Gibson acoustic gtr challenge!!

[caz]

TapeOppers,

I need your help. Here is my challenge: I am in need of a great sounding acoustic that will be as wonderful in the studio as it is on the road. For a performance acoustic I would be willing to fit it with a 3rd party pickup system or purchase a complete acoustic/electric guitar---whatever sounds best. And finally it has to be a **Gibson** that is no more than $3,000.

I will use the guitar to produce warm Nick Drakesque tones to cutting Bowie strums.

ANY help would be appreciated!

ta,
Caz

[chetatkinsdiet]

Hummingbird....no doubt.

You can find them with the built in preamp/pu for a tad over $2K. Go somewhere that'll let you play all they have in stock and pick the one that speaks to you.
later,
m

[chetatkinsdiet]

Just to add, there are a bunch of older Gibson alternatives. I've got an early 70s SJ Deluxe, which is basically a Country & Western without the double paralellogram inlays and engraved pickguard. I got it for well under a grand in great shape. It records amazing in the studio, but it's totally acoustic, no pickup.
I've A/B'd it against plenty of other Gibsons and it's got "that gibson sound". It's so hard to buy used on ebay or other online spot. You just don't know what you're getting. But, if you get lucky, you can really find a nice vintage model for cheap...sometimes.
I'd honestly think that for $3K you could find a pre '69 hummingbird and get that beautiful Brazilian wood. You should dig around various sites like www.gbase.com and others. In a few weeks here in Dallas is the worlds largest vintage guitar show. It's CRAZY. So many vintage models and the prices aren't bad on them. It's just the uber-collectable ones that are outragous. Anyway, I've Martin custom shops as well as others and totally prefer my Gibby to all of them. The martins are beautiful and sound just lovely, but there's nothing like that sound of a nice Gibby acoustic.....
Now I"m ready to leave work and go home and play....
later,
m

[joeysimms]

I don't get it.. You can sound like Drake and Bowie on a $15 guitar. It's how you play, not what guitar.

[kayagum]

IMHO, the new Gibsons are pretty horrible.

Hard to beat a good beaten up J45.

[Meriphew]

Hummingbird, J45, & Gospel are all pretty sweet. I have a mid 90's Gospel myself. You should be able to find a used one for well under $1k. Records great and you won't be too worried about a few nicks/bruises should you decide to take it on the road.

[tommy]

I have an old humming bird that I love BUT it's not the easiest guitar to record. It can be very boomy in a not so flattering way if not miced "right". I have gotten great acoustic tracks recorded from it though. I also put in a sunrise pick up system that works great for live use. You definately need to have the preamp that goes with it to get good tones. It's a sound hole type pick up.

[trodden]

I don't get it.. You can sound like Drake and Bowie on a $15 guitar. It's how you play, not what guitar.

doood, but i thought it was the drummer, not the drums.. fuck, i'm so confuzid right now.

boobs.

[JASIII]

I would recommend a J45. Larger body guitars often don't record well, although I have a Jumbo-style Washburn that sounds like a million bucks, so it's not always true. Still a J45 could be your ticket, the Beatles always used J160's, which is a similar body style/size to a J45.

[helstab]

anything made by sears.

[phantom power]

I would have to agree with the hummingbird. Also, check out the heritage custom. I've had one on loan for about six months and I love it. Oh yeah, for what it's worth, I 've heard that Nik Drake usually played small body guitars. One I heard mentioned was the Guild M20(I think). -AE

[honkyjonk]

Okay Okay,


Don't buy an old Gibson acoustic!!!

Buy a new one.

Why? because you're going to bastardize it w/ a pickup.
And because I plan someday, many years down the road, when I am rich enough, to buy an old J45, or Dove, and I don't want people willing to spend $3000 driving the price up, and then throwing a dickup in there.


Shiza.

You want a Breedlove dude.


Ooh yeah. Sounds just like Nick Drake and David Bowie.
Or maybe a Collings.
Oh yeah, c'mon jump on the wagon.

[trodden]

If you do buy an old one, be sure to use some white althletic tape to make some cool eddie van halen style graphics on it, then you'll sound like nick drake and eddie. czool!

[puls]

If you're really interested in getting a guitar w/certain sound characteristics, you're going to have to play it first. I've bought a fair number of guitars off of the web, but almost all of the guitars I've kept are the ones that I bought because I was able to play them & fell in love with how they sounded. Wood is a variable material & there can be quite a bit of variance in sound between the same model guitar. If you're really concerned about your guitar sound, go to the local used instrument shops & try some out until you find one you like. You may have to pay a little more than getting the same model off of the web, but there's no substitute for a test drive. Pickups aren't as variable, but it's still a matter of personal tastes & what works w/your rig. For an acoustic I would highly recommend a preamp to help tailor the sound to what you want.

Just my 2 cents

JWP

[maz]

If you do buy an old one, be sure to use some white althletic tape to make some cool eddie van halen style graphics on it, then you'll sound like nick drake and eddie. czool!

I saw Eddie Drake on their last tour. She was playing a guitar that was just like that! I really wanted to hear those guys do a medley of Top Jimmy and Pink Moon but they didn't but that guitar was SWEET.

Are you sure it was white athletic tape cuz it might have been just masking. I don't know though.

that's what I'd buy.