What brand do you play?

[Todd McFarland]

Hey everyone, I would like to perform a simple survey of all that will reply to this. I am very curious what brand and model of guitar is the most popular among the flatpickers here.  There are thousands of members here so it will be great information for someone trying to decide on a "friend". So lets have it flatpickers, what do you play?

 

I will start;

I play a McPherson MG 4.5 with bearclaw sitka spruce top and indian rosewood b&s

[Doug Lindhout]

Speaking of Sweden, I stopped by the Station Inn in Nashville a couple Saturdays ago and had a chance to listen to G2 (Generation 2) - a Swedish bluegrass group. Very, very good. They played some hot Jimmy Martin as well as a number of their own compositions. Everyone in our group were very impressed. Be sure to find an opportunity to listen to them.

[YooperMichigan]

That's great, can't beat the good old U.P. I was born in Calumet. And my wife is from Norway and so I've been in Sweden a few times. Small world.

[Billy Wheat]

I just aquired my first Martin... Martin 000C 16RGTE Aura Acoustic Electric Guitar
I bought a Dread and took it home and played it for a couple days but I just wasn't feeling it... I took it back and saw the triple aught hanging on the wall and sat down with it... It was like a morphine drip... I told the guy, "Bag it and tag it. It's commin' home with me." I really enjoy the tone from this and I love the Fishman Aura System in it...

[Making Sawdust]

Ah just for the record,,now this is according to CF Martin; THEY HAVE never sued anyone regarding any design etc. They have of course guarded and sued over their trademark...CF Martin and people selling used guitars claiming they were life time guaranteed, but the so called lawsuit guitars are just a myth...again according to CF Martin...spokes person....that I spoke with at Ed fest....I'm just say...I'm not say,,,, I'm just saying....

[Andy Highfield]

1950 D28 - unusual example with Englemann top
1945 D-18 (Kenny Smith really liked this one when he tried it)
1939 D-18 (one of the last 1 3/4 neck examples)

and.. my main performing guitar these days, Prototype no. 2 of the Breedlove Roots D/SHR. Very nice guitar with a 1 3/4 nut and surprisingly close soundwise to my old D-28. It has a Baggs undersaddle pickup that I use via a Fishman Aura Spectrum DI. The others stay at home mostly as it is just getting too risky to travel with them. In any event, very happy with the Breedlove. Sounds great unplugged and the DI'd sound through a good PA is the best I've gotten yet.

Andy

[Mark Thatcher]

I have a 2000 Martin HD-28LSV. It was one of the last batch built with Adirondack tops before they switched to Sitka. I have had it for 2 years and thats a record for me. It is more guitar than I'll ever need. I love it.
I also have a Recording King RD-06 for campfires and any places that I'm afraid to take a 'real guitar'. For a cheap 'beater' I like it.

[Sigrid Herler]

i have a noman acoustic guitar B 20(6)
and a ibanez artcore B75 but only for the necessity to play more silently in a flat-living ambient.
i prefer normal acoustic guitars for the position of the right hand, but i like it well to have a archtop guitar like maybelle carter.
what about strings? i have some martin bronze strings from 0,11 upward on the norman but i prefer the 0,10 of the artcore...
what is normally to prefer???

[William Gray]

I think the Martin Golden Era and Vintage Series dreadnaughts are the best guitars Martin has produced in recent years, which makes them among the very best in the world, I'd say. They're certainly my favorites and it's what I play. I have a "player condition" D-18GE that is my everyday, go-to guitar, an exceptional HD-28V that a friend sold me, and a very nice 12-fret HD-28VS to complete the trifecta. I have some other nice guitars which I play occasionally, like a '72 D-35S, a '69 D-18, and an '84 Custom D-28.

Guess I'd have to say I'm a Martin guy through and through.

P.S. To Mark who has a Recording King RD-06 as a "campfire" guitar. I've played the Recording King and Blueridge Martin-clones and some of them are very nice, but I have an inexpensive '78 D-18 I use as my "beach" or "campfire" guitar. It's in very good condition, but has enough nicks and aging that I don't have to worry about dinging it. And it sounds and plays great!

[Peter Wilkinson]

I play a Taylor 510 (1997) for flatpicking, and because I liked it so much I also bought a Taylor 514C (1998) which seems equally adept at both fingerpicking and flatpicking. Neither have any electronics. I suffer from mild arthiritis in my hands and found the Taylor's neck much more comfortable than some guitars - there's no way I'm going to stop playing. I'm also a big fan of mahogany guitars, and mine is a boomer. I know that there're not seen too often at flatpicking festivals, but remember that all guitars desrerve quality strings, and to be played with a quality pick (I use Wegen triangular and teardrop 1.2mm). It's surprising what a difference these can make to any guitar's sound.

[William Gray]

Have you ever played a Dan Crary signature Taylor? I played one in a store and it seemed to have a little more grit than the usual Taylor, but maybe it was just my imagination because of the connection with Dan Crary.

[Peter Wilkinson]

Hi William,

Sorry to take so much time in replying. I've seen the Taylor Dan Crary signature model, and was very impressed with it's sound. Every flatpicker should listen to Dan Crary - his tone and musicianship is outstanding. I suspect that only a handful of this model came into the U.K., and they are not easy to find. I particulary liked the design of the cutaway. I've read that some luthiers don't think a cutaway affects a guitar's sound too much, as most of the sound is created in the lower bout, and little is lost by having a cutaway. It's interesting to note that Taylor have introduced a dreadnought model with a depth of 4 and 7/8 inches to empasise the bass. Perhaps more will be seen at Bluegrass festivals.

[Larry]

Right now I'm down to a Silver Creek D-170 and a Recording King RD-227. Can't decide which one I like best. Both of these are tremendous sounding guitars. Sold three or four hi-end guitars when I found these. They were actually louder, more resonant, and with lots more sustain than the replaced ones. Still waiting for them to implode or develop a terrible belly. There's gotta be something they do to get that sound, perhaps at the expense of structural integrity. Time will tell. Had them for two years now, keepin' my fingers crossed. Interesting to note no fret wear yet. I'm thinking maybe they are hard stainless steel?