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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 29, 2021 17:02:35 GMT
Thanks grayn for the nod re Hummingbird studio. Hadn't even considered it....in fact didn't even know that they made a studio! I will definitely look into that as it's the good old rosewood/spruce combo.
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 29, 2021 17:21:36 GMT
Many thanks for the photos of the hummingbird studio grayn. Something I would have never considered and actually had no idea they made a studio model either. I will definitely check it out!
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Post by jackorion on Mar 29, 2021 17:54:52 GMT
Can I nudge you gently in the direction of my Acoustic Review channel? Plenty of videos of different guitars, all with the same tune played by the same person (me), (mostly) in the same room, (mostly) with the same mics... www.youtube.com/c/AcousticReview/videosAlso taking into account these things you've said: "dread, or possibly a OOO, as I really like a good bass response and crisp'ish trebles" "I would prefer to keep it under £2000 but would probably spend more for the right guitar." "I guess my only slight misgiving with luthiers is that if I end up stopping playing altogether, which is possible in the next few years as I already have large arthritic lumps on my hands, resale is difficult. " "I think I'm really after bags of bass response as that's what I like in an acoustic" I'd be inclined to look at a Martin HD28 - the 'Re-Imagined' series is basically the 'new' standard - they took the look and some of the specs from the Vintage series and applied them to the standard series but using more modern necks. I say the HD rather than the D as the HD has forward shifted scalloped bracing - basicially the bassiest bracing you can get on a Martin. That combined with the dread body and rosewood back and sides is gonna give you a tone of bass. Plus the Martin tone is, generally (and especially with the rosewood models) 'scooped' in the mids, which further emphasises the bass and the trebles. If bass is your priority I don't think many more modern voiced guitars are going to get you there (unless you go custom) - the 'modern' sound is generally more balanced - I'd include Collings and Furch in the 'modern' category (and I have a Collings and love it and also think Furch are great so that's not a knock on them). And finally, if potential resale is a concern, you can't really go wrong with a standard model from Martin - it'll always have appeal and value.
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Post by otis1960 on Mar 29, 2021 19:45:10 GMT
Considering your budget, Eastman is also well worth a look, as their higher end models are exceptionally well put together, and sound jolly good. I bought an E20D, as it was less than half the price of a D28, which I agonised over, but in the end couldn't justify spending that much. The E20 is a truly wonderful guitar, and the build standard is really high. Probably the best fretwork of any guitar I have owned, with the exception of the Falstaff. Adi and EIR, Ebony board. Loads of Dreadnought power and also fingerpicks very well. Worth a look, in my opinion.
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Post by mandovark on Mar 29, 2021 20:08:20 GMT
This video features a Brook Torridge and Teign and the Teign (dread) always sounded good to me years ago when my hearing was fine. It still sounds good..... Oh absolutely, I've played a Teign and I thought it was a really nice guitar. The thing is, dreadnaughts don't usually suit me, and I think I liked the Teign because it didn't sound like a classic dreadnaught. I could imagine that someone who leans more to a classic Martin dread might not get on well with the Teign.
Basically, to my ears it sounded like a Brook guitar disguised as a dreadnaught
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 30, 2021 6:52:52 GMT
Can I nudge you gently in the direction of my Acoustic Review channel? Plenty of videos of different guitars, all with the same tune played by the same person (me), (mostly) in the same room, (mostly) with the same mics... www.youtube.com/c/AcousticReview/videosAlso taking into account these things you've said: "dread, or possibly a OOO, as I really like a good bass response and crisp'ish trebles" "I would prefer to keep it under £2000 but would probably spend more for the right guitar." "I guess my only slight misgiving with luthiers is that if I end up stopping playing altogether, which is possible in the next few years as I already have large arthritic lumps on my hands, resale is difficult. " "I think I'm really after bags of bass response as that's what I like in an acoustic" I'd be inclined to look at a Martin HD28 - the 'Re-Imagined' series is basically the 'new' standard - they took the look and some of the specs from the Vintage series and applied them to the standard series but using more modern necks. I say the HD rather than the D as the HD has forward shifted scalloped bracing - basicially the bassiest bracing you can get on a Martin. That combined with the dread body and rosewood back and sides is gonna give you a tone of bass. Plus the Martin tone is, generally (and especially with the rosewood models) 'scooped' in the mids, which further emphasises the bass and the trebles. If bass is your priority I don't think many more modern voiced guitars are going to get you there (unless you go custom) - the 'modern' sound is generally more balanced - I'd include Collings and Furch in the 'modern' category (and I have a Collings and love it and also think Furch are great so that's not a knock on them). And finally, if potential resale is a concern, you can't really go wrong with a standard model from Martin - it'll always have appeal and value. First of all I will definitely check out your acoustic review channel......sounds like its exactly what I need! Thanks a million for thinking about my requirements and coming up with an HD28. It really does seem to tick all the boxes, including resale if that became necessary, and the best bit is that there are loads out there too. It's also really helpful to know that the forward shifted bracing offers the ultimate bass response. The acoustic marketplace is huge and just finding a starting point is far from easy. One question......are the necks slim and shallow on the reimagined series? I did look at a quick clip online and the description seemed to suggest this is the case. I guess I'd prefer a pretty standard nut width and depth rather than something that has been designed to bridge the gap between electrics and acoustics. I think Collings are out of my price bracket but Furch are a definite option although there aren't that many about it seems.
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 30, 2021 6:55:44 GMT
Considering your budget, Eastman is also well worth a look, as their higher end models are exceptionally well put together, and sound jolly good. I bought an E20D, as it was less than half the price of a D28, which I agonised over, but in the end couldn't justify spending that much. The E20 is a truly wonderful guitar, and the build standard is really high. Probably the best fretwork of any guitar I have owned, with the exception of the Falstaff. Adi and EIR, Ebony board. Loads of Dreadnought power and also fingerpicks very well. Worth a look, in my opinion. I hadn't thought of Eastman but having had an Eastman 9 series jazz guitar I agree with you 100%, extremely fine guitars and just beautifully made. I will definitely check out the E20D and brilliant to have a specific model to look at. I've just checked out their acoustic range and it is very considerable!! Thank you......
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Post by andyhowell on Mar 30, 2021 7:49:57 GMT
2K is no a bad budget but you should give yourself some flexabilty to go a few hundred pound up if need be.
Where are you based?
I would seriously advise not buying blind at that price — you really ought to be getting to know the instrument. Not long now until the stores open!
An alternative would be to talk to a luthier as sugegsted above — one of the skills of a luthier is to translate want you want from a guitar into a combination of right sounding woods and designs.
Having the Froggy as a guide is helpful. I have also played a 000 spruce mahogany Froggy and it was probably the best ragtime guitar I have ever played.
Of the brands don't ignore the new Guilds or Larrivee. Of the UK boutique companies Brook — and maybe Fylde — would be worth talking to — they are happy to talk on the phone. Also, you may find these second hand online. Atkin might interest but generally I don't like their sound which seems harsher to me than a Froggy.
One suggestion I would make — given your comments about the Froggy — is to phone Celtic Chords in Stonehaven, Scotland. They have a hand built guitar from Steve Agnew that I played a few years ago and it was the closest thing to the Froggy I have heard. It's still there. They might be prepared to do a deal and let you have it for a week or so. You'd have to move quickly though as I keep playing around with the idea of taking it off their hands!
Anyhow, take your time, play a few and have some fun. Good luck!
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Post by jackorion on Mar 30, 2021 8:44:39 GMT
Can I nudge you gently in the direction of my Acoustic Review channel? Plenty of videos of different guitars, all with the same tune played by the same person (me), (mostly) in the same room, (mostly) with the same mics... www.youtube.com/c/AcousticReview/videosAlso taking into account these things you've said: "dread, or possibly a OOO, as I really like a good bass response and crisp'ish trebles" "I would prefer to keep it under £2000 but would probably spend more for the right guitar." "I guess my only slight misgiving with luthiers is that if I end up stopping playing altogether, which is possible in the next few years as I already have large arthritic lumps on my hands, resale is difficult. " "I think I'm really after bags of bass response as that's what I like in an acoustic" I'd be inclined to look at a Martin HD28 - the 'Re-Imagined' series is basically the 'new' standard - they took the look and some of the specs from the Vintage series and applied them to the standard series but using more modern necks. I say the HD rather than the D as the HD has forward shifted scalloped bracing - basicially the bassiest bracing you can get on a Martin. That combined with the dread body and rosewood back and sides is gonna give you a tone of bass. Plus the Martin tone is, generally (and especially with the rosewood models) 'scooped' in the mids, which further emphasises the bass and the trebles. If bass is your priority I don't think many more modern voiced guitars are going to get you there (unless you go custom) - the 'modern' sound is generally more balanced - I'd include Collings and Furch in the 'modern' category (and I have a Collings and love it and also think Furch are great so that's not a knock on them). And finally, if potential resale is a concern, you can't really go wrong with a standard model from Martin - it'll always have appeal and value. First of all I will definitely check out your acoustic review channel......sounds like its exactly what I need! Thanks a million for thinking about my requirements and coming up with an HD28. It really does seem to tick all the boxes, including resale if that became necessary, and the best bit is that there are loads out there too. It's also really helpful to know that the forward shifted bracing offers the ultimate bass response. The acoustic marketplace is huge and just finding a starting point is far from easy. One question......are the necks slim and shallow on the reimagined series? I did look at a quick clip online and the description seemed to suggest this is the case. I guess I'd prefer a pretty standard nut width and depth rather than something that has been designed to bridge the gap between electrics and acoustics. I think Collings are out of my price bracket but Furch are a definite option although there aren't that many about it seems. The necks are quite slim on the reimagined series - and they have what Martin have the HP Taper, so, although they have 1 3/4 nuts, they don't flare out much as you approach the 12th fret (and they have quite slim spacing at the bridge too - 2 and 3/16 I think?) - for me that neck doesn't work as I prefer more space as I move towards the body join. If you're looking at second hand (and with a budget of £2000 you could get an HD28 used for that I think) you'd probably be looking at the 'pre-re-imagined' guitars which are the old Standard series - these have a narrower nut, but a slightly chunkier and more tapered neck - you might also find an HD28v for that price which would have a V shaped neck. But that's assuming the HD is the guitar for you. I know it's impossible at the moment but the best advice is find a good shop, set a budget, and play some guitars. If something hits the right buttons buy it, if not carry on looking!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2021 10:40:27 GMT
Hi surfguy13 I've got a Larrivee LV10 with a (factory fitted pick up) that I'm going to put in the classified forum shortly. It might be what you're looking for. If you're interested then let me know.
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 30, 2021 11:09:47 GMT
2K is no a bad budget but you should give yourself some flexabilty to go a few hundred pound up if need be. Where are you based? I would seriously advise not buying blind at that price — you really ought to be getting to know the instrument. Not long now until the stores open! An alternative would be to talk to a luthier as sugegsted above — one of the skills of a luthier is to translate want you want from a guitar into a combination of right sounding woods and designs. Having the Froggy as a guide is helpful. I have also played a 000 spruce mahogany Froggy and it was probably the best ragtime guitar I have ever played. Of the brands don't ignore the new Guilds or Larrivee. Of the UK boutique companies Brook — and maybe Fylde — would be worth talking to — they are happy to talk on the phone. Also, you may find these second hand online. Atkin might interest but generally I don't like their sound which seems harsher to me than a Froggy. One suggestion I would make — given your comments about the Froggy — is to phone Celtic Chords in Stonehaven, Scotland. They have a hand built guitar from Steve Agnew that I played a few years ago and it was the closest thing to the Froggy I have heard. It's still there. They might be prepared to do a deal and let you have it for a week or so. You'd have to move quickly though as I keep playing around with the idea of taking it off their hands! Anyhow, take your time, play a few and have some fun. Good luck! Thanks a million for your really helpful PM! Yes, that's the nightmare at the moment, having to potentially buy blind. Also, shops don't seem to have much if any stock and it looks as if people are keeping rather than selling their acoustics so substantially less used guitars around. And I'm in north Cambridgeshire (Ely) so quite well placed geographically but if there's nothing much around for sale then that's not a huge advantage! It's interesting that you've had a Froggy........they seem to be quite rare over here and they are now mega bucks. Probably the best acoustic I've ever played. Mahogany and spruce and it did just about everything. I'd love to try a 000 having said that. Not so keen on Fyldes as they use a zero fret and have never quite got my head round that. Lovely guitars though. And yes, Larrive are amazing value for money as are Lakewoods. I've seen a few Larrives online so maybe worth investigating. I have just had a look on the Celtic Chords website at Steve Agnew's 000 and a really lovely guitar! However, it has cherry back and sides......I bought a hand made guitar with cherry back and sides some years ago and have to say it didn't quite do it for me although as with everything, sometimes you just have to try it as they are all different. Great to know about Celtic Chords though and I will go through their stock in detail later. Yes, I agree totally, buying a guitar should be fun and you often meet some lovely people even if you don't end up buying a guitar. Sadly the pandemic has put paid to trying guitars and although it looks like things are, at last, changing, not sure that life will return to normal again anytime soon.
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 30, 2021 11:27:19 GMT
First of all I will definitely check out your acoustic review channel......sounds like its exactly what I need! Thanks a million for thinking about my requirements and coming up with an HD28. It really does seem to tick all the boxes, including resale if that became necessary, and the best bit is that there are loads out there too. It's also really helpful to know that the forward shifted bracing offers the ultimate bass response. The acoustic marketplace is huge and just finding a starting point is far from easy. One question......are the necks slim and shallow on the reimagined series? I did look at a quick clip online and the description seemed to suggest this is the case. I guess I'd prefer a pretty standard nut width and depth rather than something that has been designed to bridge the gap between electrics and acoustics. I think Collings are out of my price bracket but Furch are a definite option although there aren't that many about it seems. The necks are quite slim on the reimagined series - and they have what Martin have the HP Taper, so, although they have 1 3/4 nuts, they don't flare out much as you approach the 12th fret (and they have quite slim spacing at the bridge too - 2 and 3/16 I think?) - for me that neck doesn't work as I prefer more space as I move towards the body join. If you're looking at second hand (and with a budget of £2000 you could get an HD28 used for that I think) you'd probably be looking at the 'pre-re-imagined' guitars which are the old Standard series - these have a narrower nut, but a slightly chunkier and more tapered neck - you might also find an HD28v for that price which would have a V shaped neck. But that's assuming the HD is the guitar for you. I know it's impossible at the moment but the best advice is find a good shop, set a budget, and play some guitars. If something hits the right buttons buy it, if not carry on looking! Really appreciate you confirming that the necks on the reimagined series are slimmer. That's the impression I had when I watched the clip. Like you, I prefer the neck on an acoustic to flare out as it goes up. I play both 4 and 5 string basses and so am used to a wide neck, particularly on my main bass which is a Spector. I also got the impression that the neck didn't have much depth, something which I definitely prefer. After earlier recommendations for the HD28 I have had a quick look around and there are a few HD28Vs out there and from what you have said the V just might be the perfect fit. I'm guessing these necks are a little closer to the pre-war martins? And yes, I will carry on looking and look forward to a return to normal in the not too far distant!!
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Post by Martin on Mar 30, 2021 11:42:12 GMT
The necks are quite slim on the reimagined series - and they have what Martin have the HP Taper, so, although they have 1 3/4 nuts, they don't flare out much as you approach the 12th fret (and they have quite slim spacing at the bridge too - 2 and 3/16 I think?) - for me that neck doesn't work as I prefer more space as I move towards the body join. If you're looking at second hand (and with a budget of £2000 you could get an HD28 used for that I think) you'd probably be looking at the 'pre-re-imagined' guitars which are the old Standard series - these have a narrower nut, but a slightly chunkier and more tapered neck - you might also find an HD28v for that price which would have a V shaped neck. But that's assuming the HD is the guitar for you. I know it's impossible at the moment but the best advice is find a good shop, set a budget, and play some guitars. If something hits the right buttons buy it, if not carry on looking! Really appreciate you confirming that the necks on the reimagined series are slimmer. That's the impression I had when I watched the clip. Like you, I prefer the neck on an acoustic to flare out as it goes up. I play both 4 and 5 string basses and so am used to a wide neck, particularly on my main bass which is a Spector. I also got the impression that the neck didn't have much depth, something which I definitely prefer. After earlier recommendations for the HD28 I have had a quick look around and there are a few HD28Vs out there and from what you have said the V just might be the perfect fit. I'm guessing these necks are a little closer to the pre-war martins? And yes, I will carry on looking and look forward to a return to normal in the not too far distant!! On the subject of Martin HD-28V, I recently got one of these and would be happy to answer any questions you might have. It's a really stunning dreadnought - definitely bass focused and really brings some 'thunder' and rumble. Mine is very responsive and fingerpicks well, but it is very strong as a rhythm instrument. The neck is a joy, but it IS a modified/V, so quite different to most guitar C-profile necks. The 43mm nut helps with the comfort factor, so it just fills the hand nicely. Mine is a 2005 and to be honest, looks ad feels like new - the build quality is just superb, and the resale will be a simple matter if that ever becomes an issue.
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Post by surfguy13 on Mar 30, 2021 13:29:28 GMT
Many thanks Martin, I may well take you up on that offer! It's great to have a view from someone who owns one, you really can't get a better opinion than that. It sounds like it's a real all-rounder as they were designed to be. Huge advantage that it fingerpicks as well as flatpicks. That is not always the case with dreadnoughts. If my metric/imperial conversion is correct that's a little over 1.5"? From what you said about the neck being a modified-V I guess it would be a very good idea to check one out. I wonder what the fingerboard radius is? I have found that Lowdens and the pre-war Collings have a perfect nut width but the fingerboard is very flat indeed. If the neck/fingerboard is modified I wonder if the radius might be slightly greater? From memory the Lowden radius is 16" which for me is a touch flat. I guess my preference would be somewhere between 12"and 14". I may well get back to you if I may as I'm sure I will think of something that it would be useful to know!!
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Post by jackorion on Mar 30, 2021 19:31:40 GMT
Many thanks Martin, I may well take you up on that offer! It's great to have a view from someone who owns one, you really can't get a better opinion than that. It sounds like it's a real all-rounder as they were designed to be. Huge advantage that it fingerpicks as well as flatpicks. That is not always the case with dreadnoughts. If my metric/imperial conversion is correct that's a little over 1.5"? From what you said about the neck being a modified-V I guess it would be a very good idea to check one out. I wonder what the fingerboard radius is? I have found that Lowdens and the pre-war Collings have a perfect nut width but the fingerboard is very flat indeed. If the neck/fingerboard is modified I wonder if the radius might be slightly greater? From memory the Lowden radius is 16" which for me is a touch flat. I guess my preference would be somewhere between 12"and 14". I may well get back to you if I may as I'm sure I will think of something that it would be useful to know!! Modern Martins are 16". Collings are compound starting at 14" and ending at 26"... I think Gibsons are 12"...
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