Akquarius
Cheerfully Optimistic
Posts: 2,509
My main instrument is: Towet Fingerpicker, Dreizehnter SJ15 "Akquarius"
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Post by Akquarius on May 30, 2014 17:11:28 GMT
Action, finish, construction flaws... these are all objective. But sound? Entirely subjective. Which is why the only way to go is to find an instrument that sounds good to you... Okay, check. Easy enough. ...and buy it Now here comes the real problem
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Post by vikingblues on May 30, 2014 19:19:10 GMT
Here, of course, is the dichotomy of subjectivity (who I think were an electro-fusion band out of Havana in the late 70s). What might be a 'terrible' guitar to someone might well be the sweetest sounding thing on God's green earth to someone else. Action, finish, construction flaws... these are all objective. But sound? Entirely subjective. Which is why the only way to go is to find an instrument that sounds good to you and buy it Absolutely true. I've lost count of the number of guitars that have a really good press and reputation but to my ears sound too boomy and bass biased. But then my ears are sensitive to low frequency sound and I've lost a bit of hearing the top end as I've got older. What I like will doubtless sound way too much treble for someone with decent young ears. It's the construction flaws, and poor quality finish that I find it difficult to forgive in the expensive guitars. Also it's a shame those shops in question don't seem to check these things out either. I know some do, and will send back the substandard ones, and I tend to go there to try out gear. As to the others - when an instrument costing several hundred pounds has a loud rattling coming from it's innards and rusty feeling strings I find it a bit of a shock and tend to move on rapidly to another seller. I've very rapidly come to the conclusion since going acoustic that for me almost random testing works best in searching out a new guitar - give a wish list of body size and budget and try the hell out of everything there. It doesn't matter what the label is - if you find one that's right, then it's the one to get. I've continually had my pre-conceived ideas based on reviews, word of mouth and YouTube turned upside down by actually trying the guitars in question. Mark
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Akquarius
Cheerfully Optimistic
Posts: 2,509
My main instrument is: Towet Fingerpicker, Dreizehnter SJ15 "Akquarius"
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"020202"}
Mini-Profile Name Color: f9a507
Mini-Profile Text Color: f9a507
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Post by Akquarius on May 30, 2014 20:17:49 GMT
+1 to that. There is another option, though. scorpiodog mentioned it already. I went that way twice and I'm happy I did. Warning: for this way you need money. Though probably not much more than you'd need for a Gibson acoustic. Find a luthier who seems to build guitars you could fall in love with. Show him how you play, tell him what you like and with the help of his guidance let him go build your guitar. Of course, you don't know what you'll finally get. In my case I got much more than I had hoped for.
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alig
C.O.G.
Posts: 1,059
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Post by alig on May 30, 2014 20:39:50 GMT
Amen to that.
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Post by andyhowell on May 30, 2014 21:09:35 GMT
A great sounding J45 is a thing of beauty. A crap sounding J200 is well just crap.
You have to play a lot of Gibsons before you buy.
But ....
The best showroom guitar I have played in 3 years?
Gibson Robert Johnson model (L1?). Sheer fun.
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Wild Violet
Artist / Performer
Posts: 3,556
My main instrument is: Symonds OM-14
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Post by Wild Violet on May 30, 2014 21:39:52 GMT
I played an incredible J45TV at Coda music a few years back. It almost came home with me on the 0% finance thing. It's one of those guitars that has haunted me ever since.
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Post by andyhowell on May 31, 2014 9:52:15 GMT
I played an incredible J45TV at Coda music a few years back. It almost came home with me on the 0% finance thing. It's one of those guitars that has haunted me ever since. As I contemplate my 40 plus years of playing acoustic guitars I really don't understand how I have never owned a J45!
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frenchie
Strummer
Posts: 21
My main instrument is: 1994 Gibson J-100 Xtra Mahogany B&S.
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Post by frenchie on May 31, 2014 12:21:37 GMT
A good Gibson is a joy to behold, but like any factory brand you need to try as many as possible. For Jamsinger`s benefit, there is a very nice Gibson 1941 SJ-100 in Dawson`s (Manchester), which although not quite as open sounding as my 94 J-100 Xtra, has all the potential of ending up that way.
Frailers in Runcorn, has a very nice almost new J-35, which has a good bass and nice zingy chords. It had the edge on a few other Gibson slopes they had there a couple of weeks ago, and I nearly brought it home.
The Taylor`s are all consistant in the tone department, but alas it`s not a tone I am that partial too. Frailer`s also have a large range of s/hand and new Martins, although it seems to me the ones that sound the best are the one`s that need the neck resets (Second hand models that is, and I was referring to the D18`s & D35`s they have)!!
But as with all these things, the fun is in the chase, but keep at it, there are some very nice Gibson`s out there.
Steve.
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Post by curmudgeon on Jun 4, 2014 20:02:39 GMT
IMHO - Gibsons are a corporate manufacturing company relying on the name built up to many years ago. Martin has had to raise its bar because of far-eastern imports on the budget side and Collings/Santa Cruz/Bourgeois on the higher side.
If you want a good, cheap Gibson,buy a Blueridge or an Eastman, and if you want a best quality Gibson, buy a Collings/Santa Cruz/Bourgeois.
Simples.
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Post by earwighoney on Jun 4, 2014 22:33:20 GMT
if you want a best quality Gibson, buy a Collings/Santa Cruz/Bourgeois. I came across some fairly unknown Italian guys who make vintage Gibson repro's. Pricey but up there with the best sounding guitars I've heard.
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Post by clydeslide on Jun 4, 2014 23:55:22 GMT
Ren Ferguson has left. If you're lucky enough to own a Ren era guitar from the mid-nineties to 2012 expect to get a decent price for it.
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Post by sigmadel on Jun 7, 2014 23:15:47 GMT
The Farida guitars got a great write up a few years back but I've not seen much of them lately . George Williams has the Yamaha you mention , the electrics in it are superb and it has a lovely finish , not keen on the neck though it didn't feel right under my hands and I honestly preferred my Sigma and Freshman to its unplugged tone , then again it needed new strings . It also came with a nice Hiscox case . Its a tough business this guitar buying . Good luck in your search .
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Post by melodeous on Jun 8, 2014 1:28:55 GMT
Had a do on a Gibson Hummingbird today in Dawsons in Leeds. £2000! It was utter junk. Sounded like it was under a duvet with blobs of glue poking out of joints inside. Not impressed at all. Are the new ones this bad? This is about right. The Gibson line has always been reputably available but that's the best compliment I can give them. A new J35 impressed me during a store visit some 6 months back. I was actually impressed by its fit, finish, playability and sound. It even kept its intonation up the board. Before that was a sole example of a Dove. Gibson has lost its edge.
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dadgad
Strummer
Posts: 25
My main instrument is: Yamaha FJ661, Taylor GS Mini Mahogany
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Post by dadgad on Jun 18, 2014 14:07:54 GMT
A few years ago a music shop in New York (I think) the late Rick Fielding organised a blind test where many expensive guitars were played. The winner was a Yamaha! YOu just have to find the guitar that feels and sounds right to you. The good thing is that you have money to spend and needn't feel any guilt about trying lots of guitars!
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