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a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:16 am
by Knyne11
I am a novice when it comes to playing. Playing guitar has always interested me and I wanted to give it a try. Since I did not want to spend a lot of money for a guitar if I did not like playing. Anyway, I purchased an inexpensive accoustic and was happy with it but now I am surching for something with more of a mellow sound. The Yamaha I have has a bright tone and I like it but I just want something with a lower/mellow tone. Can I get that sound by changing the strings? Should I just buy a different guitar?

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 10:46 am
by larry g
Having a better sounding, easier to play instrument is a very rewarding experience. The cost is all up front, but the reward happens every time you pick up the guitar to play or practice.

When I first started playing years ago, it was on my Dad's $20 Sears Silvertone guitar, that he never played and which leaned up in a corner for years. I wanted to play the kinds of songs I was hearing on the radio, a lot of the same stuff that is taught here on this website. I never could get that thing to sound right. I saved a little money, and bought a Ventura, which cost around $100- a lot of money for me then. This guitar was similar to the Yamaha you now own. That was a quantum leap forward, and served me well for some time.

But one night I heard an acoustic guitar that blew my socks off. I was a busboy in a restaraunt, and there was a trio playing acoustic music in the lounge area. I asked the guitarist what kind of guitar it was, and he told me it was custom made. I later had one made for me by the same guitar builder, and loved it. I eventually sold it a few years later when I started making guitars myself.

At some point, if you find you really do enjoy playing the guitar, and want to continue improving and sounding better all the time, you need to invest in an instrument that will allow it. I'm not saying you need to rush out and plunk down lots of money right away- take your time with it and be choosy. Nor do you have to have one custom made for you like I did- there are plenty of great guitars out there made in factories (Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Taylor, etc.) Look at used instruments for sale, you might be able to find a bargain. Check out new and used guitars at reputable music stores. Ask others advice and opinions. Have fun with the search.

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:11 am
by richardk
Generally, as far as I know, guitars with a cedar top (light brown colour as opposed to the yellow colour of a spruce top) produce a mellower sound. If you want a real mellow tone, try a nylon-string guitar. Whatever you do, make sure to spend a good deal of time testing the guitar at your music store.

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 2:04 pm
by rcsnydley
To go along with Richard and the cedar tops which do tend to produce a mellower tone. You may want to look into Seagull guitars. They are a Canadian company and produce a wide range of quality guitars that are not wallet busters. They feature several models with cedar tops. They sound, play and look very nice.

You can check them out online at http://www.seagullguitars.com/

Happy hunting

Keep Playing
Ric

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:22 pm
by Knyne11
Thanks a lot for the information. You guys have been extremely helpful! I am going to check out the seagull website and see what I can find. I am really excited about the possibilities! :woohoo:

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 7:59 pm
by anothersteve
I just bought an "Olympia by Tacoma" from an ad on craigslist for 130 and the sound from that "Tacoma, bought by Fender, made in China" cedar top is the best sounding guitar I have. If you want a mellow sound, NOTHING can beat a cedar top! Trial and error is the key. Play to "YOUR" ear,find a guitar that fits "you", that is all that matters.Great sounding guitars do not have to break you. Play as many as you can before you make a choice. A guitar that sounds perfect to your ear will stay with you a lifetime.
Later, Steve

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Sat Mar 28, 2009 8:22 pm
by anothersteve
And to answer your question. Generally, a heavier gauge string will produce a mellower tone. I'm curious as to what cheap guitar you have?
Later, Steve

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:57 pm
by Sparrow
You really need to play a guitar to know how it sounds before you buy it. Two different guitars of the same model will often sound a little different.

Also, acoustics will "open up" after a time--a brand spanking new one will sound different. The one I have sounds 10 times better now than it did when I bought it.

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:11 pm
by rcsnydley
Just to add to what Sparrow said about guitars "opening up" with time. This is known as aging, however, aging is related to how much you play the guitar not how old it is. A guitar that sits in a case for five years is five years older, but has not aged. This has to do with the fact that the wood vibrating is what opens it up.

Keep Playing
Ric

Re:a great sounding guitar

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:05 am
by Chasplaya
I have a Cole Clark FLIC and its got amazing sound, its unusual as its a

* All solid timber dreadnought with internally carved top and back
* Natural satin finish
* Neck- Qld Maple
* Top- Solid Bunya
* Qld Maple back and sides
* Inlaid timber face edge and rosette.
* Solid rosewood bridge and fingerboard
* Grover Machine Heads

http://www.coleclarkguitars.com/product_fl1.asp

Another one of my guitars is a Alhambra W-1 /AB dreadnought and is it mellow