Favorite Acoustic Guitar for Recording?

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:39 am

I like Martins with the "auditorium" style (smaller) body. Good sound, less boomy nonsense to have to scoop out.

syrupcore · Post by **syrupcore** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:44 am

Instead of finding one that's 'good for recording', I'd be inclined to find one that feels right in your hands and on your body. you can do 100 things later to change it's sound when recording. the connection between you and it is more important than the connection between it and a recorder.

fossiltooth · Post by **fossiltooth** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:40 pm

syrupcore wrote:Instead of finding one that's 'good for recording', I'd be inclined to find one that feels right in your hands and on your body. you can do 100 things later to change it's sound when recording. the connection between you and it is more important than the connection between it and a recorder.

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree. I own a Martin D-15. I love the way it sounds and feels acoustically, in a room by myself. However, it generally makes a poor recording acoustic, and has no place in a dense mix. Have I gotten useable results out of it in the studio? Sure! Would another guitar have gotten me better results almost every time? Yes!

If you're starting an acoustic guitar collection, and aren't limited by budget, I would recommend a good Rosewood-backed dreadnaught like a D28, D35 or D16R, a jumbo maple-backed guitar like a Gibson J100 or J200, and a smaller bodied mahogany-backed acoustic like a Martin 016ny.

A lot of people like Mahogany backed dreadnaughts like a Guild D25, but I generally prefer recording rosewood-backed acoustics for general needs, maple-backed humbos for stummier styles, and smaller bodied mahogany-backed acoustics for fingerstyle parts.

With those 3 styles of guitars, you can get 95% of the tones you'll ever need. This "Rule of 3" (which I just made up... do I get a cookie?) goes for almost anything in my book. In general, 3 good standard things can get you 95% of the sounds you'll ever need:

Snares: A Supra, A Black Beauty, and a good wood snare.
Electric guitars: a Strat, a Tele and a Les Paul
Guitar Amps: an AC30, a JCM 800 and a Twin (or a bassman)
Pres: Neve, Api, and something Tubey or something Faster, depending on your taste.
Mics: OK, I guess you can never have enough Mics!

This is just one man's list. Make your own. The concept is the same. Fight gearlust by getting a few good things instead of a million OK things. It also puts the focus on musicality instead of "things". Sure, toys are fun, but remember that they're just toys.

I now realize that my response has precious little to do with the original poster's dilemma, so let's get back on topic:

I think the Martin 16 series are great guitars for the money. Do I like a D35 a bit better than a D16R? Sure. Is the D16R well-built and does it record extremely well, and allow you pay your rent on time? Yes! For me, a Rosewood-backed dreadnaught makes more sonic sense in most contexts than a rosewood-backed Jumbo, so I'd stay away from the J16R, but that's just my taste.

KennyLusk · Post by **KennyLusk** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:55 pm

The Martin OM series is incredibly balanced which makes it easy to record, especially fingerstyle. My OM16GT has been a total gem.

JohnDavisNYC · Post by **JohnDavisNYC** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:00 pm

It is all about the player... but my personal favourites that I have recorded have been my partner's '74 Hummingbird, the singer in my band's Gibson J50 and Southern Jumbo and 60's Guild....

I think Gibson's are my favourite for nice sounds that sit in a mix without too much work.

but put a shitty player behind that Hummingbird and it sounds like a gym sock full of squirrel shit.

john

biasvoltage · Post by **biasvoltage** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 2:05 pm

USA-made mahogany bodied Guilds are great for recording. And they're really consistent. I've been using a 79 D-25 for years; recently picked up a Martin D28, and doubling a part on the two guitars is working out really well for me. The guild is great for strummy rhythm parts that need to blend in, the Martin is great for parts that need to poke out of the mix a bit.

chovie d · Post by **chovie d** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 4:55 pm

I'm a crappy player. What $200 or under guitar will make me sound like jeebus himself was playing?

seriously, I'd love a '68 hummingbird previously owned by george jones...but will most likely just head down to the used guitar store and pick out whichever $300-$500 guitar sound/plays best. It will go nicely with my $50 microphones and my stone fingers.

stereopathetic_banjo · Post by **stereopathetic_banjo** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:48 pm

I have to throw in my Larrivee' D-03 dreadnought in the hat. I've owned one for maybe 5 yrs and it's never bummed me out on a recording. I was looking for a good hummingbird when I ran upon the Larrivee', and while it doesn't sound like the gibson I was shooting for, it sounds 100 times better than most higher end acoustics i've played/and or recorded. It's not a funky guitar by any means, but if you want a very woody sounding instrument, give it a shot.

RefD · Post by **RefD** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:38 pm

my favourite acoustic for recording was a Yamaha FG-110 (with a "folk" sized body) that i lost along with a bunch of other instruments in 1990.

i later (1991) received a black 1987 Ovation Balladeer as a gift and that's what i've used since cos i just don't have much $ laying about for what a truly good acoustic guitar costs these days.

it's not bad as long as you skip using the pickup and mic it instead, but i sure wish i had that Yamaha back.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:29 pm

This
http://www.modernguitars.com/archives/000957.html

Yes, it is a Washburn. Don't laugh it will eat you.

If any of you ever see one of these things, get it. IF you don't like it, I might buy it off you.

I've never seen one other than the one I own. Paid all of $275 for it. Used, beat to hell. Have spent as much as I paid for it in repairs.

I wish that picture showed the profile of the back, has a really unique and deep bowl shape. The deepest part is much higher than most rounded back guitars, closer to an ovation than a Martin.

If you need a BIG, sort of edgy in your face acoustic tone, this is the ticket. Sounds amazing finger picked.

and then there is THIS
http://www.fetishguitars.com/html/eko/a ... 6_cat.html

0 fret. Bolt on neck. what more could you want? lol

Great for strummy stuff. (the E model - which has the absolute worst sounding pickup ever) Just great character and vibe. Just wish I could get the intonation better.

Paul Fury 161 · Post by **Paul Fury 161** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 2:13 am

'67 Harmony Sovereign
'76 Vega V-422
and my favourite;

'76 Yamaha FG-300.

Cheers,

Paul.

asmara · Post by **asmara** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:42 am

1950s Gibsons sound the best to my ears for rock strumming and fingerstyle.
J-35/45/50 in particular. Occasionally a fine example of a LG-1,2,3 will be discovered. I used to own a D-16 gloss top and loves it but it did not hold up well in Minnesota weather and had to be adjusted very frequently for buzing strings and intonation.

trask · Post by **trask** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 12:15 pm

Froggy Bottoms, every one I've ever heard sounded completely amazing. Acoustic or plugged in.

Expensive, but they're handmade with love in the great state of VT.

www.froggybottomguitars.com

the brill bedroom · Post by **the brill bedroom** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:00 pm

It wouldn't be anything like the Martin you lost, but a Gibson J 200 is THE sound, if you ask me. MInd you, not all Gibsons are created equal, but if you get a good one, it's magic.

oldguitars · Post by **oldguitars** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:58 pm

Well, i like my 1996 J200 deluxe maple for big strummy things, especially if there is a piano track. I like my HD28 for most anything else and i like my larrivee parlour for smaller more articulated stuff or just for a "less familiar" sound.

My Gitane Django is really fun too!

Just go play some until one speaks to you... then figure out how to pay for it! Also, string age has a lot to do with how well it records. If you want the the old paul mcartney sound, use nice dead strings, if you want something super polished and new sounding use fairly new ones...

I like em kind of dead. that way i hear more wood!

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Favorite Acoustic Guitar for Recording?

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