About to Buy a new guitar

[Michael C Williams]

Hey friends, hello. I am about to drop a few grand on a new Guitar. I am torn between a new Taylor (3-4 grand) or sticking with Takamine (2 grand, which I currently play and like). I like both brands (taylor + tak) very much...do you guys have any recommendations/experiences?

thanks!

mike

[Pick Punch]

I went through the same issues you are going through but I didn't really know what I was doing nor did I go after advice. It seemed the better I got at playing the easier it was for me to be able to tell what a really good guitar feels and sound like. I was very fortunate to purchase a guitar that was much better than I really was able to determine at the time. I went with martin just due to the name but I really got a GOOD martin that really stands out as far as tone and playability. I cant find any martin or collings that sounds as good/plays as good or at least better and I have quite a few guitar players that agree. My mistake was it was a Guitar Center custom model that I wish I had not purchased due to some resale issues and identity issues but this one is by far my favorite and best sounding to play despite the GC in the model name. I guess time will tell if the GC guitars will have an effect on value but I think it will just due to the identity issues. I really think this one was treated a little different at the factory. It is set up perfectly.

[Paul]

MIke ,
Everyone will hear a guitar differently , me .. I love my Gallagher and love the Bourgeois BK Slope D , but thats just me .
You have so many great guitars to pick from its best just to keep looking a bit longer and keep trying them out , even 2 martin D28's played side by side will sound different . I'd like to have someone else play it as well before I consider buying , I know this really dosen't answer your question but as far as brands most of the good ones have been mentioned ..good luck either way ..
you'll know it when you play it
Paul

[Michael C Williams]

Thanks Paul....I think you're right...I've been shopping for months now. I've found many I like, some more than others, but it almost isn't as brand specific as I am usually led to beleive. A great example is Takamine....I have played many Takamine's and for the most part, I like the way they sound and the playability is great. This seems odd to some as most folks have recommended a Collings, Martin or Taylor...which are all great, but much more than I would like to pay right now.

Thanks Paul.
Mike

[Paul]

Hi Mike
Not sure if you bought your new guitar yet .. kinda doing a follow up here , You said initially you were going to spend a " few grand " ..which leaves you lots of room for a decent guitar for sure ..
anyway just curious ...
Paul

[Gary Painter]

If I was gonna spend a couple grand I would be looking for a Martin D-18.

[Steven Briggs]

Hi Mike,

You'd be much better off buying a used guitar. I've just bought my 30th one (or so), and I never buy them new any more. They're like cars, they drop in value as soon as you take delivery of them. A good used Martin or Collings, on the other hand, will only increase in value if you buy it right. You can easily pick one up for between 3 & 4 grand. I just bought a '64 D-18 for about $3500, and it could be worth quite a bit more that in ten years. Also, regularly played guitars will have "opened up" already. Good luck to you.

Steven

[Mark Felton]

Mike,

I own both - Taylor 510ce and Takamine EAN15C. For flatpicking, I'd take the Taylor, hands down. The trebles really sing and the low end seems more disticntive (not as muddled). The Tak is a good all-around guitar, though, and has really good electronics if you plug-in much. My two are really two different guitars so they are hard to compare. The Taylor has an engleman spruce top with mahogany back and sides while the Tak has a cedar top with rosewood back and sides (all solid). So, there is no reason to expect them to have a similar voice. My recommendation is to find one you really like and buy it regardless of who makes it. Each guitar is different and there is one that would jump out and "grab" more than any other. Visit several guitar stores and play many guitars. My (or anyone else's) guidance is really only good if you play exactly like me, with the same musical preferences, attack, technique, etc.

Good luck on the "hunt"!

Mark

[Phil Waites]

It must be very difficult with all the conflicting advice on brands etc. to make an informed decision. As they say internet advice is worth exactly what you pay for it.
I don't know how long you have been playing or how advanced you are, but if it isn't very long, another way of tackling the problem, is to find a local teacher in your style or even a pro (who does not have an endorsement deal) in the style you aspire to and discuss it with them.
If it is bluegrass flatpicking you are into, which I suppose is likely given the forum, find a bluegrass flatpick teacher, maybe have a few lessons and listen to how he plays and the tone he gets then ask him to help you choose an instrument that will take you where you want to go. This may well save you an awful lot of time and money in the long run and you may even pick up some more technique along the way.

[Vince Forcier]

My 2 cents, and only that:

tried Taylor, a good one, 15 year old 810. I thought a broken in one would cure my dislike of the Taylor sound. It did not. Did not come alive, did not feel it in my chest when I played it. Beautifully made factory guitars that lack personality in my opinion. Many of my friends have Taylors, and every one of them without exception leaves me with this impression. The above mentioned 810 was the best of them, and that didn't do it either.

Tried Martin (new and semi-vintage), Santa Cruz, Collings, Huss, Galagher, Bourgois (sp?) some were great, all were new, a $4700 Galagher was forgettable, none said "buy me". I wanted something with a bit of a vintage vibe, but was willing to go new for the right guitar, you know it when you know it. Played well over 40 guitars over 3 years (I am picky and patient). What I ended up with is a '76 Mossman Great Plains (Winfield factory, not Texas). An absolute killer vintage flatpicking guitar. The sound makes me want to play every day. If you ever get a chance to play one, do not pass it up. It was without question better than any new guitar I tried. I am done shopping for now. For a new guitar, and this will be heresy to the "boutique brand" fans. I would play 20 Martin HD 28s, perhaps even go to the factory to hand pick one. the best ones are great, but they are terribly inconsistent with less than 10% great, 40% good, the rest OK or just bad. Don't think you are getting any better with the Golden Era or Vintage lines, they have the same gem to dog ratio in my opinion.

Most important. Play lots of instruments, and DO NOT listen to anyones opinions. Trust your ears and hands. This notion of buying an acoustic instrument site unseen is a little wierd to me. These are living breathing works of art, that you will develop a relationship with. The right one will speak to you, and it can't speak to you from a webpage. If you can buy 2 or 3 used ones a year, and sell the ones that don't do it for you, then this strategy may work, but not if you are looking for "the one".

[Making Sawdust]

Yes, for heaven sake, and for yours, BUY A MARTIN.....no one will ever convince me that the tone of a Taylor or the Takamine...not youen butmine comes close to a Martin. and for 3-4 grand my goodness the field is wide open......And if your flatpicking,,,(flatpicking forum ) playing grass, oldtime, stuff, try, play, and buy A Martin D-18 HD-28...if you can find one the HD-28V... My favorite Guitars, Jon Garon, has a nice Clay Hess model martin

[Thomas Williamson]

I would echo Phil's comments regarding Collings guitars. It would be a genuine challenge to find any truly negative comments on Collings guitars. They are remarkably consistent. I LOVE my D-1A and will very likely take a serious look at a D-2H or D-2HA for my D-28 based guitar. But as you can see there are countless brands and models you can hardly go wrong with. Right now my favorites are Collings, Bourgeois, Santa Cruz, and Martin with Collings right at the top.


Tom

[Mark Rhodes]

Mike,
Did you read this months FGM article about Curtis Jones. If so did you see in the article about the Thompson Guitars he's bought and loves. I also have a Thompson and love it. They're priced great right now as no one really knows about them. Ask Robin Kessinger, Robert Shafer, Mark Cosgrove about Thompson's. Bob Thompson's phone is: 304-273-3135 in Ravenswood, WV. You'll get alot more for your money.


Mark