Members miken Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 Just looking for thoughts. Would you rather have several mid-level acoustics or one top of the line? Say;Martin D-15 (about $750) - All mahogany, dark soundingsGuild Gad 40ce (about $800)- Typical spruce & mahoganyTaylor 210e (about $800) - spruce & sapeleCort MR780FX (about $550) - spruce & maple(3 of the 4 are all solid) or A Martin D-41 (about $3,400) Is it a range of sounds or defining your own sound that matters to you?
Members t60 fan Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 Lets see, how many can I play at once? D-41 please. When can I pick it up?
Members Cldplytkmn Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 for three grand? definitely not 4... but definitely not 1 either... my vote would be 2... Gibson J45 and a Larrivee of some sort... 16 series martin would be a great choice too.
Members DenverDave Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 Depends.... Given the choice I'd probably lean towards the one really good acoustic - though when I think mid level I'm usually thinking more in terms of Taylor 400 - 800 series, Larrivee 05 - 09, Martin D28's (D35). The ones you listed I would put at upper low end - or maybe lower middle tier. Upper end being Olson, Ryan, Traugott, Paragon, McCollum, etc. The Martin D41 would probably make upper end too. I have played a Martin OM41 that was easily one of the nicest guitars I have ever played. But I would prefer the one killer guitar, with one other decent guitar for instances where you don't want to take a $4000.00 guitar.
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 Well, since this is hypothetical... The D-41 lists at $4550 so assuming you could get it for 40 percent off it would be about 2700. It would not be my choice of Martin dreads - a D-18GE or HD-28 or an Authentic, maybe. But if I had 3400 and no guitars I would rather shop used and build a quiver. It would have a Martin dread (D-18) a small bodied finger picker (000-12 or 21 or 28) and a good 12 string D12-20, T355). Adding a nice old resonator to the mix would put me over my allowance - I would be tempted to substitute the reso for the D-18. You know what - that is about what my quiver looks like
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 19, 2006 Members Posted January 19, 2006 So after posting the above I happened to listen to the clips over at the Martin forum of the new D-18 Authentic vs a GE vs Brazilian HD28. I'm thinking that one killer guitar might be worth selling a kidney (or two) for after all. And of course the Authentic lists at 7K so it would be one Authentic or a pair of 41's.
Members DonK Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by miken Just looking for thoughts. Would you rather have several mid-level acoustics or one top of the line?Say;Martin D-15 (about $750) - All mahogany, dark soundingsGuild Gad 40ce (about $800)- Typical spruce & mahoganyTaylor 210e (about $800) - spruce & sapeleCort MR780FX (about $550) - spruce & maple(3 of the 4 are all solid)or A Martin D-41 (about $3,400)Is it a range of sounds or defining your own sound that matters to you? Hard call...for a long time I went the "quantity" route on electrics and acoustics, but have been moving back to the "quality" route, though I have to say that increasingly, price and quality are not necessarily proportionate. If you do decide to go for the D-41, DON'T pay $3,400. I got mine for $2,599 two years ago (factory fresh, had to wait five days for it to arrive at the dealer) when they were going elsewhere for $3,199. PM and I'll tell you where I got it (awesome store, and you won't have to pay sales tax either).
Members DonK Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 To add to my earlier reply, for $2,000 plus (not to mention $3,400) there are a lot of other top end guitars you probably ought to consider, including Gallagher, Avalon, Santa Cruz, and Collings. I love my D-41, but considered all of the foregoing as well, and will probably get a Gallagher this year.
Members kwakatak Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by miken Just looking for thoughts. Would you rather have several mid-level acoustics or one top of the line?Say;Martin D-15 (about $750) - All mahogany, dark soundingsGuild Gad 40ce (about $800)- Typical spruce & mahoganyTaylor 210e (about $800) - spruce & sapeleCort MR780FX (about $550) - spruce & maple(3 of the 4 are all solid)or A Martin D-41 (about $3,400)Is it a range of sounds or defining your own sound that matters to you? In my case it would be either: Option A:Larrivee OM-03R (about $850) - for fingerstyle (jazz, Celtic, folk, etc.)Larrivee L-03 (about $750 or $500 for used) - for strumming, flatpicking, fingerpickingMartin 000-15S ($750) - for blues fingerpicking/Travis pickingWashburn J28S12 ($600-$700?) - 12 string strumming, fingerpicking, whatever. or Option B:Martin 000-28NB (about $4000) - which would probably be best for just Travis picking/blues fingerpicking I think I would take Option A because no matter how good that 000 is, it wouldn't fill the shoes of all the other 4 guitars.
Members pipedwho Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by Freeman Keller So after posting the above I happened to listen to the clips over at the Martin forum of the new D-18 Authentic vs a GE vs Brazilian HD28. I'm thinking that one killer guitar might be worth selling a kidney (or two) for after all. And of course the Authentic lists at 7K so it would be one Authentic or a pair of 41's. Excellent comparison. All three guitars sound awesome! Here is a direct link to the thread for those searching: The much anticpated D18GE v D18A audio test
Members knockwood Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 I'd definitely opt for the single high-end git. If I found myself later somehow jonesing for Cort or a Chinese Guild in spite of what I already have, first I'd check my arms thoroughly for track marks... Then I'd console myself by picking up my kickass D-41 and playing a chord or two. Then maybe I'd take my D-41 out on the street and let passersby touch it for a dollar each until I'd collected enough $ for a Gibby LP...
Members JasmineTea Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 I'll up the anti. 3 x $2000 aprox....hmm, mabey 4. A couple 000sA dreadand a jumbo.Witch is about what I've got now. Might just as well all be Martins, but I'd think a Collings and a Bourgeois would go good in there.
Members lalatingstrings Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 one absolutley fabulous guitar for me.you never outgrow it.scince i got my dream steel and nylon i aint buying anymore guitars.unless i get a baritone.im all about the other stringed inst.now ,dulcimers,psalterys,thumb harps,no other guitar can ignite my passions like the ones i got.i know the poll says one but i concider the classical and the steelstring to be 2 totally different insturments.so i'll allow myself one of each.
Members DonK Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by lalatingstrings one absolutley fabulous guitar for me.you never outgrow it.scince i got my dream steel and nylon i aint buying anymore guitars.unless i get a baritone.im all about the other stringed inst.now ,dulcimers,psalterys,thumb harps,no other guitar can ignite my passions like the ones i got.i know the poll says one but i concider the classical and the steelstring to be 2 totally different insturments.so i'll allow myself one of each. Uh...come again?
Members JasmineTea Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by lalatingstrings one absolutley fabulous guitar for me.you never outgrow it. This is true. Was a time when all I needed was one cheap guitar.
Members pipedwho Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 Originally posted by JasmineTea Was a time when all I needed was one cheap guitar. Man, for a moment I was transported back to 1989! So true.
Members Vere Posted January 20, 2006 Members Posted January 20, 2006 i personally would cry if i damaged a 3k+ guitar. i'm not knocking them, i would buy one if i could, but i'd cry if i hurt it. i'd probably go with one pretty nice one (which seems to hit the 1.5-2k area) and a couple decent/beaters. for me that would bea nice dread, moderately priced aud/folk sized, then a kickaround a/e that sounded good that i wouldn't mind taking into places like bars/coffeehouses or playing outside.
Members whiteshadow Posted February 20, 2006 Members Posted February 20, 2006 I just spent a few hours at the music store trying out guitars in this price range, and my pick was the Guild GAD 30RE. I compared it to the Taylor 314, Gibson J-45, and a Martin 000 model, and it was my favorite. Maybe I just got lucky, but Chinese made or not, it sounded awsome.
Members Andrewrg Posted February 23, 2006 Members Posted February 23, 2006 What a dumb question! What would you prefer,three Volkswagens or one Maserati.two cheeseburgers or one filet steak?If you have enough money then buy the one best guitar you can afford.
Members emergency_pants Posted February 23, 2006 Members Posted February 23, 2006 It's totally subjective... it depends on where you draw your line of accepability! I'd personally prefer one good12-string and one good 6-string above having just one very good 6-string. More variety... and as long as they both sound great to me, I'm happy. I'm half way there. I have one good 6-string and one average 12-string. I need to upgrade when I have some spare money... sometime. I settle with what I have. But my acceptable standards are possibly lower than some and greater than others!
Members JasmineTea Posted February 23, 2006 Members Posted February 23, 2006 It's realy a question of variety for me. For what I paid for the three flat tops I have now I could have bought one realy good guitar, like an SCGC or used Goodall or something. As it is I have three that cost about $7-800 each that I'm rather fond of. They all sound quite different and I use them for different purposes. But I stll want one or two more OMs.
Members Hudman Posted February 24, 2006 Members Posted February 24, 2006 Originally posted by Cldplytkmn for three grand? definitely not 4... but definitely not 1 either... my vote would be 2... Gibson J45 and a Larrivee of some sort... 16 series martin would be a great choice too. Man of my own heart. I love Gibson J45's and Larrivee's rock. Good call.
Members suprswd Posted February 25, 2006 Members Posted February 25, 2006 play it safe and go with an esteban i hear they have nice rosewood fretboards
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