Should every guitar player own an acoustic?

ICBM

thomasross20 said:

What are some of THE best acoustics?

Gibson.

But only some of them… they have nowhere near the consistency of most other top brands, but if you find a good one there's nothing like it.

Other people will like different things!

CHRISB50

Lowdens aren't shoddy but I'm a bit biased. Depends what you want out of it. I got one with a cutaway but don't ever really get up the real dusty end, so it doesn't make a huge difference to me.

There's plenty of small luthiers as well.

If you are gassing again your a sick man!

RaymondLin

thomasross20;523749" said:

Getting right back into playing mine now...
For electrics, Suhr,PRS,Gibson etc are top brands. What are some of THE best acoustics?

Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Santa Cruz.

I'd take a Taylor any day of the week though, but I like bright acoustic sounds.

thomasross20

I have to say, I'm not a fan of Taylors! I love Martins... and Larrivee's!

Stonebridge are good. Yet to try a James-Patrick-Eggle (!?) or Lowden...

Philly_Q

I've always liked the look of Lowdens but I can't play acoustic to save my life so I'm extremely unlikely to ever buy one. 

I did have a bottom-of-the-range Lakewood for a while, that's the only decent acoustic I've ever owned.

thomasross20

I'd better shut up before I start even thinking about GAS. 

The only thing I'll GAS for is an acoustic pickup. The ONLY way I'm buying an expensive acoustic is if I build a large fingerstyle repertoire and will play it live. 

Sassafras

Another Gibson fan.

I used to play an old Humminbird  and an SJ200 that belonged to a friend and they were both glorious. Especially the Hummingbird. I was hoping to buy it off him but he moved to Malibu and that was that.

thomasross20

Never played a Gibbo acoustic - it's on my to-do list now!

xmrchi

Gibson here as well, I have had a few high end acoustics, and my hummingbird honestly beats them all. I will never want another acoustic again.

ICBM

mrchi said:

Gibson here as well, I have had a few high end acoustics, and my hummingbird honestly beats them all. I will never want another acoustic again.

I thought that too, about my Dove…

… until I played my CJ-165 ).

http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b582/IntegratedCircuitBigMuff/2014-11-24114912_zpsbe965040.jpg

They're really very different, it would be extremely hard to choose between them because each does things the other can't - which is remarkable really considering they're both all-maple Gibsons.

So I decided to sell my PRS instead.

xmrchi

@ICBM you have a book about u2, any further comments you make here on it will be null and void , you should be shamed

Sassafras

Am I perverted for finding that CJ-165 shape almost sexy?

CloudNine

mrchi said:

Gibson here as well, I have had a few high end acoustics, and my hummingbird honestly beats them all. I will never want another acoustic again.

Aye, there is something about Gibson acoustics. That really thumpy bass on a J45 is so different to the Martin sound, although love that too. Great acoustics to sing with, just blend perfectly with your voice. And they are really versatile, usually good strummers, pickers whatever. Not too lush sounding, just nice and percussive and don't overpower everything else.

This is a J45 Legend. Apparently an exact copy of a 1942 Guitar, down to the last detail, roughly cut braces, bits of glue squeezed out etc. etc.. Really does feel and sound like a very old guitar. Monster neck, about a Nocaster and a half again.

xmrchi

What a lovely looking guitar!

usedtobe

I was very disappointed with my mate's Taylor, when I played it. His J200, and his Martins are very nice, though!

thomasross20

Must admit I like the Martin Performing Artist series - very nice and good electronics. 

But again, listen to how sweet Larrivee's are!

thomasross20

Please forgive me. I went to a shop today to try out a bunch of Martins, including the OMCPA4. None of them could touch my Larrivee with a bargepole! Last time I go looking for acoustics. I already have my perfect one!!

ICBM

thomasross20 said:

Please forgive me. I went to a shop today to try out a bunch of Martins, including the OMCPA4. None of them could touch my Larrivee with a bargepole! Last time I go looking for acoustics. I already have my perfect one!!

You also know to never sell it now . Even Larrivées vary.

So this was not a waste of time at all.

Martins were once the 'gold standard' of acoustics - although even back then, Gibsons were an alternative - but nowadays there are so many more great guitars than that, and above a certain quality it just comes down to personal taste.

thomasross20

Personal taste, definitely,. 

I tried the same guitar as mine in another shop and it wasn't the same. Some just have "the magic"

Also - I don't think I care about cutaway on an acoustic. On an electric, definitely!

Blueingreen

Never owned a "proper" acoustic.  My first two guitars were acoustics but the first was a swap for a slightly scratched copy of Led Zeppelin 1 and the second, a conspicuous upgrade, cost £8.  I mainly practised electric blues licks on them using ultra-light strings and when I got an electric they were forgotten about.

Since then I've owned a couple of (very cheap) classical guitars but they haven't been given a lot of attention.

I've toyed with buying a good quality acoustic but my fingers have always struggled with the heavier strings/higher action of a steel acoustic and now I've got a bit of arthritis which won't make that any easier.  There's also so much I want to work on with my electric playing I'm not sure I could find time to progress on what would be virtually a new instrument in terms of technique.

If I were to buy an acoustic it would need to have very close to electric levels of playability or I suspect I'd be wasting my time.