ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Mar 19, 2014 19:30:03 GMT
the23rdman - This seems to be going round in circles a bit, especially for a guitar that, on your own admission will likely only be around for a year or so. As such, here's a sideways look, ignoring particular instruments, in the hope of maybe clarifying where you're heading - i) what use do you intend for the potential purchase? ii) is this purchase to add variety in sound to your current instruments, or to "fit" you better in any way? iii) (following on from ii - what do you want from this potential new guitar that your current ones don't provide? Apols if you've already thought this through, but if not, hope it might help. Keith
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 19, 2014 19:46:51 GMT
No, it's a good exercise in gaining a little more clarity.
i) This guitar will be used for fingerstyle folk(ish)and blues.
ii) Both ideally. I would like a 44-45mm nut for fingerstyle as I find it more comfortable. I would like a small bodied instrument, but not so small that it lacks depth. The RK I sold was perfect tonally - deep, rich and lovely, but the neck was uncomfortable. I do love rosewood b&s, but I also like the woodiness of mahogany as a soundboard. I'm also open to cedar for its warmth as I've never owned a cedar guitar.
iii)I currently only have a Faith Naked Venus, which is a lovely guitar, but not the ideal couch noodler for fingerstyle. It would be ideal to have something with a different flavour, but, as noted by my linking the Recording King above, I am not against another Spruce/hog combo because the next purchase will be a different sized and braced instrument.
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Post by clydeslide on Mar 19, 2014 19:54:03 GMT
It sounds like you need to get to a good shop/shops and play everything in your price range really. Have you done this already?
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 19, 2014 19:57:39 GMT
I have several times. They rarely have anything that I'm really looking at.
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Post by clydeslide on Mar 19, 2014 20:00:50 GMT
Fair enough. I'll try and do something similar with anything that looks like it could fit your bill and let you know how it goes.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Mar 19, 2014 20:03:35 GMT
Good stuff the23rdman! Some good reasoning and good achievable goals in your answers to my "sideways thinking" post. So, in an attempt to end a continuous and lengthy cycle of theoretical possibilities I suspect it might be helpful to ignore any previous expectations of what particular woods might provide, ignore reviews, ignore specifications, ignore internet soundclips, ignore what I might like, or what anyone else might like, ignore our well meaning advice (!) and devote as much time a possible to visiting as many shops as possible and trying as many guitars in your price range as possible. Buy the guitar that says "Take me home." Boringly predictable advice eh?! But until you play them, you'll never know what they sound like for you and you uses, nor will you know if they really "fit" you in all respects sizewise until you experience them. You have a good mental picture of what you are after - you'll know "the one" when you play it. I know you've tried a fair few shops, but maybe now the time has come to have some serious travelling to new pastures for new shops...? Happy hunting - and let us know what you've tried! Good luck. Keith
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 19, 2014 20:04:05 GMT
Fair enough. I'll try and do something similar with anything that looks like it could fit your bill and let you know how it goes. Thank you.
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 19, 2014 20:08:02 GMT
Good stuff! Some good reasoning and good achievable goals. So, in an attempt to end a continuous and lengthy cycle of theoretical possibilities I suspect it might be helpful to ignore any previous expectations of what particular woods might provide, ignore reviews, ignore specifications, ignore internet soundclips, ignore our well meaning advice (!) and devote as much time a possible to visiting as many shops as possible and trying as many guitars in your price range as possible. Buy the guitar that says "Take me home." Boringly predictable advice eh?! But until you play them, you'll never know what they sound like for you and you uses, nor will you know if they really "fit" you in all respects sizewise. You have a good mental picture of what you are after - you'll know "the one" when you play it. Happy hunting - and let us know what you've tried! Good luck. Keith That's excellent, but unachievable advise, Keith. I have a health condition that wipes me out sometimes for many weeks and I'm currently stuck in one of those periods. We only have a couple of shops close to me and I don't have the oomph to drive distances to try guitars. If I'm honest, I quite enjoy the wheeling and dealing and hunting for a good deal online together with the excitement and slightly nervous anticipation of a new arrival that is an unknown quantity. So far I've had more hits than fails. Sorry if that seems like I've been wasting everyones time.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Mar 19, 2014 20:12:21 GMT
Sorry to hear about the health issues the23rdman - appreciate the limitations that imposes. But I do agree that there is pleasure in the chase - and your track record seems good, so as long as your negotiation includes a reasonable trial period then I'd suggest going for it asap with whatever takes your fancy! Keith PS - and, no, you certainly aren't wasting anyone's time - this is an acoustic guitar forum after all!
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 19, 2014 21:02:58 GMT
Thank you.
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Post by clydeslide on Mar 19, 2014 22:51:28 GMT
You're certainly not wasting anyone's time fella, if we didn't want to talk about guitars we wouldn't be here
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Post by vikingblues on Mar 20, 2014 8:37:58 GMT
It sounds like you need to get to a good shop/shops and play everything in your price range really. Have you done this already? I have several times. They rarely have anything that I'm really looking at. That is something I can really identify with. I can understand why the shops tend to play safe as they need quick turnover of stock but it does get a bit dispiriting to encounter the lack of variation and the lack of surprises. It is also dispiriting to be trying out guitar #8 that day and finding that it's another one that doesn't work for you at all. Good stuff! Some good reasoning and good achievable goals. So, in an attempt to end a continuous and lengthy cycle of theoretical possibilities I suspect it might be helpful to ignore any previous expectations of what particular woods might provide, ignore reviews, ignore specifications, ignore internet soundclips, ignore our well meaning advice (!) and devote as much time a possible to visiting as many shops as possible and trying as many guitars in your price range as possible. Buy the guitar that says "Take me home." Boringly predictable advice eh?! But until you play them, you'll never know what they sound like for you and you uses, nor will you know if they really "fit" you in all respects sizewise. You have a good mental picture of what you are after - you'll know "the one" when you play it. Happy hunting - and let us know what you've tried! Good luck. Keith That's excellent, but unachievable advise, Keith. I have a health condition that wipes me out sometimes for many weeks and I'm currently stuck in one of those periods. We only have a couple of shops close to me and I don't have the oomph to drive distances to try guitars. If I'm honest, I quite enjoy the wheeling and dealing and hunting for a good deal online together with the excitement and slightly nervous anticipation of a new arrival that is an unknown quantity. So far I've had more hits than fails. Sorry if that seems like I've been wasting everyones time. Sorry to hear about the health condition. It's difficult enough to get the enthusiasm together for yet another expedition even when in full health. The wheeling and dealing and hunting IS fun - I'll admit that most of my purchases of electrics (Shush Mark, don't mention THEM here!) were online purchases. I have 4 still in the collection that were the best plus a bass and 3 were online purchases, 1 a self build, and just 1 bought locally. I couldn't have found those 3 I got online as none of the local places ever stocked them. My better half is a uke fan, and buys on line with a good success rate - but there's so very few of them to be found locally. So, as you say, it can work. You're certainly not wasting peoples time as far as I'm concerned - these sort of forum threads / discussions can be very useful in formulating one owns ideas and thoughts. You mention looking for a small bodied instrument for fingerstyle couch noodling. In which case I would agree with your thought about not ignoring the possibility of cedar - that warmth can be very good for relaxed couch needling. Also having been down that road of hunting for a smaller bodied guitar recently I have to say that the choice then is even more limited than ever when hunting locally - if I'd been looking for a larger bodied, spruce top, big volume, great for aggressive strumming guitar I'd have been spoilt for choice but I wasn't on any of those counts. I did strike lucky, but when I did I was starting to wonder if I was on a wild goose chase. Good luck with your hunting!
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 20, 2014 9:57:29 GMT
Thanks Viking, I appreciate that.
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 22, 2014 17:26:11 GMT
*Pulls remaining two hairs out*
Step away from the PC, Dean...
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Post by the23rdman on Mar 23, 2014 14:02:26 GMT
The hunt continues. I'm considering a Guild F-130r now. I had ruled Guild out because I mistakenly believed that they all had 43mm nuts.
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