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SOT: I found the acoustic that's right for me (finally).


GreatDane

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some of you might recall i was on a casual search for the acoustic that really "clicked" with me.  i played a ton of them from all different brands and price-points.  i can honestly say there are a LOT of really nice acoustic guitars being made today from a lot of different manufacturers.  many are even reasonably priced.

in the end, here's what spoke to me (in a major way).  a 2004 Martin D-18VS ("VS" = Vintage Slotted).  

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i really thought i'd pick up an OM style because that's what i had been gravitating towards in the stores for comfort, but after about 10 minutes of putting this guitar through it's paces i started to get that feeling.  after about 90 minutes, i stopped to look at my watch not realizing an hour and a half had passed. Nice!

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the most sonically balanced acoustic i played out of over 130 this past year.  the low-end thumps without being overbearing.  the high end is nice and strong without sounding brittle or shrill.  but the mid-range is where this thing wins big; strong but mellow when finger-picked and big and bold when flat picked hard or strummed.  

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this guitar has a great broken-in feel to it that doesn't feel stiff or tight.  the neck is nice and chunky with a slight V shape that my hand gets on with very well.   the spruce top is gorgeous, and the mahogany back/sides and tortoise binding add to what i think is a very classy acoustic.  i also dig the look and function of the slotted headstock.

Hopefully you can dig it.  enjoy!

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mistersully wrote:

 

 

lovely guitar, congrats

 

i think with acoustic guitars is really does pay to play many different ones before choosing

 

thank you, ms!  i completely agree.  there is a level of greatness that most acoustics play at today (which i think is good and probably better than some past decades), but i needed to spend a lot of time and exercise a lot of patience to find the one for me that far exceeded that level.  this one is it.

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Looks like a killer instrument!!  So tell me GD, in your experience playing so many guitars in the past year did you find that guitars with mahogany back & sides typically fell closer to your tonal wheelhouse than say rosewood?  I have almost always preferred the open woodiness to mahogany, and assumed that rosewood would appeal to somebody else with different tone criteria.

 

Happy NGD!! (@ Y @)

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Nice!...You know you're onto something good when time goes by and you don't notice lol...A good acoustic is so hard to find ....even good , high dollar ones might not suit your playing style, grip, prefences....congrats! I have to find a discontinued sunburst Gretsch jumbo body acoustic sometime....

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GD, that's a beauty for sure, but more importantly it sounds like it plays and sounds great to you - congratulations on your diligent search being sweetly rewarded. HNGD! :thu:

 

EDIT: And also, thanks for your detailed and well articulated OP and subsequent replies; quite informative. 

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genesis3 wrote:

 

 

Nice!...You know you're onto something good when time goes by and you don't notice lol...A good acoustic is so hard to find ....even good , high dollar ones might not suit your playing style, grip, prefences....congrats! I have to find a discontinued sunburst Gretsch jumbo body acoustic sometime....

 

seriously- that's my #1 indicator that what i'm playing will come home with me; if i lose track of a big chunk of time.  

good luck on your search!

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Preacher wrote:

GD, that's a beauty for sure, but more importantly it sounds like it plays and sounds great to you - congratulations on your diligent search being sweetly rewarded. HNGD!
:thu:

 

EDIT: And also, thanks for your detailed and well articulated OP and subsequent replies; quite informative. 

thank you, Preacher!  and thank you for the kind words.  it was a search worth undertaking.

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