The sound of the guitar has more to do with the strings and the player. $3000 for an acoustic guitar is a tad excessive.

I guess it's like buying a new board. The one that you enjoy riding is the best. So go and play a heap and buy the one you love the most.

I have a Maton I have had for 30 odd years and it is brilliant. It was quite expensive but not outrageous. I have a Bolero 12 string (korean made from the 70's) I got when I was 16. It was $64 is 1973. It rocks!!!

My current favourite guitar is a Martin Backpacker steel string. It's basically a hollow stick with some strings on it. It has wolf tones all over the place (acoustic version of feedback). Do a string bend on a wolf tone note and it roars! Play some finger style jazz or tune it to D and add a slide and it's a fantastic toy.

Hi pueter66. I'm also a Tanglewood lover, have 2x6 strings and 1x12string. The 12 string sounded alot better than Maton when I purchased it, something about Tanglewood resonates a great sound and good harmonics for tapping.

If you want to spend the bucks, maybe a Cole Clark. I have used a mates a few times and very nice just heavy. Also a fan of aria guitars had 2 acoustics also very nice - took a few years for the timber to harden up though and get that nice sound.

I think you can easily spend 3k on a guitar. IMO I would spend 1.5k on guitar 1k on a AER amp or the new Roland acoustic amp ( I have the Trabadour - just doesn't have the punch ) then the $500 left on a stomp box or boss loop station. Go this route and your a 1 man band.

pweedas said...
Fortunately I have a very cheap ear so I can hardly tell the difference between a $500 guitar and a $5000 guitar.

I would have to agree with gorgo. I have heard some cheap guitars sound like magic and I have heard some expensive guitars sound like crap.
For the average player an average guitar is more than good enough.
If you're world class stuff then go for a $6000 guitar and then get your money back by selling tickets.

unfortunatly I am not! But I can afford a well constructed guitar and I just love the tones. The Tanglewood is a great guitar but it just needs that depth of tone. That something that even were i to pluck an open string you can just hear it. Does anyone get this.

youngbull said...
Hi pueter66. I'm also a Tanglewood lover, have 2x6 strings and 1x12string. The 12 string sounded alot better than Maton when I purchased it, something about Tanglewood resonates a great sound and good harmonics for tapping.

If you want to spend the bucks, maybe a Cole Clark. I have used a mates a few times and very nice just heavy. Also a fan of aria guitars had 2 acoustics also very nice - took a few years for the timber to harden up though and get that nice sound.

I think you can easily spend 3k on a guitar. IMO I would spend 1.5k on guitar 1k on a AER amp or the new Roland acoustic amp ( I have the Trabadour - just doesn't have the punch ) then the $500 left on a stomp box or boss loop station. Go this route and your a 1 man band.

Thanks young bull. I will try a tanglewood in the dreadnought, I hear there pretty nice. Its funny you mentioned the stomp box and loop station they are also on my wish list. We have similar tastes cheers Pete

I bought a Fender Sonoran recently and have to say for the price, it's a really cool sounding guitar. Was so suprised at the cost of music equipment like amps, leads and tuners ect. So cheap.

I used to play guitar and sing in a band when I was younger but sold all my gear before my first daughter was born. It had taken me half my life so far to collect all that stuff - seemed like I was always saving for a bit of kit.

When I decided to start playing again a few weeks ago, I went into a guitar store and bought pretty much everything that I used to have, but brand new for about $3500. A Fender tuner was only $30! My last tuner was $150 or so!!

The iRig and iMic is a bit of fun too if you have an iPad - works quite well for recording too.

My neighbour threw out an electric guitar other week,found it lying on the grass while checking my mail.

It's a Equiphorpe Junior,new condition,problem is i'm the most untalented muso in the world.

Gilet Guitars
Hand made Australian guitars for many top guitarists - Eric Bibb etc

giletguitars.com.au/

Just had a muck around with a cole clark, very impressive. Another one to add to the list. I had a look on the maton website and the construction of the solid guitars looks good. I like the look of the guitar in the blackwood but i will be interested which timber will give the best tone.

Thanks, pueter66, for the awesome topic.

Worth mentioning that one of the major music shop franchises, Allans, is having a bankrupcy/closing down sale right now, with discounts ranging between 25% and 50%. After reading all the replies to this topic, I went there, twice in 2 days, to buy a nice discounted Maton.. or Martin... or Cole Clark... But after playing all the guitars on their racks, I'd say that the Martins had the best overall sound by far, but there is no way I'm getting one, because their traditional nitrocellulose finish disagrees with my skin chemistry, and gets very sticky around the neck. It's a familiar problem I have with Gibsons. Apparently, 30% of people have this issue. The Maton I would have liked most would be from the BG808xxx series, or the perhaps one of the jumbo shapes. But they were not that impressive, because the Yamahas SG730xxx, and the Yamaha APX series on the adjacent rack outperformed them easily, at 1/4 of the price. The really weird thing is, the best non-Martin guitar on the racks was a $230 Breedlove, apparently US design, but made in Korea. I'm very confused now. Didn't buy anything. Good luck to you! Please try before you buy :)

Oh, almost forgot to mention, Washburn D10xxx series - I have one from the 90's, but it's unfortunately a dog. However, apparently the current ones are really good ... might be worthwhile trying one.

Watched this the other night. Awesome.



Jack White would probably say something like "Get a guitar that hates you."

pueter66 said...
Just had a muck around with a cole clark, very impressive. Another one to add to the list. I had a look on the maton website and the construction of the solid guitars looks good. I like the look of the guitar in the blackwood but i will be interested which timber will give the best tone.

i have a cole clark fat lady 2 cutaway ,sounds even better plugged in if you are planning on doing some performing ...best bet is to sit down in the shop and just play a tune you like and see how it feels and sounds to you something will appeal!
takamine guitars as a general rule have pretty good acoustic pickups as well as a great tone
My old K Yairi circa 82 bought for $150 has a tone all of its own!
too many good ones nowdays to choose from !

d1 said...
Thanks, pueter66, for the awesome topic.

Worth mentioning that one of the major music shop franchises, Allans, is having a bankrupcy/closing down sale right now, with discounts ranging between 25% and 50%. After reading all the replies to this topic, I went there, twice in 2 days, to buy a nice discounted Maton.. or Martin... or Cole Clark... But after playing all the guitars on their racks, I'd say that the Martins had the best overall sound by far, but there is no way I'm getting one, because their traditional nitrocellulose finish disagrees with my skin chemistry, and gets very sticky around the neck. It's a familiar problem I have with Gibsons. Apparently, 30% of people have this issue. The Maton I would have liked most would be from the BG808xxx series, or the perhaps one of the jumbo shapes. But they were not that impressive, because the Yamahas SG730xxx, and the Yamaha APX series on the adjacent rack outperformed them easily, at 1/4 of the price. The really weird thing is, the best non-Martin guitar on the racks was a $230 Breedlove, apparently US design, but made in Korea. I'm very confused now. Didn't buy anything. Good luck to you! Please try before you buy :)

Oh, almost forgot to mention, Washburn D10xxx series - I have one from the 90's, but it's unfortunately a dog. However, apparently the current ones are really good ... might be worthwhile trying one.

thanks for the response, i have heard martins are really good, they also have a hell of a price tag to go with it, but i have added them to the list, A lot of people play yamaha,s but i wont go with them i have had a yamaha before, i would like to try something different.

Have to do a +1 for the Cole Clark fat lady2. I own have a Maton fantastic guitar really punch's the sound out (good for PJ!). My brother has the fat lady 2, he never gets near it when I'm around. Absolutely love it.

Best bet is to go to the biggest instrument store you can find and play everything you can get your hands on. $3000 is a fair investment so try them all a few times and see what suits you.

PS don't pick up a $10000 guitar, you wont go back to the $3000 guitar

Thanks for all your input guys, i was sorely tempted by a number of brands and guitars. but the one at the end that stood out with my budget constraints was the Cole Clark Fat lady 3 it is a beautiful guitar to play and even surprised me I was pretty set on a Maton. So once again thanks for the assist

pueter66 said...
Thanks for all your input guys, i was sorely tempted by a number of brands and guitars. but the one at the end that stood out with my budget constraints was the Cole Clark Fat lady 3 it is a beautiful guitar to play and even surprised me I was pretty set on a Maton. So once again thanks for the assist

Great choice! Enjoy