What acoustic guitar to buy?

Ok, looking to buy a medium priced 6-string acoustic. Any suggestions / recommendations? I'm in the UK and would prefer a UK manufacturer if you think I could get decent quality at a mid-price point. Happy to consider suggestions for USA made acoustics if you reckon quality would be better.

Thanks.

Bill

Shrewsbury, UK

i bought a taylor gs mini, and it is one of the best sounding acoustics i have ever played. after a few of my friends heard it, they bought some to, they are touring musicians.

I like Lowden's but not sure if you would consider them medium priced. In any event there are a lot of builders in your part of the world and if you're looking to "stay local" you should be able to find a nice new or used instrument. Here's an Acoustic Guitar forum posting you might find interesting. In addition to Taylor you might want to check out Larivee as they have a lot of very nice guitars at very good price points.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-208963.html

Not exactly a local recommendation, but if you wish to buy from a land where your Queen still rules, check out Seagull for great value. My brother recently purchased one of their Parlor guitars, and the quality relative to the price is nothing short of amazing. Oh, and it sounds very, very nice. Enjoy the hunt! - ed

Another great acoustic guitar brand from a land where Elizabeth II is still on the currency is Cole Clark. I'd be surprised if they weren't available in the UK.

http://www.coleclarkguitars.com/products.asp

I am with Ed on the Seagull. My daughter has one and they are an extremely good buy.-- Darwin

would anyone recommend Ovation? I've been toying with the idea.....

would anyone recommend Ovation? I've been toying with the idea.....

no. i have one. a pita to play. slides around like crazy.

would anyone recommend Ovation? I've been toying with the idea.....

I have two. an old Elite with deep bowl and a nylon Legend with a super-shallow bowl. I don't know whether louis refers to playing them seated or while hung around the shoulder. I certainly experience the same problem as him when playing an Ovation standing up. The deeper the bowl, the more it seems to slide around on your belly. But with the rough patch on the bowl in the lower waist, I don't have any problem playing them seated (which is how I play all my acoustics). If you are still contemplating getting an Ovation, try to find one with a deep bowl because these guitars sound very good acoustically. But to find one is hard. Almost all have medium and super-shallow bowls nowadays predominantly because they are intended to be played on stage and shallower bowls are less prone to feedback. The Al DiMeola model (Custom Legend 1769-AD) is the only production model (see link) but as you notice they are pricey too. And for that money there are plenty of high-quality, all wood acoustics available.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

Thanks for the info guys - you cant beat experience and these issues would never have occurred to me spontaneously - so much appreciated.

J

i bought a taylor gs mini, and it is one of the best sounding acoustics i have ever played. after a few of my friends heard it, they bought some to, they are touring musicians.

Well, I reckon I'm going to be buying the Taylor GS Mini. I like what I've heard.

Thanks. Bill

i bought a taylor gs mini, and it is one of the best sounding acoustics i have ever played. after a few of my friends heard it, they bought some to, they are touring musicians.

Well, I reckon I'm going to be buying the Taylor GS Mini. I like what I've heard.

Thanks. Bill

you are welcome. play a few before you pick which one. if the same store has several, even better. some of them sound better than others. like all guitars, but a lot of stores carry more than one, so you can actually pick and choose.

Well folks, it wasn't the Taylor GS Mini in the end. "Christmas fever" got the better of me and I bought....

Wait for it.....

A Taylor 412CE Fall 2011 Ltd http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/limiteds/Fall2011/rosewood400/. Got it at a great price too. Eek!!!

Whoopee!!! Looking forward to getting it soon.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Bill

One of my best friends and best guitar playing buddies, ---- Ok. that makes no sense, somehow it cracks me up so I will leave it.

One of my favorite chaps, a guy I play with and who happens to be a beautiful player, uses a very similar (412 rosewood) guitar exclusively for his acoustic. It is a great sounding guitar, like a lot of good guitars it has gotten a little fuller sounding over the years. I think you chose wisely, although I am a Martin guy...these are great.

I hope yours is as good a specimen as my friends!

Beautiful. Congratulations. Enjoy! - ed

Nice looking 400 series. Congrats and Happy Holidays!

- Jos

Well folks, it wasn't the Taylor GS Mini in the end. "Christmas fever" got the better of me and I bought....

Wait for it.....

A Taylor 412CE Fall 2011 Ltd http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/limiteds/Fall2011/rosewood400/. Got it at a great price too. Eek!!!

Whoopee!!! Looking forward to getting it soon.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Bill

that looks nice. you didn't play a few and chose the best one? i couldn't do that with any guitar, but even more so with an acoustic.

You ever get lucky, Louis? ;+) - ed

You ever get lucky, Louis? ;+) - ed

with what ed? guitars? i am sure people get lucky with getting them unseen/unheard, but i prefer to limit the need for luck and actually make a choice.

You ever get lucky, Louis? ;+) - ed

with what ed? guitars? i am sure people get lucky with getting them unseen/unheard, but i prefer to limit the need for luck and actually make a choice.

Hi Louis.

No. I took a gamble. Would have been nice to test out loads and loads of different guitars, body shapes, tonewoods, etc. But, this is just for me - a guitar hobbyist. I'm not making a living doing this. If I feel it sounds good to my ears, that's all I ask for.

Cheers. Merry Christmas.

Bill

You ever get lucky, Louis? ;+) - ed

with what ed? guitars? i am sure people get lucky with getting them unseen/unheard, but i prefer to limit the need for luck and actually make a choice.

Hi Louis.

No. I took a gamble. Would have been nice to test out loads and loads of different guitars, body shapes, tonewoods, etc. But, this is just for me - a guitar hobbyist. I'm not making a living doing this. If I feel it sounds good to my ears, that's all I ask for.

Cheers. Merry Christmas.

Bill

as long as you are happy, that's what counts.

You ever get lucky, Louis? ;+) - ed

with what ed? guitars? i am sure people get lucky with getting them unseen/unheard, but i prefer to limit the need for luck and actually make a choice.

Just trying my hand at humor, Louis. Rock on! - ed

Bill, I would have taken a chance on that one!

My son in law stopped by yesterday and wanted me to help out in finding a guitar for his wife ( my daughter ). She wants to try a Martin so we settled on a very nice OMG-160_GTE. I told him that it would have been nice if she could have been in the selection process but if she isn't happy with it they have 30 days to return or exchange for something else. He wanted to surprise her. Very thoughtful son in law. -- Darwin

I see that you already bought, and thats great. You being from the UK MUST know about Tanglewood guitars. I didn't know about them until last year when I stopped into a store in Glendora CA. I picked up a TW15 DLX and was BLOWN AWAY by the volume AND FULLNESS of the sound!! I took in my (please don't throw anything at me)Guild D4 and traded it for the guitar. My son was so impressed by mine that he went in and bought the TW 15 with the B Band pickup system in it(he also traded a Ovation Celebrity). These guitars so impressed a friend of mine that is a big fan of Martin, that he said if he had found these before he bought his Martin, he would have bought one of these instead!!
Side note: His guitar took a crushing blow that rendered it useless. He is a giging country player that plays only acoustic, so I traded him my TW 15 for his ASAT Classic. He's a VERY happy man! He gets compliments from sound guy's where ever he plays!!
Another guitar I have been impressed with is Eastman. I know they are made in China(as I think the Tanglewood is), BUT MAN THEY SOUND GOOD AND FULL!! I'm told that they are made by hand. The only machine they have in their shop is a band saw to cut out neck blanks. I'm thinking of checking them out when I get back to work. My fingers can't for the life of them make a Taylor or Martin sound good.

I want to try a Tanglewood TW15, Taylor 412 ce LTD. Fall 2011 Limited Edition and GS Mini, a Martin OMG-160 GTE and Seagull now.

Hey Darwin,

What did your daughter think of the guitar? I hope it worked out smoothly. Although I think it is great that the son-in-law actually thought about giving his wife something she might want, I think she might have wanted to be involved in the purchase and selection process on this one. The gift of "a guitar you pick out" is better than one someone picks out for you in such cases as guitars, even when Dad is teamed with son-in-law and is Dad is Darwin. Maybe not as I think of how surprised she could have felt at that moment.

I see that you already bought, and thats great. You being from the UK MUST know about Tanglewood guitars. I didn't know about them until last year when I stopped into a store in Glendora CA. I picked up a TW15 DLX and was BLOWN AWAY by the volume AND FULLNESS of the sound!! I took in my (please don't throw anything at me)Guild D4 and traded it for the guitar. My son was so impressed by mine that he went in and bought the TW 15 with the B Band pickup system in it(he also traded a Ovation Celebrity). These guitars so impressed a friend of mine that is a big fan of Martin, that he said if he had found these before he bought his Martin, he would have bought one of these instead!!
Side note: His guitar took a crushing blow that rendered it useless. He is a giging country player that plays only acoustic, so I traded him my TW 15 for his ASAT Classic. He's a VERY happy man! He gets compliments from sound guy's where ever he plays!!
Another guitar I have been impressed with is Eastman. I know they are made in China(as I think the Tanglewood is), BUT MAN THEY SOUND GOOD AND FULL!! I'm told that they are made by hand. The only machine they have in their shop is a band saw to cut out neck blanks. I'm thinking of checking them out when I get back to work. My fingers can't for the life of them make a Taylor or Martin sound good.

which store in glendora?

MGM, update on Kari's Martin. She played it and gave it a chance but in the end, she returned it. She has some fine guitars and this one did not jump out enough for her to keep. Her main gigger is a 2007 FKOA Ovation Collector Edition that I gave her. She also has an American Breedlove but the Ovation is her favorite. I have the action set low and it is very playable. I think that she is more intrigued by a Taylor. -- Darwin

which store in glendora?

Strings Music. Online he is known as "Fretted products".

which store in glendora?

Strings Music. Online he is known as "Fretted products".

cool. haven't been to that one. only been to gard's music in glendora. will have to remedy.

I went to shop w/a student and played everything in the house and the Big Baby Taylor sounded way better than any thing I played(even the Martins) I'd go w/a Taylor. Mine is acoustic/electric and have used it out and it sounds great plugged up! Oh I bought one as did my student!

A few years ago, a good friend of mine and I spent an entire day at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI. We tried literally dozens of acoustic guitars, and in the end each one of us had picked out his favorite guitar. One was a Lowden and the other was a Collings, even though I don't recall the models or even who picked which make. Then we took turns playing both of the guitars while the other was listening, and with each guitar, the one that the player had picked as his favorite sounded better of the two to the listener. Based on this I am convinced no-one else can pick the best acoustic guitar for you. You have to keep trying them until you find one you like well enough.

Another interesting observation was that above a certain price level, the price tags had very little to do with how well I liked the instruments. Some of the most expensive new guitars felt surprisingly mediocre and left me scratching my head about why they cost so much. To each their own, I guess.

-Jukka

A few years ago, a good friend of mine and I spent an entire day at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI. We tried literally dozens of acoustic guitars, and in the end each one of us had picked out his favorite guitar. One was a Lowden and the other was a Collings, even though I don't recall the models or even who picked which make. Then we took turns playing both of the guitars while the other was listening, and with each guitar, the one that the player had picked as his favorite sounded better of the two to the listener. Based on this I am convinced no-one else can pick the best acoustic guitar for you. You have to keep trying them until you find one you like well enough.

Another interesting observation was that above a certain price level, the price tags had very little to do with how well I liked the instruments. Some of the most expensive new guitars felt surprisingly mediocre and left me scratching my head about why they cost so much. To each their own, I guess.

-Jukka

that would have been a better test if the listener did not know which guitar they were listening to. but when picking out an acoustic you want someone else doing the playing, as you can not hear the tone very well from the player position.

I'm a little late to jump in on the thread. But the GS Mini is a superb acoustic if you can live with its short scale. I almost bought one but the scale was just too small for my really big hands. The GS Mini is built like a high end Taylor so I don't understand how they hit this price point given its quality. Also you can get the Taylor after market electronics for this guitar which can't be beat. It's a fabulous package. I wish they would make a GS Mini-max in 7/8ths scale -they have added several new models to the GS Mini series so demand may drive them to add more variations.

I see others have mentioned the Tanglewood in the UK. There is a Tanglewood dealer very close to me and I've played many their models including the Master Design and they are all great bargains at their respective price points.

As for the Seagull the best bang for the buck IMO is the S6 coastline. I've owned several Seagulls over the years and the S6 is a great value.

Martin also has some nice mid priced guitars now and they have some of that unique Martin sound coming through if you like that - and I do.

The Alvarez are all nice too IMO.