Going unplugged but I've never had a decent accoustic - suggestions..?

Neill · January 2021

Ok guys, this is the gist, I'm not a beginner, I'm not wonderful either, but I'm competent enough to hold my own in a band and I've even done an odd gig just me and a singer, but mostly electric. In fact I've never owned a decent accoustic, I've always borrowed one whenever needed.

Anyway, I'm retired now so I do have quite a lot of spare time and I think it's about time I improved my unplugged playing. I keep putting this off but I am losing patience waiting for Covid to sod off and let me visit a guitar shop. So, does anyone have some suggestions for a decent accoustic, or even just a brand, that would be a safe bet?

I know what you're all thinking, how much money has he got... but TBH I'd rather turn that question round and ask how much would you expect to pay these days bearing in mind that I do know my way around a fretboard and I think I have a good ear for tone.

stickyfiddle · January 2021

I would always suggest a Martin D18 or D28 as a starting point, then see what you don't like about it and go from there

Lebarque · January 2021

The best Martin you can afford.

TheBigDipper · January 2021

Would you have been happy with any of the acoustics you've borrowed? If so, what were they? Might be a good place to start....

VimFuego · January 2021

yeah, can't go wrong with an 18/28 martin. re how much to spend, I'm not up on new prices anymore, but as a ballpark, £1500 to £2000 will get you something really nice. That's not to say you can't get really nice for less, you can, but at that price point, you'd have to put a lot of effort in to buy a duff 'un.

ICBM · January 2021

If you want the classic woody, full acoustic guitar sound - Martin.

If you want the modern bright, sparkly acoustic guitar sound - Taylor.

Many other, and cheaper, brands are available...

Don't get built-in electrics unless you *really* need a stage guitar with onboard control. Otherwise, you're always better with a plain acoustic guitar, even if you later want to fit it with a pickup.

Kittyfrisk · January 2021

What a guitar maker thinks of the new Epiphone Masterbilt Frontier.
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/197014/ngd-epiphone-masterbuilt-frontier#latest

PC008 · January 2021

I would heartily recommend the Yamaha Red Label FS3 or FS5 - beautifully made and sound wonderful.

Gandalph · January 2021

Some good suggestions so far. I’d also add Eastman to that list, they are bang on for the money.

KDS · January 2021

Brook or, not tried one I’d be looking at Eastman. I have a Eastman mandolin and it’s brilliant

camf · January 2021

A couple of dumb questions to consider. What size are you? Little guys like me can struggle with long scale dreads - biggest guitar I feel comfortable is a short-scale Gibson J45. I find an OM or 000 a better fit. A full scale dread sounds nice but for me it’s not comfortable to play for very long and that’s a deal breaker. Do you sing? Some people find certain guitars fit their voice better. Again Gibson J45 and Hummingbirds and Martin D18s seem especially popular with singers, although lots of singers like OM or 00018s too. But it’s such a personal thing, you have kind of work out what you think might tick your boxes and then dive in. I found buying used gave me the option of selling on and trying something else until I found my true love.... er... loves.

earwighoney · January 2021

stickyfiddle said:

I would always suggest a Martin D18 or D28 as a starting point, then see what you don't like about it and go from there

I'd never recommend a dread to anyone as a starting point unless they are on the taller side of things. Playing a dread for a short man like myself is like plucking strings on the other side of a wardrobe.

IMO, I'd always recommend an acoustic depending on the size of the player and their budget.

ICBM · January 2021

earwighoney said:

I'd never recommend a dread to anyone as a starting point unless they are on the taller side of things. Playing a dread for a short man like myself is like plucking strings on the other side of a wardrobe.

IMO, I'd always recommend an acoustic depending on the size of the player and their budget.

I'm 5'6" on my tiptoes and I prefer Dreadnoughts to any other style of guitar.

camf · January 2021

ICBM said:

earwighoney said:

I'd never recommend a dread to anyone as a starting point unless they are on the taller side of things. Playing a dread for a short man like myself is like plucking strings on the other side of a wardrobe.

IMO, I'd always recommend an acoustic depending on the size of the player and their budget.

I'm 5'6" on my tiptoes and I prefer Dreadnoughts to any other style of guitar.

I was thinking of you when I said “can struggle”, not “do struggle”. I think it helps the er... less tall players to stretch over a Dreadnought if they’re skinny. Short of stature and a big beer belly must be a complicating factor.

Neill · January 2021

I'm very thankful for all these helpful comments, I know it's unlikely I'll get it right first time but I'm certainly better informed already than I was this morning.

Th size thing does concern me a bit, I am quite small and must admit I had ruled out dreadnoughts, but I am also skinny so who knows...

It's very frustrating not being able to try different types but Scotland looks like being locked down for some time yet and I'm not going anywhere until we can get rid of these wretched masks.

Any other thoughts will be gratefully received!

meltedbuzzbox · January 2021

000 martin

blueskunk · January 2021

Don’t get a Dreadnought ! Unless you try before you buy and it fits you. I made that mistake a few times. I now would only buy a smaller body acoustic. I do have an old Japanese Dreadnought but got it cheap so it’s all good.

Basher · January 2021

If you are buying online, I'd suggest an all-solid woods "OM" or "OOO" model as the ideal starter.

It'll do everything well - singer/songwriter strumming, flatpicking, fingerpicking etc. It's big enough to not look like a toy but smaller than a dread for comfort and couch-friendliness. The 14 fret join allows higher fret access without the abomination that is a cutaway on an acoustic.

Personally, I'd avoid Martin unless you can play them in person. Also, I think you can get a lot more guitar for less money and it doesn't sound like you're dead set on any brand.

My suggestion would be an Eastman E10M. Have never played one but I just picked up a small, 12-fret mahogany OO model and it's great. A friend did have an Eastman OM and it was a cracker. I got mine used from an Eastman fan who owns load of them. He uses Project Music in Exeter as the boss sets them up to his specification, which happens to match mine (low action and light strings!). This model is a 24.9" scale length which I think technically makes it more of a OOO model by Martin standards as the OM is is supposed to have the longer, 25.5" scale. I have a 25.6" scale OM and it feels a lot tighter to play than the shorter scale Eastman which feels lovely and easy to me without any obvious tonal loss. This one is Sapele back and sides (similar to mahogany) which I like (still miss my Larrivee OM3) and am starting to prefer over the more "hi-fi" rosewood sound.

Eastman page:

https://www.eastmanguitars.com/e1om
Project music page: https://www.projectmusic.net/eastman-e1-om-with-gigbag-24403-p.asp

DavidR · January 2021

You pay a premium for Martins. And Taylors. Gibsons and Fenders still patchy in terms of quality but some good instruments.

If you read enough internet comment you will be pushed towards American guitars because a lot of comment and opinion is from the US but don't dismiss Asian producers especially if you're looking in the £1,000'ish rather than £2-3,000 range. People that side of the world have been making stringed instruments for an awfully long time and are good at it. Yamaha and Eastman have already been mentioned. For Yamaha I would suggest the FG5 (dreadnought) or FS5 (OM size - smaller and more comfortable to hold if you're small, but less base). Or FG3 or FS3 which are cheaper but very similar instruments - supposedly because made in China rather than at Hamamatsu, Japan (although FG5 and FS5 possibly just finished in Hamamatsu!). In fact their entire FG range is worth a look at and has been a lot of acoustic players first love since the 60's/70's. Also Eastman who are innovative and make some very fine guitars. e.g. Eastman remain the only mass producer to experiment with double tops in acoustics, something none of the US mass producers have bothered much with. Make a comparison between the Eastman E20D and a Martin D28 as an exercise. You won't be looking at a vastly different instrument. Depends on your budget and if you're keen on a 'name'.

P.S. Don't bother paying for bling on acoustics. Unless you like it. But it markedly increases the amount of dosh you'll part with and won't provide better tone or comfort.

These are all personal opinions of course. Have fun.

stickyfiddle · January 2021

This exactly why I said “then see what you don't like about it and go from there”... meaning if you find dreads too big then you can go to an OM or Taylor “14” shape, or whatever. But I was also thinking from a sound perspective - to my ears a D28 is the first sound I imagine when I think of “acoustic guitar”.

Personally I don’t tend to like big electrics but I’m fine on larger bodied acoustics (I’m 6 foot with reasonably in-proportion limbs!). Noel Gallagher is about 5’8” and has spent a career playing dreadnoughts and J200s. You just have to find what works for you.

Teyeplayer · January 2021

If money is no object: Brook
Mass produced premium: Martin or Gibson (higher end models rather than budget ranges), Larivee are also worth a look.
Best kept secret: Auden
Great tone on a budget: Eastman

stickyfiddle · January 2021

FWIW I’m looking for something to complement my HD28 and a the Atkin Forty Seven (Gibson LG2 done really really well) is my current front runner

McSwaggerty · January 2021

A few years ago l thought l wanted a Martin Dreadnought.
Bought a D18. Over the next 2 months l tried really hard to like it.
It was a Martin after all..... What's wrong with me.?
But eventually sold it and bought a cheaper short scale Eastman
It was the right decision for me. Never been happier.

ICBM · January 2021

camf said:

I think it helps the er... less tall players to stretch over a Dreadnought if they’re skinny. Short of stature and a big beer belly must be a complicating factor.

Well, as you know I do have to admit to being a bit on the thin side

.

Neill said:

Th size thing does concern me a bit, I am quite small and must admit I had ruled out dreadnoughts, but I am also skinny so who knows...

At least Dreadnoughts are the most common guitar size. If you can find a way to borrow one - any brand or quality - you’ll know in five minutes.

But definitely don’t rule one out until you do. I love them simply because they sound the best - don’t believe the myth that they’re only for strumming either, a good one is great for fingerstyle as well... that’s why they’re the most popular design.

Colms2005 · January 2021

Santa Cruz OM/PW is a great Swiss Army knife approach. It does everything very well if you can manage the 1”3/4” nut width.

Basher · January 2021

ICBM said:

At least Dreadnoughts are the most common guitar size. If you can find a way to borrow one - any brand or quality - you’ll know in five minutes.

But definitely don’t rule one out until you do. I love them simply because they sound the best - don’t believe the myth that they’re only for strumming either, a good one is great for fingerstyle as well... that’s why they’re the most popular design.

Despite my suggesting an OM, there be great wisdom here.

Thinking about some of the players I loved, like John Martyn and Bert Jansch, they spent much of their time playing dreadnought-sized acoustics, despite being mainly fingerstyle players. I guess we have so much choice now that we forget that most of the time, particularly in the UK, you just got the best thing you could and got on with it.

I do find my OM more "comfortable" than my bigger Yamaha L. My new Eastman OO is even more "comfortable" than the OM. However, once I play any of them for a few minutes, I seem to adapt to the size and it becomes far less noticeable. The common factor is that I'm equally terrible on them all and that's the issue I probably need to address, rather than convincing myself that a short scale OOO with the squarer "OM" body shape and mahogany back and sides is what I need to transform my playing!

Moominpapa · January 2021

ICBM said:

earwighoney said:

I'd never recommend a dread to anyone as a starting point unless they are on the taller side of things. Playing a dread for a short man like myself is like plucking strings on the other side of a wardrobe.

IMO, I'd always recommend an acoustic depending on the size of the player and their budget.

I'm 5'6" on my tiptoes and I prefer Dreadnoughts to any other style of guitar.

I'm 5' 4". Earlier this year I did buy a Fender parlour acoustic as I was tempted by the idea of the smaller body , but when I compared the sound to my Yamaha FG830 - well, I sold the Fender a couple of days later. I basically gave myself a slap and an instruction to man up and remember that Paul Simon is 5' 3", and he did pretty well with an HD 12-28 back in the day.

Richardrichard · January 2021

You don't need to spend £1500+ for a decent acoustic, take a look at some of the newer breed like Faith, Sire, Sigma.

In my opinion just like fender/gibson in the electric world, with a lot of Taylor/Martin type stuff much of the money goes on the name and the fact that it's assembled by underpaid undermotivated americans rather than underpaid undermotivated people from the far east.

ICBM · January 2021

Richardrichard said:

In my opinion just like fender/gibson in the electric world, with a lot of Taylor/Martin type stuff much of the money goes on the name and the fact that it's assembled by underpaid undermotivated americans rather than underpaid undermotivated people from the far east.

Some of their cheaper models are made by Mexicans, who may be a bit better motivated... they're probably (relatively) paid a better wage than their counterparts in the US.

JRgtar · January 2021

ICBM said:
Don't get built-in electrics unless you *really* need a stage guitar with onboard control. Otherwise, you're always better with a plain acoustic guitar, even if you later want to fit it with a pickup.

Interesting, is this because the inbuilt pickups are not as good as aftermarket options? Appreciate you may be paying a premium then for something that isn’t great.

On another note, and from my own experience, my ‘low-end’ Taylor 114 sounds fantastic and is nicely finished. Owners of more expensive models have commented on it. So much of an acoustic sound comes down to personal preference in my opinon, so don’t ignore the ‘low-end’ models.

darius · January 2021

Tanglewood - excellent and a whole range to choose from

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Going unplugged but I've never had a decent accoustic - suggestions..?

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