Need help looking for a new midgrade acoustic/electric

[nomadh]

Hello. I'm a longtime guitar player and budget buyer. My electric stable is pretty full and I've been wanting to get a acoustic that will fill my needs. Maybe some of you can help me whittle down what I may want to check out. I'm looking for a different looking guitar. I am just so sick of plain spruce. Let me tell you what I have currently learned and see what other can add. I have 2 Sigma guitars going back to jr high school. They actually aren't bad and one for some reason is noticeably better than the other. I have a mid-grade ovation that is a beater and also a fender 12 string that's decent and recently a small body solid wood from musicians friend when they were on sale. All of them play well and sound decent. The ovation is maybe the easiest playing almost electric like for some reason. But I'm not a big fan of the rounded back.

Anyway What I'm looking for is a low-mid priced, acoustic electric with a cutaway and some sort of great different looking wood. Something in a curly maple or spalted or zebra wood or burl koa. Something eye popping. If it isn't much different than what I got I'll just slap a pickup in my current setup. I'm hoping to find some thing like the deals I've been finding in electrics. I have found electrics that look sound and play as well as other guitars at any price point so I was thinking I should be able to find something acoustic/electric for certainly $400. I certainly don't have the pickiest ear but I definatly hear differences and recognise a bad guitar when I hear it. I think I may be fortunate in my ability to not be tied to any precice judgement of what exact sound I want. I could like a tebbly guitar or a more bassy guitar within reason.

This is what I recently found at GC. I don't seem to be a big fan of taylors at any price. The martin feel seems more likable to me. They both felt tight to me and maybe I'd like them better in about 5 years. I did try a breedlove at $800 and thought it was impressive and the side bought soundhole was very interesting. Og course these are all out of my current comfort zone price wise and even then still had nothing fancy as far as looks. I did play a beautiful Dean with a very fancy wood top. It also seemed to play stiff. Maybe a different set of strings would help but the big problem was it really had no tone. Notably no bass response. So I stepped up to a few of the artwoods. Better but still not a great tone. They didn't show the price. Funny thing is the absolute winner in the roon was an old japanese yamaha. IT weighded near nothing and projected like an sob. It also had the frets worn to a nub and looked exactly like what I already have.

I know I'm cheap but thats really all I can justify spending right now and I can wait for the right deal and I keep an eye on CL if I just new what to look out for. As time goes on I'll probably push the budget up. But in the meantime I need to start looking and I need to be damn convinced I need to spend more and am getting something pretty impressive.

Thanks for any help on this new quest.

[sixgunner455]

An NEX bodied Takamine A/E. They come in lots of really cool woods.

 

Flame maple in very blue or very red. Colors are a bit gaudy to me personally, but they wear some beautiful, and different, wood.

 

There's a bunch more, with a few others under $400.

[katopp]

I have Martins, a Taylor, a Yamaha, Takamine .... Whatever you want, but the guitar that currently gets most od my playing is....

 

 

 

A Peavey Jack Daniel's AG-3 with a cedar top.

 

Plays like butter, sounds grand and even tho it's cedar, it's so cheap that I don't fear a ding.

Actually, it sits soundwise quite in the middle of all of it, it booms like a Martin and it rings like a Taylor... I love it.

[nomadh]

Thanks for those leads. Cedar is a possiblity. I was hoping to go more exotic looking but if price a playability push it higher then maybe. I'll take a look.

 

It seems the most obvious models for me to look at would be the ibanez exotic wood series.

Is it true that this is the only solid top model of the series and does it reflect it in the sound?

 

MODEL: EW50MPSENT

 

SPECS

BodyShape: EW Body with Cutaway

Neck: Mahogany Neck

BackSides: Monkey-Pod Back and Sides

Top: Solid Monkey-Pod Top

Body: Rosewood Body and Neck Binding

Rosette: Abalone Rosette

Tuners: Ibanez Gold Die-Cast Tuners with Brown Pearloid Knob

Pickup: B-Band

[fastblueheeler]

 

A Peavey Jack Daniel's AG-3 with a cedar top.

 

 

I played one of those a guy brought to a jam a few weeks ago. I was pretty impressed with it.

[nomadh]

That peavey looks nice but no electronics and no cutaway. I might skip the cutaway but I do need the electronics for future performances.

[katopp]

 

That peavey looks nice but no electronics and no cutaway. I might skip the cutaway but I do need the electronics for future performances.

 

 

A) factory electronics are usually not THAT good, aftermarket givesyou what YOU want.

B) electronics on the AG-3 are factory optional

 

Cutawy is missing, but will you plat THAT high on the fretboard THAT often? A friend ofmine swore that he will deffo NEED a cutaway and he uses it actually twice. Once for the final D in "Give a little bit" and in "Dead or alive". That's all.

[DeepEnd]

 

. . . It seems the most obvious models for me to look at would be the ibanez exotic wood series. Is it true that this is the only solid top model of the series and does it reflect it in the sound? MODEL: EW50MPSENT . . .

 

AFAIK, that's the only model with a solid top. However, bear in mind that the ExoticWood series is made to look cool but not necessarily for good unplugged sound. I'm a satisfied Ibanez owner but I don't really recommend the ExoticWood models for that reason. sixgunner455's recommendation of the Takamine EG440CS is a good one. You might also want to try to find an Alvarez AF60CK: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-AF60CK-Artist-Series-Dao-Folk-AcousticElectric-Cutaway?sku=518796. Laminated top but you might like it.

[masterbuilt]

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Tim-Armstrong-Hellcat-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=580406

 

Every now and then Fender produces something interesting. This guitar has a solid mahogany top and actually sounds good.

[katopp]

 

AFAIK, that's the only model with a solid top. However, bear in mind that the ExoticWood series is made to look cool but not necessarily for good unplugged sound. I'm a satisfied Ibanez owner but I don't really recommend the ExoticWood models for that reason. sixgunner455's recommendation of the Takamine EG440CS is a good one. You might also want to try to find an Alvarez AF60CK: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-AF60CK-Artist-Series-Dao-Folk-AcousticElectric-Cutaway?sku=518796 . Laminated top but you might like it.

 

 

The Tak EG440SC was in tne infamous anonymous comparison thread and recieved no love. It's my least played guitar, too. You could have it - but s&h would cost more than the guitar is worth.

[guildfire]

You are going to have a tough time finding anything good for $400 with a cutaway and good preamp. I picked up a used pro level Tak a few years back for $475, so I say look for a good used Tak (no G series) and raise your budget a little.

[OldGuitarPlayer]

The Cort SFX1. Although not exotic woods it has a solid sitka spruce top, laminated mahogany back and sides w/cutaway. The body is a little slimmer or not quite as deep than the usual dread or jumbo guitar. Neck is made of mahaogany. The back is arched. It comes with very good Fishman electronics. They retail new for about $300-$350. I just bought one used (in black finish) for $150.

 

http://www.cort.kr/english/products/acoustics/view.asp?product_id=15

[BLUtunes]

 

You are going to have a tough time finding anything good for $400 with a cutaway and good preamp. I picked up a used pro level Tak a few years back for $475, so I say look for a good used Tak (no G series) and raise your budget a little.

 

 

I'm with Guildfire on this one. You are looking for a guitar with exotic wood, a cutaway, and one that both sounds good acoustically AND has a nice sounding electronics package. I just don't believe that you'll find anything that has ALL of those characteristics in the $400 price range, unless you find a super-good deal on a used instrument. Even in the used market, you might still have to stretch the budget a bit to find something that totally fills the bill.

[valentsgrif]

My experience is that exotic figured tops, and especially ash, sound dead. You might find a Chinese off label import with a koa top that'll meet the bill. Good Luck.

[nomadh]

AFAIK, that's the only model with a solid top. However, bear in mind that the ExoticWood series is made to look cool but not necessarily for good unplugged sound. I'm a satisfied Ibanez owner but I don't really recommend the ExoticWood models for that reason. sixgunner455's recommendation of the Takamine EG440CS is a good one. You might also want to try to find an Alvarez AF60CK: http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alvarez-AF60CK-Artist-Series-Dao-Folk-AcousticElectric-Cutaway?sku=518796 . Laminated top but you might like it.

So not a lot of hope for the EW's? Not even the solid top? After all it is solid Monkey Pod ? Since I'm hearing so many experts say the tone is more in the build than the wood I was hoping to find something more exotic. I even played a taylor that was made out of a pallet and it still sounded like a taylor. I'm willing to give a bit on tone quality specially if it does better as an electric. I suspect I'm not as picky as some and I can also enjoy a sound thats different without judging if its better or worse than another. But that said crap is still crap and I won't have it.

I don't think I've seen a maple tak before. Is it likely to show up at GC? I'm in San Diego so I should really head down to buffalo brothers at some point.

I like the look of that alvarez and I have been impressed with other models before.

Thanks for the good leads and keep them coming.

[nomadh]

 

I'm with Guildfire on this one. You are looking for a guitar with exotic wood, a cutaway, and one that both sounds good acoustically AND has a nice sounding electronics package. I just don't believe that you'll find anything that has ALL of those characteristics in the $400 price range, unless you find a super-good deal on a used instrument. Even in the used market, you might still have to stretch the budget a bit to find something that totally fills the bill.

 

As I look and prove to myself I need to up the price I may do that. Also I have a lot of patience. If it takes a year or 2 watching CL to get the right deal then thats ok too. So let me know about used or out of production stuff that I should keep an eye on also.

[nomadh]

Thanks for the lead on the Alvarez Acoustic-Electric Guitar AF60CK Cutaway Grand. I also found the AF222c. I think they were the same specs but I need to compare side by side.

 

I also found these Dean guitars but so far the 1 dean acoustic I tried I wasn't impressed. I don't recall if it was from this series.

 

DAVE MUSTAINE MAKO

EXOTICA BUBINGA

w/ APHEX

[DeepEnd]

So not a lot of hope for the EW's? Not even the solid top? After all it is solid Monkey Pod ? . . .

Well, a solid top has the potential to sound better but as you've noted sound is also in the build. I have no experience with that specific guitar but here's some info from Christopher Tonewood and Luthier Supplies about monkey pod (italics added):

Monkey Pod: (Pithecellobium saman) Winnner of the Guild of American luthier's blind listening test. Monkey-pod originated in Central and South America, but has been successfully transplanted in many tropical countries. It has been used for years for carving and bowls, but has recently found favor with guitar builders. Monkey-pod is a golden amber color with dark streaks sometimes resembling Koa. Its

[LiFeStArTs@40]

No offense, but IMHO buying a guitar primarily on looks is a bad idea.

[nomadh]

No offense, but IMHO buying a guitar primarily on looks is a bad idea.

 

No. I'm not looking for a wall hanging. It has to sound good. Amped and unplugged. All these factors will be a compromise. Certainly some for budget and hopefully not too much more for aesthetics. I did play a $3000 Martin last weekend and I loved it. But I'm practical in that if it costs 10 times more then it damn well better sound 10 times better and at best I could only describe it as 20% better that the mid grade exotic wood guitar. The Ibanez sounded and played much like a taylor up into the $1200 range. And sounded much better than the "solid top" lower end guitars. Unfortunately they didn't have a monkey pod solid top EW to compare with. I also had a chance to play both a maple guild and maple takaminie. Both which left me cold. Both seemed brittle and without much bass. The Ibanez was quite warm. Not as much bass response as the martin but more like the taylors. I grew up on a sigma martin copy so I'd like a bit more bass and perhaps the solid top model would have or develop that over time. But still very nice tone. Also I found the electric tone very nice and still don't have a preference between the Ibby and the $3000 martin when plugged in. Very different tones but both nice. I still need to do testing and see what grows on me. Maybe I'm lucky in not having a singe preference sound and liking dozens of tones.

If anyone here gets a chance soon try one out, specially if you find the solid top ew50mp and let me know what you think. Maybe I just don't hear so well

[FretFiend.]

Is this different enough for ya?

[nomadh]

Well that is different. I suspect if I'm not a big fan of maple I might really not like aluminum I do want the look of wood. Preferably a highly figured or grained one. And I think the sound of wood also, as far as I know anyway. From all the constant talk about "solid tops" I have high hopes for the 50 series solid top monkeypod. I am expecting it to be a decent step up in tone from the laminated 20 or 30 series. Hows that for a rather far reaching extrapolation.

[nomadh]

Been keeping an eye out. I found that there is another 50 series ibanez called the Ibanez EW50CBE-NT Cocobolo. 50 series implies a solid top wood but I couldn't confirm that in this case. Also cocobolo is a very hard and dense wood from my experience. Seems to me it may make for an incredibly bright sounding guitar specially if it were solid top.

Also considering the luna zen guitar. It is a solid spruce top but is very exotic looking with its maple neck with inlaid chinese characters. I might be willing to pay the price I find these if I could play them in person and see how I felt about them but so far they are all across country and I just can't pay that much for a guitar I've never tried even one of let alone the specific one.

So far I'm finding it very hard to get a good deal on an interesting acoustic compared to an electric. I suspect its because an acoustic guitar is still very special and takes a lot of craftsmanship as compared to electrics which really can be mostly machine made nowdays.

The hunt continues.

[Acoustic Remedy]

I have to say that I really like Seagull guitars. They sound great, usually have pretty good electronics in them and are priced pretty well. I have one and really like it alot. I have also recommended them to several people who have followed my advice and have thanked me for it. Try one, you'll like it.

[kwakatak]

Forget the cutaway and get a Yamaha LLX6 with sunburst. Looks, comfort and tone. The pickup is one of the best and the top is Engelmann spruce, not sitka.