An acoustic guitar question.

[Mr Pig]

My son saw a video on the Hiscox site where they demonstrated the strength by standing three men on the case! No sooner had he got his case home than he was jumping up and down on it! Lecture on 'pushing one's luck' followed.

 

[MichaelM]

Do you really need a guitar with a pick up? (you don't for acoustic blues)

With a budget of £750, have you considered second hand? You could probably get a Taylor 3 series for that price. Taylor 2 and 1 series both come within budget. Being in Germany you may want to look at Lakewood guitars. Also take a look at Yamaha, Takamine.

And when you realise that you really do need the +1 to go with your n there's:

Fylde

Brook

Northworthy

 

[ColinJ]

If you want a very nice acoustic at a very good price, get a Tanglewood.

I have one and I'm pretty pleased with it for under £300 a couple of years ago. It has a hidden pickup built in and a preamp but I haven't really listened to it through an amp, other than when it was demonstrated in the shop. I like the tone of the top 5 strings, but the bottom 'E' sounds just a tad, er, 'flabby' to me.

I'm only a beginner so I wouldn't say that I am very knowledgeable on the subject though.

 

[maverick]

Colin J;
Swap the bottom E for a 46 gauge Ernie Ball 'Regular Slinky'

 

[ColinJ]

Colin J;
Swap the bottom E for a 46 gauge Ernie Ball 'Regular Slinky'

Oh, er -thanks. I'll give it a go!

 

[maverick]

Oh, er -thanks. I'll give it a go!

Sorry if I came across a bit abrupt.

It will work though.

 

[Andy in Sig]

The level of animosity which the Ovation attracted is interesting. Here's a review of it and two other hybrids. Whaddya think now?

http://www.musicplayers.com/reviews/guitars/2007/1207_AcousticElectrics.php

 

[Mr Pig]

That Ovation is nothing like the one my mate has, his looks just like a regular acoustic guitar, from the front! From the back it looks like a half melted tortoise! I've not heard any other Ovation guitars. I just think it sounds a bit odd, kind of pinched and nasally.

 

[onlyhuman]

If you want to sound something like the acoustic country blues player of the past, then you might want to think about the guitars and equipment they actually used. They used what was available and what they could afford, which wasn't much.

Many of them used what are now called "parlour guitars", small-bodied guitars, often with "ladder bracing". Try putting "Stella guitar" into Google images and you will see examples of what I am talking about. Parlour guitars have become very popular in recent years, and there is a huge choice available.

It is doubtful that many early acoustic blues guitarists used phosphor bronze strings. They weren't invented until 1935. I suggest you put nickel strings on an inexpensive small-bodied ladder-braced guitar, and listen to the results.

 

[onlyhuman]

Here's a picture of my inexpensive ladder-braced, small-bodied guitar, and here I am playing it:

http://www.4shared.com/file/37521025/ca3f88a3/Nobody_Knows_You_When_Youre_Down_and_Out.html

Warning: it is a rubbish recording, I can't play very well, or sing. Enjoy!

 

[Mr Pig]

My son has an Admira guitar that I found used for about £70 including a hard case. I'm not an expert but I think it's a beautiful sounding guitar. It's very loud and full-bodied and new they only cost about £200. Not what you're after, sounds very Spanish.

He also has a Lag electric guitar that cost £150 new. Ok, that was a reduced price, but it sounds fantastic, head and shoulders above the other guitars he has. What I'm trying to say is that I don't think that high price guarantees you'll get a much better sound. There are some great sounding guitars out there for not a lot of money.

 

[Andy in Sig]

If you want to sound something like the acoustic country blues player of the past, then you might want to think about the guitars and equipment they actually used. They used what was available and what they could afford, which wasn't much.

Many of them used what are now called "parlour guitars", small-bodied guitars, often with "ladder bracing". Try putting "Stella guitar" into Google images and you will see examples of what I am talking about. Parlour guitars have become very popular in recent years, and there is a huge choice available.

It is doubtful that many early acoustic blues guitarists used phosphor bronze strings. They weren't invented until 1935. I suggest you put nickel strings on an inexpensive small-bodied ladder-braced guitar, and listen to the results.

I see what you mean but I wasn't considering going blind, using a wheelchair and then getting shot by a jealous husband after picking 3 cwt of cotton. I just want to twang a bit of blues on a guitar. I've already got an electric and thought about an acoustic and then discovered these hybrids yesterday. That Babicz Octane looks like the mutt's nuts.

 

[purplepolly]

I see what you mean but I wasn't considering going blind, using a wheelchair and then getting shot by a jealous husband after picking 3 cwt of cotton. .

amateur

 

[Andy in Sig]

 

[onlyhuman]

I see what you mean but I wasn't considering going blind, using a wheelchair and then getting shot by a jealous husband after picking 3 cwt of cotton. I just want to twang a bit of blues on a guitar. I've already got an electric and thought about an acoustic and then discovered these hybrids yesterday. That Babicz Octane looks like the mutt's nuts.

It looks like a gimmick to me. "Strings fanning out across the top to make use of the entire surface as a sounding board, and eliminating the bridge as a focused pressure point that would otherwise decrease the natural vibration of the guitar top." So all the other guitars that use the bridge as a focussed pressure point are doing it wrong are they? In my opinion this isn't the dog's bollocks, it's just bollocks.

I wasn't suggesting you should go blind etc Andy, I was talking about the sound of the instrument. When I bought my little ladder-braced guitar 20 years ago I wasn't aware how closely it resembles those old Stella guitars, it was just that it had the sound I was looking for. I also find a small guitar far more comfortable.