jim_bass Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm looking to buy a new acoustic guitar and have narrowed it down to the following guitars. Yamaha CPX-500III Yamaha CPX-700II (on offer) Faith Naked Venus My requirements are as follows: 1. Must have decent pickup/preamp. 99% of the time this will be played on stage di'd directly into the PA system and monitored through in ears. (My current acoustic guitar has a nasty pickup in it and I have to use a lot of eq etc on my pod just to make is sound okay through the pa - I don't want to run this through the pod as I want to keep it simple. 2. Medium jumbo body - no dreadnoughts and no parlour guitars! 3. Nice warm tone - mostly strumming chords, occasionally a bit of picking but not much. 4. Built in tuner - so I can do away with needing pedals I've played a cpx500 and really liked it, but I've not tried the other 2. I'm not going to be able to get to a shop that stocks any of them so ill be buying blind online. Any opinions or suggestions? My concen with the naked Venus is the unfinished top - will it scratch too easily for playing live? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weststarx Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I'm a big Yamaha fan when it comes to acoustics, for the price points each one I've played always feels like it should have cost more money. If you're buying blind though I'd suggest you go for the one you've played and liked. You wouldn't want to be disappointed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Go for one of the newer Yamahas, the AC series. If you're really lucky you can get an AC3 - there's no better plugged in tone in my opinion. The AC1 has a more conventional pickup/preamp but still sounds pretty good - better than the lower CPX models when plugged in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonbass Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 I went for a Faith Neptune Mahogony in a similar price range recently, and have been very happy with it. Very distinctive styling, really warm midrange tones due to mahogony, great tuner. Ebony fingerboard and quite flat, which is not to all tastes I suppose. I found the Yamahas a little more clinical in comparison, but it's always going to be a very personal choice. You do seem to get a lot of bang for your buck with Faith at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 I went shopping with a friend for a guitar last summer, and we tried a bunch of different instruments including Yamahas, Takamines and Faith naked series. The Faith instruments were head and shoulders above the other guitars *in their price range* and some much more expensive Takamines. I forget whioch model particularly impressed me, but I've only played a couple of acoustics that were as responsive and pleasing as that one (including the Suzuki that I've owned from new since '82). Are you sure the bodies are unfinished? I understood they were 'naked' in terms of having no adornment and decoration, and the ones I played certainly seemed to have a normal, thinnish finish on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_bass Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 I believe the naked series has a very thin lacquer rather than the glossy varnish you get on the higher models? I'll take a look at the other yamahas aswell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Crafter are worth a look, I had a cedar topped, jumbo cutaway which was very nice, £350ish IIRC, I only sold it because I didn't use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddy Le Cragg Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Lags are decent. I tried a few when I was looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_bass Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Yamaha AC3R looks great, but I can't find one anywhere near my price range! AC1 going on Ebay but seems to use same preamp as cpx500 - is it a much better guiitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristinaelias Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Have you thought of an Epiphone EJ200? Don't know about the Yamahas, but certainly better than the Faiths in my opinion. I've treated mine to a bone nut & bridge pins & it's great. Can't really beat the jumbo tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merello Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Breedloves are excellent value. Finlayson from GtrGtr are an in-house design well above their pay grade as are Sigmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I've had a couple of Yamaha's and a Takamine, I've settled on a Yamaha APX700, thin bodied, and everybody says how nice it sounds at open mic, I got it off ebay for £250, mind you I'm cack handed so my choice is limited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 going off on a bit of a tangent here (especially as this is a bass forum) but with under the saddle pickups the type or age of strings make next to no difference to the amplified sound, as I have just found out after replacing my 6 month old strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Faith every time. All solid woods and most importantly, EVERY Faith guitar has its last QC check done by luthier Patrick Eggle himself. The guy who designed the guitar and provided the training to the guys who constructs them is also the last person to check the guitar before it goes off to the store/customer. If he isn't happy that it represents his name to the best standard, it doesn't go. That's the kind of company I would want to buy my guitar from! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1421761517' post='2664625'] Faith every time. All solid woods and most importantly, EVERY Faith guitar has its last QC check done by luthier Patrick Eggle himself. The guy who designed the guitar and provided the training to the guys who constructs them is also the last person to check the guitar before it goes off to the store/customer. If he isn't happy that it represents his name to the best standard, it doesn't go. That's the kind of company I would want to buy my guitar from! [/quote] Is that really true? I find it hard to believe given the volumes they shift....? Not calling you a fibber, just wondering how that's really achieved in practise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1421771744' post='2664817'] Is that really true? I find it hard to believe given the volumes they shift....? Not calling you a fibber, just wondering how that's really achieved in practise. [/quote] Yup. Visited the factory and have seen Mr Eggle's workshop myself :-) he's a busy man, that's for sure! Barnes and Mullins are a fantastic distributor and they know a great product when they see it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I bought a Vintage VE300 for under 200 quid, mid-sized body, solid spruce top, plays and sounds great once I got it properly set up. Fishman pickup and pre-amp with tuner built in. Well worth trying one if you get the chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) My epiphone ej200ce has been a stunning gigging guitar, two or three at least a week for a year now, I've never had so many compliments about a guitar tone before, even from non muso punters. Edited January 23, 2015 by gafbass02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gadgie Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 I really like my Faith guitar. Parlour size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Houghton Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 (edited) Check out the 'Turner' guitar range, really great quality for price, top woods. Read the reviews, little heard of but highly recommended. I have a Turner 82CE that retails for £699 but it wipes the floor with any 2 grand Taylor I have ever played, stunning sound and really nice to play. Their cheaper range is awesome, mostly solid wood with quality Fishman pre's. There is a shop in Blackpool selling the 82CE for £499 new with hard case, absolute gift, would have to spend £1500 for same quality. Edited March 1, 2015 by Stephen Houghton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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