Only two acoustics (which ones)

Zonular · January 2022

Ok bit of an experiment.
You have a budget of 1500 to 2k
You can buy two acoustics, what are you buying?

bertie · January 2022

what Ive already got

TINMAN82 · January 2022

I’d buy one acoustic on that budget

ICBM · January 2022

Gibson Dove or Martin D12-35, which is what I have. But you can't get both for £2K.

KKJale · January 2022

Two guitars? The Home Special, a secondhand all-solid wood guitar by a UK luthier, no pickup. Should be doable for £1500. Plus the Pub Mule, a solid-top, laminated back/sides Japanese/Taiwanese OM/small jumbo with a decent soundhole pickup, also used, say £350 all in, tops.

richman6100 · January 2022

I have three acoustics. One Furch grand auditorium (beyond the mentioned budget) and two Audens. The Audens are a dreadnought and a parlour, which I bought from Doug Sparkes for less than a grand each as they were ex-display. The Furch is more versatile and probably a higher quality instrument, but the Audens get played more as each does its thing better. £1800 for two very fine guitars. I'm rather smitten with them.

drofluf · January 2022

2/3 or so of a Brook

BigPaulie · January 2022

You can buy a Takamine EF360S-TT and a Yamaha LL16 A.R.E 12 string from Thomann and get £4 change from £2k

axisus · January 2022

Not playing. Budget too low.

Zonular · January 2022

axisus said:

Not playing. Budget too low.

Tell me about it

Tannin · January 2022

On first sight, it seems like an impossibly low budget. I particularly like Matons, but I'm catholic in my tastes - I also like Guild, Cole Clark, Martin, Taylor, and I'd be more than happy to consider the made-in-Japan Yamahas and Takamines. All of these typically go in the $2500 to $6000 range (£1300 to £3200).

But after thinking it over, I decided that the best strategy would be to look for the cheapest possible decent guitar for the first one, leaving as much as possible to spend on the other one. I am not prepared to consider anything likely to be made from unsustainable, illegally logged timber. That rules out anything from China or Indonesia and restricts me to makers in Canada, the US, Europe, Australia and Japan.

So what are the cheapest really decent instruments, given those parameters? That's an easy one: the Maton S60 is a screaming bargain. It's an all solid, Sitka Spruce top, Queensland Maple back and sides dreadnought. No pickup, no cutaway, but properly made and bound. The 1 Series Cole Clarks are not much more, but I don't like guitars without binding - it looks awful and is just too easily damaged. So that's $1100 (£580), and I've got $2700 (£1430) left to play with.

You don't get much from Martin for that money - I'd be happy with a D-18, but they are around $3800 and I wouldn't want two dreadnoughts. I like the Taylor 314 ($2900 - a couple of hundred over budget but close enough) and very nearly bought one a couple of years back: that's a possibility. My local dealer has a 3 Series Cole Clark in King Billy Pine over Huon Pine which I'd give my left one for, but it's out of the question at $6000. I've played a few (much cheaper) 2 Series Cole Clarks that I loved, and a good many more which didn't do anything for me: so I'd try whichever ones happened to be available at the time with an open mind. Similarly, I'd try any Takamine, Furch, or Yamaha guitar in that price range (never played a Furch, but I only hear good things about them).

But unless I fell madly in love with one of those try-outs what I'd actually buy would be a Maton Artist - $2700, Sitka Spruce and Blackwood and a model I've very, very nearly bought one of already.

That would give me two Matons (I'd sort-of prefer two different makes but so be it), one dreadnought, one 808; both spruce tops (I'd rather like cedar or redwood over the Queensland Maple, but beggars can't be choosers); one Queensland Maple back (the perfect neutral, jack of all trades timber, though you might mention walnut in the same breath), one Blackwood (a more distinctive sound); and just barely stay inside my $3800 (£2000) budget.

Sadly, UK prices are much higher - an S60 goes for £950 and the Artist is £2400. With a £2000 budget, I think I'd buy just one guitar. No idea what though.

Zonular · January 2022

I need to ask about maton and being Catholic in your tastes?

Tannin · January 2022

OK, feel free to ask. What is the question?

Stratavarious · January 2022

Yamaha L series and a compact rosewood Larrivee…. cover all the bases,

LastMantra · January 2022

BigPaulie said:

You can buy a Takamine EF360S-TT and a Yamaha LL16 A.R.E 12 string from Thomann and get £4 change from £2k

I was going to say a six string and a twelve string.

But I'm not playing, the budget is too high.

My Norman cost about 80 quid.

stickyfiddle · January 2022

I have 2 acoustics - a Martin HD28 and an Atkin 47. For 6 of the last 7 years the Martin was my only acoustic

With that budget I'd far sooner have one guitar than 2, and it'd most likely be a used Martin. Probably a D18 or D28.

Zonular · January 2022

Ok outside the prospective buying game.
Would I buy a Martin or a Collins or a Waterloo and be done......well yeah.
The bit that gets me is the law of diminishing returns. If I pick up a Yamaha fs5 or a Cort gold series, other than resale value what am I losing out on?

stickyfiddle · January 2022

I do think there are diminishing returns with acoustics, but the curve is moved a fair way up the food chain compared to electrics, where anything above about 600 quid is probably better but you're not getting a 2x as good guitar for 1200.

I'm not familiar enough with the current market to give numbers, but the best option (as ever) is to go try a bunch of stuff and compare with your own eyes & ears.

danishbacon · January 2022

A used Westerly guild and a Martin 15 series.

bertie · January 2022

drofluf said:

2/3 or so of a Brook

I paid £1700 for mine

(was a while go tho )

BigPaulie · January 2022

Zonular said:

Ok outside the prospective buying game.
Would I buy a Martin or a Collins or a Waterloo and be done......well yeah.
The bit that gets me is the law of diminishing returns. If I pick up a Yamaha fs5 or a Cort gold series, other than resale value what am I losing out on?

If you buy a Cort you're losing out on the chance to buy from a company who cares about workers' rights.

Gandalph · January 2022

A used Eastman E20P and Taylor gs mini koa.

Smellyfingers · January 2022

Zonular said:

Ok bit of an experiment.
You have a budget of 1500 to 2k
You can buy two acoustics, what are you buying?

1800 on a really good one, and 200 on a second hand yamaha.

Zonular · January 2022

Seemingly my idea of two decent prices acoustics is not the way forward, better player more of them so.

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Only two acoustics (which ones)

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