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Posted (edited)

Ok so I want something that is awesome plugged in rythem playing. It needs to look way cool as I dont ever want another acoustic again. and of course it needs to sound soooo good that every time I pull it out of it's case I fall in love all over again.

O and try to keep it under $3000

anything would be good, standard model, custom, whatever!

:EDIT: ok I was looking and have kiinda sorta narrowed it down to either a taylor 710ce or a takamine TNV360SC

Edited by Godin SD
Posted (edited)
Ok so I want something that is awesome plugged in rythem playing.  It needs to look way cool as I dont ever want another acoustic again.  and of course it needs to sound soooo good that every time I pull it out of it's case I fall in love all over again.

O and try to keep it under $3000

anything would be good, standard model, custom, whatever!

:EDIT: ok I was looking and have kiinda sorta narrowed it down to either a taylor 710ce or a takamine TNV360SC

You might want to look at Larrivee - they make some beautiful, incredibly musical guitars, including some with the B-Band acoustic transistors and preamps.

I'm not a huge acoustic guy, but every time I've seen or heard a Larrivee, I've been HIGHLY impressed.

They're from Canada, if that means anything :D.

I've also heard people say they like their larrivee with the B-Band transducer better than the Taylor 710ce - although it's entirely possible they got lucky with the larrivee or unlucky with the taylor.

They have a bunch of different models from about $1000 on up to about $4000.

Edited by jnewman
Posted (edited)

The best thing to do is go into a music store that has a lot acoustics and try them all. When you find one that's comfortable and sounds good unplugged, then plug it in and try every acoustic amp they have.

You are getting an acoustic amp too, right?

By the way, I have this one:

http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/guitar.asp?model=AEF30ETBK

The 2005 model even comes with an onboard tuner.

Edited by marksound
Posted

I already have a marshall 50w acoustic amp. Butt most of the time I will be playing on my churchs PA system.

I already know about all the manufactures and there strong points ETC ETC.

What I want to know is if there any custom builders out there that have impressed you.

Right now I am almost certin I will go with david mkya. I just dont like ANY production guitar out there so I need to go custom.

Posted
I already have a marshall 50w acoustic amp.  Butt most of the time I will be playing on my churchs PA system.

I already know about all the manufactures and there strong points ETC ETC.

What I want to know is if there any custom builders out there that have impressed you.

Right now I am almost certin I will go with david mkya.  I just dont like ANY production guitar out there so I need to go custom.

Oh.

Posted
:EDIT: ok I was looking and have kiinda sorta narrowed it down to either a taylor 710ce or a takamine TNV360SC

Right now I am almost certin I will go with david mkya. I just dont like ANY production guitar out there so I need to go custom.

So which is it :D?

If you don't like any production guitar, how do you know you will like a custom one? What is it about production guitars you don't like? What characteristics of specific brands do you like/not like? Are you sure a custom guitar will actually be able to give you what you want?

Posted

It's the features that I want. I have foud plenty of "standard line" models that sound great! But they diddnt have the features I want. Things like the woods used the body style the inlays used the binding the electronics. With my big list It's impossiable to find a production guitar that is just right for ME.

Posted

Also, I'm sure David does great work (I know it inspires me), but I would never order from any builder until I had played one of his guitars. I really like the Breedlove guitars. I've like all but one I've played, and I think that one was one of their "more affordable" guitars. Also, I've never personally played a McPherson, but I've heard some and they sound AWESOME. I really have no idea how much they run, though. If you're playing at church I'm sure you've probably heard of Paul Baloche. I played with him a couple times, and that's what he had. I still wish I begged him to let me play it. Oh well, can't change the past. Goodall makes some really fine instruments, but I think those are on up in price.

Posted (edited)

ya I wouldent buy a guitar without a trial peroid. I am prety sure taht david lets you try it out for like 15 days before and you can decide to send it back if you really dont like it.

I'll have to check in on that.

I have played breedlove guitars and there ok but the only good ones IMHO are the ones that are like $4000+

Im sure McPherson are good but I'll never get over that soundhole design. Plus they are like $4000.

Edited by Godin SD
Posted
It's the features that I want.  I have foud plenty of "standard line" models that sound great!  But they diddnt have the features I want.  Things like the woods used the body style the inlays used the binding the electronics.  With my big list It's impossiable to find a production guitar that is just right for ME.

Just curious, but what is it exactly you're looking for? (I'm not trying to find you the one perfect standard model if you really think you want a custom guitar, I'm just really curious about what it is you're looking for).

Posted

heres prety much what I want

I want it to be the best sounding guitar when strummed really hard. and It's gotta look freakin awesome

Body: Jumbo

Back/sides: cocobolo

Top: Bear claw Sitka spruce

Binding: Entire guitar including neck and headstock bound in flame maple with B/W/B purfling, the same as on guitar number #11 (the one with blue maple back/sides) only I want next to the B/W/B purfling a thing strip of abalone purfling (on the body only, not neck or headstock)

Neck: bolt on mahogany (finished in satin)

Neck carve: modified C

Finger board: crazy looking cocobolo

Inlays: Gecko inlay. just the side marker dots (and I don’t want dots where half of the dot is in the neck, I want to whole dot on the side of the fingerboard)

Rosette: B/W/B/abalone/B/W/B (the same thin abalone you use on the body purfling)

Bridge: crazy looking cocobolo, shaped like a Taylor’s bridge

Bridge pins: made out of bleached bone with abalone dot

Headstock: My custom design (I’m to lazy to post it right now)

Headstock overlay: crazy looking cocobolo

Nut and saddle: bleached bone

Scale length : 25.5

Fretboard radious: 16”

Neck width at nut: 1 ¾”

String spacing at nut: 1 3/8”

String spacing at bridge: 2 1/8”

Right handed

Electronics: None

Pick guard: None

Cutaway: yes

Posted

Check out Morgan guitars. Their founder, David Iannone, apprenticed under Jean Larrivee. A few years ago I went into the music store with my heart set on a Taylor 814CE, which I still consider THE standard, but the salesman suggested I try a Morgan Concert C. Blew me away. Almost bought it on the spot, but I wound up putting it off and never got around to buying it before returning to school. Dang.

The new soundboard tranducer system in the new Taylors is pretty sweet, too.

Posted

If it's going to be plugged in most of the time why don't you want electronics? Also, to get a custom acoustic you're probably going to go overbudget. Even base prices for most acoustics will put you over budget, and with options like shell purfling it's going to get expensive. I'm in no way saying not to do it, I'm just saying you might either want to be willing to compromise on features, or save for a couple more months. Or a little of both. Acoustics are just plain more time consuming instruments, and so they'll cost more. I'd say go for it either way though :D

Posted

Acoustics.. I know you say you don't want a production guitar so I won't say too much about that.. although for the money, you can get lots of Taylor 800 series instrument on ebay for <1500 and they are excellent for what you describe. I'm a worship leader and I play a taylor maple jumbo, no regrets whatsoever.. but i understand wanting something that's not "off the rack"

For customs.. a buddy of mine that a working musician used to play an everett.. back before they started charging 8Gs for them. he sold it though and his two main guitars were a Lowden (now avalon guitars) and his main one.. a Huss & Dalton. www.hussanddalton.com Those are made over here in virginia. This guy had tried out olsens and other high end stuff and to him the H&D was dead on in quality and sound.. calls it his poor mans Olsen. He got a RW/Spruce dreadnaught.. which is a strumming maching. They retail for just over 3 so you should be able to get one for less than 3.

So many custom acoustic builders have gotten so "fancy" that you can't buy anything that doesn't have trees of life, 8 layers of abalone purfling and stuff like that. H&D seems to do everything from a barebones D style to ornate OM cutaway styles.. I have actually put my hands on a H&D guitar though and it was exquisit.

For electronics.. B-Band is great i'm sure.. never played it. My taylor came sans electronics and I did the thinline thing for a while and got tired of the quack.. I went with a Baggs I-Beam passive (99 bucks) and an accompanying Baggs Para-Acoustic DI preamp/direct box gadget. Everyone always wants to know what's inside the box.. The I-Beam is nothing short of incredible. The B-Band is probably a bit better, but it's the same concept, at least for the bridge plate transducer model. It's just a transducer that adheres right under your bridge so it's not just taking saddle pressure signals, it's getting the whold picture of sound as it resonates through the bridge plate. Very woody and microphonic sounding with no feedback in the high end.. you can get a roar if you crank the bass up too high as it's got a lot of bass response.

Do check out one of the bridge plate transducers though.. why pay for a nicely hand crafted bone saddle if you're going to make it sit on top of some plastic strip that saps tone and sustain. The BP Transducer doesn't affect the mechanical operation of your guitar one ioda.. And with the outboard preamp you don't have to worry about a hole in the side of your instrument either.

Your last option.. get a kit from LMI :D I bet if done right they are pretty nice. You can also buy kits straight from Martin if you're so inclined. I'm just not a martin guy.

Posted

ok I just read all your specs.. you only option is to probably build your own i'm afraid :D There are luths that would do that for you but with all the custom stuff they are going to have to charge an arm and a leg as it would take them so far away from their standard operations.

Posted (edited)
If it's going to be plugged in most of the time why don't you want electronics?

That was the list I sent to david myka and I thought I'd install them (cheaper than him dong it)

The reason I want all the cool stuff is I dont EVER want to buy another acoustic. I want this one to be THE perfect acoustic and have everything I've ever wanted.

And ya taylor maple are awesome. There probally the best sounding production guitar I've ever played. I dont know why I liked it. I thought with the maple It would be all bright but it had a very warm and beautifully balanced sound.

Edited by Godin SD
Posted

I had the same prejudice when my buddy at the music store called me in to look at it (this was back in 95.. in my town we had to wait for taylors to come into stock.. Now the same store has about 20 on any given day..

but playing it.. i think the maple helps it for strumming.. it's such a solid foundation you can bang the heck out of it and it really responds.

That's not a bad price.. the 2900.. considering all that you are wanting.

why not just commission an olsen. The 3 gs will get you on the waiting list and between now and 2 years from now you can come up with the other 9Gs to finish it off :D

Posted

You might want to look at Larrivee - they make some beautiful, incredibly musical guitars, including some with the B-Band acoustic transistors and preamps.

I'm not a huge acoustic guy, but every time I've seen or heard a Larrivee, I've been HIGHLY impressed.

They're from Canada, if that means anything :D.

I love Larrivee guitars, sadly, they are hardly from Canada anymore. They've moved most of their facility to California a few years back. Very little building happens in the vancouver facility anymore. I also have a really hard time calling them hand built, 99% of them are CNC produced now. Shame really. But, having said that, they're still one of the nicest production acoustics out there. Breedloves are fantastic as well.

Posted

I talked to this guy once.. real nice.. seems to have a good product and is reasonable.. www.marlerguitars.com

This guy is about 20 minutes away from me. I'm in east tennessee and we have a TON of luthiers around here with the nashville scene so close.. he's pricier but for a total custom, who knows.. www.tonyvinesguitars.com

There is also a guy in knoxville TN, Lynn Dudenbostel.. you can get a contact if you search around.. He might do something completely custom. He builds lots of things. Chris Thile of Nickel Creek plays one of his mandos.. He's old school bluegrass instrument maker but makes excellent acoustics from what I hear.

It's unfortunate, there are so many luths that have no website, no contact info as they are all word of mouth. Especially around here. You make a name for yourself in nashville and with the session musicians, they can keep you pretty busy without advertising a bit.

Posted
I love Larrivee guitars, sadly, they are hardly from Canada anymore. They've moved most of their facility to California a few years back. Very little building happens in the vancouver facility anymore. I also have a really hard time calling them hand built, 99% of them are CNC produced now. Shame really. But, having said that, they're still one of the nicest production acoustics out there. Breedloves are fantastic as well.

ya larrivee guitars are nice. One of my friends has the d 10 or something like that. It's there best dred model. It sounds fantastic but I dont really like the way larrivees play (at least all of them I have played I dont like) I'm not sure what is is about them I dont like. It could be the fretwire they use. The best playing acoustic I've ever played is a takamine EAN10C. It has real wide and low fretwire and it plays sooo nice.

Posted
I love Larrivee guitars, sadly, they are hardly from Canada anymore.  They've moved most of their facility to California a few years back.  Very little building happens in the vancouver facility anymore.  I also have a really hard time calling them hand built, 99% of them are CNC produced now.  Shame really.  But, having said that, they're still one of the nicest production acoustics out there.  Breedloves are fantastic as well.

Really? Huh... that's good to know. Like I said, I'm not a huge acoustic guy, so I haven't really been keeping up with what's been happening.

And hey, PRS's are pretty CNC'd, too, and we all know how much some people are willing to pay for those :D.

Godin, that sounds like a great guitar - I hope it works out and you get it built just the way you want it! Make sure to show us some pictures when you finally get it, all that cocobolo should look amazing.

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