• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

A/ ACOUSTIC: the HIGH PRICED BRANDS.
- MARTIN
- TAYLOR
- SANTA CRUZ
- GIBSON
- COLLINGS (probably one of the best guitars)
Go to www.youtube.com and look for these 5 brands. Some videos compare 3-4 guitars.
RESULT: For me they really sound the same.
What about other more expensive brands?
I am NOT FAMILIAR AT ALL, NEVER SAW ONE and NEVER PLAYED ONE.
- HUSS and DALTON           JOHN ALLISON          JULIUS BORGES      MC ALLISTER (about these guitars, I believe they make one on demand price tag > 6000$, David Crosby has one.)
MCPHERSON (you can listen to the sound on their website) > 6000$       - FROGGY BOTTOM
PATRICK EGGLE (UK)            SERGEI DE JONGE up to 10.000$

Most of these guys started as repair men, and they have a tremendous skill to make MANUAL a great guitar.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Wisconsin
  • Registered: 2007-04-20
  • Posts: 46

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

Have any of you ever played a McPherson acoustic guitar? I've never played one, but I know many people who do because the guy who designed them used to go to my church. Here's their MySpace: http://profile.myspace.com/138736070 and website: www.mcphersonguitars.com Their sound is really beautiful.

I'm a musician; I can [color=blue]Handel[/color] it!
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

Thanks a lot TEX. I didn't play at all the guitars brands like Huss and Dalton, Borges, McAllister, McPherson ....
These guitars seems to me VERY EXPENSIVE, and GREAT SOUNDING TOO. They are really "ART", using the best woods and as far as I could see, McAllister guitars they have only a few in stock, you just have to order one, and pick them up a few months later.
That is also the reason why I mention often youtube. If you are lucky you can see them, even better, hear them.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

One thing I've recently realized regarding all of these great guitars is that evaluating them and apprecaiting them are 2 completely different things.  What I mean is that I recently went through a search to find myself A guitar.  This guitar is going to be (for a while I'm sure) my only acoustic guitar.  In looking at Martin's, Gibson's, Yari's and Taylors, I was evaluting this feature, that feature (mostly sound), I liked this, didn't like that etc.  But that was because I was picking the ONE guitar that was right for me now.  Now, if were ADDING a guitar to my collection, some of the things that I thought were negatives, say the booming low end of the Martin, may now be a positive.  If I'm adding a guitar, I may want something that plays different than my Taylor.  At that time I may say "oh, I don't like those ornate hand made guitars, they're beautiful but I want something to play".  Then a few years later, I may have a little money stashed away and I may think "I've got 2 great guitars to play, I want to add one that plays nice but really is a beautiful work of art"  and all of the sudden, something that was a negative in the past becomes a positve in the future.  Many times in dicussing guitars, I may be talking about about owning and playing a single guitar while another person may be thinking of "adding" that guitar to his stable and they really are 2 VERY different things.

Yee Haw
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

I agree Ranger. It isn't all that simple. I am a "lucky bastard" to have a nice collection.I never started with the IDEA to start collecting guitars. I wrote it already a few times, it all started with a guy who needed money and he sold his Martin HD-28 for about $500. I had at that time a GIBSON LP Studio, thanks to a friend who was "chief" of customs on the airport. The guitar had some scratches and was not longer good to sell in a music store=$500. Had this for 2 years, but I worked 75 hours a week as medical doc. Some guitars are great, play great but mine, I had to tune her again after 2 songs, so I went to a music store, and changed it in 1996 I think for a 3 months old PRS, an unknown brand here in Belgium back then, getting for my guitar $800 = very good trading. I invested a lot of money to help starting friends with a music store, and like it is in 90% WHEN would I see my money back, so they paid me back in guitars, and before I knew I had more guitars than fingers. A guitar is so "personal", if you love playing a guitar, you want "that" sound, an easy- to - play guitar, a "child". Every guitar has pros and cons. I am since 3 years (already) 100% disabled, so my joy is now limited, social contacts are poor (being once a real "social animal"). About the guitars I mentioned, I have Gibson, Martin and PRS. About guitars, like Taylor, or Martin what's the real difference? I compared on zzounds a Martin D-41, D-42 and D-45, same wood, what is the difference. I also looked on youtube where they compared Martin, Taylor and Collings, the sound was very similar, they use the same wood. Is the sky the limit here? I don't know. What I do know that nothing in this world can help me, cure me. Chordie, all friends, they are great, and they gave me  purpose (dropping from 75h a week to ZERO is great, the first months) my guitars are a big support, also DVD's. I can only tell you that I can dream here, seeing some great looking guitars. Are they better? I don't know, maybe.
I am not unhappy AND THINKING IS THE WORST PROBLEM. Dreaming is different, you have no limits. But I really like what you wrote. Can you imagine that a GRETSCH WHITE PENGUIN NOT THE REISSUE is sold for 200.000$ and not by a musician. I read that these guitars, also a Gibson LP 1958-1960 > 150.000$ are often purchased as a trophee, to stand behind bullet proof glass? That's not me. I would lie if I told you that I am not interested in these for me unknown brands, I just don't know if I will have the opportunity to see, hear and hold one of these guitars in my hand.
This sounds maybe sad, but it's true.
Keep on rocking my friend

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

I also think that it takes some time to see a guitar in more than one light.  Most of us love the playability of guitars at first.  But, then after a few years you begin to see a guitar as an individual instrument, different types of sounds from different instruments, and then you begin to see each one as a work of art.  The craftsmanship, the details, for some guitars the simplicity is the beauty (true of a lot or Martins.  Nothing fancy, that's the beauty).  A beautiful hand made guitar can leave you imagining the luthier making it with his very own hands.  Did he use power tools or was it manual.  Did he have a "plan" before he started or did he just create this beauty as the ideas came to him.  I wonder how the sawdust in his shop smelled?  I wonder how it felt to start with wood and end up with a guitar that sounds like an angel singing.  And then, to have to sell that angel that you created with you hands and the sweat on your brow.  I wonder if the greatest guitar ever made is sitting the workshop of some unknown luthier because the first time he strummed it he really did hear the angels sing and couldn't part with it?

Yee Haw
  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

I found this on youtube: a guitar player, playing the same song, using 3 guitars.
- COLLINGS
- MARTIN
- TAYLOR
The first two guitars, are like twin brothers: the sound of both guitars is so close, that when you close your eyes, you wouldn't notice a difference.
VERY SUBJECTIVE: Taylor sounds TO metallic, while the others provided a softer and more clear sound. This is MY OPINION, other's will prefer TAYLOR. The song is under the double eagle, great song. This is maybe a good song to learn "finger-picking" Here the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97Ck_aBa … re=related

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: California
  • Registered: 2008-02-09
  • Posts: 10

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

tex54632 wrote:

Have any of you ever played a McPherson acoustic guitar? I've never played one, but I know many people who do because the guy who designed them used to go to my church. Here's their MySpace: http://profile.myspace.com/138736070 and website: www.mcphersonguitars.com Their sound is really beautiful.

I've played a McPherson twice. They are really nice guitars but I don't think they're worth as much as they cost. Maybe if money was no object. lol

I really think, generally speaking, once you get to about $1,000 the actual sound quality of the guitar doesn't usually improve. At that point most of the money spent goes toward making the guitar look pretty.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: AMAZING ACOUSTIC GUITARS

Tone Freak, welcome here. Isn't it nice to discuss about all these subjects. I love it. Well, nice to hear your opinion about that guitar. I am blessed having a pretty nice collection, acoustics: a few Martins, in particular the mother of dreadnoughts a MARTIN HD-28, and as top a D-45V. Also a GIBSON Dove, Hummingbird and a SJ-200 Montana Gold.
I think that "guitar builders" have reached the sky. What can be improved, seeing and hearing all those great brands, like MARTIN, GIBSON, TAYLOR.
If you take a look on their websites, it is very nice to compare. Most of them, I can only speak about what I know, these toppers use the same wood, for the top, and back+sides. Inside the guitar we find wooden constructions, braces, once typical for a brand but now these days used in many acoustics. If there is one guitar I would add (probably never) it should be a Santa Cruz or Collings. I'm not a real Taylor man, martin is more than enough. And as I see your answer, we are on a similar frequency. Also about electrics: where is the limit.
Glad to read your answer.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website