What brand of acoustic guitar should I buy? & Which dealer in/around Los Angeles?

johnny_peel69
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Wed Sep 28, 2016 8:42 pm

Hi everybody

I have a wedding in Thailand in November so Im heading out there from my home in Mexico City via Los Angeles. And guess what? Yes, Ive finally decided its time for a guitar upgrade. I've been playing an Oscar Schmidt which cost around USD 150 about 3 years ago now and its pretty beat up...plus, I figure I deserve an early Christmas present for making such great progress since I joined TG around 4 or 5 months ago!

But to be honest my knowledge on where to start is extremely limited...which make? Gibson? Taylor? Martin? Are those the biggest brands? I've heard some good things about Australian company Maton also....

My budget will probably be somewhere around USD 1000 to USD 1,500

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Also, where should I go to try out/buy when in LA?

Thanks in advance!

Johnny


dennisg
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Wed Sep 28, 2016 9:35 pm

No one can tell you what brand you should buy, because different guitars appeal to different people. Not everyone bonds with the same brand. But I can recommend a terrific store: McCabe's. They carry over 30 different brands, at all price points. So if you don't find something you like there, it probably doesn't exist.

http://www.mccabes.com


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Music Junkie
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Wed Sep 28, 2016 10:31 pm

dennisg wrote:
No one can tell you what brand you should buy, because different guitars appeal to different people. Not everyone bonds with the same brand. But I can recommend a terrific store: McCabe's. They carry over 30 different brands, at all price points. So if you don't find something you like there, it probably doesn't exist.

http://www.mccabes.com
I'll second Dennis' recommendation of McCabes. I've been there several times, and it is a wonderful store with a very nice selection.

I also like the Sam Ash in Hollywood (right across the street from Guitar Center). There are some very nice sales people there, and their acoustic selection is usually pretty nice.

Good luck!

Jason


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auntlynnie
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Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:51 am

I agree with the others. No one can say what brand/make/style guitar will be right for you.
You will know it, feel it, etc. There are certain guitars that, when you get them in your hands, just seem to fit. They make you want to play them. That being said, I hope you have at least a few hours or a couple of days to shop. It is nice to give yourself a bit of time to play and to contemplate your decision. With your budget, I'm sure you will find something that suits you. In your price range, you aren't going to get a clunker.

And I agree about buying at McCabe's (I was only there a couple of times when I lived in L.A., but what a great place!). Let's keep those independents in business. Good luck! What a nice shopping trip to look forward to.
Lynn


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daryl
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Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:06 am

Food for thought......pure acoustic or acoustic/electric?

IMO electronics will add to the cost of a guitar and the guitar may even be designed/crafted to sound best when plugged in. Anyone want to comment on the pros and cons here?


johnny_peel69
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Thu Sep 29, 2016 3:36 pm

Hey guys, thanks for the replies so far:

Daryl: ."pure acoustic or acoustic/electric?" I'm really not sure yet, although that Q has been on my mind for a while. Im looking forward to seeing further comments on that.

Lynn: "You will know it, feel it, etc" nice advice Lynn, thanks. And I will make time for at least 2 days browsing...I have no return flight booked yet from LA back to Mexico City for this reason.

Music Junkie: "Sam Ash in Hollywood" ...The more options to shop I have the better...thanks!

Dennis: "McCabe's" Ive checked out the website, cheers, looks like a solid place and plenty of people seem to agree.

So from what I can gather so far, there is absolutely no point in setting my heart on a particular brand/type until I actually have it in my hands...is that right?

Out of interest, does anyone know which brands are the biggest sellers in the US?

Thanks again, Johnny


wrsomers
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Thu Sep 29, 2016 5:06 pm

johnny_peel69 wrote:
Hey guys, thanks for the replies so far:

Daryl: ."pure acoustic or acoustic/electric?" I'm really not sure yet, although that Q has been on my mind for a while. Im looking forward to seeing further comments on that.

Lynn: "You will know it, feel it, etc" nice advice Lynn, thanks. And I will make time for at least 2 days browsing...I have no return flight booked yet from LA back to Mexico City for this reason.

Music Junkie: "Sam Ash in Hollywood" ...The more options to shop I have the better...thanks!

Dennis: "McCabe's" Ive checked out the website, cheers, looks like a solid place and plenty of people seem to agree.

So from what I can gather so far, there is absolutely no point in setting my heart on a particular brand/type until I actually have it in my hands...is that right?

Out of interest, does anyone know which brands are the biggest sellers in the US?

Thanks again, Johnny
Hi Johnny,
Having been on the TG forum for a while and having been to IGC, I can say that you see
mostly Martins and Taylors with Martin seeming to be the most popular. In my opinion they are both great brands. The general consensus is that Martins give you deeper bass while Taylors give you shimmering trebles and mid range sound, although Taylor's new head luthier, Andy Powers, has been working hard to get a little more of the Martin bass in their guitars. Taylor's most popular full size guitar is the 114 ce at $800. The comparable Martin in that price range would be the Martin GPCPA5. They both have spruce tops and layered (laminate) mahogany back and sides.

Personally I would start there and work my way up or down the two brands model ranges. I owned a Martin PA series guitar (and own a D28) and it was nice but I traded the PA up to Taylor (I won't tell you the model but it was a huge upgrade price-wise) The main reasons I looked at Taylors (I've always been a Martin man) was for their electronics. The Martin has a Fishman A1 Analog, which to my ears sounded quacky, like most under saddle pickups can and do. Taylor is using their new ES2 system where the pickups are mounted in the bridge behind and touching the saddle. IMO that makes a huge difference. The science behind the ES2 is easy to find on YouTube.

Finally, Martin uses a dovetail neck joint and Taylor uses a bolt on neck joint. Some purists say there is a difference in sound, but I can't hear any. The big difference...if you keep the guitar for a long period of time... it will need a neck re-set. A glued dovetail neck reset starts at $300 and Taylor's unique bolt on neck with exchangeable shims costs under $100. In addition to the cost benefit, the shim system guarantees a perfect neck angle. With the dovetail, you can get varying results depending on the skill of the repairman.

So I would suggest you go into the shop armed with some of this knowledge and start playing until you find your "sweetheart" Whatever brand/model/sound/playablility suits you, you'll know her when you hear/feel her. :)

Happy hunting.

Bill

PS. The electronics have little to no effect on the sound of an acoustic, and putting one in later is expensive and a hassle.


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neverfoundthetime
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Thu Sep 29, 2016 6:12 pm

Hi Johnny. Oooh, we're talking buying guitars (Guitar Acquirement Syndrome) again, one of my favourite subjects at TG for sure! There have been many great threads on that here over the years.

All good advice so far, as always as TGers are a very knowledgeable bunch on this subject. I have posted a few videos here about trips to my favourite guitar shop in Switzerland which won't help you too much as its a long way from you but may be of interest to see and hear a few guitars. What I found on my 3 year quest to find my dream guitar ( I know, you only have two days) was that a good method of choosing for me was to judge by:

1, How the guitar sounds
2, How easy is it to play and how good does it feel in your arms
3, How well made it is and how high the quality of wood used
4, How nice it looks
5, Can I afford it?

Ok, to be honest, I looked at price range first and last and was lucky that the one that sang to me cost a whole 2 grand less than the most beautiful version of the same make (BSG). The beauty was actually bought by or very own TG memeber Dean, simply on the strength of the video I posted! But I have always been in love with its sister which sits at home with me now as I write, so was lucky there or I would have had to have paid up!

I have had electronics in my 2 previous guitars (both over 25 years old) but hardly ever used it so I went for one without and saved myself another 400- 500 there. Unless you really are going to be plugged in a lot, not really worth it. I also went for a full bodied, Dreadnought with no cut out, I want to really feel a guitar in my arms.

I tried all the brands I could, the North Americans like Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Larivee,Norton, Simon & Patrick, Godin, Seagull, Zemaitis, the Australians, Maton and Cole Clark and the Europeans, Lakewood Furch, Stonebridge, and BSG. All wonderful brand with lovely guitars but I fell for the hand made BSG 27F Indian Rosewood because of its sound and feel. I did find the European guitars had their own sound measured against a North American. But if you are buying in the USA you best stick to North American guitars as I found that when guitars cross an ocean, it can add a grand and more to the cost!!

Good luck and keep us posted!

Vids below:



This is my baby:




And TG Member Bill bought the Taylor he mentioned above in this video after seeing/hearing it.... a real beauty!


wiley
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Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:54 am



johnny_peel69
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Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:54 am

Hi guys, thanks to those who have recently posted:


Bill: really great technical advice, thank you so much for taking the time to post. Now I'm looking more closely at Taylor and Martin...nothing else ruled out yet though!

Neverfoundthetime: Ditto above, plus fascinating to learn about the European models...and hear them too! I started watching your videos last night at 1am as I was about to go to bed....after that of course I was inspired to play a little...so it was well after 2 before I finally got to sleep...and I had a 6am alarm wake up! The videos reminded me a little of my days working in Germany back in the 1990s...markets, town squares etc...nice memories. And I actually bought a guitar in Strasbourg once..a Samick...its still lying at my parents home in Scotland and its what I play on whenever I visit. Just out of interest, what do you know about Samick?

Wiley: interesting observation re electronics. I will definitely check out that site later and get back to you with any questions.

Once again, thanks a lot!

Johnny


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