My quest for that special acoustic, in my price range:

[T0MCAT]

I

[Dingaling]

Have you tried the Breedlove Atlas AD20SM?
Dread/ Solid Sitka top, Solid Mahogany Back, Lam Mahogany sides.

I paid $500.00 for mine. I was willing to spend a much more but the guitar sounded as good, close to as good or better than MANY more expensive guitars.
Action was perfect also.

Great balance in tone. Nice lows.

[rjoxyz]

Since you are limited to GC, did you try any of the Parkwoods? The Martin model (whatever they are calling it these days) made for Guitar Center should be well within your budget too, and is an excellent value.

[pgcorky]

I know it's been asked before, but does a solid back do much as far as sound goes? I looked at the Atlas AD20SM and it sounded good - but figgered it was mostly about a solid top...

[T0MCAT]

I did play a really nice Atlas dread at GC, rosewood back, It was in good shape too, and had a nice sound. Yeah those GC rosewood Martins sound good too, and seem like a good value to get me into a Martin; I kind of don't like the flast finish, but I'll look at them again. And, yeah, I played some nice Parkwoods; they seem to consistently play nice I've noticed.

[Iron Clad]

If you are only buying from Guitar Center.....yeah, get the Martin D-15LE (limited edition) for $749.99. Of course this same guitar can be had for the same price at Musician's Friend since both companies are affiliated with each other.

After much research and going over huge amounts of reviews from all over the internet, I just ordered this same model myself yesterday from Musician's Friend. Of course I had played it before hand and GC. By ordering from Musician's Friend though.....I don't have to pay sales tax like I would at GC.


$749.99 is as much as I wanted to spend on an acoustic, because I am primarily an electric player. For anyone looking to spend less than that, I would recommend buying a Carvin Cobalt C-350 (all mahagony) for $438 shipped with case....which is a great buy for the money.

http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=C350&CID=CBNE

[T.B.]

Yep, test out Parkwoods, Yamaha FG700S and Martin 000X1. Baba's has been praising the Parkwood guitars for awhile, it's warranted! I really like that Martin too.

Trina

[rjoxyz]

The MF D-15 Custom in mahogany was my first Martin. A really good guitar at an even better price. It led to an HD-28 and a 000-15S (I guess it was a gateway guitar?). I traded it in toward a mahogany Larrivee L-03 in December. In all honesty, the L-03 has better tone to my ear and is more versatile with the 1 3/4 " nut. I picked it up at Elderly for not much more than your $800 figure. It can also be had in rosewood for an upcharge.

If you have not played a Larrivee, find one and do so. If you come to the same conclusion so many of us have, it might be worth looking around on the internet for prices that will be within, or near your budget.

[guitarcapo]

I'd suggest being careful about judging a guitar based totally on its sound brand new. That Gibson J100, for example, will probably get more boomy as it ages and the top opens up. Buying an older guitar is more predictable what sound you are going to get long term. Guitars also vary a lot even between two identical models, so don't discount a model based on an experience with just one. Keep an open mind because there can be night and day differences between two guitars just one serial number apart.
And, as always: BUY USED. There are lots of great acoustics out there these days purchased by yuppies who got frustrated and sold them after sitting around for a year or two unplayed.
A two year old acoustic depreciates 50% of it's value with probably 95% of it's usefulness still there. I can't think of any consumer product with those kind of numbers.