Members Freeman Keller Posted August 5, 2018 Members Share Posted August 5, 2018 This popped up on my MSN feed. Comments? https://reviews.thedailymeal.com/rev...oustic-guitars Read the "cons" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 5, 2018 Members Share Posted August 5, 2018 [h=3]Steel strings and nylon strings are not always interchangeable[/h] I could have stopped reading right there. These people clearly either don't know Jack or their collective writing skills are extremely poor. Their comments on tonewoods were poorly researched. Mahogany and maple "paired together"? On a Telecaster maybe but an acoustic? The Yamaha FG830 has a "solid body"? Again, are we talking about an electric? If they mean it's well (i.e., "solidly") constructed, they need to say that. The truss rod connects the body and neck?! "Sometimes, the difference between a $300 acoustic guitar and a $3,000 acoustic guitar is mostly cosmetic." Sure and the difference between my Corolla and a Bentley is purely cosmetic. And let's be honest, they had something nice to say about a Fender acoustic, which alone will invalidate the whole article for this crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Emory Posted August 6, 2018 Members Share Posted August 6, 2018 I suppose it would be faint praise to say "well, it could have been worse...." I have a friend with a Fender A/E dread... not as anywhere as bad as I expected given near universal condemnation. Dare I say decent? Clearly these sorts of sites are aimed at those who know little to nothing about guitars. Just hope they don't make decisions or stop with that one site. "A satisfying new or used acoustic guitar may just be a phone call or click away." If you happen to be lucky... Like any product, do some research before coughing up your hard earned money. "Buy in haste, repent at leisure" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted August 6, 2018 Members Share Posted August 6, 2018 Pros: You should buy it! Cons: It's garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Idunno Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 Okay, I read through the link, top to bottom, and don't see any glaring misinformation stand-outs. Freeman, what about the Cons? Loose strap button (happens - not a quality worry), no fret markers (classicals don't have them on the binding and sometimes they're absent from the board as well), "fixer-upper" with a reference to setting up (talking Martins here?), String buzz (Epiphone says it all), laminate not as good as solid wood tone response (say it isn't true). These seem more in line with comments that might be contributed by people who know very little about the acoustic guitar, generally speaking, and what are commonly encountered issues with them. They sound like your typical noob-heavy acoustic guitar forum. I'll also go so far as to say the article's writers consulted the web for grins and gripes posted about each of the 5 selections. Deep, the nylon string versus steel string interchangeability is clearly a warning that it's one-way only with disastrous results if one chooses to put steel on classical and flamenco guitars. I have no problem with that summation. Basically, the cost versus return on investment intent of the article is to assess the shallow end of the acoustic gene pool, as it should be to clueless parents looking for help with cheap stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 . . . Deep' date=' the nylon string versus steel string interchangeability is clearly a warning that it's one-way only with disastrous results if one chooses to put steel on classical and flamenco guitars. I have no problem with that summation. . . .[/quote'] FWIW, I've heard and played steel string guitars that had nylon strings and they sounded very bad. As always, YMMV but let's move on. You're okay with saying the Yamaha FG830 is a "solid body" guitar? Or that the truss rod connects the body and neck? Or that "the difference between a $300 acoustic guitar and a $3,000 acoustic guitar is mostly cosmetic"? Because I'm not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 when they say "solid body" they just mean it was made solid or firm ,well made or it won`t fall apart if you handle it roughly Not literally a solid one piece body ,we can all see from the pic it`s not a solid.body. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 FWIW, I've heard and played steel string guitars that had nylon strings and they sounded very bad. As always, YMMV but let's move on. You're okay with saying the Yamaha FG830 is a "solid body" guitar? Or that the truss rod connects the body and neck? Or that "the difference between a $300 acoustic guitar and a $3,000 acoustic guitar is mostly cosmetic"? Because I'm not.they never mentioned about putting nylon strings on a guitar made for metal strings, so you are putting words into their mouth. .it also says a special truss rod for connecting neck and body "Some manufacturers reinforce this connection mechanically using special metal truss rods or screws." there are also normall truss rods ? .they also did mention that the actual quality of the craftsmenship can be the difference form $300 to $3000 not just the cosmetic but cometic can be something very wild like one of Elvis`s guitars covered in all kinds of fancy decorations and stuff.which could be something very skillfull and creative and very time consuming and expensive to do but has nothing to do with the playability of the guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 I'm not sure who put that list together, but the sure don't play guitar or haven't for more than a week. I has a top of the line Yamaha back in the 80's I left it my car truck on the hottest days and some of the coldest day the New England weather could bring. Solid top too. The thing never cracked. So I give the Yamaha a thumbs up for the extreme heat and extreme cold test. Fender makes acoustic guitar, but they really should stop and stop quickly. I don't know what that black on is, but if you are desperate for fire wood as a life or death survive, this and a couple of matches should get ya going. Maybe that's why the call it a starter pack. Jasime, my wife used to wear that. Kind of nice as a perfume. I also know a nice young lady with that name. Epiphone made some nice guitars back in like the 50's , mostly archtops, but they had some nice acoustic too. Something to look at back in like the 50's If there's reason why Gibson is broke flat busted and in chapter 11, it's that they imported so much crap into this country. What happens there kid wants to start playing guitar and moms and dads walk into the guitar center and the a guitar is a guitar. I bet Gibson and Fender are reasonable for more untouched and barley touched bedroom guitars leaning against the wall than any one elseThe Christmas gift guitar company . I buy very little from amazon, except my wife down loads a lot of books, which has keep the house much less clutter with reading material. So there's my review. Your review may be different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 they never mentioned about putting nylon strings on a guitar made for metal strings, so you are putting words into their mouth. .it also says a special truss rod for connecting neck and body "Some manufacturers reinforce this connection mechanically using special metal truss rods or screws." there are also normall truss rods ? .they also did mention that the actual quality of the craftsmenship can be the difference form $300 to $3000 not just the cosmetic but cometic can be something very wild like one of Elvis`s guitars covered in all kinds of fancy decorations and stuff.which could be something very skillfull and creative and very time consuming and expensive to do but has nothing to do with the playability of the guitar I don't want to do multi quotes so I'll also deal with your previous post here. When it comes to guitars, "solid body" has a specific meaning. None of the guitars reviewed is a "solid body" so they shouldn't use that term. The comment about putting nylon strings on a guitar designed for steel strings was in response to Idunno since he mentioned it. He also implied it was in the article, which it isn't. As for "truss rods," here's a direct quote: [h=3]What is the nature of the neck/body connection in the acoustic guitar?[/h] Some manufacturers reinforce this connection mechanically using special metal truss rods or screws. When it comes to guitars, "truss rod" has a specific meaning and it doesn't refer to the way the neck is attached. Gibson makes fancy guitars like the Hummingbird and Dove but bling isn't the only difference between one of those and a $300 Yamaha. Sure, playability is a big factor in whether a guitar is worth buying but a guitar that plays like buttah and sounds like crap because it's made of cheap plywood isn't a bargain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nabisco Posted August 7, 2018 Members Share Posted August 7, 2018 Fender makes acoustic guitar, but they really should stop and stop quickly. I laughed out loud when I read that. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 8, 2018 Author Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 There are so many things wrong with that "review" that since I don't know where to start, I won't. Does anyone find it interesting that they actually interviewed 2 "experts" (maybe guitar players?) and spent 46 hours doing research. Just for a chuckle, go to the bottom of the page and read the credentials of the 11 members of the team that wrote the article. It was interesting to me that while 4 of their best guitars are really pieces of crap, most of us think the entry level Yamies are pretty good guitars and they agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 8, 2018 Author Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 Fender makes acoustic guitar, but they really should stop and stop quickly. I have two anecdotes about Fender acoustics. They make what, maybe 1/10 of one percent of the acoustics on the market, probably several orders of magnitude less. I have had two of them across my bench. Both had complete failures of the bridge to top joint. In both cases they had not removed the finish from the top, simply trying to glue the bridge onto whatever fancy poly stuff was there. This was a 12 string that happened to be hanging on the music store wall, that's right, brand frickin' new when the bridge blew off [img2=JSON]{"data-align":"none","data-size":"full","src":"http:\/\/i51.photobucket.com\/albums\/f387\/Freeman_Keller\/Repairs\/Fender%20bridge%20repair\/IMG_4532_zpsjr5sdeen.jpg"}[/img2] To add insult to injury, they declined to honor their warranty TO THEIR LICENSED DEALERSHIP to pay me for the repairs. The store had me repair it, ate the cost, sold it "as is" without warranty (but with the understanding that I, FKLutherie, stands behind my work). btw, when asked about the failure Fender replied "thats how we make them" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 FWIW - about half of the 10 best acoustic guitars I've ever played have been Gibsons. Never played one that wasn't excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 Every single Fender acoustic I've played has been lifeless and crappy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members catscurlyear Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 i`m not just disagreeing for the hell of it but i went into Banks Musicroom in the northern city of York a couple of weeks ago and the first acoustic Fender i pulled down and tried was really good , i don`t know which model it was it may have been in the £300 mark ,well realy i was there just browsing the music books i think a lot has to do with if they are set up nicely.and this one was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 Where the hell did they get this list of "toneWoods" Ash is a popular tonewood for acoustics? Mahogany and maple paired together? WTF Ash is a popular tonewood known for its pleasing resonance.Basswood is an inexpensive tonewood often found on lower-priced acoustic guitars.Cedar is a good tonewood for the top of a guitar. Rosewood is one of the most popular tonewood choices. It is most often seen on the fretboard.Spruce, like cedar, is a fairly inexpensive tonewood for the top of an acoustic guitar. It typically gets good results.Mahogany and maple are two of the best tonewoods, especially when paired together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members missedmyexit Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 The Q & A is especially awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 i`m not just disagreeing for the hell of it but i went into Banks Musicroom in the northern city of York a couple of weeks ago and the first acoustic Fender i pulled down and tried was really good ' date=' i don`t know which model it was it may have been in the £300 mark ,well realy i was there just browsing the music books i think a lot has to do with if they are set up nicely.and this one was.[/quote'] Fender wouldn't be my first choice, especially after the problems Freeman has pointed out, but I've played a few I liked. I confess I don't completely get all the Fender bashing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DeepEnd Posted August 8, 2018 Members Share Posted August 8, 2018 Where the hell did they get this list of "toneWoods" Ash is a popular tonewood for acoustics? Mahogany and maple paired together? WTF . . . I mentioned that in my own reply and got roundly pooh-poohed. Glad to see someone else who's on the same page. I've seen acoustics with ash backs and sides, primarily Washburns. One model had an ash top, back and sides with a mahogany neck. They also made an acoustic with a quilted maple top and mahogany back and sides. But those are exceptions and fairly rare. Some Art & Lutherie models have cherry tops, backs and sides. They used to have maple necks but IIRC they switched to mahogany. The Ibanez Exotic Wood series uses all manner of funky woods but they're primarily made for looks rather than sound. And none of those combinations are what I'd call "popular." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 9, 2018 Author Members Share Posted August 9, 2018 WTF kind of sums it up, doesn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 9, 2018 Author Members Share Posted August 9, 2018 I used to think that every Fender acoustic guitar was simply a piece of poop. I had never played one I liked, they all had that silly stratocaster headstock - I figured Fender was simply riding their good name with basically junk guitars. Then a couple of years ago they came out with a whole new line of acoustic guitars. I remember one of them getting a decent review in an acoustic guitar magazine (which will remain nameless but (1) gave good reviews to every guitar they reviewed and (2) featured ads for Fender acoustic guitars). My local music store got a couple of them in, I played them, and thought "sure, this is pretty much what I would expect from a 150 dollar imported guitar regardless of the name on the headstock". Better than the old generation, maybe, but nothing that would follow me home. Then I started seeing the failures and I started looking inside. The new ones are a piece of poop just like the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mikeo Posted August 9, 2018 Members Share Posted August 9, 2018 FWIW - about half of the 10 best acoustic guitars I've ever played have been Gibsons. Never played one that wasn't excellent. I have a couple of Gibson acoustics, and the are very nice. I have a couple of Martins I really dig and my buddy plays a Martin D28HD that sounds really good. My fav off the rack guitars. Old skool. When you pick up one you usually get just what you expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Grant Harding Posted August 10, 2018 Members Share Posted August 10, 2018 Fender wouldn't be my first choice, especially after the problems Freeman has pointed out, but I've played a few I liked. I confess I don't completely get all the Fender bashing. I'm offended from a business sense that they continue to pump out crappy entry level acoustics against their premium brand. They should brand them Squier and sell actual high grade Fender acoustics. It baffles the mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Freeman Keller Posted August 10, 2018 Author Members Share Posted August 10, 2018 Or just do what they are really good at and sell electric guitars. Stay out of the acoustic business entirely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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