Acoustic with good projection and strong bass

Kristo · March 2022

I’m on the lookout for an acoustic for some things coming up this year. I mainly play bass, but will be doing some purely acoustic rhythm guitar playing with a resonator player, violin player and washboard. I’d like something with a solid and boomy bass, that will be loud enough to keep up with the other instruments. I have up to £750 to spend. Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated. Cheers.

Tannin · March 2022

Among many possibilities, I reckon you could do worse than an Epiphone J-200 https://www.andertons.co.uk/acoustic-dept/acoustic-guitars/epiphone-inspired-by-gibson-j-200-in-aged-natural-antique-gloss I'm sure you will find other and better things if you hunt around (why pay for the Epiphone name when it comes out of the same Asian factory as many another brand?) but this makes a pretty good starting point against which to compare the other contenders. All-solid timbers, spruce top, maple back and sides in a jumbo - that's a great recipe.

For more boom (be careful what you wish for there - boom = mud if you don't get it exactly right) something similar in rosewood might be worth a look.

guitarfishbay · March 2022

It’s likely you’d enjoy a dreadnaught with a solid spruce top. I’d avoid cedar tops (typically less good with louder/punchy playing) and smaller body shapes personally for this kind of sound

Winny_Pooh · March 2022

Most Rosewood Martin D28 copies will do.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/recording_king_rd_328_aged_adirondack.htm

Tannin · March 2022

"Rosewood Martin D28 copy" is code for "any rosewood dreadnought guitar made by anyone except Martin".

(Adirondack Spruce, more properly Red Spruce, is a very hard and light spruce timber - harder and lighter than the more common Sitka Spruce - and it can certainly be very loud. It is much favoured in the bluegrass community for that reason. It is also rather sharp and abrupt: not the easiest or most forgiving of timbers to play. But if you are comfortable with that, it is both loud and sweet.)

Andy79 · March 2022

Boomy bass, rhythm. 70s Yamaha FG. Not got singing trebles like a D-18 but great chord rockers.

Mellish · March 2022

With that budget I'd check out the s/h market. It'll get you further up the ladder. You'd have to still try them first (or you'd be wise to) but you'd be likely to get better for your money. But I hope all goes well

ToneControl · March 2022

The loudest factory-made acoustic I've owned is a Larrivee SD60
I've heard this model described as a Tone-cannon, and it is way punchier and louder than all the other Larrivees I used to own
You won't get one for £750, but it should be possible to find the spec in a cheaper brand:

Basically, it's a 12-fret slope-shoulder dread
Because it's a 12 fret, the bridge is in a more optimal position in the centre of the vibrating part of the soundboard
plus it's a dread - hence louder
plus it's rosewood and spruce - which is possible to drive harder than cedar. The stiffest soundboards (e.g. Adirondack) can get very loud, but do need a plectrum to get to full volume
NB: this model has a wider neck than usual, which I think is great.

So my idea is that you look for this spec,
having a quick look, there are some in your price range:

eg: Sigma SDM-18S 12 Fret Slope Shoulder Dreadnought

wrinkleygit · March 2022

Takemine should fit the bill, your budget should get you a nice Japanese built model.

Kristo · March 2022

Thanks all, will spend the evening looking at recommendations. Cheers

BigPaulie · March 2022

Alvarez MD70EBG £599

crunchman · March 2022

Martins do project very well. I had a 12 fret dreadnought from Furch that sounded louder to me while I was playing than my Martin, but a dB meter across the room measured the Martin 3dB louder, which is near enough double the volume.

As said above, any dreadnought should get you in the ballpark. Some are more lightly braced than others, and that will make a difference. What strings you use will also make a difference. You should get a bit more punch and volume out of heavier strings, although some guitar tops tend to overdrive (if tht's the right word) if you dig in too much, and don't get much louder as you hit the strings harder.

Wood will make a difference. If you want volume and punch, don't get anything with a Cedar top. With spruce tops, Adirondack is making a bit of a comeback now. It was used for the tops on the holy grail pre-war Martins that everyone (including Martin themselves) are trying to copy. Pretty much all of it was chopped down to make airframes for planes in WW2 because of how light and stiff it is. They switched to Sitka as they couldn't get Adirondack. Stocks have been replenished now, so more manufacturers are using it again, although it can carry a bit of an upcharge. I've read that the bracing was always Sitka though even on the pre-war Martins.

The best bet is to go and try a few. As well as newer guitars, there were a good number of decent quality Japanese made Martin copies in the 70s and early 80s. Most of them aren't cheap any more but they are still worth a look. On anything older, check the condition of the frets, that there aren't any weird buzzes, and that the top hasn't bellied up to the point that it will need a neck reset.

RickLucas · March 2022

There's a for sale D16GT on here somewhere.

Mellish · March 2022

RickLucas said:

There's a for sale D16GT on here somewhere.

It's in Classifieds under Acoustic

guitarjack66 · March 2022

As others have said,a jumbo would be essential. The Epiphone dreadnought I owned was nowwhere near as boomy as the cheap Squier acoustic I use daily and the Epi even had a pick up fitted whereas the cheapo daily player hasn't.

DavidR · March 2022

Dreadnought for bassy, Jumbo for very bassy would be my rule of thumb. £750 gets you a Yamaha LL16. Worth a try. One of the most overlooked acoustics IMO, just because it's mid range price and a Yamaha.

ToneControl · March 2022

btw if you fingerpick (play with nails + skin), cedar can be louder than spruce

LukePalmer · March 2022

Vintage Historic Series Drop Shoulder Acoustic, Aged Finish. Cheap and cheerful and has 12 frets and slotted headstock

ICBM · March 2022

Gibson Dove, but you won't get one for anything close to £750 unfortunately. I've never played the Epiphone version.

Or in other words, a maple-bodied, long-scale dreadnought. I find jumbos a bit too deep and scooped to be really punchy and loud in a band mix - dreadnoughts have more thump in the lower mids. Contrary to popular belief maple is not a bright-sounding wood, it's actually very balanced right across the frequency range.

If not maple, then any good rosewood dreadnought - it's probably the most popular guitar style ever made so there shouldn't be a lack of choice - preferably fairly heavily braced so you can play hard and loud with heavy strings... this is basically the reason Martin stopped scalloping the bracing on theirs after WWII when Bluegrass became popular.

crunchman · March 2022

A Martin X series might be worth a look. They use HPL (high pressure laminate) for the back and sides rather than real wood. They also have some kind of thin flash coat finish rather than a conventional gloss finish. Both of those keep the cost down.

I've not tried the dreadnought version, but I had an OOO size for a few years, and it was really good. I went into the shop willing to spend up to £1000 or so and came out with the X series Martin, which was around £500 at the time, because it just sounded better than guitars that cost twice as much.

Here's a link to a dreadnought version:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200106353500008--martin-x-series-dx2e-03-sitka-sprucerosewood

danowens · March 2022

I know its a right curveball but if you want to be heard, a Selmer-style would certainly tick that box. Mine can be heard 4 counties away!

brojangles · March 2022

You want a rosewood dread! If I were you I'd approach @Amigo about the Eastman E8D-TC he was trying to sell a while ago but withdrew.

BigPaulie · March 2022

BigPaulie said:

Alvarez MD70EBG £599

If you prefer the 12 fret format, they also do the MDR70ESB which can also be had for £599 brand new.

bertie · March 2022

not sure if this is do-able for you

Blueridge BR140

https://www.facebook.com/commerce/listing/296019942648142?media_id=0&ref=share_attachment

Kristo · March 2022

Thanks all. I've got an Eastman E1D on the way which hopefully will do the job.

bertie · March 2022

Kristo said:

Thanks all. I've got an Eastman E1D on the way which hopefully will do the job.

pics and review or it never happened, you know the rules

ToneControl · March 2022

BigPaulie said:

BigPaulie said:

Alvarez MD70EBG £599

If you prefer the 12 fret format, they also do the MDR70ESB which can also be had for £599 brand new.

as played by @TimBloomer ;

Mellish · March 2022

As @bertie said, pics and a FULL REPORT

Kristo · April 2022

Just to update those that asked, I got the Eastman E1D yesterday, and am absolutely blown away by it. I never expected a guitar in that price range to sound as good as it does. I found a secondhand one that has been set up with a lovely low action, so it plays great all over the neck. The volume I wanted is there when you dig in. It’s not overly boomy on the bass, but it is a strong full tone that works for what I want. Very happy with my dread. Cheers.

Mellish · April 2022

Well done mate, glad you've found something that ticks all the boxes

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Acoustic with good projection and strong bass

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eg: Sigma SDM-18S 12 Fret Slope Shoulder Dreadnought

Vintage Historic Series Drop Shoulder Acoustic, Aged Finish. Cheap and cheerful and has 12 frets and slotted headstock