First real acoustic

iseverynamegone · February 2017

I figure I am going to buy my first acoustic and try to head off on a Nick Drake trip.

Never having ventured into that world before , beyond the odd £100 Washburn I would be happy to hear peoples recommendations and advice for a used accoustic upto say £5-600.

Its just going to be used in the house, playability more important that volume. I've got pretty big hands.

There are are so many too choose from !

richardhomer · February 2017

Played an all mahogany Guild a few months ago (can't remember the model - similar to a Martin 00 in size). It was bang on £500 iirc. Sounded really good - and being a Guild had a Nick Drake vibe about it.

My standard recommendation is a Taylor GS Mini - but they have small/narrow necks. I've got biggish hands and get along fine with mine - but I know the feel doesn't suit everyone.

AliGorie · February 2017

iseverynamegone said:

I figure I am going to buy my first acoustic and try to head off on a Nick Drake trip.

ya gonna need one of these -

Image: http://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/15/09/1424890386-drake.jpg

a Levin Dread, his recorded 'sound' on that guitar was a mix of the strings available then - Black Diamond / Cathedral or Gibson Monel which were actually mainly for electric guitars but sounded better that the two I mentioned there, heck I used them then. Plus his slack tuning's and recording setup, remember back then people didn't go for or rate the precise 'on steroids' acoustic tone we've come to expect. And dont forget back then you wouldnt think of changing a set of strings, they stayed on till the windings frayed or they broke - that contributed to the 'mellow' sound.

ToneControl · February 2017

Blueridge make good cheaper real acoustics
plenty of other brands too, others will advise you

Jaded · February 2017

I've heard lots of great things about the new Guild M120's, wider neck than the older ones which will definitely help with getting that fingering down and also +1 about the dead strings... the elixrs on my 0-15 are about 5 months old now and I'm finally starting to get "that" sound.

A Martin 00x1ae (I think thats the name?) could be another option, I think they have also just released a version with a smaller top width, more like the Guild and both are around your budget, they do have spruce tops though so if you're after that mahogany sound they may not cut it.

BigLicks67 · February 2017

A used Sigma SOMR-28H could be yours for about £400.00, it's basically a clone of the Martin OM28 and would certainly work well for Nick Drake type stuff. If you could scrape together a bit more money then maybe a used Martin 00-15 or a Taylor 3 series guitar.

AliGorie · February 2017

Jaded said:

I've heard lots of great things about the new Guild M120's,

the reason I posted the 'Levin' picture above and outlined how we all got 'THAT SOUND' back then, as some will know - is, there was only ONE (now iconic) photo shoot where ND was seen with THAT guitar - it's been thoroughly thrashed out on the www over the years. Even the producer / engineer who recorded ND stated they had never recorded THAT guitar !.
It was a 'prop' that looked the part - on that day.
Just type in Nick Drake - pictures - the only picture where he's playing a mahogany Guild is in one 'artistically' setup pose.
The power of one photographic image - eh.
example = I used to do a bit of buying / refurbishing and selling guitars -
Gretsch guitars
- you couldn't give them away - and were on theyre way out as a guitar making company at least, until this -

second hand prices went rocketing - and they're still in business.
It's a wonder BSA motorbikes didn't 'take of as well.

iseverynamegone · February 2017

Thanks for the replies folks. I'll do some research around those above.

Jaded · February 2017

AliGorie said:

the reason I posted the 'Levin' picture above and outlined how we all got 'THAT SOUND' back then, as some will know - is, there was only ONE (now iconic) photo shoot where ND was seen with THAT guitar - it's been thoroughly thrashed out on the www over the years. Even the producer / engineer who recorded ND stated they had never recorded THAT guitar !.
It was a 'prop' that looked the part - on that day.
Just type in Nick Drake - pictures - the only picture where he's playing a mahogany Guild is in one 'artistically' setup pose.
The power of one photographic image - eh.

Oh I'm not disagreeing with, don't worry!

A Dreadnought and nylon strung Yamaha are the sound of those first two albums without doubt, Pink Moon could quite easily be the 000-18 or the Levin. I honestly think most of his "sound" is simply the tunings and a lighter touch along with the dead strings.

No idea how much he really played that M20 (I think it was Richard Thompson who said he always saw him with it?) but the mythos around it along with John Frusciante's use of a 0-17 was all that I needed to get a 0-15 (would have gone for the M20 but I didn't want to wait the extra month or so for Thomann to get one in stock!)

That said, a small mahogany box with light strings does work very well for that sound and is a great size for playing around the house!

Bidley · February 2017

I think with acoustics, you really need to go out and try a shitload so you have more of an idea about what you like or don't like about particular brands.

I find with acoustics, playability issues or foibles are far more noticeable. I can get on with almost any electric (big necks, small necks, body contours or no etc) but acoustics tend to differ far more.

oh_pollo · March 2017

I think Richard Thompson said that he always saw Nick with a "small bodied Guild" but he never specified the model. Michael Chapman said in an interview that he saw him with a "beautiful Martin" but again doesn't say the model. In my head it's always an all mahogany guitar but that's probably down to the dead strings. I find it really sad that there's no filmed footage of him playing.

iseverynamegone · March 2017

As an update I went bought a used Taylor 314ce LTD Koa. So I upped the budget and also bought something which is not a Nick Drake sound but when I played it it felt right. Now all I need to do is learn to use it.

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First real acoustic

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