cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 14, 2014 0:08:25 GMT
Hi everyone I'm pretty new to the forum and enjoying learning from all the knowledge on here, great place to read up on my favourite passion. Can I ask if anyone knows anything about the Crafter Oakland range. Can't seem to find out anything on this range, a few snippets but nothing detailed. Checked the usual Google sources but very very little. Seems they are a 'limited edition' type range. I've been offered a Crafter Oakland 55 FE/N but cannot find anything about them, nothing on Crafter website at all. It's a 2005 model and I am told there were very few made and especially few in the UK. Does anyone know anything about the Oakland 55 range? Are they rare? Are they any good? (low, mid, high range?) I don't know much about Crafter but told they are excellent value for money and regarded as good quality. I'm not bothered that they are made in Korea, if the build is good and they sound good then I don't care where they are made, not seen a bad review yet but just cannot find this model anywhere... Any help, knowledge or advice would be much appreciated. :-)
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Post by richie101 on Feb 14, 2014 0:34:57 GMT
Are you sure it's a FE-55/N and not a DE-55/N? If it's a DE-55 then there is a small amount of info on the Crafter site: Crafter Oakland DE-55/N, and also this sound check video on Youtube: linkIf it is definitely and FE-55 then just ignore me. Rich.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Feb 14, 2014 0:45:44 GMT
Haha, nice one Rich - was just about to post something very similar! cofton, if you've been "offered" one, does the current owner not know anything about it? Have you played it? If so, do you like the sound and feel? Would it suit your needs? Would you be happy to pay the asking price? The only Crafter I have played was (I think) a GA-7, available new for + or - £300. Wasn't at all bad, but at that point there's a lot of competition. Sorry not to be able to help further. Keith
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 14, 2014 13:43:36 GMT
Wouldn't ignore you Rich :-) It's def a FE/N, I've seen the DE/N but this one is more like an auditorium shape/size. No the owner knows very little as he purchased to learn and hasn't took to it. Anyway I've purchased it as price was good and will let you all know more when I find out more myself....I sometimes buy with a gut feeling and my feeling is it could be rare (ish) and as i said I've not heard a bad review on Crafter. Keep you posted and thanks
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Feb 14, 2014 14:29:15 GMT
Interesting find, cofton. Hope you'll come back on and share some pics and sounds of the beastie when you get the chance
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 14, 2014 19:42:14 GMT
Spoke to a very helpful gentleman at Crafter UK and he has informed me that there are only 21 of these in the UK....prompts desires to look deeper. He actually said he prefers this model to the later ones as the body shape is more traditional and similar to auditorium. If you look at Crafter guitars they do have a different cutaway shape, this one is indeed more traditional which I like too. No tuner but LR Baggs pickup, solid sitka spruce top, rosewood back and sides. Different logo on headstock too which also is more attractive for me,I've never liked the present logo on headstock, looks a little cheesy to me but everyone looks at things differently so probably just my personal taste. Anyway it was supposed to be delivered tomorrow but the shipping company screwed up today so will probably get in a few days. I'm really excited now due to the fact only 21 in the UK...I know this could be because they are shite but could also mean the opposite....I will come back with pics and what I honestly think...I've bought lumps of useless wood before so always a bit of a gamble, I'd have tried it out but geographically it was a bit of a long trip at the wrong time. Let's see if this gamble pays off lol :-)
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Post by grayn on Feb 14, 2014 20:03:30 GMT
Crafter do knock out some very nice guitars. And their range seems to change a lot, so there's plenty out there, with not a lot of info. Good luck with your purchase.
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 14, 2014 21:01:57 GMT
The problem for me is that maybe they should have an Archive section where we can look up previous ranges and models, look at spec and info...other guitar companies do this and it's very useful for everyone...and would make less work for their support....Apparently they do tend to stop production fairly quickly with certain ranges so an archive would be very useful...maybe i should contact the main man at Crafter lol
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Post by richie101 on Feb 14, 2014 22:57:07 GMT
Good work cofton, I hope the gamble pays off. I'll be interested to see some pictures and hear your thoughts on it when it arrives. Rich.
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Post by sigmadel on Feb 15, 2014 11:01:49 GMT
I used to own a crafter many moons ago which had the fibreglass bowl back like an ovation . It was an orchestral shape but no cutaway and had a solid spruce top in tobacco sunburst . I bought it in a wee shop in York on a holiday with my then girlfriend who's now my wife . I'd tried a few guitars out and liked that best and I played it solidly for about 5 yrs . It had a basic piezo pickup which was adequate and the guitar was pretty loud . Action wise it was a bit too high at the nut so a bug@£r to play but I got used to it and I loved the sound which was very balanced . Crafter used to be owned by Hohner and it was their sort of top of the range and I believe that even now they are hand finished . I sold that guitar to a mate quite a few years back . As Keith says in that same price range they are good but there's a lot of competition especially from Sigma , Freshman , Adam Black etc...which are all absolutely superb as well as the G series Takamines so I'd advise looking around . If your getting the crafter for a great price then yea the ones I've played have been right on the money and my heart will always pine for that sunburst bowl back .
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 15, 2014 22:56:27 GMT
Yes I agree that in that price range (UK new prices around £400) there is huge competition as it is normally what many people can afford and/or prepared to pay without breaking the bank lol. I noticed you mentioned Sigma in your post and i have to say they are great guitars, I have the travel guitar in mahogany, basic Fishman pickup and it's beautiful and very easy to play, low action off the shelf and great sound, I've had some great lead guitarists pick it up (mainly cos it's so small and they want to find out what it's really like to play) and they won't put it down! I've also heard that Walden guitars are very high quality for the money, Chinese I believe but hand finished as Crafter are. I think we are now at the stage where quality has improved so much that the 'guitar snobbery' is disappearing, players are no longer insisting on US or Japanese, they realise that Chinese and Korean manufacturers are knocking out some great guitars, you can now purchase some fine woods and many now offer all solid woods for £500/£600 mark...whilst many of us would maybe like a good Taylor we are now thinking if we should part with the big bucks or not. But I suppose at the end of the day we buy what we can afford, if your dream guitar is $2000+ then that will stay your goal until you get it. I have to say I've played some really low end guitars and they have been brilliant, I've also played some high end and been very disappointed...personal taste/choice as always but I do think some high end guitars are overated in both feel and sound...other have blown me away...the best advice is to always try first... but the internet is so tempting isn't it :-)
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Post by sigmadel on Feb 18, 2014 1:28:32 GMT
Yes I agree that in that price range (UK new prices around £400) there is huge competition as it is normally what many people can afford and/or prepared to pay without breaking the bank lol. I noticed you mentioned Sigma in your post and i have to say they are great guitars, I have the travel guitar in mahogany, basic Fishman pickup and it's beautiful and very easy to play, low action off the shelf and great sound, I've had some great lead guitarists pick it up (mainly cos it's so small and they want to find out what it's really like to play) and they won't put it down! I've also heard that Walden guitars are very high quality for the money, Chinese I believe but hand finished as Crafter are. I think we are now at the stage where quality has improved so much that the 'guitar snobbery' is disappearing, players are no longer insisting on US or Japanese, they realise that Chinese and Korean manufacturers are knocking out some great guitars, you can now purchase some fine woods and many now offer all solid woods for £500/£600 mark...whilst many of us would maybe like a good Taylor we are now thinking if we should part with the big bucks or not. But I suppose at the end of the day we buy what we can afford, if your dream guitar is $2000+ then that will stay your goal until you get it. I have to say I've played some really low end guitars and they have been brilliant, I've also played some high end and been very disappointed...personal taste/choice as always but I do think some high end guitars are overated in both feel and sound...other have blown me away...the best advice is to always try first... but the internet is so tempting isn't it :-) Yes definatley a bit too tempting at times . All my guitars are basically budget instruments but punch well above their meagre asking prices . The Sigma is an outstanding guitar both in sound and looks and i love her dearly . The Adam Black is a 12 string and plays as easlily today as she did when i first played her and holds tune for months (seriously) My latest aquesision is a Freshman FA250Oc which is all solid with an rrp of £500 . I got a great deal on it and with the case too it was a no brainer , being cedar and mahogany was a combo id never really given thought to but im absolutely loving every minuet of playing that guitar . She was bought as a gigger and so far shes traveled a bit and done impressively well so yes id agree totally that the guitars now coming from the far east or thereabouts are certainly giving the big brands lower end instruments a real kicking . Still dosent stop me dreaming for that high end Martin or Lowden though but it certainly makes it easier
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 18, 2014 18:27:59 GMT
Now there's another make that interests me, I've heard good reviews on Freshman too, who'd have thought all solid woods for £500 some years ago.... and the quality of build from some of these Chinese and Korean manufacturers is so high that they have to be worth as look...pick up one second hand and some are a steal! Got my Crafter now, she's a beauty, I'll post some pics soon and let you know a little more.
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cofton
Strummer
Posts: 17
My main instrument is: Takamine EF261SAN
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Post by cofton on Feb 19, 2014 13:54:25 GMT
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Post by vikingblues on Feb 19, 2014 19:35:22 GMT
Yes I agree that in that price range (UK new prices around £400) there is huge competition as it is normally what many people can afford and/or prepared to pay without breaking the bank lol. I noticed you mentioned Sigma in your post and i have to say they are great guitars, I have the travel guitar in mahogany, basic Fishman pickup and it's beautiful and very easy to play, low action off the shelf and great sound, I've had some great lead guitarists pick it up (mainly cos it's so small and they want to find out what it's really like to play) and they won't put it down! I've also heard that Walden guitars are very high quality for the money, Chinese I believe but hand finished as Crafter are. I think we are now at the stage where quality has improved so much that the 'guitar snobbery' is disappearing, players are no longer insisting on US or Japanese, they realise that Chinese and Korean manufacturers are knocking out some great guitars, you can now purchase some fine woods and many now offer all solid woods for £500/£600 mark...whilst many of us would maybe like a good Taylor we are now thinking if we should part with the big bucks or not. But I suppose at the end of the day we buy what we can afford, if your dream guitar is $2000+ then that will stay your goal until you get it. I have to say I've played some really low end guitars and they have been brilliant, I've also played some high end and been very disappointed...personal taste/choice as always but I do think some high end guitars are overated in both feel and sound...other have blown me away...the best advice is to always try first... but the internet is so tempting isn't it :-) Yes definatley a bit too tempting at times . All my guitars are basically budget instruments but punch well above their meagre asking prices . The Sigma is an outstanding guitar both in sound and looks and i love her dearly . The Adam Black is a 12 string and plays as easlily today as she did when i first played her and holds tune for months (seriously) My latest aquesision is a Freshman FA250Oc which is all solid with an rrp of £500 . I got a great deal on it and with the case too it was a no brainer , being cedar and mahogany was a combo id never really given thought to but im absolutely loving every minuet of playing that guitar . She was bought as a gigger and so far shes traveled a bit and done impressively well so yes id agree totally that the guitars now coming from the far east or thereabouts are certainly giving the big brands lower end instruments a real kicking . Still dosent stop me dreaming for that high end Martin or Lowden though but it certainly makes it easier I seem to have found more success in the £400 to £500 range with guitars than in the £700 to £800 range. I think I also fall into the camp of sticking to the £400 to £500 mark while still dreaming of a Lowden or similar one day. But that's assuming I can find one that'll want to speak to an unskilled hacker. 100% in agreement on that cedar / mahogany combination - just seems to have a sound that hits the spot for me. Now there's another make that interests me, I've heard good reviews on Freshman too, who'd have thought all solid woods for £500 some years ago.... and the quality of build from some of these Chinese and Korean manufacturers is so high that they have to be worth as look...pick up one second hand and some are a steal! Got my Crafter now, she's a beauty, I'll post some pics soon and let you know a little more. Looks like a well built guitar from the pictures. I did have a Crafter for a while and was impressed with the quality of the build - but this was just as I was beginning to veer away from electric to acoustic playing and it was a hybrid electro ... i.e. not really playable as an acoustic ... so it had to go to help fund the TW73. Seems from what you're saying that your gamble has paid off - congrats on that and hope you have many happy years together!
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