Favorite Acoustic Guitar for Recording?

andyphil27 · Post by **andyphil27** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:16 pm

Hey guys, so my favorite acoustic was recently stolen and now I have the task of trying to replace it. I use it primarily in live applications with a full band, but I'm going to start using it more and more for recording and would love to know what your favorites are. I'll be doing a lot of fingerpicking, but a good amount of strumming as well. I had a Martin JC-16RGTE Premium which was actually an incredibly versatile guitar that was always reliable. I'm thinking of replacing it with the same kind, but I have the opportunity to switch it up so i want to at least look into some other options. Let me know what you think.

drumsound · Post by **drumsound** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 1:54 pm

There are a lot of Martin type copies from the 70s that are all solid wood and have aged very nicely. My wife has a Honer that she never sees because I keep it at the studio.

oceanic · Post by **oceanic** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:21 pm

I have an early nineties guild that I love. can't stand the new ones though.

Oldschoolwax · Post by **Oldschoolwax** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 2:31 pm

I really think there's something special about the 16 series, I'd replace it.

mjau · Post by **mjau** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:24 pm

oceanic wrote:I have an early nineties guild that I love.

Same...made in America D4 that records nicely. Well balanced.

heatlamp · Post by **heatlamp** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:04 pm

I definitely believe in martin. I interned at a studio that had a low end martin that was about 5 years old. You could practically just slap an LDC infront of that guitar and get a beautiful stummed or finger picked sound. I worked some with a higher end taylor and a few other guitars that were way harder to get a good sound from.

If a low end martin could be that easy to work with, then sign me up.

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:19 pm

I have this '75 Yamaha FG-300 which is looks like a Hummingbird copy but sounds like a D-28. It sounds very nice...

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:21 pm

My partner at the studio has an amazing late 60's/early 70's Guild that I love recording. I have also loved cheap fender acoustics, May bell made a few that I love a lot. I have one that I wouldnt sell for anything, except maybe like 10 grand, so email me if you want a may bell guitar, sight unseen for 10k.

Aside from that, I ind of cant think of an AC guitar that I thought was crap for recording. A couple of really giant bodied something -or-others have bummed me out because with a mic in front of them, they sounded like [surprise] big wooden boxes with strings on them. Acoustic instruments need the right player to make them really sound great, even more than electrics do.

This is, unfortunately for the tapeop messageboard's collective sanity, a case where a shitty instrument can sound amazing in a great players hands, and a great instrument can sound like shit in a shitty players hands.

I cant believe I just typed that for like the 300 billionth time, but with AC gtr, it just is so true.

zachary · Post by **zachary** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:54 pm

i grabbed a 70's harmony sovereign with a weird dearmond soundhole pickup (with a volume wheel? what?) for $300 canadian last november. it's probably the best purchase i've ever made. i hardly play anything else now.

it's just important to find something that sounds good when YOU play it.

andyphil27 · Post by **andyphil27** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:27 pm

thanks for the input so far guys. I agree about the 16 series martins, something special....

i've heard amazing things about vintage guilds too, and pretty much any of them made before fender bought them and moved out of rhode island. (Denison Witmer swears by them)

tony, you're the second person that's brought up martin copies to me too, i'm hoping to get out and look at some in the next couple weeks.

the most important part of a guitar is definitely how it feels in my hands, and i agree that the player is WAY more important than the instrument, I'm just looking for a place to start amidst grieving for the loss of my baby...

A-Barr · Post by **A-Barr** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 9:36 pm

Martin HD-28V! Unbelievable for fingerpicking.

jaguarsg · Post by **jaguarsg** » Sun Dec 09, 2007 11:24 pm

for strumming, nothing beats a Gibson Hummingbird, in my book ...

kikocoolray · Post by **kikocoolray** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:02 am

fossiltooth · Post by **fossiltooth** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:32 am

Martin D28
D35
016NY
D16R (standard sized version of the J16R)
Gibson J100 or 200
Guild D25

Jeff White · Post by **Jeff White** » Mon Dec 10, 2007 11:37 am

My friend's Gibson Songwriter Deluxe is a wonderful instrument. I also like my Taylor 310ce, although the more Gibsons that I play the more I consider trading up for one.

Jeff

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Favorite Acoustic Guitar for Recording?

Favorite Acoustic Guitar for Recording?

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