Members valentsgrif Posted December 21, 2015 Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 Ok, I don't do plugged in acoustics and havn't paid much attention to them over the years. My teenage son has begun playing in bands and has been borrowing and miking my Gibson WM-45. (He's primarily a keyboard/electric guitar player). I'm looking to buy him his own acoustic that he can plug in. He's not an acoustic purist like you guys and the emphasis should be on playability, durability, and the electrified tone. He's just strumming and doing little lead runs, no finger style. I have a budget of maybe up to $1100. What say ya? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members garthman Posted December 21, 2015 Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 With a budget of $1100 it's hard to go wrong - there are many many excellent quality A/E guitars around these days. If he is an electric guitar player and if he is going to play the A/E mostly amplified it would probably be a good plan to get a guitar with good electronics: L R Baggs, Fishman, Headway, etc and go for a guitar with a slim neck profile. It's also worth spending some of your budget on a good set up with low action - perhaps using extra light strings.. A shallow bowl Ovation (or similar) can often be a good choice for an electric guitarist wanting an electro-acoustic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pine Apple Slim Posted December 21, 2015 Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 I use a Recording King R07, 000 sized solid top, 24.75 scale, 1 3/4 nut. Installed a Baggs M1A soundhole. Sounds great pluged into just about anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted December 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 I'm not looking do do a subsequent installation, but am looking for a decent factory installed pick-up system. Martin DRSGT Road Series http://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-MAT-DRSGT-LIST or perhaps a Taylor 200 series perhaps? Don't have time to really play any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members FretFiend. Posted December 21, 2015 Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 There is a particular brand of guitars that you are outspokenly fond of. They offer A/E guitars in that price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted December 21, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 Ha! Thats what he started on! (Still have it if you're interested. No pickup on it). But thats a good catch! I'm lookin' USA made preferably, something he can bring to auditions, gigs, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 21, 2015 Members Share Posted December 21, 2015 If you hadn't specified USA made, I would have suggested Takamine. I see a lot of bands playing Taylor "Grand Auditorium"s so maybe a 214ce. Martin still rules when it comes to dreadnoughts so maybe a DRS2, although AFAIK, both the Taylor and Martin are made in Mexico. If you're willing to expand to "North America," Seagull or Simon & Patrick (both made in Canada) would be a good bet. Basically comes down to whether you like the Seagull headstock or a more traditional one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted December 22, 2015 Members Share Posted December 22, 2015 Ok, I don't do plugged in acoustics and havn't paid much attention to them over the years. My teenage son has begun playing in bands and has been borrowing and miking my Gibson WM-45. (He's primarily a keyboard/electric guitar player). I'm looking to buy him his own acoustic that he can plug in. He's not an acoustic purist like you guys and the emphasis should be on playability, durability, and the electrified tone. He's just strumming and doing little lead runs, no finger style. I have a budget of maybe up to $1100. What say ya? Get a decent 6-string and a modeling soundhole magnetic p'up. Oh, and I'm no purist about acoustic guitar. Whatever gives me the sound I like is what I'll go for. That's my new "purist". Seriously, get a soundhole p'up and permanently wire it into an end-pin jack. A tech can do that in about an hour and, if your son is in a band, soundhole p'ups are feedback proof whereas the conventional A/E utilizes Piezo-based p'ups that are forever condemned to it. Your money and, if I might be a bit fresh, $1,100.00 is a lot of money for a strumming, band used acoustic guitar. Get something that is cheap, durable and let the modeling p'up give your son all the acoustic sound he'll ever need free of feedback. That's my 2-cents but, being Christmas, you can have it for a penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members valentsgrif Posted December 22, 2015 Author Members Share Posted December 22, 2015 aob Get a decent 6-string and a modeling soundhole magnetic p'up. Oh, and I'm no purist about acoustic guitar. Whatever gives me the sound I like is what I'll go for. That's my new "purist". Seriously, get a soundhole p'up and permanently wire it into an end-pin jack. A tech can do that in about an hour and, if your son is in a band, soundhole p'ups are feedback proof whereas the conventional A/E utilizes Piezo-based p'ups that are forever condemned to it. Your money and, if I might be a bit fresh, $1,100.00 is a lot of money for a strumming, band used acoustic guitar. Get something that is cheap, durable and let the modeling p'up give your son all the acoustic sound he'll ever need free of feedback. That's my 2-cents but, being Christmas, you can have it for a penny. Actually, you make a lot of sense. He's going away to college soon too and I don't wanna worry about something too expensive getting pinched. Ok, whats the modeling soundhole magnetic pickups we all agree on? (Cheap guitars I know about). Send me a self addressed STAMPED envelope and I'll send you your penny. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 22, 2015 Members Share Posted December 22, 2015 . . . Ok' date=' whats the modeling soundhole magnetic pickups we all agree on? (Cheap guitars I know about). . . .[/quote'] The L.R. Baggs M1 Active generally gets the nod: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M1A/. A friend has one in a Norman and it sounds pretty good except the B string sounds a bit weird. On a budget, the Fishman Neo D:http://www.sweetwater.com/store/search.php?s=fishman+neo+d&Go=Search. You can listen to some here and decide what you like: http://www.dougyoungguitar.com/pickuptests/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted December 22, 2015 Members Share Posted December 22, 2015 Yamaha AC3R I've got has great pickup: models 3 mics, body resonance, anti feedback buster, etc etc and even comes with own rubber plug. Love it plugged or not, got for $665 new with great case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted December 23, 2015 Members Share Posted December 23, 2015 Many gigging musicians seem to like Takamine A/E's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted December 23, 2015 Members Share Posted December 23, 2015 Many gigging musicians seem to like Takamine A/E's That was my original idea until the OP mentioned wanting "USA made preferably," at which point I dismissed Taks. But then the OP decided he was okay with a "Cheap guitar" and a soundhole pickup. A pro level Tak will run several hundred dollars, which takes it out of the "cheap" category for most of us (the G Series is best avoided unless you never intend to lower the action) so a Tak still isn't an option, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members badpenguin Posted December 23, 2015 Members Share Posted December 23, 2015 I am going to go a different route, and suggest a Godin solid body with the piezo bridge. Since he mostly an electric player, it should fit into his normal setup without too much issue.Add a decent acoustic amp, and he's all set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guildfire Posted December 23, 2015 Members Share Posted December 23, 2015 I agree with the Tak A/E recommendation. Avoid the G series. I have a pro level Tak FP360 A/E ('90s era) that is great and if you can find one they go for under $500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drummer44 Posted December 24, 2015 Members Share Posted December 24, 2015 Rising rock star (and classical guitarist) nephew-in-law likes Takemine, although he usually plays full electrics in his two bands due to their music style. I found an Ovation Legend LX on the "used" wall at a GC in very good condition for very attractive money. Aside from the goofy curved bowl, it plays well enough and sounds good, decent pre-amp. The pre-amp makes it sound pretty good through an amp or sound system... Not sure about their entry-level products, but their Legend series seems decent to me... Seems to me Guild used to offer some very nice A/Es; one of those one the used market might be a good find. -D44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Delmont Posted December 28, 2015 Members Share Posted December 28, 2015 I agree with the Tak A/E recommendation. Don't know what happened to me original response, so here goes again: A guy I play with has had several Takamine A/Es and loves them. Personally, I like to rock, and for amplifying a flat-top, there's nothing I like better than a single-coil sound-hole pickup run into an electric guitar tube amp, no pedals. honest, detailed, expressive, BIG. But I know that with most younger artists, rocking is out and processing is in. So the Takamine is a good bet. For acoustics, I only buy used guitars - Martins, Gibsons, Guilds. But if I were shopping for a new acoustic or A/E guitar, I'd look at Larrivee first. A lot of us think that among North American companies, Larrivee is the best bang for the guitar buck. They us L.R. Baggs electronics, which is a good outfit. Here's what Larrivee says: http://www.larrivee.com/pickups You can Google around for prices. Happy shopping! Del http://www.thefullertons.net ( •)—::: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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