Members dinostrat Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 hey everyone I was just wondering if anybody has any experience with washburn A/Es around the 500 dollar range. Today I went to Sam Ash and played the WSJ18, which was a sam ash exclusive sloped shoulder guit. Sounded and felt great... The knobs were a little shaky though. I was just wondering if anybody had any experience with this guitar.http://www.samash.com/catalog/showitem.asp?itemid=69448&sourcetype=singleitemsearch For this price range, i am also considering the Masterbilt AJ500ME and the Yamaha FG730s (after reading all the rave reviews on this forum). I love the big full sound, big bass and balanced highs mostly for chord work or fingerstyle occasionally. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Masterbilt-AJ500ME-Advanced-Jumbo-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=519029http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-FG730S-Solid-Top-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=519049 Ah sorry guys, one more thing. If i decide on the Yammie, I'll have to throw in a simple soundhole pickup. How do sub 100 dollar soundhole pickups sound versus an onboard system like the one the yammie FGX730SCA has?http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Yamaha-FGX730SCA-FG-Series-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar?sku=513388 Sorry for asking so many questions at once haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 In my limited experience, the Washburns are of inconsistent quality; some are excellent, while others are mediocre. Plus, I just don't like all the thick shiny finish on many of the Washburn models. Generally speaking, Washburns don't get my vote. I played the Masterbilt at Sam Ash a few times recently, and it had a great sound, and seemed to be very well constructed and nicely finished. I was impressed. But, no matter which guitar I play in that price range, I always come back to the Yamaha. For my money, you just can't beat it. Period. I'd get the Yamaha FG730S, if that's one of your considerations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members WashburnGuy Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 I'd say either the Washburn or the Yamaha. My experience with the Washburn line is the complete opposite of kimona's. I own 3 Washburn guitars (DM2000S Ltd. Ed., D10SCEB and a WD32SW) and 2 Washburn mandolins (M4 and an M1SDL). They're ALL VERY nice instruments and represent a great value for the buck. Every one plays like butter and sounds pretty damn good. Many of my friends own Martins and Taylors and every one of them is also impressed with my Washburns. Don't own a Yammie but, every time I go to GC I will usually try one out and they seem pretty consistent, much like my Washburns in terms of sound and playability. If anything, IMO, I've found the MB's to be somewhat spotty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jgb8 Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 I'd go with the Masterbilt. In my experience, Washburns are iffy no matter the price range... I think Yamaha and Epiphone are much better respected names as far as quality goes. I've played masterbilts and loved all of them, especially the fingerstyle ones (EF series). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Buck62 Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 But, no matter which guitar I play in that price range, I always come back to the Yamaha. For my money, you just can't beat it. Period. I'd get the Yamaha FG730S, if that's the one of your considerations. I agree. The Washburn is the prettiest, but build quality is an issue and putting the volume control near the soundhole ruins the look. The Masterbilts play and sound great, but the satin finish doesn't protect the guitar very well and shows every little scratch, nick and ding. Masterbilts start out looking vintage, and after a few months you'll have the "war wounds" to go with that vintage look. Overall, the FG730S is the best of the three. It's attractive and it plays and sounds great. Build quality is excellent and the finish (and the guitar itself) is very durable. The tone on Yamaha acoustics also gets better with age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jgb8 Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 You should also ask yourself if you want an all-solid wood guitar (The Masterbilt) or one with just a solid top and laminated sides (The Yammie). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Broadus Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 I love the Yammie, but the Masterbilt gets my vote since it's all solid wood. That said, I would go for the EF-500R. I consider it more versatile, but, as always, YMMV. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dinostrat Posted April 28, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 I love the Yammie, but the Masterbilt gets my vote since it's all solid wood. That said, I would go for the EF-500R. I consider it more versatile, but, as always, YMMV.Bill The EFs are pretty, but I havent considered them because of the "Fingerstyle" designation. What does a Fingerstyle guitar mean?- wider string spacing? anything else? I'm looking mostly for a strummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted April 28, 2008 Members Share Posted April 28, 2008 Strummer??? Definitely Yamaha! Save a hunderd bucks and go for the FG700S... unless of course you especially like the extra detail work on the FG730S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moctzal Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 Strummer??? Definitely Yamaha! Save a hunderd bucks and go for the FG700S... unless of course you especially like the extra detail work on the FG730S. The 730S has lam rosewood back and sides and the 700S has lam Nato...bit more of a difference than just detail work...you might be thinking of the 720S which also has lam Nato back and sides... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dinostrat Posted April 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 thanks for all the replies guys. Looks like im leaning very heavily towards the 730s (or 720s if the nato B/S dont make much difference) How do the regular sub $ 100 soundhole pickups sound compared to on board pickups for these guitars? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members moctzal Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 Most soundhole pickups in that range are passive and require a DI to use, so you're probably looking at more than just a $100 soundhole pick up to get servicable amplified sound. If you like the idea of a soundhole pup, the L.R. Baggs M1 Active is just about the best one out there and it can be had for around $170. As far as how it compares to factory piezos, it's just your difference between magnectic sounding or piezo sounding acoustic amplification. Hard to describe that in words. As far as lam Nato vs lam Rosewood, there is a difference but not as pronounced as it would be if the back and sides were solid instead.I would get whichever appeals to you the most. I personally would get an Epiphone Masterbilt if I was in your shoes. I think that the new Yamaha FG guitars sound a bit compressed when strummed and the not separation isn't all that great. They're very good guitars for the money though.I'd consider Seaull and Simon & Patrick as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 The 730S has lam rosewood back and sides and the 700S has lam Nato...bit more of a difference than just detail work...you might be thinking of the 720S which also has lam Nato back and sides... Yeah, except for the binding and the additional colour options, I couldn't find any significant difference between the 700 and the 720. And, since I wanted the natural finish anyway, I quickly eliminated the 720 as an option. Between the 700 and 730, I realized the 730 was rosewood rather than nato. So, I played the 700 and 730 in a quiet corner at Sam Ash for half the day. These ears could discern no tonal difference between the two guitars, and I actually liked the colour of the 700 nato much more than the 730 rosewood. I did the eyes-closed test with my very patient 10-year-old son handing me the guitars... and without exception, I preferred the 700. For some reason, the 700 just became more of an extension of who I am. So, selecting the 700 over the 730 was certainly a personal choice. As far as the extra detail work on the 730, that didn't interest me much in this selection. I alrerady have my original FG375S with all the lovely detail and the magnificient tone that just continues to improve over the years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Broadus Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 The EFs are pretty, but I havent considered them because of the "Fingerstyle" designation. What does a Fingerstyle guitar mean?- wider string spacing? anything else? I'm looking mostly for a strummer. The EF is smaller than a dread and does have wider string spacing than either the Yamahas you're looking at or the AJ-500. If strumming is what you predominantly do, you'll probably find the AJ-500 more suitable than the EF, though I've seen Ellen mix some pretty mean strumming with her fingerstyle on her EF-500R. Best, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hudman Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 If you can afford it, buy the Epi Masterbilt. I owned a Yamaha and a Masterbilt. The Masterbilt is well worth the extra money. Don't let the satin finish bother you. It offers the same amount of protection as a gloss finish (same thickness) and it doesn't show finger prints or dirt like gloss. All you need is a damp cloth to clean it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members outdoorgb Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 Yeah, except for the binding and the additional colour options, I couldn't find any significant difference between the 700 and the 720. And, since I wanted the natural finish anyway, I quickly eliminated the 720 as an option.Between the 700 and 730, I realized the 730 was rosewood rather than nato. So, I played the 700 and 730 in a quiet corner at Sam Ash for half the day. These ears could discern no tonal difference between the two guitars, and I actually liked the colour of the 700 nato much more than the 730 rosewood. I did the eyes-closed test with my very patient 10-year-old son handing me the guitars... and without exception, I preferred the 700. For some reason, the 700 just became more of an extension of who I am. So, selecting the 700 over the 730 was certainly a personal choice.As far as the extra detail work on the 730, that didn't interest me much in this selection. I alrerady have my original FG375S with all the lovely detail and the magnificient tone that just continues to improve over the years. I too test drove the Yamaha 700 and 730 at GC two weeks ago. The shelf model 700 was better than the shelf model 730. I am really impressed with my Larrivee L03R so I asked Eric to open a new 730 up...That was the sound I was looking for...took it home and stripped the Yami anti-rust strings off, put a set of DR Sunbeams and loved it even more. Not sure why the two floor model yami's behaved liked they did but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 I too test drove the Yamaha 700 and 730 at GC two weeks ago. The shelf model 700 was better than the shelf model 730. I am really impressed with my Larrivee L03R so I asked Eric to open a new 730 up...That was the sound I was looking for...took it home and stripped the Yami anti-rust strings off, put a set of DR Sunbeams and loved it even more. Not sure why the two floor model yami's behaved liked they did but... The 700 and 730 I tested were both right out of sealed boxes. Go figure. I think each guitar has its own unique (innate) character, and one just happens to speak to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dinostrat Posted April 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 ah sounds like the AJ500M it is for me. Man... this forum makes me change my mind way too quickly. I actually test drove a AJ500R a few weeks ago and LOVED the resonance. Anybody know how the sound of the 500M compares? Now if they would only get these stupid Masterbilts in stock somewhere... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kimona Posted April 29, 2008 Members Share Posted April 29, 2008 Hey, don't let the forum be your guiding light... let the guitar speak to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.