Which Acoustic / Electric Guitar?

maharzan · November 2005

I am trying to buy a new acoustic / electric guitar. I have no clue/experience on what kind of guitar is best for acoustic sounds. I want to record directly from acoustic guitar using GNX4 so I don't want to buy an acoustic guitar right now.

If you can suggest which one is good for semi acoustics, please refer.

PS. Shouldn't be very expensive.

Thanks

Matrix · November 2005

This may not be much help but I'll suggest what you shouldn't do if you are looking to buy an acoustic electric guitar and do not want to spend a lot of money. What ever you do, do not go to a local guitar shop and try out a Taylor acoustic/electric I made this costly mistake about a year ago.
Once I played this amazing instrument and heard its sweet tone, I was hooked. I went into the guitar store to buy some acoustic strings for my Ovation. I too was looking to buy a resonable priced acoustic/electric guitar at the time. To make a long story short I ended up buying a Taylor 414-CE 2004 Fall Limited Edition. I haven't regretted spending the money on this guitar once. Hey, I did buy some new strings that day they just happened to be on the new Taylor. I am not a Taylor rep. I just love my Taylor!!!!!

Later,
Matrix

maharzan · November 2005

r u sure thats cheap?

i saw in musicianfriend.com.. its like 1700$$$

lol

Terranaut · November 2005

A good criteria to follow is:

Make sure it's comfortable to play.

It should sound reasonably good unplugged.

Since its electric, check whatever onboard EQ/tone controls for they're flexability.

Ibanez and Takamine have some reasonably priced models that you might want to look into. (under 500.00 US)
HTH

Tal Rules · November 2005

I don't know by your post whethter you're looking for a flat top, orch top.

Guild makes a nice couple of flat top thin line acoustics that are discontinued but can be found used for that magic $500 figure..
The models are the Guild songbird and the Guild Bluesbird.. Both guitars are really thin but loud as hell unplugged and IMHO just sweet as hell plugged in...

For an archtop I would recomment the EPI Joe Pass or the EPI Emporer Regent. I own the Emporer Regent. It is my traveling guitar that I take on business trips with me. Really sweet acoustically and a real jazzzy sound plugged in. I've played the Joe Pass and it's a very sweet axe as well. Difference between the two models is that the Emporer has a floating pick-up like the Gibson Johhny Smith model and the Joe Pass has pick-ups cut into the wood like a Gibson L5 model. Both models can be had for the magical $500 to $700 range.

Hope that helps,
See Ya,
Tal

Jesus Rules!! · November 2005

Seagull makes VERY nice a-guitars for the price.

I have a S6 Cedar plus, my wife bought about 8 years ago, plays and sounds as good as ever. Only problem, carefull with the unfinished cedar top! This is an A-Elec guitar.

I think the S6 (no plus) might not have the pick-up and eq.

dmock66 · November 2005

I recently purchased a Takamine EGS330SC - it runs around $500 and is a cedar top A/E. It sounds REALLY nice unplugged and although it's not loaded with the best electronics, it does sound solid plugged in as well. The thing about the guitar that I really like is the balance. Some guitars are naturally heavy in some EQ frequency - especially high end, or low end - but this Tak is VERY well balanced across the entirety. I played it for almost an hour before buying it and it seemed like only a few minutes... that's when I knew it was a keeper. It's a cedar top so it's only going to sound better over time.

Fortunately, I didn't make the \"Taylor\" mistake, or I'd be selling my plasma every eight weeks to make payments!!!

... I'd like a Taylor... I've played a few and the are NICE!!! But, more than I could justify - especially since I'm an electric guy 99% of the time.

But I really like the tone of the cedar top Tak!

Terranaut · November 2005

dmock66,
I have the EG334SC model with Ovangkol back & sides with a spruce top. Peculiar sound geared towards the mid-range.
I agree with your take on the electronics. They work well enough, but have to be enhanced with an amp or mixer's eq. For the price, it was the most comfortable, playable, piece in 2 Guitar Centers.
Funny, it was a toss-up between that and a far-pricier Taylor.
Saving my coin for one of these:
http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?ItemID=38887

Matrix · November 2005

\maharzan\ wrote:

r u sure thats cheap?

i saw in musicianfriend.com.. its like 1700$$$

lol

Yeah, that is what they cost. But worth every penny. Like I said before, the only mistake I made was playing one, no mistake in buying it. I know from experience that if you settle for something and it is not exactly what you want or what you are satisfied with, you may buy something comparable or of similar quality but you will always later, end up buying whay you really wanted in the first place.

I tell you what, go to your local music store, play every thing on the rack that you think you might like, plugged in and unplugged except for a Taylor,(Save it for last). After playing everything that you like and the Taylor with the Expression System, ................Well just e-mail me and let me know what you think.

I bought an Ovation when I wanted a Taylor a couple of Years ago. I could have saved myself some money if only I had bought the Taylor first.
The only good thing that came out of this is that when I decided to turn loose the cash for the Taylor, the pick-up system was better.

Check out the 2005 Fall Limited Editions. When I Bought my 414 CE 2004 Fall Limited Edition I was looking at the 714 CE, that is what I wanted, because of the Indian Rosewood back and sides and the Sitka Spruce top for about $2800. When I saw and played the 414 CE 2004 Fall Limited Edition i realized that it was just the tone woods that I wanted for only $1700. That was a good deal to me. Check em out You'll see.

Later
Matrix

dmock66 · November 2005

Hey Martin -

My Tak has a solid cedar top with Nato back and sides. VERY balanced tone all the way across - and it just feels good to play. I'm an electric guy - but this acoustic felt good.

... now, as for Matrix and the Taylors... well, I would sure LOVE one - but I'd buy a Les Paul were I going to spend that much on a guitar - $500 is the max I'll lay down for an acoustic. Although he DOES make a great point regarding \"I'll just end up buying one later anyway...\" GAS - darn it anyway.

Thomas · November 2005

I have the 12 string version of THIS ONE http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-TAK-EG523SC.html It is one sweet sounding sexy babe

Cheers,

Thomas

Mike B · November 2005

I am on board with Matrix, about the Taylor guitars, they are just plain awesome. In all my life I have never paid more than 350 dollars for any guitar I have owned. But now I am saving for a Taylor acoustic/electric. I have decided at this point in my life I deserve one. I played one at church a some months back, don't recall the model now, had Elixer strings, and it was THE guitar. So as the old song goes, savin' my nickles, savin my dimes, lookin forward to..... :roll:

dfinch · December 2005

I picked up a guitar that I would have never set out to buy - but when I picked it up and played it I couldn't put it down - it was an Alvarez MF-80. I had never even considered Alvarez before because I have always had my sights set on a Gibson (when I could afford it) but this guitar was small in size (folk model 00 design) but had a interesting ring and very warm tone. It was not pre-equipped with a pickup though. This is where I wanted to give some real advice - I have never heard an OEM installed pickup that sounded very \"real\". They all sound like piezo pickups - not an acoustic. I live close to Nashville and have some friends in the industry and they all agree that LR Baggs \"Dual Source\" was the way to go. It can be played in stereo or mono and has both a piezo pickup and an internal microphone with individual volume controls. I was showing it to a friend one time and we tested it against his AKG condenser (C1000S) mic to see which sounded more realistic and he agreed that the LR Baggs won out. Check it out: http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/systems_dualsource.shtml

0Dannyboy · December 2005

I cannot argue with Taylor what a great guitar but...
if you want a nice playing very solid affordable guitar I can recomend a Ovation Celebrity CC057. (400.00) I think its the best built affordable guitar I have owned in a while.after a trus rod adj and shim removal it plays as well as any acoustic guitar I have ever played. While it may not be as high end as some Taylors it plays at least as well as my buddy Kevins 1200 dollar. Taylor and plugged in there is no feedback problems like the high dollar Yamahas I have owned in the past. thanks to the the built in preamp/tuner that is much improved in recent years.
awsome acoustic tone for the money plugged in. Not plugged in it is fine for most livingroom jams but not as loud as a fuller body acoustic guitar.
just my 2 cents

ednrg · December 2005

I agree completely with the Ovation. Can't beat the deal.

Johnny Jaded · December 2005

Thomas posted a link to the Takamine I own. EG523SC 6-string. I love it. ...and I got a great deal on it at a GC sales event. The action is a little high, so it doesn't respond to girly hands very well. I agree with the others about the electronics. They sound fine, but not so much like the guitar's actual unplugged projected sound. Noticably brighter and thinner and takes dinking with the active eq to dial in. I have only mic'd it a couple times, but I liked that much better. Great value and unplugged is closely comparable to Gibson's J-180EC at 2x the cost.

AlbertA · December 2005

How about a Carvin Cobalt... I've played these at the San Diego store and they are just amazing... I will own one of these guitars on the future... Very nice playability, very nice full round sound...

agelessrocker · December 2005

I've played them all, Martins to Hondo II's. I got a CHEAP Aria acoustic electric with a Fishman system in it, built in tuner....$189. Sure it's no Martin, but for the money it sounds GREAT.

Which Acoustic / Electric Guitar?

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