sjtmd

Thank you for the reply. Budget let's say $4,000 just for fun. Natural or sunburst depends on how it looks. I could do either. i do prefer a new guitar if possible. It is a self-treat. I have had two different cancers and still having health issues and want to enjoy every day as much as possible. and yes, being a doc and a patient does suck. I have heard Guilds are heavy and that Taylor has dropped in quality recently. Maton, well if I could play like Mr. Emmanuel I'd but one. I would like to see one in person. Hell, I would like to see him play live. Never seen or played a Collings or a Larrivee but would like to try. there are a few small shops that seem to be high end places catering to folk players in a local "music neighborhood" of sorts and instead of going to a Guitar Center I may go to these guys and see what they have. Thanks again for the advice.

I failed to mention that Larrivee seems to get a lot of good comments online, but I have never seen or played one. Thanks

Hello and please excuse the long post. I am new to the forums. I have "played" guitar for decades, although not as well as I would like. I may purchase some online guidance of some sort to get better. Im a doc with not a lot of free time to practice but I miss playing. I started with am inexpensive 6 string dreadnought as a teenager and then in college I had a 12 string Ovation (gorgeous Glen Campbell model, but it was dropped and had damage and i had to part with it). I then decided I wanted pure wood and no more synthetic materials, and purchased a Martin HD28 about 15 years ago. I recently traded it to my tattoo guy (it had some minor damage to the headstock and my OCD told me it was time for a new guitar and my tattoo guy really like the one I had). Now I am torn between getting a new Martin HD 28 (if I could afford it I would get a more ornate model like a 41 or 42 but that is a lot to spend for an old guy (61) who dabbles for his own pleasure only). I really really miss the sound of a 12 string. I am not so fond of the plain look of the Martin HD-12-28, and Martin are not know as a prolific 12 string manufacturer. I have looked at Guild online, similar to what John Denver and others have played. Gibson has only one model in a sunburst coloring (my favorite singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot was a Gibson 12 string fan). I am torn because these are expensive items and I can't swing both a 6 string and a 12 string of similar quality. And to go backwards from the excellent sound of my HD-28 seems silly, although I could easily find more affordable options. I welcome any and all advice, especially about whether it is foolish to leave the Martin family and if it is foolish to have a 12 string as my only guitar. Thanks in advance...