UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45
*update - now with added decision* Analysis paralysis : help me make a decision
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I've sold and am also in the process of selling, a bunch of gear. It's partly about downsizing before I move, although not entirely.
With some of the resulting funds I want to but a small acoustic.
I went and tried some and found that while many small acoustics do indeed sound like ass as I'd often thought, some sound cool and I'd like one of those ones.
But now I'm stuck overthinking things.
I saw and played a Martin 00-17SE in Whiskey Sunset that I couldn't explain why I liked - it sounded boxy and small, but in a way that I found oddly endearing. And that particular one played like the proverbial butter (like, "I bet it just happens to be set up better than 90% of anything I've ever played") . I also liked that it had a factory-fitted pickup system for any occasional playing out. £1395
I also tried a couple of Martin 00-17 (14 fret) in both finishes and while they sounded more like 'normal guitars' didn't have the character or playability of the 17SE I'd tried No pickup. c. £1100
I was impressed by an Eastman E1-00-SS Ltd - shop offered a good price too c. Great value, good guitar, absent the (much more expensive) 17SE I may have bought it, but liking the 17SE so much more threw me. No pickup. £780.
Used Martin CEO-7 in the classifieds here. Only tried one briefly before (as was out of budget) but liked it - didn't dwell though but now wish I had to find out more. No pickup. c £1800
Used Martin 00-17S (with added pickup) - seen in the Black Smoke finish on eBay for £995. Would get me what the first guitar above would get me, just in a different finish (the pickup system fitted is the same as comes standard in the 17SE). Can't shake the notion that the 17SE I played was set up beautifully. And I prefer the Whiskey sunset finish. But this is 400 quid less.
I'm annoying myself now.
I invite thoughts
"Congratulations on being officially the most right anyone has ever been about anything, ever." -- Noisepolluter knows the score
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One of the downsides to getting divorced and starting again is you have to break the new ones in on this front.
Don't spend money for the sake of it- wait until you find something you truly love otherwise you'll be back on the buy/sell merry-go-round.
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If that still applies but money is an issue I would probably buy the Black Smoke one, but it may never be as good as the one you liked first even if you come to like the finish.
Otherwise, don't buy any of them.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
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However, times change & so did the wrinkley fingers, followed by exactly the same saga, ending with a couple of visits to Brook. The tone of the Martin is still an absolute stunner but the Brook is improving with age & would be the first out of a burning building.
I played a Tanglewood Java Cedar 12 fret same day as the 17 series Martin and preferred the Twood. Worth a try out for sure.
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AFAIK best selection of used Martins is usually at Frailers in Runcorn, I've seen people turn up there on the train from London to buy a Martin.
Check the stock before going, since he hasn't been able to import rosewood marting from the US for a while
https://www.frailers.com/acoustic-guitars-display.html
I imcluded a CEO-7 this time too on account of the one in the classifieds.
The CEO-7 is brilliant. Looks gorgeous, outstanding finish, and sounds proper. I could own of those for sure.
The Gibson L00 Studio also looks brilliant. Less awesome sounds being (for my taste) than the CEO-7 with plectrum or strummed, nicer with fingers, a bit.
The Eastman E100SSLtd fell.further behind on 2nd try But this was also in part due to high nut and saddle, which accentuated the feeling of the narrower string spacing . But anyway the plectrum.siubd was great but the fingers found it a lot less responsive than the others. Adi top at work maybe?
The 00-17S is the least sexy looking, most bass-light (I usually like a whump) but there's this brilliant thing it does with fingers that just makes every string sound the same volume - in a way I like. And it still sounds good with plectrum/strummy-singy stuff.
So I got it.