Guitar to complement HD28

stickyfiddle · February 2021

jellyroll said:

Might also be worth consider a second large body since thats the size you like right now....SJ200?

Haha! That may be the next challenge...

I think a 4 or 5 guitar set could be nice. 00, LG, D28, J45 or Dove, SJ200 and a 12...?

TimmyO · February 2021

I learned that for me at least comparison is the thief of joy.

A big one and a small one is an easy choice in the moment and stops me having a guitar-comparing hobby that gets in the way of a music hobby.

And I like em both enough that if I could only keep one, I’d be happy

stickyfiddle · February 2021

TimmyO said:

I learned that for me at least comparison is the thief of joy.

A big one and a small one is an easy choice in the moment and stops me having a guitar-comparing hobby that gets in the way of a music hobby.

And I like em both enough that if I could only keep one, I’d be happy

Yup, that’s where I am.

In the same way that I’m very happy not tying to decide which of my electrics is “best”. That changes depending on what I need from it at the time, so as long as they’re all great I’m happy

Basher · February 2021

TimmyO said:

I learned that for me at least comparison is the thief of joy.

A big one and a small one is an easy choice in the moment and stops me having a guitar-comparing hobby that gets in the way of a music hobby.

And I like em both enough that if I could only keep one, I’d be happy

Well, if that approach works for you, fair enough.

What I like about my guitar comparison hobby is that it prevents me from fully realising how bad I am at my making music hobby.

Am considering expanding my ongoing "big one, medium one or small one?" dilemma so that I can further agonise over which instrument has the precise, optimal tonal qualities for a musical situation that will, thankfully, never happen due to my endless deliberation.

Andy79 · February 2021

I think a good companion for a 28 would be a short scale 00, or rather, an L-00. You are sure to get a wildly different experience each time you swap and let’s face facts. A good L-00 is the world’s best guitar, nearly. For me the 00 shape is THE guitar shape and that honking great sound hole in the Gibson adds to the volume (?)

I was lucky enough to play a small burst ‘33 once-upon-ago. Bloody hell it was good. Some of the high end custom shop efforts since then must come close, but they seem very few and far between this side of the Atlantic, rarely see them in the U.K.

Even the lowly Studio with walnut body is a very decent instrument. Pretty sure I turned one of those into a used guitar in PMT many pre COVID Saturday afternoons ago. Ahh they were the days

FunkyGibbon · February 2021

I have a 00-15, D18-GE and an OM28. The latter is the closest to your HD28 as a Sitka/Rosewood combination. From my experience and ears I suspect that a spruce/mahogany guitar will not offer sufficient contrast to the HD28.

I’d suggest trying an all Mahogany guitar, like the 00-15 or all Koa etc..You’ll also increase the contrast by going for a different body size. The 12/14 fret question is a matter of taste and technique. I find I struggle with short scales because of the lower sting tension.

Definitely take your HD28 with you when you go to play other instruments. As things stand it represents your ‘true north’ and again, in my experience, my guitars sound very different in the guitar rooms of shops. I visited one shop where the room was vast but anechoic and none of the guitars sounded right because there was nothing coming back at me from the room.

Happy hunting and do keep us informed on how it goes/where you get to.

earwighoney · February 2021

Andy79 said:

I think a good companion for a 28 would be a short scale 00, or rather, an L-00. You are sure to get a wildly different experience each time you swap and let’s face facts. A good L-00 is the world’s best guitar, nearly. For me the 00 shape is THE guitar shape and that honking great sound hole in the Gibson adds to the volume (?)

I was lucky enough to play a small burst ‘33 once-upon-ago. Bloody hell it was good. Some of the high end custom shop efforts since then must come close, but they seem very few and far between this side of the Atlantic, rarely see them in the U.K.

Even the lowly Studio with walnut body is a very decent instrument. Pretty sure I turned one of those into a used guitar in PMT many pre COVID Saturday afternoons ago. Ahh they were the days

IMO, I find the 00 to be the most balanced body size (lots of assumptions, be it bracing, woods, but most importantly playing style). Aside from being a good companion for a D-28 I think a short scale 00 is a good option for anyone!

FWIW, the two loudest guitars I own are both 00 sized, one is an Eastman 12 fret and the other isn't strictly a 00 but a nylon string guitar (a flamenco guitar), so much so I struggle to play them (especially the latter) as anything more than the lightest of touches is like an uppercut punch. I've got a 14 fret 00-21 repro as well, (the 21 style seems to go under the radar) which is a bit more manageable.

However a good 0 shaped guitar can have a lovely focussed sound.

The downside of good 0/00's is they are thin on the ground in comparison to larger sizes.

stickyfiddle said:

@earwighoney No specific pref on body size, just “smaller than a dread”. That said, I don’t think I want to go any smaller than 00, and as noted am leaning towards the LG sort of thing, and then perhaps slot in a 12-fret 00 at some point down the line. Budget wise I reckon I can justify up to the 3k sort of mark, but I don’t have to!

I’m sure I would love something old, but I’m in Abu Dhabi, so it’s tricky and shipping is risky unless coming from a reputed shop. And CITES...

Have you considered the new Gibson LG-2 reissue?

https://www.gibson.com/Guitar/ACCDYV983/50s-LG-2/Vintage-Sunburst

https://www.thomann.de/gb/gibson_50s_lg_2_vintage_sunburst.htm

£1.7k before VAT (I have no idea what the VAT rates are where you are)

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Guitar to complement HD28

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