What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

***OFFICIAL*** Guitar Guys Thread -- all axes, all the time (1 Viewer)

I was out running errands today and decided to stop into a music shop on the way.  They had a small collection of Martins and Taylors in the acoustic room.  The sales guy was nice enough to bring me a few for each in the $1400-2200 price range.  They had both a new Taylor 314ce and a used 516ce (2011).  Not surprisingly, both had very similar sounds... this was my first time in probably 21 years that I had played a Taylor... great resonance and clarity in the strings.  There was possibly a little too much in the high end for me, but still a rich tone overall.  I also liked the playability.  Between the two of them, I'd probably prefer the 516ce in terms of sound.  It looked to be in excellent condition too... just a couple very minor blemishes that can't be seen unless you're really looking for them up close.  

I don't know the Taylor used market well (obviously), but the price on the used 516ce was about 25% cheaper than the new 314ce.  That sounds like a good deal, right?

 
OC Zed said:
I was out running errands today and decided to stop into a music shop on the way.  They had a small collection of Martins and Taylors in the acoustic room.  The sales guy was nice enough to bring me a few for each in the $1400-2200 price range.  They had both a new Taylor 314ce and a used 516ce (2011).  Not surprisingly, both had very similar sounds... this was my first time in probably 21 years that I had played a Taylor... great resonance and clarity in the strings.  There was possibly a little too much in the high end for me, but still a rich tone overall.  I also liked the playability.  Between the two of them, I'd probably prefer the 516ce in terms of sound.  It looked to be in excellent condition too... just a couple very minor blemishes that can't be seen unless you're really looking for them up close.  

I don't know the Taylor used market well (obviously), but the price on the used 516ce was about 25% cheaper than the new 314ce.  That sounds like a good deal, right?
Click to expand...
Oh, and in re the Martins... I was disappointed.  The last Martin I played was Otis's in maybe 1996(?).  I thought it was the most beautiful acoustic I would ever play.  Such a good memory of that guitar.  Anyways, these Martins just sounded flat and lifeless compared to the Taylors (for my rusty ears at least).

 
OC Zed said:
I was out running errands today and decided to stop into a music shop on the way.  They had a small collection of Martins and Taylors in the acoustic room.  The sales guy was nice enough to bring me a few for each in the $1400-2200 price range.  They had both a new Taylor 314ce and a used 516ce (2011).  Not surprisingly, both had very similar sounds... this was my first time in probably 21 years that I had played a Taylor... great resonance and clarity in the strings.  There was possibly a little too much in the high end for me, but still a rich tone overall.  I also liked the playability.  Between the two of them, I'd probably prefer the 516ce in terms of sound.  It looked to be in excellent condition too... just a couple very minor blemishes that can't be seen unless you're really looking for them up close.  

I don't know the Taylor used market well (obviously), but the price on the used 516ce was about 25% cheaper than the new 314ce.  That sounds like a good deal, right?
Click to expand...
If the used one sounds better to you, I wouldn’t hesitate going with that one. That it’s 25% cheaper is just a bonus. But note that the body shapes are different for the two you’re looking at (grand symphony (516) vs. grand auditorium (314)).  

The tone of a good acoustic guitar tends to get better over time (if taken care of), so a nice used guitar will often sound better than its new counterpart. I probably played 30-40 Taylors before I found the one for me. I strummed it one time and knew immediately that I was taking it home. As it turns out, it was a used Taylor 414ce that was over ten years old. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
OC Zed said:
Oh, and in re the Martins... I was disappointed.  The last Martin I played was Otis's in maybe 1996(?).  I thought it was the most beautiful acoustic I would ever play.  Such a good memory of that guitar.  Anyways, these Martins just sounded flat and lifeless compared to the Taylors (for my rusty ears at least).
Click to expand...
That Martin of mine you played as an HD28 in rosewood.  I’ve played some lower level Martin’s over the years and been disappointed. And I still question whether it was the rosewood and less the guitar that made that one special. But it really was—from the booming basses to the warmth overall, that thing was glorious. I thought the playability sucked and it was harder to fret than my Taylors, but boy the payoff. Now my Taylor’s on the other hand — and I had a few nice ones — were just OK in comparison. Easier to play but always more trebly than I preferred. 

Don’t sleep on a used rosewood Martin if you can find one. May be around the top end of your range, possibly a bit higher but worth the stretch IMO. 

By the way, generally speaking, rosewood guitars tend to be all around better in this price range. Just unlike anything else. I say “in this price range” because I owned. mahogany Froggy Bottom P14 that was the best piece of musical gear I’ve ever owned. Lord did that thing resonate and my was it playable. To this day I regret selling.  Actually, this thread has me pondering buying another one....

 
I’m just now thinking back to some sick Taylor’s I had that I’d forgotten about. I had a huge custom one (a grand orchestra) done in walnut wood, which was super cool. But I also had a used Road Show guitar BTO in sinker redwood. They were these super limited guitars, at least back then, and the wood is just freaking gorgeous. Unlike any guitar I’d ever seen.  

This may be the actual guitar — https://reverb.com/item/14893458-bto-custom-gs-sinker-redwood-roadshow?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6ozhBRC8ARIsAIh_VC1AcRM5kG7ymye1YOd27C0jBXWFIDeqfVp3tBPxiCvF2RSTf8ibcI8aAjdZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&pla=1

This was back when I was on AGF buying and selling lots of guitars I had no business owning.

Sold them both eventually. And the Froggy still takes the cake. 

And by the way I agree re guitars “opening up” over time. The new walnut Taylor I owned was just too “tight.”  Maybe one reason I didn’t like it. Someone out there today may be playing it and it may resonate like crazy. 

 
bigbottom said:
P.S.  Quick overview of the different Taylor body shapes. You may already know all of this, but thought I’d post just in case. 

https://blog.taylorguitars.com/buyers-resources/an-introduction-to-taylor-acoustic-guitar-body-shapes
Click to expand...
Thanks... I saw some discussion of the differences in review videos online, but this is the best summation.  I didn't notice the extra size physically on the 516 when I was playing, but I could hear a bit more in the low end which I think is a major benefit.  I would probably prefer less volume, but I'll take greater dynamics and tone as the tradeoff.  

 
bigbottom said:
If the used one sounds better to you, I wouldn’t hesitate going with that one. That it’s 25% cheaper is just a bonus. But note that the body shapes are different for the two you’re looking at (grand symphony (516) vs. grand auditorium (314)).  

The tone of a good acoustic guitar tends to get better over time (if taken care of), so a nice used guitar will often sound better than its new counterpart. I probably played 30-40 Taylors before I found the one for me. I strummed it one time and knew immediately that I was taking it home. As it turns out, it was a used Taylor 414ce that was over ten years old. 
Click to expand...
I went to another shop this afternoon and tried a bunch more guitars... some Martins, a couple Taylors and a Gibson.  I really liked the playability and lower register on the used Martin JC-16RE that they had.  The wider fretboard just felt so natural to me.  Still, it was missing the overall vibrancy that I found in the Taylor 516 from the day before.  I could see though that the higher end Martins would be my ideal acoustic, but those are out of my price range at the moment.  I'm going to check out another shop or two tomorrow and I don't find anything that's better than the 516, I might go ahead and pull the trigger on it.  

One thing that I still need to test on any acoustic that I buy are the pickups.  I've never amplified an acoustic (never had the desire), but if I'm buying the equipment I should be sure that it works.  Anything in particular that I'll want to look for when plugging in these things?

 
Otis said:
That Martin of mine you played as an HD28 in rosewood.  I’ve played some lower level Martin’s over the years and been disappointed. And I still question whether it was the rosewood and less the guitar that made that one special. But it really was—from the booming basses to the warmth overall, that thing was glorious. I thought the playability sucked and it was harder to fret than my Taylors, but boy the payoff. Now my Taylor’s on the other hand — and I had a few nice ones — were just OK in comparison. Easier to play but always more trebly than I preferred. 

Don’t sleep on a used rosewood Martin if you can find one. May be around the top end of your range, possibly a bit higher but worth the stretch IMO. 

By the way, generally speaking, rosewood guitars tend to be all around better in this price range. Just unlike anything else. I say “in this price range” because I owned. mahogany Froggy Bottom P14 that was the best piece of musical gear I’ve ever owned. Lord did that thing resonate and my was it playable. To this day I regret selling.  Actually, this thread has me pondering buying another one....
Click to expand...
Damn, you owned a Froggy Bottom?! I’ve always been curious how they sound. Did you get a custom built one? 

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
Damn, you owned a Froggy Bottom?! I’ve always been curious how they sound. Did you get a custom built one? 
Click to expand...
Bought it used off Acoustic Guitar Forum (great place to buy and sell and trade used acoustics — Zed, you should have a look). I think I paid like $4500 for what is otherwise a $7500 guitar new. Turns out it looks like it had a minor repair or build issue as I could see some glue under the bridge. But it was purely cosmetic. It was a P14 deluxe, which is the 24 fret parlor guitar with some extra trimmings, in mahogany. Thing was out of this world. The way it resonated, the warmth, the tone, and I loved the 24.75 inch scale—just so so playable. Felt like butter. 

I ended up selling it to a professional musician in Canada, also an AGF member at the time. Noah Zacharin. I actually reached out to him a couple months ago to ask if he’d sell it back to me, but he declined (he offered beers and a jam session with the guitar anytime I make Toronto, nice guy).

Can’t seem to find many Froggy’s, especially these small parlor sized which I just loved.  Found a couple online the other night, but looks like it’ll cost me over $7k.  Just not sure I can justify that, though I’m tempted.

Best acoustic I ever owned, hands down.

 
Otis said:
Bought it used off Acoustic Guitar Forum (great place to buy and sell and trade used acoustics — Zed, you should have a look). I think I paid like $4500 for what is otherwise a $7500 guitar new. Turns out it looks like it had a minor repair or build issue as I could see some glue under the bridge. But it was purely cosmetic. It was a P14 deluxe, which is the 24 fret parlor guitar with some extra trimmings, in mahogany. Thing was out of this world. The way it resonated, the warmth, the tone, and I loved the 24.75 inch scale—just so so playable. Felt like butter. 

I ended up selling it to a professional musician in Canada, also an AGF member at the time. Noah Zacharin. I actually reached out to him a couple months ago to ask if he’d sell it back to me, but he declined (he offered beers and a jam session with the guitar anytime I make Toronto, nice guy).

Can’t seem to find many Froggy’s, especially these small parlor sized which I just loved.  Found a couple online the other night, but looks like it’ll cost me over $7k.  Just not sure I can justify that, though I’m tempted.

Best acoustic I ever owned, hands down.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I think you and I have a lot in common. And then there are times you are like an alien. This is one of those times.  I can’t imagine ever selling that guitar in a million years unless I needed to in order to pay the rent. 

 
bigbottom said:
Sometimes I think you and I have a lot in common. And then there are times you are like an alien. This is one of those times.  I can’t imagine ever selling that guitar in a million years unless I needed to in order to pay the rent. 
Click to expand...
Yeah, I would never sell one of my 'keepers'

Keepers being a 2011 Martin 000-18GE;  a 1996 Martin D-1; and a 2015 Collings OM-1A (my dream guitar)-  which I would never ever ever sell..  Add in the American Standard Tele I got last year- been neglected lately, :bag: but wont sell this one either..  

I also own a 2008 Martin HD-28 and 2009 Gibson CJ-185, neither of which I have never really bonded with..  I will say the HD-28 is an awesome sounding guitar, rich and chimey, but I seem to prefer hogs..   go figure.. 

I would love a Froggy Bottom guitar someday..

 
bigbottom said:
Sometimes I think you and I have a lot in common. And then there are times you are like an alien. This is one of those times.  I can’t imagine ever selling that guitar in a million years unless I needed to in order to pay the rent. 
Click to expand...
:bag:

Honestly I just hit a point where I had all these expensive guitars and stopped making time to play them, and felt guilty/nervous about having them sitting around.  I’m in a different place these days financially and would not sell it now. Damnit. 

 
Parrothead said:
Yeah, I would never sell one of my 'keepers'

Keepers being a 2011 Martin 000-18GE;  a 1996 Martin D-1; and a 2015 Collings OM-1A (my dream guitar)-  which I would never ever ever sell..  Add in the American Standard Tele I got last year- been neglected lately, :bag: but wont sell this one either..  

I also own a 2008 Martin HD-28 and 2009 Gibson CJ-185, neither of which I have never really bonded with..  I will say the HD-28 is an awesome sounding guitar, rich and chimey, but I seem to prefer hogs..   go figure.. 

I would love a Froggy Bottom guitar someday..
Click to expand...
Sell your HD28 to OCZed!  Just texting with him now and he wants a Martin. He’s playing a D35 now at a dealer but said he thinks he’d prefwr the D28. He loved my HD28. 

 
Otis said:
Sell your HD28 to OCZed!  Just texting with him now and he wants a Martin. He’s playing a D35 now at a dealer but said he thinks he’d prefwr the D28. He loved my HD28. 
Click to expand...
have him PM me-  not sure who he is?  but I'm willing to help out fellow FBG in need!   Also looking to sell Gibson (spruce top maple body - short scale)

 
AGF is a great forum. I’m actually trying to sell a guitar on there right now. If anyone is interested in a 2018 Gibson J-45 Vintage, let me know!

 
jdoggydogg said:
Just bought this little headphone only practice amp. Only $20. I'll post a review once I've tested it.
Click to expand...
Have you had a chance to mess with thing yet? Looking for a birthday present for my son. He's a freshman at college and missing his guitar, so thinking of bringing one back to school with him. 

I've also seen the VOX ones out there and they have pretty good reviews too. 

 
Epic Problem said:
Have you had a chance to mess with thing yet? Looking for a birthday present for my son. He's a freshman at college and missing his guitar, so thinking of bringing one back to school with him. 

I've also seen the VOX ones out there and they have pretty good reviews too. 
Click to expand...
I'll check it out tonight and write up a review...

 
Epic Problem said:
Have you had a chance to mess with thing yet? Looking for a birthday present for my son. He's a freshman at college and missing his guitar, so thinking of bringing one back to school with him. 

I've also seen the VOX ones out there and they have pretty good reviews too. 
Click to expand...


AcerFC said:
Just got this from my MIL for Christmas. It is pretty freaking awesome. I got the one linked, but I think I need the metal one also. 
Click to expand...

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
AGF is a great forum. I’m actually trying to sell a guitar on there right now. If anyone is interested in a 2018 Gibson J-45 Vintage, let me know!
Click to expand...
I don't know if anyone is looking for a new Gibson J-45 Vintage, but I'm selling one on reverb.com right now, asking $3,500 + $75 shipping. On AGF, I'm asking $3,300 + $75 shipping.  I have a guy who is offering $3k all in (including shipping) but I'm not accepting.  So, with all of that... if anyone is interested, I will sell this incredible guitar to a FBGer for $3,175 all in (includes shipping and insured for $3k).  Let me know soon if interested because I do have someone interested at $3k and he may raise his offer because he's been haggling with me for the last 2 weeks.

Just an FYI, and you can read all of this from my AGF post/link above, I paid $4k when I bought it brand new just 3 months ago here in Chicago and I've played it maybe 5 hours tops.  It's a phenomenal guitar but I like my Gibson AJ better, so for me, I will never play this one.  If you're not familiar with torrefaction, read up on it.  Not only is this one thermally aged (torrefaction) but it also has the highly desirable Adirondack spruce top.  Here are the guitar specs from Gibson.

 
My wife would kill me if I spent $3600 on anything let alone a guitar. 

Honest question from someone who had played for a little over a year. What makes this sound so much better than a $100 starter. Heck, mine was $40 and I think it sounds pretty great. 

 
AcerFC said:
My wife would kill me if I spent $3600 on anything let alone a guitar. 

Honest question from someone who had played for a little over a year. What makes this sound so much better than a $100 starter. Heck, mine was $40 and I think it sounds pretty great. 
Click to expand...
Tone, resonance, playability. But trying to convince someone that a $3600 guitar sounds 90 times better than a $40 starter is a fool’s errand. Instruments are generally subject to this weird inverse value construct where increasingly small incremental improvements result in exponentially larger increases in price. It’s worth it to some, and not to others. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
AcerFC said:
My wife would kill me if I spent $3600 on anything let alone a guitar. 

Honest question from someone who had played for a little over a year. What makes this sound so much better than a $100 starter. Heck, mine was $40 and I think it sounds pretty great. 
Click to expand...
$100 guitars do not use solid wood. The tone will improve with time on a quality guitar. That said there are plenty of guitars in that $1k price range that will sound as good or better than a $4k guitar. Tone is personal though and everyone is different. I sold it yesterday to the dude who has been persistent and I will probably end up buying a “duplicate” of my primary git, a Gibson Advanced Jumbo which can be bought used in the 1500-2000 range for a standard model. I think it’s the greatest guitar value on the planet because to me the AJ is the best sounding acoustic dread you can buy. I’m a “spender” and the J-45 was an impulse buy because I thought I wanted another guitar with a different tone. What I realize now is that i want another guitar with the same tone. 

 
all once you hit a certain price point, it is more about aesthetics and attention to detail-  I have a few Martins in the 1000-3000 dollar range , all solid wood and all sound great- but when I played that Collings-  ooof..   punched me in the chest and resonated like nothing else I've ever played.. unfortunately at the time I could nit justify spending that much on a guitar-   a few years later I was lucky enough to find the same model in Teluride,  Colorado, and they shipped it to my home for free, plus no taxes..  sometimes they find YOU

 
AcerFC said:
Honest question from someone who had played for a little over a year. What makes this sound so much better than a $100 starter. 
Click to expand...
Fact is, no beginner should spend a lot on a guitar. For starters, the $100 to $300 models don't sound that bad. And if you like playing and want to get serious, you can always upgrade.

 
jdoggydogg said:
Just bought this little headphone only practice amp. Only $20. I'll post a review once I've tested it.
Click to expand...
So I'm pretty impressed. Even before it arrived, I thought to myself, "What was I expecting? How good could a $20 headphone amp sound?" I like it. There's a crunchy, no reverb rhythm guitar sound that's solid. And there's a setting that includes reverb and delay. Totally worth it if you're on a fixed income or can't practice with an amp because of the noise. 

 
jdoggydogg said:
Fact is, no beginner should spend a lot on a guitar. For starters, the $100 to $300 models don't sound that bad. And if you like playing and want to get serious, you can always upgrade.
Click to expand...
Yep. I bought my very first guitar in the fall of 1992 at a pawn shop somewhere in Biloxi, MS. I think I paid $60. I bought my first high end guitar in 2003. Those first 11 years really toughened up my fingers!

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
Please link to spec sheet of a $2k Gibson that uses plywood. I don’t believe you. 
Click to expand...
You probably know more about this than I do. It's not construction gauge plywood, but this discussion details what I'm talking about. The woods may not age, but they're really strong and very resistant to heat and cold. 

 
jdoggydogg said:
You probably know more about this than I do. It's not construction gauge plywood, but this discussion details what I'm talking about. The woods may not age, but they're really strong and very resistant to heat and cold. 
Click to expand...
I see. We’re talking two different things. I’m talking about acoustic guitars. That’s where my experience lies. I have an electric and have played electric guitar in bands but I’m primarily an acoustic player where tone woods are the primary driver of tone. Again, I’m not an expert on electric guitars but I would guess that the electronics are primarily where the tone is derived from in electric guitars. Wood is probably less important for electric guitars (guessing). 

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
I see. We’re talking two different things. I’m talking about acoustic guitars. That’s where my experience lies. I have an electric and have played electric guitar in bands but I’m primarily an acoustic player where tone woods are the primary driver of tone. Again, I’m not an expert on electric guitars but I would guess that the electronics are primarily where the tone is derived from in electric guitars. Wood is probably less important for electric guitars (guessing). 
Click to expand...
:thumbup:

 
I have been dangerously close to buying a used SCGC 00 Eric Skye edition in Brazilian rosewood for $7500 off AGF.

It’s stupid.  But so tempting.  These have been my dream guitars—never owned one.  

 
Otis said:
I have been dangerously close to buying a used SCGC 00 Eric Skye edition in Brazilian rosewood for $7500 off AGF.

It’s stupid.  But so tempting.  These have been my dream guitars—never owned one.  
Click to expand...
Why the hell do you work so hard if not to make irresponsible gear purchases?

 
Otis said:
I have been dangerously close to buying a used SCGC 00 Eric Skye edition in Brazilian rosewood for $7500 off AGF.

It’s stupid.  But so tempting.  These have been my dream guitars—never owned one.  
Click to expand...
Link us up, brah

 
OC Zed said:
I’m sure this has already been discussed in here, but what are some FBGs favorite YouTube guitar channels?  This would include everything under the sun... gear reviews, lessons, guitar talk, etc.  

Some that I’ve enjoyed watching lately...

That Pedal Show - Very pedal driven (obviously), but they have a lot of general gear talk.  I like their banter and discussions on a lot of the vintage stuff (including amps) they bring on the show.

Paul Davids - Plays a bunch of different stuff and talks about a wide range of topics.  His Dutch accent is a fun, robotic bonus too.

Marty Music - I don’t tune into this one much, but I like the huge variety of content.  My buddy knows this guy too and always says nice things about him.  

Anderton’s - I used to watch this one a lot, not much anymore.  I dug the “Sounds Like” series they did for a bunch of artists/bands.
Click to expand...
I like Johan Segeborn's channel. Lots of good gear related videos. Especially for comparing vintage Marshalls

 
jdoggydogg said:
Ooo boys look what I bought myself for Christmas...
Click to expand...
This is a beautiful guitar. The Ibanez iron label is solid, well-built, really good sustain, the neck plays like a dream, the locking tuners are beefy, and the pickups are really sweet. This is definitely one of the nicest guitars I've ever played in the >$1,000 price range. Highly recommended.

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
Link us up, brah
Click to expand...
https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=533353

It’s the signature model guitar for a jazz acoustic player I love, Eric Skye:

https://youtu.be/_57qm9rOGkc

But the version for sale here is with a custom cutaway. Only two such guitars apparently exist in the world...  I think I like the concept of the cutaway so I can more easily solo at the 12th fret.  And the Brazilian rosewood is a custom upgrade too (his signature model is cocobolo, which is a beautiful looking and sounding close cousin of rosewood). 

I think this is the very same guitar. Looks like it originally sold for almost $14k   :shock:

https://reverb.com/item/3624125-used-2014-santa-cruz-eric-skye-oo-brazilian

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Here’s another without the cutaway, and with the cocobolo back and sides, brand new, at the same price. 

https://reverb.com/p/santa-cruz-00-skye-natural?gclid=CjwKCAiAyMHhBRBIEiwAkGN6fKl57YV8WoFVEh2MAE-JH8pfo7LB-l96VeaABHaYWhLhLkcxF3J6lBoCnsgQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&hfid=17463214

I will say, as much as Brazilian is a more highly coveted and pricey tonewood, the figuring in that cocobolo is just beautiful.  That said, buying used for a guitar like this nearly guarantees I can sell it for around what I paid if ever I want or need to. Buying new is like driving a car off the showroom floor, which I just don’t agree with in guitars. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

SFBayDuck
How to learn how to play guitar
Replies
18
Views
556
fatguyinalittlecoat
fatguyinalittlecoat
kupcho1
  • Poll Poll
The top TBD Books of all time: FBG consensus
2 3 4
Replies
198
Views
4K
Chaos34
Chaos34
Dr. Octopus
Consensus Top 300 Albums of All-Time: Taking lists of your 70 favorite albums until 7/1
11 12 13
Replies
649
Views
12K
Eephus
Eephus

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top