My wife would like to play guitar.

[12Gauge]

Since I bought this Larrivee, my wife has said that for a few years now she has always wanted to learn a few chords to strum so she can sing along.

 

Alrighty then. (we need another guitar if you get my drift)

 

I explained to her. Dear, the body and neck on mine are too big, long and wide. Oh, no. I don't think you would be very comfortable with it. We should go shopping for a short scale parlor or OM or something that would feel better to you than mine does. She agreed:D :love:

 

Hmmmm. What to buy, what to buy.

[OldGuitarPlayer]

How much do you want to spend? There are many guitars out there but we need to know how many loonies you wanna spend.

[phil_harmonic]

The real question here of course is what parlor/OM guitar do *you* want

Taylor GCs are a nice choice and would make a nice complement to your Dread.

[12Gauge]

I'm leaning towards maybe the Canadian Godin line up of guitars. (Since I'm made in Canada myself, eh). Simon & Patrick, Art & lutherie, Seagull. I may look at Yamaha also which I understand is good value for the money. It wont be a big ticket guitar.

 

I'm thinking $400.00-$500.00

[T.B.]

Don, had fine things to say about the Morgan Monroe MV-01.


http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1823024


Trina

[12Gauge]

Don, had fine things to say about the Morgan Monroe MV-01. http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1823024 Trina

 

 

Looks interesting. I may consider

[OldGuitarPlayer]

The Simon & Patrick "Folk" model is nice

[drnihili]

I think you should look at the Walden and Guild GAD lines. Both make some very nice gits in your range. In Walden, any model starting with G will be an OMish body. Maybe a G570 (cedar over hog), a G730 (Cedar over Rose), or a G640 (Spruce over hog). http://www.waldenguitars.com/steel/natura/natura.html

 

But then I'm not really a fan of the Godin lines except for Norman Dreads.

[Broadus]

The Simon & Patrick "Folk" model is nice

 

Though OGP is probably referring to the S&P Woodland Folk, S&P came out this year with the Songsmith Folk. I should have a Songsmith Folk coming if the store I'm dealing with in California ever gets the one it has ordered from Godin.

 

BTW, Waldens are no slouch, either. The grand auditorium G570 (especially the tobacco burst version), has gotten a lot of positive feedback around here.

 

Bill

[denvertrakker]

...we need to know how many loonies you wanna spend.

That statement put a grin on my face. Never heard about "loonies" until my last visit to Canada, about five or six years ago. Took me a while to get used to dollar coins instead of "greenbacks", but after a while it made perfect sense.

Some things Up North do seem to work better, eh?

[Freeman Keller]

That statement put a grin on my face. Never heard about "loonies" until my last visit to Canada, about five or six years ago. Took me a while to get used to dollar coins instead of "greenbacks", but after a while it made perfect sense. Some things Up North do seem to work better, eh?

 

 

Loonies and twoonies, eh?

 

Don't forget that a lot of little ladies play big guitars (and some big guys play little things like mandolins). Take her shopping, but since it really is all about her, sit back and listen to what she says.

 

However, when my daughter asked me if she could have my old Yamie I said "sure, one of these days I'll give it to you..." and bought some wood to build her a parlor (LOL).

[kwakatak]

How about an Epiphone Masterbilt EF-500M Fingerstyle?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Masterbilt-EF500M-Fingerstyle-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=519060

It may say it's a fingerstyle guitar but these are plenty loud enough to be good strummers too - at least based on my encounters with the EF-500R, that is. This model doesn't have the V-shaped neck like the other EF-500's do, BTW.

[Coastalbee]

Make sure you let her try a few for size - she might find she likes a great big guitar. I thought my dreadnought was a monster when I got it, but its size gives me a great armrest while playing and also hides a good deal of me that could use a little obscuration (though I'm sure that's not a concern with your wife).

[12Gauge]

The real question here of course is what parlor/OM guitar do *you* want

 

Oh yes, I must consider that too;)

 

Some good suggestions here.

[MattSkibaIsGOD]

I second the Walden G570. Smaller body, nice neck and great sound.

[knowspicker]

I'm a big fan of the Art & Lutherie Ami Cedar. [since that's what I play.] It's really quite nice for the price. Very easy to play and has a nice sound. It's also great for someone who wants to play and sing. The volume it just right to provide a nice accompaniment.

[Glenn F]

I'd get her a Martin OM-21....

 

That would cost a few Doubloonies!

[OldGuitarPlayer]

That statement put a grin on my face. Never heard about "loonies" until my last visit to Canada, about five or six years ago. Took me a while to get used to dollar coins instead of "greenbacks", but after a while it made perfect sense. Some things Up North do seem to work better, eh?

Not to hi-jack the thread but us Canadian Buskers/Street Performers the Loonie & the Twonie. People always have a pocket full of these coins so when you are busking the Looinies/Twonies add up and they don't blown out of your guitar case by the wind like paper money. For those who don't know the Canadian $1 coin has an embossing of a "Loon" on it which is a type of bird. Our $2 coin has a Polar bear on it and since it rhymes with "Loonie" we call it the "Two-nie".

Anyhow...back to regularly scheduled programming.....

[Glenn F]

I always called it a 'Doubloonie.'

[12Gauge]

I always called it a 'Doubloonie.'

 

 

You can call it want you want. Toonie's, loonies, I never seem to have enough of them.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. We have a Walden dealer here that I'm going to check out. I don't know if he would carry a G570. His stock is kind of limited

[Harmonycat]

Since I bought this Larrivee, my wife has said that for a few years now she has always wanted to learn a few chords to strum so she can sing along. Alrighty then. (we need another guitar if you get my drift) I explained to her. Dear, the body and neck on mine are too big, long and wide. Oh, no. I don't think you would be very comfortable with it. We should go shopping for a short scale parlor or OM or something that would feel better to you than mine does. She agreed:D :love: Hmmmm. What to buy, what to buy.

Let's not get too Loonie about the Twoonies.

A parlor guitar certainly addresses your concerns regarding the body dimensions. A Larrivee would not hurt.

The neck widths on the S&P and A&L guitars addresses the width concerns.

The scale length is slightly shorter at 24.84".

If you have real concerns over the scale length still being too long, consider the 3/4 size guitars at 22.67" scale length. They include the all Solid Wood Alvarez MSD1, and the All Solid Washburn Timbercraft B52SW. They are basically the same guitar, except for Finish, Bridge and Headstock. The Little Martin and Taylor Baby also fit that sizing.

I own the Washburn and it is surprizing.

The Taylor Big Baby has only one redeeming feature and that is that is is thin.
I have played them and they are sonically pleasing.

But it cannot compete with an S&P or Norman or Seagull Dread in it's price range for overall tonal response since it lacks bass. And it is too big to be a travel guitar.

So it is kind of a wannabe in either direction since it has a full sized scale.

All of these little guitars to me have one thing in common. They offer a compromized open sound. That is to say, they all sound compressed.

I would not buy any of them new. At used pricing, they offer value.

[jayharmonyuser]

It's really quite nice for the price. Very easy to play and has a nice sound. It's also great for someone who wants to play and sing. The volume it just right to provide a nice accompaniment.

 

 

The Simon & Patrick Woodland Parlor/Folk Cedar is nice too, I played them along with some other more expensive instruments and the instruments I played were very nice.

[jayharmonyuser]

Let's not get too Loonie about the Twoonies. A palor guitar certainly addresses your concerns regarding the body dimensions. A Larrivee would not hurt. The neck widths on the S&P and A&L guitars addresses the width concerns. The scale length is slightly shorter at 24.84". If you have real concerns over the scale length still being too long, consider the 3/4 size guitars at 22.67" scale length. They include the all Solid Wood Alvarez MSD1, and the All Solid Washburn Timbercraft B52SW. They are basically the same guitar, except for Finish, Bridge and Headstock. The Little Martin and Taylor Baby also fit that sizing. I own the Washburn and it is surprizing. The Taylor Big Baby has only one redeeming feature and that is that is is thin. I have played them and they are sonically pleasing. But it cannot compete with an S&P or Norman or Seagull Dread in it's price range for overall tonal response since it lacks bass. And it is too big to be a travel guitar. So it is kind of a wannabe in either direction since it has a full sized scale. All of these little guitars to me have one thing in common. They offer a compromized open sound. That is to say, they all sound compressed. I would not buy any of them new. At used pricing, they offer value.

I really can't agree with the Taylor Big Baby tone comment here. The one I purchased has a beautifully balanced tone, and of course it's very light. The neck is probably the nicest one I've ever played. Heres a sound clip of me playing my Taylor Big Baby.

[Harmonycat]

I really can't agree with the Taylor Big Baby tone comment here. The one I purchased has a beautifully balanced tone, and of course it's very light. The neck is probably the nicest one I've ever played. Heres a sound clip of me playing my Taylor Big Baby.

I did not say it does not sound sweet. If I want sweet sound, smaller than a dread, I would buy one of the very common folk sized guitars, like those made by Godin/Lasido, Morgan Monroe Creekside products etc., which are better. The more viable Mini Jumbos are much better.

What I am saying is that for the money it gets beaten in the Dread category by any S&P, Seagull or Norman dread, tonally since it's bass response is very limited due to it's thin body and smaller box size. I have played it back to back with those guitars on many occasions.
Not well enough rounded in my opinion. It just comes up on the short end of it in comparison.

It is too large at 15/16ths Dread size to be a travel guitar. 40 1/2" long overall, puts the guitar in a case that is too big to be allowed in airline overhead compartments.

I just bought a used A&L AMI Cedar very cheaply. It has a compromised sound too, but at 36" long it is a traveler.


The Taylor Big Baby just brings nothing to the table in the guitar world that it excells at in any comparative category.
Since no other manufacturer has adopted the size...it is an Orphan.

If the size were commercialy viable....everyone would make them.

As such, I fail to see what it has to offer, other a cutsey guitar for the Taylor faithful.

You may well disagree as you have stated, and if you love it, fair enough.

We all have different views of things.