New Guitar Purchase - help wanted

GrahamGuitar1 · January 2023

Hi folks

i want to treat myself to something special. I’m a keen enthusiast just playing in the house. No intention for anything more.

For about the last 15-20 years I’ve played a Yamaha APX - it’s great but I want to treat myself to something special. Yes it’s a vanity purchase but I kinda think I deserve it.

My ideal would be something like a Taylor/Martin (because I know the brand names), second hand (because I think you get better value) in the £800-£1000 range.

No idea where to start so any help welcome. I mostly opt for James Taylor style covers of that helps people at all

thanks!

Rich31k · January 2023

https://www.coda-music.com/secondhand/taylor-american-dream-ad27e-sh.html

I’ve just bought a Taylor AD27. Feels nice to play, particularly the neck, which isn’t glossy like a lot of acoustic guitar necks. Sounds great as well. Plenty of bass, but still articulate at the high end.

Made in the USA too.

Smellyfingers · January 2023

I think maybe you should go to a large guitar shop and try them out, because Taylor and Martin are two very different tones.

Guild is also good and because of it's lesser resale value you are more likely to get a good solid wood USA example for your budget than the above two.

Furch, solid wood,made in Europe, you should be able to get a nearly new one for £800.

In my experience Guitar Guitar don't mind people trying their acoustics with no immediate intent of buying. They've got sizable stores in Camden and Epsom.

Mellish · January 2023

I'd echo @Smellyfingers.

Taylor and Martin are very different guitars tonally. Like he said, go to a stores (GG, Coda, Guitar Village, any like that) and compare the two brands.

ElectricXII · January 2023

If you'll consider slope-shouldered dreads, your budget should get you a used Gibson J-15 or G-45 (not the current one with the extra hole), or even a J-35 that's been well used, like mine.

thomasross20 · January 2023

Good value and Tayor/Martin?
*cough* LARRIVEE *cough*

GrahamGuitar1 · January 2023

thomasross20 said:

Good value and Tayor/Martin?
*cough* LARRIVEE *cough*

What would you suggest?

murraypops · January 2023

Eastman E10/20D or OM-TC gets my vote. Most of the big stores will have them.

thomasross20 · January 2023

Larrivee OM-02 is best bang for buck guitar out there IMO

bertie · January 2023

GrahamGuitar1 said:

thomasross20 said:

Good value and Tayor/Martin?
*cough* LARRIVEE *cough*

What would you suggest?

what are you actually looking for Graham ? size/shape does it need on-boards any special neck width/profile requirements

anything thats "your dream" unaffordable but can give some idea what to search for

DrCornelius · January 2023

Smellyfingers said:

I think maybe you should go to a large guitar shop and try them out, because Taylor and Martin are two very different tones.

Guild is also good and because of it's lesser resale value you are more likely to get a good solid wood USA example for your budget than the above two.

Furch, solid wood,made in Europe, you should be able to get a nearly new one for £800.

In my experience Guitar Guitar don't mind people trying their acoustics with no immediate intent of buying. They've got sizable stores in Camden and Epsom.

I'd agree with that, especially with acoustics.

I went to Project Music to buy my Mrs a nice acoustic and we asked the guys to take the price tags off of a few Martins so we could just play some without being influenced by the cost. We ended up with a Mexican made laminate one that sounded amazing and played as well as the core USA ones that were 5 times the cost.

Soupman · January 2023

@DrCornelius brilliant strategy, especially if you only buy keepers like me!

ditchboy · January 2023

thomasross20 said:

Larrivee OM-02 is best bang for buck guitar out there IMO

I’d agree with this. Sure peach have one in now new for £1400 or so. They are quite rare second hand and not many kicking about now (I have looked).

Stuckfast · January 2023

Love my Larrivee OM3.

TheOtherDennis · February 2023

I have a second hand L'Arrivee OM-02 that I had for sale, but which no one was interested in, probably because I paid £1799 for mine new, so my second-hand price was based on that.

I had no idea they now go for only £1399 new, which has bollocksed the used value of mine. I'd still be looking towards the top end of your budget, but have a word with @thomasross20 and he can tell you all about how good they are.

I don't know where you live, but you're welcome to either come round to try mine, or we can meet up somewhere halfway, if it's feasible, so you can have a play of mine, see what you think and then compare and contrast, as it were.

Mellish · February 2023

@TheOtherDennis ; just before you do sell, have you tried tusq bridge pins in that guitar?

I have an OM recently bought, and I've been trying different bridge pin materials.
Factory plastic: OK. Good bass thump but trebles a little fat.
Bone: everything too bright.
Liquid Metal: see Bone.
Ebony: no sit.
Rosewood: again, see Bone.
Tusq: bingo! Zingy but no loss of a deep bass response and great trebles.

Some will say "Nonsense sir!" If you can't hear a difference, then yes and any pins will do. But I *can* or I *believe* I can.

TheOtherDennis · February 2023

It's not the sound I have an issue with - it sounds fabulous, just as Thomas will tell you.

My problem is that my barre technique just doesn't suit the fingerboard for some reason. Whereas on my Avalon or my two self-builds I can barre chords that sound fine, on the Larry, they are really muted and dull.

Like I say, it's my technique, it must be, because there's no way that Larry would have their reputations for quality and playability if everyone found the same as me.

Mellish · February 2023

@TheOtherDennis ;

Gotcha! GLWTS anyway.

drofluf · February 2023

Mellish said:

@TheOtherDennis ; just before you do sell, have you tried tusq bridge pins in that guitar?

I have an OM recently bought, and I've been trying different bridge pin materials.
Factory plastic: OK. Good bass thump but trebles a little fat.
Bone: everything too bright.
Liquid Metal: see Bone.
Ebony: no sit.
Rosewood: again, see Bone.
Tusq: bingo! Zingy but no loss of a deep bass response and great trebles.

Some will say "Nonsense sir!" If you can't hear a difference, then yes and any pins will do. But I *can* or I *believe* I can.

I've come round to the camp that pins may make a difference.

My Furch came with nasty plastic pins which I wanted to replace with wood - purely for aesthetic reasons at the time. A quick enquiry to the manufacturer to establish the size/taper led to them sending me a set of ebony pins.

They didn't fit perfectly - but the balls were snug against the soundboard - I assumed all was fine. But the pins sitting proud annoyed me so last weekend I sanded them down so they fitted properly. I also noticed an improvement in tone.

Obviously this isn't a comparison of wood vs. plastic but on the basis that the improvement in tone was due to better transmission of energy from the strings to the body I think it's reasonable to assume that different pin materials will have different properties both in terms of volume and how well different frequencies are transmitted.

Mellish · February 2023

@drofluf ; to my ears there's differences of tone that come along with different bridge pin materials.
Not major differences, but plastic are tone-robbers a little bit and bone can add brightness, whilst ebony can tame the brightness of a Taylor, say.

To *me* it's real.

ditchboy · February 2023

TheOtherDennis said:

I have a second hand L'Arrivee OM-02 that I had for sale, but which no one was interested in, probably because I paid £1799 for mine new, so my second-hand price was based on that.

I had no idea they now go for only £1399 new, which has bollocksed the used value of mine. I'd still be looking towards the top end of your budget, but have a word with @thomasross20 and he can tell you all about how good they are.

I don't know where you live, but you're welcome to either come round to try mine, or we can meet up somewhere halfway, if it's feasible, so you can have a play of mine, see what you think and then compare and contrast, as it were.

Buy this before I do. I have so much want for a Larry om to complement my rosewood om28 but I can’t do it right now. I’ve just bought a new strat and looking out for a valve amp while trying to save for a new kitchen.

danishbacon · February 2023

drofluf said:

Mellish said:

@TheOtherDennis ; just before you do sell, have you tried tusq bridge pins in that guitar?

I have an OM recently bought, and I've been trying different bridge pin materials.
Factory plastic: OK. Good bass thump but trebles a little fat.
Bone: everything too bright.
Liquid Metal: see Bone.
Ebony: no sit.
Rosewood: again, see Bone.
Tusq: bingo! Zingy but no loss of a deep bass response and great trebles.

Some will say "Nonsense sir!" If you can't hear a difference, then yes and any pins will do. But I *can* or I *believe* I can.

I've come round to the camp that pins may make a difference.

My Furch came with nasty plastic pins which I wanted to replace with wood - purely for aesthetic reasons at the time. A quick enquiry to the manufacturer to establish the size/taper led to them sending me a set of ebony pins.

They didn't fit perfectly - but the balls were snug against the soundboard - I assumed all was fine. But the pins sitting proud annoyed me so last weekend I sanded them down so they fitted properly. I also noticed an improvement in tone.

Obviously this isn't a comparison of wood vs. plastic but on the basis that the improvement in tone was due to better transmission of energy from the strings to the body I think it's reasonable to assume that different pin materials will have different properties both in terms of volume and how well different frequencies are transmitted.

There are tonal differences.

https://youtu.be/7hg7O3aM2Gw

BillDL · February 2023

I'm going to make an "outside" suggestion of Levinson Guitars (Gary Levinson):
http://levinsonguitars.com/guitars/
I think these would be well worth adding to your list of potential options for consideration.

Jez6345789 · February 2023

I have to say very pleasedly with the AD27 Taylor although fairly utilitarian on pretty features they are nice well built slope shoulder dreads in the gibson style and not the normal taylor voicing although lovely bass on mine and balanced mids and top.

As said get out and try out all the majors as said Guitar Guitar tolerates me banging on their acoustic collection a few times per year. :-)

Personally I don't think the budget Gibson the G45 with the walnut back and sides do much of a take on the classic Gibson sound if I was looking for that on a budget I would look at the Epiphone tribute version very well-made guitar and closer to that sound.

Tannin · February 2023

^ Hmmm .. well at least with the right valve amp, you won't need a stove.

drofluf · February 2023

@Mellish @danishbacon sorry if it came across that I’m sceptical? Definitely not! The only time I’ve changed pins in the past I’ve also changed strings so hard to get a proper impression of the difference. But if getting the pins to fit properly makes a difference then I don’t doubt that different materials will also make a difference.

thomasross20 · February 2023

Just to note I do get the Guitarist demo sound from my OM-02.

I know what Dennis is saying re fingerboard but never been an issue for me - just push that finger closer to the bass string and roll a bit and you got the perfect barre

Mahogany is Larrivee's best tonewood.

£1399 for OM-02 on sale, think otherwise £1800?

There's quite a difference in the bracing between OM-02 and OM40.

I prefer the traditionally-braced series but they're all so good. I went overboard and now have three lol...
I would actually like an OO40 and the OM-05 I played was sublime other than intonation issue.
If could only have one guitar it would be the OM-02.

BTW best advice: go play loads of guitars.

danishbacon · February 2023

drofluf said:

@Mellish @danishbacon sorry if it came across that I’m sceptical? Definitely not! The only time I’ve changed pins in the past I’ve also changed strings so hard to get a proper impression of the difference. But if getting the pins to fit properly makes a difference then I don’t doubt that different materials will also make a difference.

Haha sorry I @drofluf, ;reading back my comment it’s a bit dry and sharp. Not my intention. Like a lot of these things there are variables difficult to control, but I’ve always found this video a good example of the tonal differences. It’s all very marginal though and really only of value when you are able to faithfully A/B the two components.

bertie · February 2023

I also think the differences may be "aurally subjective" , ie down to individual hearing and which tonal characteristics can actually be picked up/noticed.

Not just do you prefer "zingy" or "warmer" or what ever, but can your ears actually hear any difference

I doubt my lugholes would notice too much TBH

Mellish · February 2023

@drofluf ; all good mate

@bertie ; yep, there has to be a bit of subjectivity going on. Different ears, and some more sensitive than others. And it can set off a heated discussion, as it has before.

TheOtherDennis · February 2023

BillDL said:

I'm going to make an "outside" suggestion of Levinson Guitars (Gary Levinson):
http://levinsonguitars.com/guitars/
I think these would be well worth adding to your list of potential options for consideration.

I used to have a Levinson 12-string, and it was a thing of unalloyed beauty. (I sold it because I hardly played it and I needed some cash, sadly. I'd have it back in a heartbeat if I could afford one.)

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