Good all-solid acoustic at ~£500-£1000- Furch? Dowina? Something else?

Dave_Mc · May 2022

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

munckee · May 2022

I have a guild westerley om 140, around £7-800 new. All solid and sounds great. I bought it second hand. I would certainly recommend them.

Dave_Mc · May 2022

munckee said:

I have a guild westerley om 140, around £7-800 new. All solid and sounds great. I bought it second hand. I would certainly recommend them.

Thanks, I'd forgotten about Guild, I'll take a look

Mellish · May 2022

Epiphone, Yamaha, Faith are some brands you could check out

earwighoney · May 2022

Dave_Mc said:

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

What is your playing style? Do you strum? Fingerpick?

I think there are a lot of good guitars in this price range. I'd not say a Yamaha LJ16 would be a better guitar than the Dowina or something, I'd recommend trying as many guitars in the price to find the one which speaks to you the most.

I'd give Eastman another go, Yamaha, Guild, Recording King, Furch, I've owned/played a lot of these, and they all have their moments. The Recording King is the least polished of them all, all the others are far better instruments, but my RK sounds pretty honky, and responds better to playing with slide than the others and I'm playing it more than my Guild, Eastman etc at this moment in time, but they all have their occasions.

FWIW, I'd have no qualms in getting the all solid HB, I've been thinking of doing it myself, and would have if it hadn't been for running out of space!

Dave_Mc · May 2022

Mellish said:

Epiphone, Yamaha, Faith are some brands you could check out

Thanks

I should have said above, in addition to (more or less) having a Faith, the acoustic I do have is a Yamaha- an (IIRC!) FG720MS or something like that. It's pretty nice (seriously nice for what I paid) but I've sort of got a hankering for solid back/sides- and I'd probably like to try a different brand. I'll take a look at Epiphone.

earwighoney said:

Dave_Mc said:

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

What is your playing style? Do you strum? Fingerpick?

I think there are a lot of good guitars in this price range. I'd not say a Yamaha LJ16 would be a better guitar than the Dowina or something, I'd recommend trying as many guitars in the price to find the one which speaks to you the most.

I'd give Eastman another go, Yamaha, Guild, Recording King, Furch, I've owned/played a lot of these, and they all have their moments. The Recording King is the least polished of them all, all the others are far better instruments, but my RK sounds pretty honky, and responds better to playing with slide than the others and I'm playing it more than my Guild, Eastman etc at this moment in time, but they all have their occasions.

FWIW, I'd have no qualms in getting the all solid HB, I've been thinking of doing it myself, and would have if it hadn't been for running out of space!

Thanks

That's interesting about the HBs being made in the RK factory. I've never tried any RKs, but they have a pretty decent rep online, I think. (I'll take a look at them too, thanks for reminding me about them!)

LOL playing style... I guess the most accurate description would be "an electric guitarist trying to bluff it on acoustic"

I guess I would strum more, but at the same time I want to try to learn some fingerpicking too.

When my sister was buying hers, I think we both decided that the Grand Auditorium type shape was the best all-rounder (she got a Venus), but then I'd kind of like something different. Maybe. I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure and all that!

I know exactly what you mean about "all have their occasions". That's the big problem. I'd just take all of them if space and budget weren't a concern!

It's a real pain to try anything here, I'm in Northern Ireland and there's a distinct lack of stuff available here.

BigPaulie · May 2022

earwighoney said:
Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

I've heard this said in the past and have never been able to find evidence that it's true, @earwighoney ;

I've never even been able to find a definitive answer to which factory Recording Kings are manufactured in.

Would you be able to point me in the direction of a reliable source for this claim?

And in order to avoid a theread hijack, I'd recommended the OP looks at Alvarez Masterworks (some are on sale in GG at the moment for silly money), Eastman (the E3 OME) with the herringbone and tortoise binding looks stunning, Yamaha LL, LS, LJ 16 series. Yamaha FG3.

Dave_Mc · May 2022

@BigPaulie Don't worry about the thread hijack, that's the kind of stuff that's useful to know

I've taken a look at those Alvarez Masterworks and some of them look pretty nice. At a very similar price to Recording King (which also look pretty nice), lol. Grrr, this isn't easy when you can't try the things first.

I'll take a look at the Eastman and Yamahas, too

Teyeplayer · May 2022

There’s loads in your budget. I’ve had an Eastman OM which was a cracking acoustic for relatively little money and opened up really well after a year of playing, but I didn’t need it so it went. I’ve an Auden Chester, which is phenomenal and better than the only Furch I’ve tried. I also have a Maton S60 in the classifieds which is also a super acoustic, but I’m trying to downsize the collection. I’ve had a Martin 000-15 s/h in your price range too. The acoustic world is pretty much your oyster.

chrisj1602 · May 2022

I've got an Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson" J45, one of the newer line up, and it's fantastic. Solid sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It has a satin/gloss finish that looks great and feels really nice on the neck.

richman6100 · May 2022

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

guitarjack66 · May 2022

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

BigPaulie · May 2022

guitarjack66 said:

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

guitarjack66 · May 2022

BigPaulie said:

guitarjack66 said:

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

At those prices those guitars would be built equivalent to others a couple of hundred quid dearer.

Dave_Mc · May 2022

Teyeplayer said:

There’s loads in your budget. I’ve had an Eastman OM which was a cracking acoustic for relatively little money and opened up really well after a year of playing, but I didn’t need it so it went. I’ve an Auden Chester, which is phenomenal and better than the only Furch I’ve tried. I also have a Maton S60 in the classifieds which is also a super acoustic, but I’m trying to downsize the collection. I’ve had a Martin 000-15 s/h in your price range too. The acoustic world is pretty much your oyster.

Thanks

I did try a second-hand Maton a while back and really liked it, but the prices (like most things, unfortunately) have gone way up

Which Furch did you try, out of interest?

I wasn't that keen on the Martins I tried (I know that's heresy, and maybe they open up after you've had them for a while). Don't get me wrong, I'd totally take a nice one for free, lol, but I thought they were a bit disappointing considering the reputation they have and what they charged (and that was at 2018 pricing, where a D28 was about £1700 IIRC!).

And the world being my oyster is kind of the problem... most of these things I can't try. You look up all the websites of the manufacturers, and almost none of them have any dealers in Northern Ireland. (Plus unless you can try them in the same shop right next to each other, which is even less likely, it still doesn't tell you a whole lot

).

chrisj1602 said:

I've got an Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson" J45, one of the newer line up, and it's fantastic. Solid sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides. It has a satin/gloss finish that looks great and feels really nice on the neck.

Ah don't say that, that makes this even harder. One of the Gibsons I really liked that I tried was a J-45...

richman6100 said:

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

I've mainly tried the cheaper (but all-solid- Blue Series in current naming convention) ones, but I think I tried one or two dearer ones. I'm struggling to remember much about it (we're talking 3-4 years ago, and we tried a lot of stuff!) but I think the dearer ones were better, but the cheaper ones were still really good, kind of thing. If you didn't mind the satin finish, the Blues were pretty good. Unfortunately, as with most things, they were about £300 less about 4 years ago.

How do your Audens compare to your Furch?

guitarjack66 said:

BigPaulie said:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

At those prices those guitars would be built equivalent to others a couple of hundred quid dearer.

That's what I was thinking/hoping, but I'm definitely a little wary of them, too- just in case they're too good to be true.

( @BigPaulie beat me to it with the link

)

richman6100 · May 2022

richman6100 said:

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

I've mainly tried the cheaper (but all-solid- Blue Series in current naming convention) ones, but I think I tried one or two dearer ones. I'm struggling to remember much about it (we're talking 3-4 years ago, and we tried a lot of stuff!) but I think the dearer ones were better, but the cheaper ones were still really good, kind of thing. If you didn't mind the satin finish, the Blues were pretty good. Unfortunately, as with most things, they were about £300 less about 4 years ago.

How do your Audens compare to your Furch?

They're quite different guitars to be honest. The Furch is a Grand Auditorium (cedar/rosewood), the Audens are a parlour (also cedar/rosewood) and a dreadnought (spruce/rosewood). The Furch is the better all-rounder and is a bit more upmarket - it was roughly twice the price of the Audens. I got it to replace a Faith Venus acoustic that I passed on to my son. It's a noticeable step up from the Faith, although a lot more money and the Faith was pretty good at the price point.

I tend to play the Audens more because they do their own thing a bit better somehow. The parlour, a Marlow model, is so easy to play due to its size and it gets the most use. I use it mainly for finger picking as it's not as good as the other two for strumming. The Colton dreadnought, is really good and is very forgiving of my rather crap strumming. I preferred it to a Martin I tried around the same time, which surprised me as I gravitate towards the Martin sound. It's not overly bright and has a very balanced tone across bass/middle/treble. A better player than me might prefer a more complex sounding dreadnought, but I find it a joy to play. It's detailed enough, but mellow at the same time.

If I was to have just one of the three acoustics, it would be the Furch. It's a wonderful all-rounder. You can strum it, finger pick it, flat pick it, play whatever style you want. However, for strumming, I prefer the Auden Dreadnought and for finger picking I prefer the parlour. Ultimately, this is more about the body size/shape than the manufacturer. I've read very good things about Furch dreadnoughts for example, so it's possible I might prefer one to my Auden Colton. That's not a given though. I was talking to a guy who works in my local guitar shop a couple of years ago when he was going to buy himself a dreadnought - he gets a decent discount on their stock - and after trying several dreads (Martin, Taylor, Takamine and others), he ended up getting an Auden.

Not sure if this helps of confuses things further!

Jez6345789 · May 2022

Masses of choice as said.at this price range.
I was in Warwick last weekend so dived into Richards Guitars for a quick strum on the Dowina and yes they are pretty good for the money if you like you guitars a little on the bright side and sure they will improve for a bit of playing. A guitar I think that sounds good for the money although technically not all solid wood is the Taylor Academy 12 well built simple guitar with a nice tone.

I can’t speak for all Harley bentons but I bought myself a Harley Benton GS mini clone at Christmas really just to see what you got for 1/5th the price of the Taylor equivalent these are a slavish copy of the GS Mini down to key dimensions bracing etc. It’s an ok guitar but the interesting difference to me is almost all the sonic differences are in the fact it’s built 20% heavier so bracing is 20% top 20% I presume this is to save ever getting something back. So not sure if this belts and braces approach extends to all guitars but it was interesting and in the final analysis I wished 5ney had spent 50 quidditch more and they could of made a killer guitar for 1/3 of the price hey ho.

Tannin · May 2022

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

Strangefan · May 2022

I have a dowina, truly exceptional for the price

BigPaulie · May 2022

Tannin said:

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

The LL6 is indeed a nice guitar, but laminated back and sides I'm afraid.

Tannin · May 2022

^ Ahh. My mistake. I don't know the Yamaha model range properly.

Dave_Mc · May 2022

richman6100 said:
How do your Audens compare to your Furch?

They're quite different guitars to be honest. The Furch is a Grand Auditorium (cedar/rosewood), the Audens are a parlour (also cedar/rosewood) and a dreadnought (spruce/rosewood). The Furch is the better all-rounder and is a bit more upmarket - it was roughly twice the price of the Audens. I got it to replace a Faith Venus acoustic that I passed on to my son. It's a noticeable step up from the Faith, although a lot more money and the Faith was pretty good at the price point.

I tend to play the Audens more because they do their own thing a bit better somehow. The parlour, a Marlow model, is so easy to play due to its size and it gets the most use. I use it mainly for finger picking as it's not as good as the other two for strumming. The Colton dreadnought, is really good and is very forgiving of my rather crap strumming. I preferred it to a Martin I tried around the same time, which surprised me as I gravitate towards the Martin sound. It's not overly bright and has a very balanced tone across bass/middle/treble. A better player than me might prefer a more complex sounding dreadnought, but I find it a joy to play. It's detailed enough, but mellow at the same time.

If I was to have just one of the three acoustics, it would be the Furch. It's a wonderful all-rounder. You can strum it, finger pick it, flat pick it, play whatever style you want. However, for strumming, I prefer the Auden Dreadnought and for finger picking I prefer the parlour. Ultimately, this is more about the body size/shape than the manufacturer. I've read very good things about Furch dreadnoughts for example, so it's possible I might prefer one to my Auden Colton. That's not a given though. I was talking to a guy who works in my local guitar shop a couple of years ago when he was going to buy himself a dreadnought - he gets a decent discount on their stock - and after trying several dreads (Martin, Taylor, Takamine and others), he ended up getting an Auden.

Not sure if this helps of confuses things further!

Don't worry, it's helping!

I know what you mean about the auditorium shape- that's pretty much what we figured too when we were trying. It's the best all-rounder, but if you know you want one thing, there might be better options. It's a bit like an HSS or HSH superstrat, I guess. (Also we had another thing we were worrying about- as mainly electric players, we were trying to get the biggest body which was still comfortable to play! And the auditorium seemed to be that, too.)

I think I know what you mean about the warmer, more forgiving sound, too- the Gibsons I tried which I really liked were a bit like that. Like you too I wonder if I were a better player if that might not matter so much!

Jez6345789 said:

Masses of choice as said.at this price range.
I was in Warwick last weekend so dived into Richards Guitars for a quick strum on the Dowina and yes they are pretty good for the money if you like you guitars a little on the bright side and sure they will improve for a bit of playing. A guitar I think that sounds good for the money although technically not all solid wood is the Taylor Academy 12 well built simple guitar with a nice tone.

I can’t speak for all Harley bentons but I bought myself a Harley Benton GS mini clone at Christmas really just to see what you got for 1/5th the price of the Taylor equivalent these are a slavish copy of the GS Mini down to key dimensions bracing etc. It’s an ok guitar but the interesting difference to me is almost all the sonic differences are in the fact it’s built 20% heavier so bracing is 20% top 20% I presume this is to save ever getting something back. So not sure if this belts and braces approach extends to all guitars but it was interesting and in the final analysis I wished 5ney had spent 50 quidditch more and they could of made a killer guitar for 1/3 of the price hey ho.

Thanks

I know what you mean about the HB- that happens with a lot of cheaper products, not just guitars. To be fair to the manufacturer- to get the interest (especially with stuff you can't try first), they have to get it down to "Wow, how cheap?" pricing. But a lot of the time you end up thinking, "Wow, if you could make something that good for £100, it's a shame you didn't charge £150 and make it amazing..." Although, again to be fair to the manufacturer, the customer (me included) usually only gets there once they've bought it at the cheaper price and seen how good it might have been...

Tannin said:

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

Thanks, will do

Strangefan said:

I have a dowina, truly exceptional for the price

Excellent, which one do you have?

BigPaulie said:

Tannin said:

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

The LL6 is indeed a nice guitar, but laminated back and sides I'm afraid.

Thanks for the heads-up

Tannin said:

^ Ahh. My mistake. I don't know the Yamaha model range properly.

No worries, the names are pretty confusing, they're nearly as bad as Ibanez! I'm still not sure I have the model name of mine correct earlier in the thread

DavidR · May 2022

Yeh, don't miss out Yamaha, but then I'm a massive FG fan. But beware, quite a lot of the new L series which has been discussed come with electrics now. A growing trend for acoustics generally.

So why not look at the FG dreadnought or FS OM size. It seems a bit bonkers to be going downmarket to get what you want but at least take a look at the Yamaha FG 8 series models. And FS while you're at it. I have the FG830 and its great. Also an FG5. More difficult to find now but Yamaha will still make you one (I think).

Yamaha FG Series Acoustic Guitars | Yamaha Music London

Yamaha Red Label | FG5 - Vintage Natural - Peach Guitars

You're spoilt for choice at this price range so all the instruments mentioned in the thread are worth a look. Many of them will ship with high actions and benefit from attention.

Mellish · May 2022

@Dave_Mc ; I'm a big Martin fan but what they've done with their Re-imagined lineup I just dislike neck-wise.

If you like the neck profile, great; but if you prefer a low profile, that soft V could really give you hell - if you want to play the whole board without a capo, that is

woody · May 2022

secondhand breedlove american series should also fall within your budget..very underrated guitars.

bertie · May 2022

if you're in OM territory - there's a Stanford PSOM20. (OM-28 "clone") all solid - on the guitar pages on FB for £600

Jez6345789 · May 2022

I think one thing I might do in your situation is if you can’t try this stuff in Ireland then I might save up or nick a few quid off the budget to get a day trip to the main land hear all this stuff in context. You could fly to Gatwick and easily cover guitar guitar Anderson and guitar village in a day. It might be a long day but it would give you a lot more experience.
Rather buying blind

rze99 · May 2022

If you consider used the Guild d4 NY is a proper USA made folk guitar an excellent all rounder and can be had for less than a grand when they come up.

Strangefan · May 2022

@Dave_Mc I have a vintage series Ponoma, tap tunes all solid woods, and the nicest feeling neck (open pore) I have eve held, it's totally a keeper, it cost me used 600.... Madness.

Dave_Mc · May 2022

@DavidR Thanks

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I've already got a Yamaha FG, lol (a cheaper laminate back and sides one). I'd probably prefer something different, just to see what else is out there. EDIT: Oh I see, the second one you linked to is a Japanese-made all-solid one. I just assumed they'd be way too dear. Good call, I definitely wouldn't be averse to an MIJ one! EDIT #2: Oh and electrics are no problem- I just meant I don't need them. If the guitar comes with them, it's no problem (especially if there's a tuner built-in too, and it doesn't cost too much more!).

That's a very good point about the action, and kind of what I'm worried about a little. I guess it might be worth buying from a store which will do a setup...

@Mellish Thanks for the heads-up

@woody Thanks, good idea. I've never tried them, but I have heard of them! I was under the impression they were meant to be very good.

@bertie Thanks. Not sure about OM... I haven't tried many of them, but I sort of felt they were a bit thin. But I could well change my mind!

@Jez6345789 Thanks. I'd thought of that... the only problem with that is, as you said, it's a long day- when I've tried guitars before (without a big trip like that), by about the 4th guitar they're all sort of starting to meld into one! It definitely helps if you're not too tired, and doing a big trip like that sort of guarantees you'll be tired. But not fitting it all into one day would pretty much blow the entire guitar budget...

@rze99 Thanks. Even some of the satin-finished USA Guilds new are around £1300 on Thomann...

@strangefan That's lovely

Which one is that? It sort of has the rosette from the Sauvignon, but I don't think the Sauvignon has the Grover tuners. Also (I could be wrong) are the back and sides mahogany? it looks more like mahogany than sapele (which again the Sauvignon has, I think). Spruce top (Dolomite? Sitka?)

bertie · May 2022

@Dave_Mc ;; - you look at one, and they are - but the sound (of a good one) totally belies this - and (for me and many) much more comfortable to play

if you were closer you'd be more than welcome to come try my Furch...................

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Good all-solid acoustic at ~£500-£1000- Furch? Dowina? Something else?

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