acoutsic 6 stringers, Martins in particular ?

[chovie d]

I'm looking to get a 6 string acoustic for live use.
The Martins feel right to me. I dont know diddley about acoustics tho so am looking for any comments at all really...

There is a koa top/laminated sides and back for $399
A spruce top/laminated sides and back for $899
A "DR" rosewood for $799
A used D16 for $1000
A D28 for $3000
There is also a martin made exclusively for Guitar Center that has real wood sides and back for $899.

I also looked at Seagulls(very nice but neck a bit wide). Taylors (felt weird and heavy to me) and a couple old Guilds which sounded fantastic but felt way to clunky and heavy for me.

any thoughts at all? Im having a hard time decided wether to take the plunge and dropa couple G's or go econo with the Koa. Thanks!

[oldguitars]

d28...

btw, a HD-28 should only be around 2000...

This is the herringbone inlayed model. The non-HD should be a little cheaper.

[chovie d]

D28 was a nice ride, but I'm wondering if its wise to bring a $2000 guitar to the dives i play.

[kayagum]

If you have your heart set on Martins for live gigs- hard to go wrong with the 15 series (the all mahogany ones). I'm a 000 player myself, but the D15 is great, and not too expensive (e.g. under $1K). The 1 Series (000-1, D1, etc.) are fabulous too for gigging (these are the laminate sides, solid top and back).

I personally would go for a Seagull for a live guitar, but I like wide/thick necks.

YMMV.

[fossiltooth]

A D28 is killer guitar, but they'll only go for $3k if they're a vintage Brazilian Rosewood version.

The new ones, which have been made of Indian Rosewood for ages now, go for just over $2k new. The HD28 is closer to $2500

A non-vintage, used D28 should cost about the same as a 16 series guitar that has a cutaway and fishman pickup system.

The 16's are pretty great, and are very affordable, especially on the used market.

I'm a big Martin fan. Their lifetime warranty is just that... a genuine lifetime warranty. When I worked at a guitar store in college, I heard countless stories of people bringing their 30 year old guitars back to the factory for complete overhauls, often completely free of charge.

[heylow]

I second the D-15.

The entire "15" line are great sounding guitars for little money comparatively. I'm not big on the D size, but I have a 000-15 and a 000-15S that I love. A friend of mine has a D-15 and that guitar is what turned me on to them. Great bang for the buck!


heylow

[chovie d]

Thanks for the responses and recommendations. Seems my choice is getting even harder.

[segaface]

I've got a 000M that I just love. I played pretty much all of the acoustic guitars between $500 and $1200 in an afternoon at Wade's, and that was the guitar for me.

Yes, we are here to make choosing more complicated!

Andy

[A-Barr]

A D28 is killer guitar, but they'll only go for $3k if they're a vintage Brazilian Rosewood version.

The new ones, which have been made of Indian Rosewood for ages now, go for just over $2k new. The HD28 is closer to $2500

The HD-28V is their "vintage series" version of the HD-28, it has a different bracing system which allows the top to resonate more freely. It actually makes a big difference in the sound of the guitar, much for the better, imho. It prices closer to what the OP posted, so maybe that's the one that's available?

I recently made my big, once-in-my-lifetime really nice acoustic guitar purchase. i went in with no idea which guitars were made of which wood, etc., just played them all until I found the one that completely blew me away. Was surprised to find that it had rosewood back/sides, I would not have ordered that one if I was going by online purchase, so my advice is throw away all your preconceptions and get the one that works best for you.

That one, for me, was the HD-28V. Really expensive, probably the most expensive musical purchase I've ever made, but Jesus, it is easily, easily, the nicest guitar I have ever played, not too flashy either, worth every penny, no regrets on that one.[/i]

[chovie d]

I probably am misremembering the price o that D28, but it could have been the HD-28V. I looked at so many martins that day it was a bit overwhelming so most likely i am just mis-remembering it. This was at Dusty Strings in SEattle if anyone knows the place. Lotsa fine instruments there..I think their prices may be a bit on the steep side compared to say Guitar Center, but i beleive for the extra money you are getting a guitar that has been set-up properly and well cared for while on the racks, unlike say Guitar Center where its really kind of hit or miss and some stuff has taken abit of abuse while on display.

Im still really stuck on a decision and need to see/play more guitars...but you all have me leaning more towards the more expensive all wood models. I'm thinking I will be playing this guitar for the rest of my life, however long that may be, and since Ive probably spent more on things that are really bad for me...(cough, ahem)...spending money on a REALLY good guitar would be a kind of monetary karmic retribution of sorts.

[Jeff White]

Does anyone have any experience with these?
Zager

[GooberNumber9]

As a guitarist, I'd rather have a not-so-expensive guitar just for live use. It would be one of two things:

1) A Taylor with the Expression pickup system (which sounds awesome).

or

2) Something maybe under $1000 with a basic piezo pickup and a nice action (there's tons of options out there), which I would then hook into a Fishman Aura pedal.

If I were buying a new guitar for live use, I'd start with Taylor and only go somewhere else if I couldn't find something I liked from them in my budget. That is entirely on the strength of the sound quality of the Expression system, which is my favorite amplified acoustic tone both as a guitar player and as a live sound engineer.

Since my guitar cannot be fitted with the Expression system, I had a basic piezo put into and I use an Aura pedal, which sounds really good also, just not as good as the Expression systems I've heard.

Todd Wilcox

[andyphil27]

It's going to depend a ton on your budget, but the best thing that you can do is just play as many guitars as possible and buy whatever feels good in your hands. I'm personally a huge fan of Martins and would definitely recommend a 16 series.

I had a J16 Rosewood with the Fishman pickup in it. I absolutely loved that guitar. It was great for live and recording purposes (if you played live you need a soundhole cover to stop feedback). The OOO16 and the D16 are amazing too, it just depends on the sound you're going for and what you prefer.

Other guitars that I've looked into to replace this are the martin d28 and hd28 (both amazing) and some vintage guilds (the m20 is a great little parlor guitar that probably wouldn't be that good live, but is a great guitar).

Whatever you go with I would recommend solid wood (no laminates) and a good pickup, other than that as long as you like how it sounds and how it plays, you're probably good.

[chovie d]

Thanks again for all the help. The more I look the more options I seem presented with.

couple more questions:
1. should I go for something with a pickup system already installed (i see some martins are offered with this)
2. are the mexican made martins totally inferior to their american counterparts?
3. You think its safe to buy online? I normally would never buy a guitar that I havent held in my hands and played, but otherwise I am limited to whats available in the stores here.
4. I have no clue how these things are amplified. My experience is primarly with high volume amplification for electrics. Im guessing they go direct into the board? thru a directbox ? does one need a special preamp or something?
Club size is your average indie rock dive...100-300 people capacity usually and there is always a real PA with monitors, soundman and such. Music is country-ish singer songwriter esque stuff. Instrumentation would be Guitar, pedal steel, drums, bass and the occasional mando and dobro.


cheers

[Alex Netick]

I have a Taylor 614-c, which isn't a bad guitar. Sometimes I wish I had bought another guitar, but it records well, particularly if you need something to cut through in a mix. Personally, if price was no object, I'd be looking at Santa Cruz or Goodalls, but you can't really go wrong with any of these. You can return most guitars you buy online, so it's probably safe, but I'd never buy a guitar without playing it, because there's so much difference from one guitar to the next. If the place has a restocking fee or doesn't accept returns, I wouldn't buy it online.

Thanks again for all the help. The more I look the more options I seem presented with.

couple more questions:
1. should I go for something with a pickup system already installed (i see some martins are offered with this)
2. are the mexican made martins totally inferior to their american counterparts?
3. You think its safe to buy online? I normally would never buy a guitar that I havent held in my hands and played, but otherwise I am limited to whats available in the stores here.
4. I have no clue how these things are amplified. My experience is primarly with high volume amplification for electrics. Im guessing they go direct into the board? thru a directbox ? does one need a special preamp or something?
Club size is your average indie rock dive...100-300 people capacity usually and there is always a real PA with monitors, soundman and such. Music is country-ish singer songwriter esque stuff. Instrumentation would be Guitar, pedal steel, drums, bass and the occasional mando and dobro.


cheers