Small Body Acoustics?

[The EAKLE]

I've been looking for a new guitar for a while, and I'm beginning to love smaller guitars. They're more comfortable to play, IMO, and I prefer the sound over the boomy lows you get out of jumbos or dreadnoughts. The problem is, most places around me dont carry any decent small bodies. I've played a few that i really like, but they're more than a little out of my price range. I've never had a chance to play all the ones that seem perfect, in theory. Can i get some opinions on these? Other small types i should check out?

The Loar LH-250

Taylor GS Mini

Martin 00015M (I actually played a used Martin that seemed like a really old one of these. Sounded great, but it was extremely worn and i wasn't sure if it would be worth the money.)

Gibson Blues King (This one is out of my price range. I was planning saving up for it, but i'd like to get a nice guitar before college next year, and if i had $2K lying around it would go to tuition.)

 

[Graeca]

The only one I've played is the Taylor Mini, and it's excellent.

[fatback]

Have a look at Crafters - I have a 000 sized slot head (TA050) Nice guitar - would buy it again if I needed to replace it.  

Phil

[The EAKLE]

 

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fatback wrote:

 

 

Have a look at Crafters - I have a 000 sized slot head (TA050) Nice guitar - would buy it again if I needed to replace it.  

 

Phil

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Found a TA050 AM on their site, but i wasnt a fan of the body shape. This one looks pretty solid though:

T035

Is rosewood a good body material for that price? I liked the fact that the Taylor was all Mahogany. 

[Freeman_Keller]

 

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The EAKLE wrote:

 

 

I've been looking for a new guitar for a while, and I'm beginning to love smaller guitars. They're more comfortable to play, IMO, and I prefer the sound over the boomy lows you get out of jumbos or dreadnoughts. The problem is, most places around me dont carry any decent small bodies. I've played a few that i really like, but they're more than a little out of my price range. I've never had a chance to play all the ones that seem perfect, in theory. Can i get some opinions on these? Other small types i should check out?

The Loar LH-250

Taylor GS Mini

Martin 00015M

 (I actually played a used Martin that seemed like a really old one of these. Sounded great, but it was extremely worn and i wasn't sure if it would be worth the money.)

Gibson Blues King

 (This one is out of my price range. I was planning saving up for it, but i'd like to get a nice guitar before college next year, and if i had $2K lying around it would go to tuition.)

 

 

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I think you need to play any one of these that you are seriously considering - there are some similarities but also some big differences.   Two of them (the Loar and Gibbie) are basically copies of the old 30's Gibson L-00's (think of the guitar in the Robert Johnson pictures).   They are spruce over mahogany, medium to long scale, and will have a definite bluesy vib.   Two of them  (Martin and GS) are all mahogany - that will give them a little bit darker sound without all the overtones of spruce.   It is a sound lots of people like - make sure that you do.   The Mini is a much shorter scale (23-1/2 vs 25-1/2) - again, make sure that fits your playing style.   People who have played the GS Mini is spruce seem to like it but think that it does have the typical Taylor sound - I don't know how that will change with the hog top.

I'm a great fan of the 000-15 Martins, as well as the original version (the 00 and 000-17 which is probably what you played).   An 000-17 in good playable condition (meaning good neck angle) is a wonderful little guitar, but not as all around as a spruce topped one.  

The Loar got mixed reviews in AG mag a while back, you might want to look at back issues - I have a little trouble with the name (it has nothing to do with the great acoustic engineer who developed many of Gibsons finest instruments)

Of those four instruments I would lean towards the Blues King if I just wanted to play Delta blues (and needed the electronics) and the 000-15 for more of an all around instrument.   But if you are looking a small bodies in general there are many more to consider - Blueridge, Recording King, and others.

(my minor credentials - I own a couple of Martin dreads but rarely play them.   I play blues and fingerstyle on my 000-28 clone, some small bodied 12 strings and I will soon be building an all mahogany L-00 copy just for blues)

[T.B.]

Checkout Cort's parlor guitars, Luce Series - LP1200  These are nice OO sized guitars and competitively priced... solid Cedar/rosewood top back/sides.  I'd never thought I put my dread to the back of the line but my Cort is my primary guitar now. After reading Freeman's thread for years explaining the advantages of a smaller body guitar; I understand now, I've seen the light.

[HarpBoy]

I don't know if Godin's various acoustic guitar lines are available where you live, but the Simon and Patrick Woodland Folk Pro is solid spruce over solid mahogany, and is an OOO/OM sized body with a really nice vintage Gibson-esque sunburst and slotted headstock. I've owned one for a couple of months now and really like it. It goes for around $650. I installed a Fishman Matrix Infinity in mine (I prefer the clean look of the rims without the old "barn door" controls).

[Chordchunker]

 

How about the SC Eric Skye model?

 

http://www.santacruzguitar.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/E-Skye.jpg