Anyone owns a Swing guitar?

[vladk]

I was offered this guitar:

http://www.swingguitars.com/sc100_eng.html

 

I was wondering if anyone here owns any acoustics from these guys (http://www.swingguitars.com).

 

Even if/when I go play it I am still weary that I've never heard of this brand.

[Cldplytkmn]

never heard of them before you mentioned them... laminate back and sides, solid top... korean made... i guess if you like it, thats what matters... go check it out at least, but i wouldn't expect to be blown away.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Well, definitely play before buying, and it might not hurt to take a knowledgable friend along...this way you can hear it from both the player's and the listener's perspectives.

Hope it works out well for you!

[Freeman Keller]

One minor thing that catches my eye is the 12 inch fretboard radius. That is common on electrics but most acoustics are 16 to as flat as 20. More rounded is better for bending strings but makes barre chords harder to play. A rounded fretboard is really hard to play slide on if you ever plan to do that. However, if you play electric now it might be less of a transition but I can assure you that it is not normal.

 

Edit to add, I just looked at their electrics and they say they are 9-1/2 radius. I'm pretty sure something is bogus here.

[vladk]

Thanks guys!
I am afraid that even if I like how it feels/sounds it's going to fall apart shortly I know if I go with a brand name at least I have other people's experiences to fall back to, here I have no idea if that guitar will fall apart in a month or in a year.
I think I might pass on it even if it sounds good and get Norman or A&L.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by vladk Thanks guys! I am afraid that even if I like how it feels/sounds it's going to fall apart shortly I know if I go with a brand name at least I have other people's experiences to fall back to, here I have no idea if that guitar will fall apart in a month or in a year. I think I might pass on it even if it sounds good and get Norman or A&L.

What do they sell for?

They look like nice guitars. Their website claims that Swing guitars are made by the world's largest OEM. Therefore, I would say they are made by Samick. Samick makes guitars for a bunch of different companies.

I would take one for a test drive if I was you.

[vladk]

260$ for the sc100 model.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by vladk 260$ for the sc100 model.

 

 

I think it's worth checking out. It could prove to be a nice bargain.

[vladk]

Originally posted by Hudman I think it's worth checking out. It could prove to be a nice bargain.

 

 

What should I be looking for other than sound/feel?

[Hudman]

Originally posted by vladk What should I be looking for other than sound/feel?

Here's my non scientific approach to testing out guitars when I'm seriously considering buying one:

Normally I pick up a guitar and check to see if it's in tune - if not, I tune it up by ear.

During and after tuning, I normally give the guitar a "once over" visual inspection. How do the frets look / feel? (polished, raised or unseated, sharp fret ends, etc.). I check the neck relief (I fret the 14th and 1st fret on the low E string and check the distance between the bottom of the string and the 8th fret (It should be fairly close without touching the fret - about the thickness of a business card). How does the finish look on the front, back and neck? (even, blotchy, scratched, dinged, etc.). How does the the binding, neck joint, tuners, nut, saddle and bridge look (no exess glue, raised bindings, loose tuners, seperated joints, poorly cut nut, improperly seated saddle [leaning towards the headstock], etc). It sounds like a lot, but it only takes a couple minutes.

After I verify the guitar is tuned and ready I run through a bunch of open chords in the open position and work my way up the neck with some barre chords checking "playability". My goal is to make sure it feels comfortable to fret chords in all positions of the fretboard. [note: There are a few different nut widths. The 2 most common are 1 11/16" and 1 3/4". Some people only feel comfortable playing a specific nut width. Scale length is another factor, but may be hard for new player to notice.] After playing chords for a few minutes I will check to see how well the guitar stayed in tune.

As I check the "playability" I am listening to the tone of the guitar. Does it sound fat or thin? How does it sound played with bare fingers? How does it sound using a light touch with a pick? How does it sound with agressive picking? Does the guitar have good sustain? How is the volume / projection? I am also listening to the note seperation in chords. Are all of the notes ringing true? Are the notes clear or muffled? Are there fret buzz problems in certain areas on the fretboard? Intonation comes into play too. Do the barre chords higher up the fretboard sound in tune? Do the open notes sound the same at the 12 th fret?

Final play test is running through some scales in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 10th and 12th position. Do the single notes sound clear (no fret buzz or dead notes)? Do the single notes sustain well? Do the notes stay clear during bends and slides (uneven frets or poorly adjusted necks can cause notes to "fret out" on bends and slides). After I'm done with some agressive bends - I will check to see how well it stayed in tune. That's it. It usually takes a total of 10 - 15 minutes from start to finish (if the guitar passes all of the tests).

A couple things to keep in mind: If the strings feel and or look dirty, it will be hard to judge the tone objectively. Dead strings don't vibrate as well, therefore, sustain and projection can suffer. If the action seems too high, it will be hard to judge the guitar fairly. If you are a serious buyer, most stores will change the strings and adjust the action a bit so you can get a better feel for the guitar. Don't be afraid to ask. Be advised, brand new strings take a little while to settle in. They normally require more tuning until they are "broken in".

If you are a new player, have the guitar salesman or a friend play the guitars for you. That way you can listen to them objectively.

I hope I didn't give you too much info. You probably already know everything I mentioned. I just thought I would walk you through one of my typical guitar test drives.

Although, I have been known to buy guitars off the internet without ever playing them (as long as the store has a liberal return policy). I've had good luck doing it that way so far.

[vladk]

Thanks a ton for your reply!
I never really owned an acoustic, I only borrowed it before and I have always played electric. Lately I became very much interested in fingerpicking and when my skin 'left' my fingers I decided that it might be time to invest into an acoustic. I did quite a bit of research but anything on how to judge a new guitar would help. I went to the store and played some, I looked over the guitar and played a bit, as long as it sounded good I would consider it but I know there's more to look for. My electric was much easier to buy, I knew exactly the guitar I wanted and as soon as I got the money I bought it, with acoustic I have no idea what I want, I pretty much only played Godin guitars (A&L and S&P) for any prolonged period of time, so anything else I have no idea about.

[Hudman]

Originally posted by vladk Thanks a ton for your reply! I never really owned an acoustic, I only borrowed it before and I have always played electric. Lately I became very much interested in fingerpicking and when my skin 'left' my fingers I decided that it might be time to invest into an acoustic. I did quite a bit of research but anything on how to judge a new guitar would help. I went to the store and played some, I looked over the guitar and played a bit, as long as it sounded good I would consider it but I know there's more to look for. My electric was much easier to buy, I knew exactly the guitar I wanted and as soon as I got the money I bought it, with acoustic I have no idea what I want, I pretty much only played Godin guitars (A&L and S&P) for any prolonged period of time, so anything else I have no idea about.

 

 

I'm glad I could help.

 

Godin makes some nice guitars. I owned a Seagull S6 for about 8 years. It was a great guitar that aged nicely. Norman is another Godin brand you should check out. Currently, I own a Larrivee L-03 (another Canadian made product like Godin). I'm very happy with it. The Canadians make some nice guitars (IMO).

 

There are a lot of nice people here with really good advice - don't be afraid to ask questions.