Recommendations for acoustics

bertie

Pjon said:

Having played guitars for decades but never been in a band, or gigged, what makes a good gigging guitar? Simply it's sound in the mix of other instruments, or is there more to it?

there's "gigging"  and theres "gigging"

strapped round yer neck, for  "half a dozen" songs in a bands setlist

or

sat down, doing a proper acoustic thing  (genre of choice)


for me, that's two separate criteria to meet, and two different type of acoustic 

guitarmangler

Thanks for the advice, chaps. I went down to coda music during the week and tried out a fair few, but ended up buying a secondhand Taylor 314ce. I’ll be using it in a mostly plugged in fashion for gigs. It plays very well.

thomasross20

Solid sapele, right? Good choice imo

guitarmangler

thomasross20 said:

Solid sapele, right? Good choice imo

Um, like the heathen that I am, I have no idea! Sorry ! I remember something about mahogany? But , then again , I played through a lot of guitars that day. 

Tannin

Taylor 314 is an excellent choice, especially used as new they are a bit pricey. And yes, Sapele under Sitka.. 

thomasross20

You did it the right way then, with your ears and fingers. Thanks Tannin. 
Sapele is great and vastly underrated imo. 

ICBM

I had an earlier 312CE a long time ago - great guitar, which I shouldn’t have sold but got talked out of by a friend who then traded it away without giving me the option of buying it back. (Grrrr...) Mine had the Fishman electrics which I added a Rare Earth soundhole pickup to.

Sapele is often considered a ‘mahogany substitute’ because it looks similar, but is in no way inferior. There’s far too much snobbery about only using the traditional mahogany and rosewood.

thomasross20

ICBM said:

I had an earlier 312CE a long time ago - great guitar, which I shouldn’t have sold but got talked out of by a friend who then traded it away without giving me the option of buying it back. (Grrrr...) Mine had the Fishman electrics which I added a Rare Earth soundhole pickup to.

Sapele is often considered a ‘mahogany substitute’ because it looks similar, but is in no way inferior. There’s far too much snobbery about only using the traditional mahogany and rosewood.

I find mahogany is really rich in the mids, maybe more so than sapele. But sapele is VERY well balanced from bass to miss to trebles. And it has a sparkle in the trebles. It's probably my favourite to tonewood tbh and totally agree with you

BillDL

ICBM said:

Sapele is often considered a ‘mahogany substitute’ because it looks similar, but is in no way inferior. There’s far too much snobbery about only using the traditional mahogany and rosewood.

Absolutely agree.  When I think about all the nicely grained wide boards of Sapele that were used to face the plywood for all those cardboard honeycombed lightweight internal doors back through the 70s, 80s, 90s and probably up to the present day it's a shame that it wasn't used much more readily as a mahogany substitute in acoustic and electric guitar builds.  Had it been used so readily for guitars, however, perhaps we would have already seen Sapele stocks almost depleted.

Timcito

I'm pretty much sold on Eastman and have three. I've owned Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, and Larrivees at twice or even three times the price, and I just can't see much point in even looking at them now. Eastman seems to do what they all do as well as if not better.

earwighoney

Timcito said:

I'm pretty much sold on Eastman and have three. I've owned Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, and Larrivees at twice or even three times the price, and I just can't see much point in even looking at them now. Eastman seems to do what they all do as well as if not better.

Which ones do you have? I have an E10-00. It's a great guitar.

thomasross20

I've really got to try these Eastman guitars but has to be something really special to trump Larrivee for me

earwighoney

thomasross20 said:

I've really got to try these Eastman guitars but has to be something really special to trump Larrivee for me

I don't think they are as good guitars as Larry's.

The Eastman E1/2 model instruments for about £500-600 are a good all solid guitars in that price range.  

thomasross20

No worries, thanks

I've not ventured into a shop for a while now and trying to keep it that way

Tannin

^ It's been weeks!

Mellish

@Tannin he's keeping out of shops cos he's saving for my Martin OM28 Re-imagined

 

Timcito

earwighoney said:

Timcito said:

I'm pretty much sold on Eastman and have three. I've owned Martins, Taylors, Gibsons, and Larrivees at twice or even three times the price, and I just can't see much point in even looking at them now. Eastman seems to do what they all do as well as if not better.

Which ones do you have? I have an E10-00. It's a great guitar.

I have an E100 Ltd, which is a 12-fretter in Adirondack spruce and sapele, an E2 OM in cedar and sapele, and an E20 OM in Adirondack spruce and rosewood. Each one is a joy to play.

dazzer22

fender paramount , best guitar for under £700

goldtop

^ Was just watching the Alamo Music video on those. Seem to be overlooked in the USA, too.