Decent Acoustic Electric?

[Anglewood]

Hey All,

I've started collaborating with a neighbor of mine and we are in the process of putting together a set of songs that we can play out. They are all originals and it has been a lot of fun but I may be in need of a new piece of gear in the near future. I have a feeling that most of our gigs are going to be acoustic affairs with me on guitar and him singing. Right now, I have a '68 Yamaha FG-300 and a Larrivee Parlour, but niether is electrified, and I don't really wanna go that rout anyways. Now, to the question:

What would you pick as a decent acoustic electric in the say $500-$800 dollar range (used). I figured this would be a good range to start at and then if things took off I could upgrade later on. Thanks a lot for any suggestions and I'll be sure and keep y'all updated on our progress.

Lates,

Connor

[Ches]

I'd look for a used Larrivee D-02E or D-03E first, but it'll be at the high end of your price range. A guy in our old band gigged for years with a Takamine G Series. You could buy a new one in your price range.

[MrRoundel]

Hey Connor,

I recently picked up an Alvarez-Yairi DY84C on daBay for $830 shipped (Retail:$1,600). It is 5 years old, and was in nearly perfect condition. You'll be hard pressed to find a better tone:bone value anywhere, IMHO. It's a cutaway and has very nice electronics. The tone isn't quite as deep as my Taylor 710 CE, but it was less than 1/2 the money. Do yourself a favor, try them out. You should be able to find a nice, somewhat aged, collectible Yairi for the price range you mentioned. There's a Yahoo group run by a woman who goes by the name yairi_luvr where you can ask specific questions of her. She knows her Yairis. You can also shoot me an email regarding Alvarez and Alvarez Yairis. I may be able to answer some questions.
BTW: When I first got the guitar, I didn't like it as well, and the action was a bit more difficult than my '84 Alvarez. However, after changing to EB Earthwood Light strings, she plays a lot easier, with little noticeable loss of tone. Oh, and with the System 600 electronics, like my '05 DY84C, you get an on-board tuner, which is really slick. Good luck.

[jazzrat]

I'm big fan of Seagull guitars. They are kind of utilitarian but they have really nice solid tops and good electronics available.

[darwinohm]

There is a 1989 Alvarez Yari dy-74 on e-bay in Oregon that looks in beautiful condition for a BIN of $700 or make an offer. I do not know if that is a good deal but I wanted to make a comment on the action. MrRoundel, It appears that you put lighter strings on to get a better action. I looked at the bridge on this guitar and if it is like yours it may have a shim or two under the Bone/Plastic bridge. I have set the action on acoustics by simply removing shims or, if they do not have shims, I file .020 off the bridge, check action and file until I get what they/I want. The action on acoustics is generally higher because people strum them harder. Many electric players like the action low and find the action on an acoustic too high. I think Alvarez is an excellent choice although I am a fan of high end Ovations for recording. -- Darwin

[MrRoundel]

There is a 1989 Alvarez Yari dy-74 on e-bay in Oregon that looks in beautiful condition for a BIN of $700 or make an offer.

Hey darwinohm: That's definitely a nice guitar, but I don't believe it has the electronics that anglewood is looking for. I could be wrong, so I'll check it out. (It turns out I was wrong, and that the guitar has a Fishman Matrix pickup installed. I'm not familiar with it but I can tell you that DY74 is a sweet guitar. It has the earlier style "volute" at the back of the headstock, which I believe makes it more collectible,and probably stronger too.) The mid-eighties to 1990 Yairis seem to have been a time when the company really hit its stride. There are some incredible values to be had in that lineup.

MrRoundel, It appears that you put lighter strings on to get a better action. I looked at the bridge on this guitar and if it is like yours it may have a shim or two under the Bone/Plastic bridge. I have set the action on acoustics by simply removing shims or, if they do not have shims, I file .020 off the bridge, check action and file until I get what they/I want. The action on acoustics is generally higher because people strum them harder. Many electric players like the action low and find the action on an acoustic too high. I think Alvarez is an excellent choice although I am a fan of high end Ovations for recording. -- Darwin

My Yairi has what's called a direct-coupled bridge and has pickups that are under what are individual saddles, meaning each one has to be done individually. In a way this is good, providing you know what you're doing. I'm not that good with such things. The action was close to where I wanted it, however, the strings just seemed to be more difficult for me to fret cleanly, and for longer periods of playing. I took what was probably the easy way out, but since I like those Earthwood Lights, I figured it was worth a shot. Unfortunately, while restringing, I put a few marks on the top of the guitar by trying to lever the bridge pins out. The better way would have been pressing them out from underneath. Live and learn. Thanks for the tips.

[Anglewood]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I didn't think of a low end Larrivee, I know that my parlour is a great guitar and will definitely look into those. Also thanks to others, I'll definitely be checking out those options as well.

Lates,

Connor

[Slick]

I'll second the Seagulls.. I have a Maritime mini Jumbo and love it... Can be bought new for around $800.00

[zombywoof]

Why not slap some electonics on one of the guitars you already have? If you are talking those thin body acoustic/electric deals - I have yet to hear one worth anything played unplugged.

Best cheap acoustic out there - hands down a 1950s or 1960s Harmony Sovereign. Cost you a hundred or two dollars and it will probably need a neck reset. But they are made with better lumber than you will find on many boutique builds and sound better than a whole lot of guitars costing ten times as much. Tons of 'em were made so they are not that hard to find.