You got to be kidding

[freetime]

Complete meltdown:lol: Still laughing messing with my typing. But I can spell!!!

u got me chuckling now

[FunkaGuitar]

Times like these make me go over to the AGF...

 

 

 

why because they talk martin, talk taylor, talk sense???

 

 

(im kidding:lol:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(partially)

[freetime]

My Ibanez acoustic sounds and plays better than every Martin in the world

[Bubbalou]

 

So we all agree that price does not necessarily equal tone?

 

 

 

ABSOLUTELY!

[Gary Palmer]

while true I do believe this forum is bias when it comes to either yamahas or lower end guitars, probably amplified due to the fact that this forum is predominantly participated by those kinds of people you check larger guitar forums such as acousticguitarforum which has a greater concensus, you'll see that many members share similar respects for lower end guitars, particularly yamaha, but not to the degree as most members in this forum, which imho is a bit overblown; but in defense to folks here, its because most of them own one. no one would want to bash something they own, unless they wanted to motivate themselves into getting something better.

And what exactly are "those kinds of people"? What a load of twaddle.

Funka,

The following isn't aimed at you or anyone else in particular.

To try and put the so-called {censored} box debate in a nutshell ......... Certain branded models of guitar can be had within very reasonable price points and consistantly prove themselves capable of competing with instruments typically placed a point or two higher in the food chain. This is both in terms of build quality and tonality per given price bracket, yet they're apparently frowned upon by others who persist in making inexperienced statements - inexperience in terms of having not played any past or present offerings.

Certain brands are very highly over-rated and the same can be said of others that are under-rated, but one factor remains the same and that is the fact that asian/oriental guitar builders are fully capable of out competing well known western guitar builders. It's showing at all quality levels and price points.

You'll seldom see someone deliberately settle for second best, but you'll typically find someone buying what's affordable and capable of performing it's given task. The OP has questionably, persistantly and without justifiable reason cast derision on another's views and purchase choices in a number of posts recently. Essentially bullying and goading with no apparent reason other than putting that person down just for - what appears to be - the sake of making himself appear bigger or better. Shameful at best and despicable at worst.

If a player wishes to buy, he/she will buy into what justifiably suits pocket, practicality and ear. It isn't absolutely necessary for someone to own pro-level gear if it's not going to be used anywhere other than for home play, collecting, or fun. A $3,599.00 instrument (As used in the OP's example) can't necessarily be justified for amateur use by someone with a wife/husband, kids and a home to support. It just isn't practical for many and neither is saving for one.

AGF (Among other fora) appears to be divided into four camps. Those who own high-end instruments, those who want high-end instruments, those who want to appear as though they own high-end instruments and those who couldn't care less. A number of posters seem to be people who gain satisfaction from bragging and name dropping while sat on their couch, playing at home and trying to appear cool with strangers on the internet. So much seems to be just for the sake of bragging rights and yet half of those posting about their high-end/boutique instruments daren't take them out of their high-end cases to play, display, or perform. Where's the fun in that?

It must be part of the reason I don't often post in AGF. Nice gear, but IMHO not too much scope for more down to earth enthusiasts due to the inundation of boutique gear and snake oil remedies. Many nuances heard by the player and often enthused over are most often lost during live performance, whilst the tonal clarity found on many present day recordings has been tweaked to death and layered at the mixing desk.

The fact is that a $50 instrument can be made to sound like one priced at

[karma279]

I'd line my BR 160 up against the new Gibbys I've played anyday....

[babablowfish]

Well said Gary!

[Brokepick]

It's stupid to think $500.00 guitar will get you close to a HD28 or a Custom shop Gibson or even a Colling's for that matter. Its absolute foolishness.

 

It's stupid to think that it won't, just because of the name on the headstock or the cost. That's absolute foolishness.

 

You've still not answered my previous question. How much do I have to spend, or what brand guitar do I have to have to meet your approval?

[Hotrod Lincoln]

As much as I want a Gibson Hummingbird someday, I love my Yamaha FG720. I couldn't justify paying more than double for a Taylor that didn't sound that much better to my ears when I was playing. Everyone who hears it loves the sound of it and that's good enough for me

[kwakatak]

 

I love my {censored}box.

[liko]

I love my {censored}box.

me too. Both of them. Seeing as one's $100 while the other is still sub-grand at $715, if OP thinks there's a price floor for {censored}boxes it's probably higher than I'm willing to go in hock right now and thus I play junk.

I'll say it again; what makes a good guitar to asatnutz and what makes a good guitar in my opinion are two different things, many of which are totally independent of price. In fact, if asatnutz thinks the pic in his OP is better than my main box, he's entitled to that opinion; I personally would have my Taylor over any Gibson, especially that one. By far one of the most tacky blinged guitars I've ever seen. Quite frankly, my Taylor 114 beats out his Gibson Hummingbird even given a roughly 400% price increase. Q.E.D.

By the same token, there was another poster in this very thread who preferred his Yammie to a Taylor. There's probably someone who likes an entry-level Ovation better than the mid-level Yammies. And quite frankly, until I found my Taylor, I looked for ages and could not find a guitar that sounded significantly better than my $100 Jasmine dread. I totally recognized other elements of design and construction (tuners, nut materials and quality, neck finishing and other fit & finish aspects) that blew the Jasmine out of the water, but either the sound sucked or I didn't like the aesthetics. Not until I found my Taylor did I find a quality guitar that sang to me.

All other things being equal, given guitars A and B, if $A > $B, one or more of the following is true of A and not of B:

* Solid-wood construction
* higher-quality wood selection
* rarer woods used
* higher-quality hardware used
* Pickup system integrated, or more expensive system used
* U.S. labor used in construction
* better attention paid to fit & finish
* Custom detailing performed
* Historically-renowned brand name

All of these undoubtedly have a profound effect on the look, feel, playability and sound of the guitar. However, when comparing any two guitars, in many cases it is impossible to predict before the first pluck which guitar YOU are going to like better, because other than straight build quality making it easier to work with, what you like and don't like will vary between boxes, and will largely be personal preference.

[Samilyn]

I love my {censored}box.

I love my {censored}boxes too.

[Pascal]

This whole thread =

[guildfire]

 

 

Good. So we can all agree on this?

[Samilyn]

Good. So we can all agree on this?

 

 

Yup.

[Krash]

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm psyched to hear asatnutz play us some superior music on his fancy git. Lots of room at the Annex - I'll be all too happy to set up a page featuring his tunes.

How about it, asat? Let's hear what you can do with all that high-priced bling!

[Samilyn]

 

Don't know about the rest of you, but I'm psyched to hear asatnutz play us some superior music on his fancy git. Lots of room at the Annex - I'll be all too happy to set up a page featuring his tunes. How about it, asat? Let's hear what you can do with all that high-priced bling!

 

 

+1000

[halmot]

In my hands, every guitar becomes a {censored}box.

[Roy Brooks]

I got this here early 1970s Alvarez for $130 a few months ago. It sounds good.

[guildfire]

Nice looking old Alvarez!

[freetime]

I got this here early 1970s Alvarez for $130 a few months ago. It sounds good.

 

Win! I bet this thing sounds better than most new Taylor and Martins. Aged guitars ftmfw!

 

 

[Samilyn]

Sweet lookin' git, Freetime. Yup - there's a lot to be said for a vintage git that's opened up over time and also has lots of mojo.

[Roy Brooks]

Win! I bet this thing sounds better than most new Taylor and Martins. Aged guitars ftmfw!

 

It probably does sound better than some Martins and Taylors. But my best sounding acoustic flattop is this here 1973 Sada Yairi. It kind of looks like a classical but it was made for steel strings. I liked it more than a similar sized Santa Cruz that was in the store that day. The Santa Cruz cost almost four times as much.

[Florida_Gator]

This is SO silly.

Guitars are VERY variable (though some less than others).

The best guitar I've personally ever heard, to me, was an old friend's Martin D-28 back in college. To this day, I don't think I've heard a sweeter sounding guitar, overall.

Then again, a couple months ago at Sam Ash, I sat down and played about 20 different guitars, ranging in price from $200-$3000. A few each from Yamahas, Taylors, Gibsons, Martins, Ibanez, Seagul, maybe a couple others. I wasn't buying -- just playing for fun and out of curiosity. I had no dog in that hunt...

... When I was done, the best sounding guitar I had tried, that day, at that store, TO ME, was the $300 Yamaha FG730S. I was at the time, very surprised. I'm not so much anymore.

Does that mean that all Yamaha FG730S guitars sound better than all the other examples of what I tried that day? Of course not! Afterall, that Martin D-28 is still out there, somewhere...

This is almost as pointless as arguing what color is best.

[babablowfish]

This is SO silly. Guitars are VERY variable (though some less than others). The best guitar I've personally ever heard, to me, was an old friend's Martin D-28 back in college. To this day, I don't think I've heard a sweeter sounding guitar, overall. Then again, a couple months ago at Sam Ash, I sat down and played about 20 different guitars, ranging in price from $200-$3000. A few each from Yamahas, Taylors, Gibsons, Martins, Ibanez, Seagul, maybe a couple others. I wasn't buying -- just playing for fun and out of curiosity. I had no dog in that hunt... ... When I was done, the best sounding guitar I had tried, that day, at that store, TO ME , was the $300 Yamaha FG730S. I was at the time, very surprised. I'm not so much anymore. Does that mean that all Yamaha FG730S guitars sound better than all the other examples of what I tried that day? Of course not! Afterall, that Martin D-28 is still out there, somewhere... This is almost as pointless as arguing what color is best.

Magenta.