs considerably more!

MichaelWatts · July 2019

jellyroll said:

MichaelWatts said:

If you liked the Taylor 6 series but you're after a mahogany sound then check out the new 322Ce, I just reviewed it for Guitar, you can read my thoughts here

Good review Michael. Nice to read a balanced piece, not the regular gush-fest one often comes across. One criticism - of the photographic editor - since the back and side wood are the unique feature, a photo would have been interesting.

Thank you! That means a lot to me.

Yeah I know what you mean. In this case the Tazzy Blackwood was utterly featureless, so much so that I thought I was dealing with an all-Mahogany guitar to begin with, until I realised I was hearing something else in the mix... I guess they have a finite amount of pics to put on each review.

MichaelWatts · July 2019

BahHumbug said:

Hmm, I’ve just read @MichaelWatts review of the current Taylor 322ce. I’ll Clarify my comments, as they refer to the old 322, which is a slightly different beastie. Different in that I tried a 322 at least 5 years ago. It had no cutaway or pickup system - just a bare acoustic guitar. My recollection is that it was all mahogany, but I could be wrong. The price at the time was £999. I was very tempted. The new one costs considerably more!

Hi there!
Yes, a lot has changed in 5 years! My first decent steel string was a Martin D15 (one of the first in the country) that cost me about £600 back in 1998. That seemed like a monstrous investment at the time...

ToneControl · July 2019

VimFuego said:

once you get beyond a certain price point (and even below that you can find cracking guitars) you won't buy a duff one, and there are plenty of really good players playing on all manner of sized guitars.

Sorry, don't agree fully
I've been to high-end classical guitar brokers and shops with loads of high-end acoustics from £3k to £15k
What I've found is that at least 50% of expensive guitars are completely unsuitable for me, and sound poor to my ears

If you pay more than £2.5k you should be guaranteed a great guitar, but you won't know if it works for you until you've tried it. I say should because there are still some duff ones above £3k

VimFuego · July 2019

ToneControl said:

VimFuego said:

once you get beyond a certain price point (and even below that you can find cracking guitars) you won't buy a duff one, and there are plenty of really good players playing on all manner of sized guitars.

Sorry, don't agree fully
I've been to high-end classical guitar brokers and shops with loads of high-end acoustics from £3k to £15k
What I've found is that at least 50% of expensive guitars are completely unsuitable for me, and sound poor to my ears

If you pay more than £2.5k you should be guaranteed a great guitar, but you won't know if it works for you until you've tried it. I say should because there are still some duff ones above £3k

I think my point really was it's less important to obsess about getting the absolutely perfect guitar, but instead work on technique etc.

EDIT: but I've seen people flat pick on palour guitars and it sounds great, and I've seen people doing delicate fingerpicking on dreads and super jumbos and it sounds great.
I do agree that it's possible to buy a duff'n even if you pay a lot (cough gibson, cough) but you should never buy an acoustic blind.

TimmyO · July 2019

ToneControl said:

VimFuego said:

once you get beyond a certain price point (and even below that you can find cracking guitars) you won't buy a duff one, and there are plenty of really good players playing on all manner of sized guitars.

Sorry, don't agree fully
I've been to high-end classical guitar brokers and shops with loads of high-end acoustics from £3k to £15k
What I've found is that at least 50% of expensive guitars are completely unsuitable for me, and sound poor to my ears

If you pay more than £2.5k you should be guaranteed a great guitar, but you won't know if it works for you until you've tried it. I say should because there are still some duff ones above £3k

Who makes duff 3k guitars?

VimFuego · July 2019

when I was looking for my nice acoustic (erm, '05 I think) I really wanted a gibson (ideally a J45 or songwriter thingy) but couldn't find one that was good, and some were downright bad. OK, they weren't £3k, but about £1500, so to sure what that is in modern money. But that was a bad period for gibson I believe.

GTC · July 2019

As is illustrated here, individual tastes vary considerably and are influenced by personal playing style, physical attributes and ear. Also, expect your preferences to evolve with time too.

In your budget, it is just as likely that you could end up with a disappointing choice (not necessarily a bad guitar but just not suiting you) as at the lower end of the market. Therefore, if you can, you should try as many as you can before taking the plunge - although the suggestions here should certainly help in focussing on what and where to try.

Being left-handed, it has been virtually impossible for me to go to any one place to try a lot since I returned to playing two years ago. Therefore I have taken a few chances in purchasing blind - and thus ended up with some expensive disappointments and some surprising delights. The journey continues and it has been educational and fun, albeit expensive!

Being right-handed should make it a bit easier.

A guitar can often be transformed by a proper set-up and appropriate string choice.

BahHumbug · July 2019

I don’t subscribe to the idea that there are necessarily duff guitars......regardless of price range. Acoustic guitars are individuals. Human beings are individuals too and tend to have strong opinions which are personal to them. Hence for any guitar player, there will be guitars which don’t appeal, and there will be those which totally light your fire.
But you have to find the ones that appeal to you, you have to try them, and you have to be patient.
You can’t go around being impressed by a name or a price ticket (I can remember feeling quite disappointed by a £4K+ Bourgeois). Good looks are only a tiny part of the deal. But if you play it and it feels alive in your hands, and your ears and brain are going ‘OMFG!!!’, then maybe, just maybe, it’s the one for you.

ToneControl · July 2019

TimmyO said:

ToneControl said:

VimFuego said:

once you get beyond a certain price point (and even below that you can find cracking guitars) you won't buy a duff one, and there are plenty of really good players playing on all manner of sized guitars.

Sorry, don't agree fully
I've been to high-end classical guitar brokers and shops with loads of high-end acoustics from £3k to £15k
What I've found is that at least 50% of expensive guitars are completely unsuitable for me, and sound poor to my ears

If you pay more than £2.5k you should be guaranteed a great guitar, but you won't know if it works for you until you've tried it. I say should because there are still some duff ones above £3k

Who makes duff 3k guitars?

Sometimes large factories with old names
Sometimes small workshops having a bad day, or experiments that didn't work out

They're made out of wood, a perfect outcome cannot be guaranteed

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Acoustic for fingerstyle?

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