LukeFRC Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 I used to have an acoustic, a takamine en10 dreadnaught - and while it sounded great... right i'm not a guitarist so non technical words.... it was quite strummy, it liked that. My flat mates guitar wasn't as strummy, in fact it liked picky picky (fingers not bits of plastic) that was nicer- not quite so much bottom end which I liked and was more bright and articulate. Also wasn't a dreadnaught, Not sure what it was but it was quite curvy. Another two friend had lower end martins, dunno what model but had really open grain stripy necks, esp at the heel (that's what I remember) well the dreadnaught one was a bit meh of an instrument to my ears, but the 00 size one sounded amazing... but that could be shape or what it's made of... I dunno cos I don't know enough So based on my awful explanation above... If I were looking for a new (prob secondhand) acoustic guitar what should I look for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DorsetBlue Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Depends on your budget, my cheap Fender is a bit big and boomy but it plays well. If I was in the market for another acoustic, I would get either the Martin Ed Sheeren sig (not a fan but like the size - and some money goes to a kids hospice) or the Taylor Mini: http://www.martinguitar.com/new/item/3373-lx1e-little-martin.html http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/gs-mini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 The Martins are part of their laminated series - to my ears very dead sounding in the dreadnought series. Acoustic guitars come in lots of sizes, but the smaller ones often have names like Concert or Grand Auditorium or 00 & 000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 The long-established Czech manufacturer Furch produces a line once known as 'Stonebridge' and now renamed - er - Furch. Mate of mine had one, solid body (IIRC) and a laminate neck (def). Sounded nice and played well, strummed or finger-picked. Tangentially, I once spent half an hour with a (£700-ish new) Martin DRS1 - Mex factory, sapele body, laminate neck. It compared embarrassingly well with a neighbouring D18. If the smaller bodied Martins in this series are of comparable quality, I'd be checking those out - fair number around, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jalapeno Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Mid-sized Faith would seem to fit the bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowlandtrees Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 I have a Tak EN10. It has a cedar top. This gives it a darker tone than the brighter spruce tops that is often the usual choice. It has a relatively narrow neck. I like it a lot for strumming and it sounds great recorded. It does not cut through a mix very well in an electric band however and isn't the best picked. I would go for a good Yamaha with spruce top or on a budget Tanglewood maybe. Every acoustic guitar is different. Walk down a line and try them all...one may jump out at you and it is not necessarily going to be the most expensive....I have lost my confidence in Martins generally...at the top end I would chose Taylor every time. I also have a top end Fylde (that we won at a raffle) One of the best players ever but not a great sounding instrument....at a price of well over 2k you would expect that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Washburn do some nice acoustics and its probably worth checking Tanglewood out too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1392991882' post='2375037'] Washburn do some nice acoustics and its probably worth checking Tanglewood out too. [/quote] I've liked some of the Tanglewood's I've played! I saw something that looked interesting on ebay... bid on it and seem to have won it. :S could be amazing or a pile of poo - was not expecting no one else to bid at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 explained to wife - still alive! So it's a OM guitar - sounds AMAZING this is what I picked up - and my fingers hurt in a good way!- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171244215904?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Not all guitars of the same make and model are created equal, I've been surprised over the years at just how different they can be. Decide on your budget and go out and play some guitars. My personal rule is that when I find one that speaks to me I stop and buy it otherwise I end up going round in ever increasing circles. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teleman Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 [font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I play a Tanglewood TW70 H SRE and it plays and sounds absolutely beautiful.[/font][/font] [font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Nice comfortable small body and all solid wood.[/font][/font] [font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Well worth the money.[/font][/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 [quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1393096928' post='2376221'] explained to wife - still alive! So it's a OM guitar - sounds AMAZING this is what I picked up - and my fingers hurt in a good way!- [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171244215904?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT"]http://www.ebay.co.u...K%3AMEBIDX%3AIT[/url] [/quote] Interesting that its NZ made! I hope the craftsmanship is OK as NZ made stuff can often represent extremes on either end of the quality scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1393579706' post='2382067'] Interesting that its NZ made! I hope the craftsmanship is OK as NZ made stuff can often represent extremes on either end of the quality scale. [/quote] I think it could be old enough that he made it when he was based in yorkshire ... it is exceptional instument n- previoussecondhand price was 1.5k! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 If the guy is english, it sounds like an amazing bargain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1393593835' post='2382336'] If the guy is english, it sounds like an amazing bargain! [/quote] pretty much - I don't know how to describe it but.... almost every other acoustic guitar I've ever played, and i've played a fair few mainly low to mid end stuff,sounds good but compared to this it sounds dead - the guitar sounds alive, you can put your hand on the top and deaden it to sound like other guitars i've had, take your hand off again and booooom! you strum and it sounds ok, but fingerpicking and each note bounces out sounding rich and lush and full.... I think i've found some good deals before, my Streamer stage one in a hard case cost me £400, I picked up a Peavey T40 for £120 a while back, my Yamaha BB1200 was cheap... but this is a mental instrument for the money I paid just need to learn to play it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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