How long to find an acoustic?

deejayen · February 2023

I've been playing electric guitar exclusively for many years now, but a few weeks ago I had a sudden hankering after an acoustic.

The few dealers near me (in the north of Scotland) only stock guitars at the cheaper end of the market. Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult for me to get time away to visit dealers with more extensive stock. However, on a rare trip south I was able to try a few guitars, and ended up thinking a particular used D-18 might be the ticket. I mulled it over, and made the effort to return and buy it, but on this second trip it didn't sound or play quite as I'd remembered it, and more importantly, I discovered what appeared to be some issues with the guitar. I had a little bit of time, so went to another dealer, and played a few more guitars, with the salesman handing me ever-more-expensive ones (up to a Collings D1T, which was way over what I thought I might have to spend to get a nice guitar). Perhaps I was having a bad playing day that day, but I can't say that any of the guitars really grabbed me, and I found some of them quite hard to play. Even though it's still expensive, a standard D18 is probably a fairly sensible choice, but after trying things like an Authentic with a fatter neck, the standard guitar felt a bit lacking.

Now that I'm back home I'm listening to some online demos. I find D-18's to sound good, but I now find I'm also being drawn to Gibson LG-2 style guitars.

It might be many months before I can next get to a dealer, so after being close to buying that used D-18 I'm wondering if it might now take me years to find a guitar! Is this typical?

An alternative route would to find a guitar online which pulls at my heartstrings, and buy that... I know it might not be the most sensible way to buy a guitar, but perhaps it could work out...!

camf · February 2023

Whereabouts up north are you based?

Mellish · February 2023

Usually it doesn't take long but, in your case, with no convenient access to good guitar stores... Well, who knows?

You *could* go the online way. (many of our NI friends do this) but it could be frustrating.

Lestratcaster · February 2023

I got my D28 a couple of years ago after almost 6 months of researching and trying out different models. Mind you we were still in the middle of the covid pandemic meaning alot of stores were closed. But I compared a D28 with the HD28 and it was very hard. Had to take 2 visits to a guitar store to test and eventually settled on the D28 cos it felt nicer. Was weird though as I did the blind test where a mate played both one after the each other, the first guitar was the D28 and I said 'B' which was in fact, the HD28. Either one would have suited me well to be fair, but there's something about that D28 I knew I liked the moment I started playing on it.

Grampa · February 2023

Like you, last year, I suddenly had a hankering to explore the purity of the acoustic world. I'm somewhat impulsive and within 15mins had purchased a PRS P20 in the Peach sale. Enjoying the acoustic journey and decided to upgrade by trading the P20 against a Taylor GS Mini-e, this took around 30mins. Both bought online unseen and can honestly say absolutely no regrets with either purchase.

stickyfiddle · February 2023

If you're spending that money I think it's fine to try a whole of stuff before you find the perfect guitar.

I have an Atkin 47 (LG-2 syle) which I bought unseen and it's spectacular. I also have a Bourgeois D18-alike that was far from the first of its kind I tried. In that case the wait was very much worth it.

gordiji · February 2023

I had the same urge going back a month or so. I've not owned an acoustic being an electric player but can pick a bit as i like country. My missus has an FG 720 Yam which i advised her on 10yrs or so ago to strum songs & sing. It's a good guitar.

So I just took delivery of an LL16D knowing Yamaha's good standards for QC and buying blind, with the option of returns (Thomann)

It's really a stunning looking & more importantly playing guitar, rich ,resonant and balanced. I love it, can't put it down.

The second guitar in vid below sounds like mine although it's poorly recorded and has more depth, fullness in reality.

BillDL · February 2023

One of the most frustrating aspects of trying acoustic guitars is that you are usually not hearing how the guitar sounds to others, especially if you are in a sound proofed try-out room with sound baffles rather than one with a bit more sound reflectance to bounce the sound back to your ears. You can obviously ask somebody else to play while you listen from the front, but even then that person's playing style might well make the guitar sound quite different than it would be with you playing it.

ICBM · February 2023

It took me from about 1985 to 2015. And I have played a *lot* of acoustic guitars - I've worked as a repairer and in guitar shops. A few others have been very close, including a couple I owned, but none have the absolutely immediate, every time I pick it up it sounds exactly like I want an acoustic guitar to sound *rightness* of my Gibson Dove.

The good news is that before I found it I would probably have been happy with at least a few others - including one of the ones I owned, although its neck size and string spacing was not ideal for me - and not really known I was missing anything.

Dave_Mc · February 2023

deejayen said:

However, on a rare trip south I was able to try a few guitars, and ended up thinking a particular used D-18 might be the ticket. I mulled it over, and made the effort to return and buy it, but on this second trip it didn't sound or play quite as I'd remembered it, and more importantly, I discovered what appeared to be some issues with the guitar.

That's what I'm always worried about- there have been at least a couple of cases where I've tried an acoustic guitar, loved it, gone back another day soon after to more or less buy it... and when I tried it again, it wasn't the same!

I'm mainly an electric player too, so that may be part of it like with you. Also I'm in NI so there's not that much choice here either (probably a fair bit more than northern Scotland, though)... I mainly buy online, but I'm never sure what the best way is. There's really no guarantee with either online or buying in a shop, unfortunately- you could be disappointed either way, and either way can also work out.

Roland · February 2023

ICBM said:

It took me from about 1985 to 2015.

It took me from 1972 to 2002 before I bought my first acoustic. In 1972 or would have been a Yamaha. In 2002 it was a Taylor. Current needs are different again.

Tannin · February 2023

@deejayen said: I can't say that any of the guitars really grabbed me, and I found some of them quite hard to play.

Deejayen don't play too much attention to how easy acoustic guitars are to play, especially new ones. With electric guitars, there is no reason not to ship them set up to perfection (other than laziness and the cost of someone's time, that is). But with acoustic guitars, there is every reason to ship ex-factory with the action a bit too high.

Why? Because it is trivially easy to adjust the action of an electric guitar (well, within reason and assuming that it has the standard adjustment screws). So the maker can set it up just so and if that turns out to e a little bit too high or low because of humidity changes, different strings, or simply the preference of the buyer, it can be adjusted it in a couple of minutes. (And adjusted again a week later if desired, as many times as you like.)

Action adjustments on an acoustic a different. The truss rod can be adjusted, of course, but beyond that, acoustic action adjustment is a one-way process. It is easy enough to sand a too-high saddle down, but you can't sand it up! You have to shim it (may or may not sound bad) or else make a new saddle and start again.

Acoustic guitar makers appreciate this, and also appreciate that no two players like a guitar set up quite the same way. For this reason, they usually ship new acoustic guitars a bit too high, very sensibly leaving it to the buyer to tweak to his or her requirements. (I make it a habit to do nothing for a couple of weeks, getting to know the guitar and letting it settle in before making any changes.)

Some acoustic makers ship with lower action than others. Taylor is an example, Cole Clark another; in both cases probably out of confidence than their manufacturing tolerances are tighter than most and they won't get caught out by an instrument that has passed QC but is abnormally high or low.

Summary: look for a guitar that is great to play, but don't pay too much attention to how well you like the factory setup. (And yes, it can be difficult figuring out whether you are dealing with a great guitar that needs a setup, or a so-so guitar that won't ever be a great player.

PS: Martins are great but if you can't find an even better guitar for the same money you aren't looking.

guitarjack66 · February 2023

Don't worry about the price either. Pick up and play a few 'budget' guitars too and ignore the name on the headstock. Feel and listen and you may be surprised how much you like a few of them.

Tannin · February 2023

^ Nahh. Anything under £3000 is rubbish. I know that for a fact because a chap in the shop told me so.

ElectricXII · February 2023

Maybe I’m not picky enough, or maybe I got lucky. I fancied a slope shoulder Gibson, saw one on marketplace, tried it, bought it and love it.

deejayen · February 2023

Thanks very much for all the advice and varied stories and advice - much appreciated.

I'll see if I might be able to get away somewhere in the near future, but otherwise I could be tempted to buy online, assuming I have a good idea of what I'm looking for.

The action thing is useful to know. The guy in the shop also told me that Martins ship with 13's, so that probably didn't help. I mean, I managed to play them okay, but after trying a few guitars it felt like quite hard work. I usually play 11's on my electrics, so have the opposite problem when I play electrics in stores, as they're generally fitted with lighter gauge strings.

I did also look up the Yamaha FG5, as I think that might be a good guitar for the price (compared with a Martin). However, I think I might be moving over to a Gibson-style sound, although I didn't get to play any of those.

Mellish · February 2023

Took me from 1960 to 2023 to find "the one".

Dread, dread, dread, dread. I could get close to something that felt right, played right and worked for me, but there was always something that stopped just short of what I wanted.

I'd p/e, looking for something else. Then I got a Gibson Dove and that guitar, although wrong for me, did me a big favour: it's larger lower bout brought home to me that dreads don't suit me.

So I went shopping and came home with an OM......

Perfect

Mellish · February 2023

@deejayen ; not all Martins ship with 13s. Mine came with 12s.

Tannin · February 2023

@Melish finds a new "The One" about every six months.

Mellish · February 2023

^^^ @Tannin ; I was expecting this. I guess I brought it on myself.

Snags · February 2023

OP, don't write off less obvious brands. You can get an awful lot for your money looking at Dowina, Furch, Eastman etc.

Compared to the USA brands they punch well above their ticket price.

Dave_Mc · February 2023

Tannin said:
(a) Some acoustic makers ship with lower action than others. Taylor is an example, Cole Clark another; in both cases probably out of confidence than their manufacturing tolerances are tighter than most and they won't get caught out by an instrument that has passed QC but is abnormally high or low.

Summary: look for a guitar that is great to play, but don't pay too much attention to how well you like the factory setup. (b) (And yes, it can be difficult figuring out whether you are dealing with a great guitar that needs a setup, or a so-so guitar that won't ever be a great player.

(a) Yeah my Dowina was set very low as well.

(b) That's what I'm always worried about!

Smellyfingers · February 2023

My experience of constantly searching for the 'perfect' guitar, is that it can be, at best, a distraction from actually playing, and at worst an expensive waste of time.

If you are going to spend many hours practising it is important to find one that is comfortable to hold and fret for extended periods of time, but on reflection, for me this takes priority over the finer points of tone and wood combinations.

Other than that I wish I could have stuck with something that stays in tune and intonates correctly, and just use it for the slog of improving my technique. Instead of worrying does it sound too bright or too subdued or why doesn't it project so well compared with x brand etc.

There may be a thrill to searching and trying out finer and finer acoustics, but to pretend that they will make you a better player is perhaps a road to disappointment.

tone1 · February 2023

Not being flippant….but I’m 51 & still looking

guitarjack66 · February 2023

Mellish said:

Took me from 1960 to 2023 to find "the one".

Dread, dread, dread, dread. I could get close to something that felt right, played right and worked for me, but there was always something that stopped just short of what I wanted.

I'd p/e, looking for something else. Then I got a Gibson Dove and that guitar, although wrong for me, did me a big favour: it's larger lower bout brought home to me that dreads don't suit me.

So I went shopping and came home with an OM......

Perfect

The lower bout problem is exactly what bothers me,alongside one or two others.

Gemsdals · February 2023

A guy came to my house a couple of weeks ago to try the OM size guitar I was selling. When he arrived he told me he hadn't brought any money with him and just wanted to try an OM size to see if it suited him as he couldn't do this at PMT for whatever reason. I was a bit miffed but accommodated him and gave him a few others to try which I wasn't selling. He didn't buy the guitar but I think he achieved his goal.. Not suggesting this is what you should do of course.

Mellish · February 2023

@Gemsdals ; of course he could have tried one in PMT if they had one in. Why ever not?

Took you for a fool mate. Not nice!

Gemsdals · February 2023

Mellish said:

@Gemsdals ; of course he could have tried one in PMT if they had one in. Why ever not?

Took you for a fool mate. Not nice!

I suppose driving 10 minutes to me was easier than travelling to Leeds just to try something out. He said he liked it but never heard from him again. It's gone now anyway. I think I was more annoyed as I'd cleaned the house and held off having anything to eat. Bearing in mind I've let a chap film several of my guitars for his YouTube channel in my living room on two separate occasions I do tend to be very accomodating which sometimes doesn't do me any favours.

Dave_Mc · February 2023

Smellyfingers said:

My experience of constantly searching for the 'perfect' guitar, is that it can be, at best, a distraction from actually playing, and at worst an expensive waste of time.

If you are going to spend many hours practising it is important to find one that is comfortable to hold and fret for extended periods of time, but on reflection, for me this takes priority over the finer points of tone and wood combinations.

Other than that I wish I could have stuck with something that stays in tune and intonates correctly, and just use it for the slog of improving my technique. Instead of worrying does it sound too bright or too subdued or why doesn't it project so well compared with x brand etc.

There may be a thrill to searching and trying out finer and finer acoustics, but to pretend that they will make you a better player is perhaps a road to disappointment.

That's what I always wonder- I know there are some people who say you should keep looking for "the one" and (if you have to) sell everything you have to get it (or even worse, once you've got it, sell everything else!)... but I'm always worried that it's kind of a holy grail which might not exist. And you could waste years trying to find it and never be happy (either with what you've got or what you might get). And it might not even be out there...

Don't get me wrong- I like gear as much as anyone (probably too much). And I'm not saying for a second that you're not allowed to like some things more than other things and obviously the sensible thing is to try to figure out and then gravitate towards what you like. But when I buy any gear I basically just want to like it and hopefully it does something which my current gear doesn't do. Also I'm super-indecisive so what might be the holy grail today might not be tomorrow...

camf · February 2023

I kind of get this but I think, with acoustic guitars especially, if you find one that really fits with what you do, you’re probably going to want to play it all the time.

The advantage of buying various different body shapes and wood types is that it has definitely has helped me narrow down what I’m looking for. Am I there yet? No, not yet. But I have a clear direction and I think I’m just about to sell a couple of excellent guitars to hopefully close in on a well-considered better choice for me.

However, there remain some unresolvable complications to be navigated. I much prefer the sound of large guitars but I’m much happier playing smaller guitars… that there is the conundrum. Onwards!

Tannin · February 2023

I am another one who doesn't agree with searching for "the one", but for different reasons. (This is not to disagree with @smellyfingers and others, those reasons are good too, I just have different ones.) So, my reasons:

There is no such thing as "the one". Certainly not for me, and probably not for you. No guitar is perfect. "Perfect" is not just something that doesn't exist, it is something that cannot exist. Different guitars do different things well. Just for the sake of example looking at back woods alone and ignoring every other aspect to a guitar - pretending for the moment that shape and size and scale length and top wood and bracing and all those other factors which make a guitar don't matter - mahogany doesn't sound like maple doesn't sound like Blackwood doesn't sound like Rosewood doesn't sound like Walnut doesn't sound like Myrtle Beech doesn't sound like Queensland Maple doesn't sound like Silky Maple. And so on. Of those mentioned, nothing else has the crisp dryness and immediate attack of mahogany (maple comes close and Blackwood is in the ballpark, but they are not the same). Nothing else has the balance and warmth and openness of Queensland Maple (except possibly walnut, but I don't know walnut very well). Rosewood sounds like rosewood, and nothing else is the same (Myrtle Beech aka "Tiger Myrtle" is similar in some ways, but very different and could not be mistaken for it). And so on.

So which of these is "the best"? None of them. They all suit different moods and different purposes. The search for "the one" is doomed to take a lifetime because no matter what guitar you buy or how much you spend, there will always be other guitars which do some things better.

Don't look for "perfect", look for "does this thing really well". Later on, you can get another guitar which is great for the other thing, and the third thing. And so on. Stop when you get bored. Or run out of money. Or can't find the space. Or can't find the time to play them all. Or decide you don't fancy getting divorced. Or possibly all of the above.

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How long to find an acoustic?

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