Good all-solid acoustic at ~£500-£1000- Furch? Dowina? Something else?

Dave_Mc

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

munckee

I have a guild westerley om 140, around £7-800 new. All solid and sounds great. I bought it second hand. I would certainly recommend them. 

Dave_Mc

munckee said:

I have a guild westerley om 140, around £7-800 new. All solid and sounds great. I bought it second hand. I would certainly recommend them. 

Thanks, I'd forgotten about Guild, I'll take a look  

Mellish

Epiphone, Yamaha, Faith are some brands you could check out  

earwighoney

Dave_Mc said:

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

What is your playing style? Do you strum? Fingerpick?

I think there are a lot of good guitars in this price range.  I'd not say a Yamaha LJ16 would be a better guitar than the Dowina or something, I'd recommend trying as many guitars in the price to find the one which speaks to you the most.

I'd give Eastman another go, Yamaha, Guild, Recording King, Furch, I've owned/played a lot of these, and they all have their moments. The Recording King is the least polished of them all, all the others are far better instruments, but my RK sounds pretty honky, and responds better to playing with slide than the others and I'm playing it more than my Guild, Eastman etc at this moment in time, but they all have their occasions.

FWIW, I'd have no qualms in getting the all solid HB, I've been thinking of doing it myself, and would have if it hadn't been for running out of space!

Dave_Mc

Mellish said:

Epiphone, Yamaha, Faith are some brands you could check out  

Thanks I should have said above, in addition to (more or less) having a Faith, the acoustic I do have is a Yamaha- an (IIRC!) FG720MS or something like that. It's pretty nice (seriously nice for what I paid) but I've sort of got a hankering for solid back/sides- and I'd probably like to try a different brand. I'll take a look at Epiphone.

earwighoney said:

Dave_Mc said:

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

What is your playing style? Do you strum? Fingerpick?

I think there are a lot of good guitars in this price range.  I'd not say a Yamaha LJ16 would be a better guitar than the Dowina or something, I'd recommend trying as many guitars in the price to find the one which speaks to you the most.

I'd give Eastman another go, Yamaha, Guild, Recording King, Furch, I've owned/played a lot of these, and they all have their moments. The Recording King is the least polished of them all, all the others are far better instruments, but my RK sounds pretty honky, and responds better to playing with slide than the others and I'm playing it more than my Guild, Eastman etc at this moment in time, but they all have their occasions.

FWIW, I'd have no qualms in getting the all solid HB, I've been thinking of doing it myself, and would have if it hadn't been for running out of space!

Thanks

That's interesting about the HBs being made in the RK factory. I've never tried any RKs, but they have a pretty decent rep online, I think. (I'll take a look at them too, thanks for reminding me about them!)

LOL playing style... I guess the most accurate description would be "an electric guitarist trying to bluff it on acoustic"  I guess I would strum more, but at the same time I want to try to learn some fingerpicking too.

When my sister was buying hers, I think we both decided that the Grand Auditorium type shape was the best all-rounder (she got a Venus), but then I'd kind of like something different. Maybe. I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure and all that! 

I know exactly what you mean about "all have their occasions". That's the big problem. I'd just take all of them if space and budget weren't a concern!

It's a real pain to try anything here, I'm in Northern Ireland and there's a distinct lack of stuff available here.  

BigPaulie

earwighoney said:

Fairly sure the all solid HB's are built in the same factory as Recording King.

I've heard this said in the past and have never been able to find evidence that it's true, @earwighoney ;

I've never even been able to find a definitive answer to which factory Recording Kings are manufactured in.

Would you be able to point me in the direction of a reliable source for this claim?

And in order to avoid a theread hijack, I'd recommended the OP looks at Alvarez Masterworks (some are on sale in GG at the moment for silly money), Eastman (the E3 OME) with the herringbone and tortoise binding looks stunning, Yamaha LL, LS, LJ 16 series. Yamaha FG3.

Dave_Mc

@BigPaulie Don't worry about the thread hijack, that's the kind of stuff that's useful to know I've taken a look at those Alvarez Masterworks and some of them look pretty nice. At a very similar price to Recording King (which also look pretty nice), lol. Grrr, this isn't easy when you can't try the things first.

I'll take a look at the Eastman and Yamahas, too  

Teyeplayer

There’s loads in your budget. I’ve had an Eastman OM which was a cracking acoustic for relatively little money and opened up really well after a year of playing, but I didn’t need it so it went. I’ve an Auden Chester, which is phenomenal and better than the only Furch I’ve tried. I also have a Maton S60 in the classifieds which is also a super acoustic, but I’m trying to downsize the collection. I’ve had a Martin 000-15 s/h in your price range too. The acoustic world is pretty much your oyster.

chrisj1602

I've got an Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson" J45, one of the newer line up, and it's fantastic.  Solid sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides.  It has a satin/gloss finish that looks great and feels really nice on the neck.

richman6100

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

guitarjack66

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

BigPaulie

guitarjack66 said:

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

guitarjack66

BigPaulie said:

guitarjack66 said:

Dave_Mc said:

Hi everyone,

I was thinking I'd like to get a nice all-solid acoustic (I haven't quite decided on the shape/size), and I was wondering what you think is good at around the £500-£1000 price point (budget is flexible up or down, but I guess that would be the range I would be happiest in i.e. hopefully expensive enough not to be terrible but not so expensive I can't afford to make a mistake!). I don't need electronics, but I'm not against them as most acoustics fitted with electrics seem to have a built-in tuner, which can be handy- though I wouldn't pay a ton extra for them, either. Also I prefer new to second-hand.

I was thinking of maybe the Furch Blue series (I've tried several of those and liked them, not recently, but a few years ago) or maybe the Dowina Vintage Series (I haven't tried those)? Dowina seems to be a similar idea to Furch except made in Slovakia rather than the Czech Republic.

What else is worth considering around those prices? Faiths are really nice, but my sister already has one of those which I can pretty much play whenever I like and I'd like something different, I think. Eastman? I've only tried one of those (a good while ago) and didn't much like it, but it was (I think) the cheapest all-solid one they do, and it was reduced (and probably an older discontinued model), so maybe it was a lemon. Audens seem to have a good rep but again I've never tried them. The Gibson G-00 and G-45 fit into that budget too, but I'm a bit worried the player port is a bit of a gimmick, and also that it's maybe a bit cheap for a Gibson. Plus, the Gibsons I've tried (I haven't tried the G-00 or G-45) varied wildly... some were killer and some were pretty middling. Is there anything else which I've not thought of?

I'm also struggling to avoid the Harley Bentons- they're a lot cheaper, but they do several all-solid models. I'm worried they're "too good to be true", although what I might do is grab one in a shape/wood combination that I'd be unlikely to pay serious money for (e.g. a parlour, or something all-mahogany) just to see what they're like.

Thanks for your help,
Dave

What are these all solid Harley Bentons you speak of?

https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

At those prices those guitars would be built equivalent to others a couple of hundred quid dearer. 

Dave_Mc

Teyeplayer said:

There’s loads in your budget. I’ve had an Eastman OM which was a cracking acoustic for relatively little money and opened up really well after a year of playing, but I didn’t need it so it went. I’ve an Auden Chester, which is phenomenal and better than the only Furch I’ve tried. I also have a Maton S60 in the classifieds which is also a super acoustic, but I’m trying to downsize the collection. I’ve had a Martin 000-15 s/h in your price range too. The acoustic world is pretty much your oyster.

Thanks

I did try a second-hand Maton a while back and really liked it, but the prices (like most things, unfortunately) have gone way up  

Which Furch did you try, out of interest?

I wasn't that keen on the Martins I tried (I know that's heresy, and maybe they open up after you've had them for a while). Don't get me wrong, I'd totally take a nice one for free, lol, but I thought they were a bit disappointing considering the reputation they have and what they charged (and that was at 2018 pricing, where a D28 was about £1700 IIRC!).

And the world being my oyster is kind of the problem... most of these things I can't try. You look up all the websites of the manufacturers, and almost none of them have any dealers in Northern Ireland. (Plus unless you can try them in the same shop right next to each other, which is even less likely, it still doesn't tell you a whole lot ).

chrisj1602 said:

I've got an Epiphone "Inspired by Gibson" J45, one of the newer line up, and it's fantastic.  Solid sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides.  It has a satin/gloss finish that looks great and feels really nice on the neck.

Ah don't say that, that makes this even harder. One of the Gibsons I really liked that I tried was a J-45... 

richman6100 said:

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

I've mainly tried the cheaper (but all-solid- Blue Series in current naming convention) ones, but I think I tried one or two dearer ones. I'm struggling to remember much about it (we're talking 3-4 years ago, and we tried a lot of stuff!) but I think the dearer ones were better, but the cheaper ones were still really good, kind of thing. If you didn't mind the satin finish, the Blues were pretty good. Unfortunately, as with most things, they were about £300 less about 4 years ago.

How do your Audens compare to your Furch?

guitarjack66 said:

BigPaulie said:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/search_dir.html?sw=Solidwood&smcs=null_1652129175609

At those prices those guitars would be built equivalent to others a couple of hundred quid dearer. 

That's what I was thinking/hoping, but I'm definitely a little wary of them, too- just in case they're too good to be true.

( @BigPaulie beat me to it with the link )

richman6100

richman6100 said:

Audens are definitely worth trying. I have a couple and they punch well above their price point. All of the ones I've tried have been impressive. I also have a Furch, which is excellent, but I've not seen the particular model I own (G23-CRC in their old naming convention) in your price range. I've not tried the lower priced Furch models, but I can't imagine them being anything but great too tbh.

I've mainly tried the cheaper (but all-solid- Blue Series in current naming convention) ones, but I think I tried one or two dearer ones. I'm struggling to remember much about it (we're talking 3-4 years ago, and we tried a lot of stuff!) but I think the dearer ones were better, but the cheaper ones were still really good, kind of thing. If you didn't mind the satin finish, the Blues were pretty good. Unfortunately, as with most things, they were about £300 less about 4 years ago.

How do your Audens compare to your Furch?

They're quite different guitars to be honest. The Furch is a Grand Auditorium (cedar/rosewood), the Audens are a parlour (also cedar/rosewood) and a dreadnought (spruce/rosewood). The Furch is the better all-rounder and is a bit more upmarket - it was roughly twice the price of the Audens. I got it to replace a Faith Venus acoustic that I passed on to my son. It's a noticeable step up from the Faith, although a lot more money and the Faith was pretty good at the price point.

I tend to play the Audens more because they do their own thing a bit better somehow. The parlour, a Marlow model, is so easy to play due to its size and it gets the most use. I use it mainly for finger picking as it's not as good as the other two for strumming. The Colton dreadnought, is really good and is very forgiving of my rather crap strumming. I preferred it to a Martin I tried around the same time, which surprised me as I gravitate towards the Martin sound. It's not overly bright and has a very balanced tone across bass/middle/treble. A better player than me might prefer a more complex sounding dreadnought, but I find it a joy to play. It's detailed enough, but mellow at the same time.

If I was to have just one of the three acoustics, it would be the Furch. It's a wonderful all-rounder. You can strum it, finger pick it, flat pick it, play whatever style you want. However, for strumming, I prefer the Auden Dreadnought and for finger picking I prefer the parlour. Ultimately, this is more about the body size/shape than the manufacturer. I've read very good things about Furch dreadnoughts for example, so it's possible I might prefer one to my Auden Colton. That's not a given though. I was talking to a guy who works in my local guitar shop a couple of years ago when he was going to buy himself a dreadnought - he gets a decent discount on their stock - and after trying several dreads (Martin, Taylor, Takamine and others), he ended up getting an Auden.

Not sure if this helps of confuses things further!

Jez6345789

Masses of choice as said.at this price range.
I was in Warwick last weekend so dived into Richards Guitars for a quick strum on the Dowina and yes they are pretty good for the money if you like you guitars a little on the bright side and sure they will improve for a bit of playing. A guitar I think that sounds good for the money although technically not all solid wood is the Taylor Academy 12 well built simple guitar with a nice tone.

I can’t speak for all Harley bentons but I bought myself a Harley Benton GS mini clone at Christmas really just to see what you got for 1/5th the price of the Taylor equivalent these are a slavish copy of the GS Mini down to key dimensions bracing etc. It’s an ok guitar but the interesting difference to me is almost all the sonic differences are in the fact it’s built 20% heavier so bracing is 20% top 20%  I presume this is to save ever getting something back. So not sure if this belts and braces approach extends to all guitars but it was interesting  and in the final analysis I wished 5ney had spent 50 quidditch more and they could of made a killer guitar for 1/3 of the price hey ho.

Tannin

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

Strangefan

I have a dowina, truly exceptional for the price 

BigPaulie

Tannin said:

I'd have a look at these two.

Both are from the bottom of their manufacturers' all-solid ranges, but they are good manufacturers and even their lower end kit can be very nice.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/215727/yamaha-ll6-electro-acoustic-now-reduced-340
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/223734/fs-maton-s60-dreadnought-550

The LL6 is indeed a nice guitar, but laminated back and sides I'm afraid.

Tannin

^ Ahh. My mistake. I don't know the Yamaha model range properly.