Your least favorite acoustics

Darryl Hattenhauer

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I'm wondering if there are any production brands that Guild fans tend to like or dislike.

I like Martins and hate Gibsons. I think Larrivee is under-rated.

I also like Tacomas, so I'm wondering if Guild might have gone there partly because Tacoma would be better than others at building Guilds the good old fashioned way.
 

Mr. P ~

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I have to say first that I agree with a comment made by Jackson Browne while talking about his new Solo Acoustic CD, "Every guitar has it's use and has it's music it sounds best on, you just have to find it's voice." Of course that comes from a man that probably has a minimum of 50 guitars and can aford 2 or 3 thousand dollars for pick-up and Equalizer for each.

I agree with you, I like Martin tone and construction and I dislike Gibson tone although their construction is great.

I think that Tacoma was chosen for guild because they had the factory floor space and Fender owns them as well as Guild.
:roll:
 
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Which model? Do they all sound the same from a given maker? I don't have a "least favorite" guitar. I guess any guitar played by someone who makes them sound as though they are made from 1/2 plywood! Any guitar can sound poorly. I have seen Vince Gill make a Gibson sing. Seems like threads such as this could have simple denied envy at their root. :wink:
There aren't very many BAD guitars.
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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A true Freudian. Everybody around you is a perv, especially if they say they aren't. And a true Puritan. Everybody you accuse is guilty, especially if they don't confess.
 

Cypress Knee

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I will just chime in and say that every now and then I go to the local guitar center and play guitars in their acoustic room. I really want to like a Gibson, some of my favorite recording artists swear by them - Jackson Browne, John Fogerty on BMS, and so forth, but they never do anything for me. Same with Taylors, I know that some artists are exclusively in the Taylor camp, but the sound does nothing for me.

I like Guilds. I like Martins. That doesn't mean the others are bad, they are just not my style. Maybe someday they will come around.

CK
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Cypress,

Do you also tend to like bigger guitars and rosewood?

I'm wondering what other brands Guild fans generally like and dislike because I have a notion that since human hearing varies like human vision, it might be that Guild fans tend to like some some brands and not others. And to my ear, Gibson acoustics often have too much treble and not enough bass. I also suspect that Martin fans would tend to like and dislike certain brands, and people who hear Martins as boomy might tend to like Gibsons.

Another way of looking at it is that if you could ananlyze all the little things that players hear (and don't hear), there would be a correlation between what they hear (and don't hear) and what brands they like. I don't think the preferences would be random. I suspect you could look at the results of hearing tests and predict general brand preferences. (And maybe you could predict other preferences for body size, tone woods, etc.)

I've always wondered why there aren't more Guild fans, and I suspect that there is some aspect of their sound that some people hear and some don't.
 

West R Lee

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Time to weigh in I suppose. No doubt I'm in the minority here, but I think Martin and Gibson both build quality guitars.

I have not to date played a Martin that I felt had the projection or sustain of any of my Guilds. I know I'm biased, but I really mean that! The other thing about Martins that is unsettling to me is that in comparison to a Guild, they are so light. That would make me very paranoid in handling them.

I did play one Gibson that I liked. It was some sort of limited edition J-200. The action was very low and fabulous and I thought it sounded great. I do remember that the price tag on it was a mere $3500.

My least favorite guitar of the big boys? I suppose I would have to say are the mid to low end (600 series and under) Taylors. I guess because Taylor gets so much hype and I was so underimpressed with the craftsmanship, not to mention how overpriced they are.

West
 

Darryl Hattenhauer

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Thanks, West.

I don't really have an opinion on what brands are built better because I don't know enough about that. To me, most brand names or good boutique brands made in the last 20 years or so are generally outstanding. If everybody's hearing is different, then there is no right guitar. I used to think my friend was nuts for preferring his Taylor 12 to my 512, but now I just think our hearing is different.

Or when some people say that there's no tone difference between Indian and Braz, they sometimes seem to suspect that those who claim to hear a difference are charlatans. But maybe some people really can hear a difference. Just because I can't doesn't mean George Gruhn is kidding himself.
 

West R Lee

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True, I suppose maybe it's not so much of a hearing issue as one of personal preference. I've always thought Westerly Guilds were so balanced across the board and to me that's one of the things that sets old Guilds apart from all others. Guilds always seemed to me to have pristine highs and booming lows. I'm convinced that design and craftsmanship are the reasons. I've always felt the other manufacturers were simply shoving as many units out the door as possible, while at Westerly, there was a true sense of pride that left with each guitar.

West
 

dreadnut

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I was playing at a local benefit concert recently and a local music prof made a point of coming over and telling me that I had one of the most beautiful and rich sounding guitars he'd ever heard. Not bad for $300, that's what I paid for my '76 D-25M with hardshell case brand new, right about 30 years ago.

She sounded sweet then, and she sounds sweet still. At the same music store that day, I played Gibsons and Martins, but they were $500 and $600+, and frankly I liked the Guild best because it blew the others away on sound, and the woods and workmanship on the Guild appeared nicer too. The Guild was heavier and just appeared like it was going to fit my lifestyle better, I needed a guitar I could take to campfires and not have to worry about it. 30 years of history tell me I made the right choice that day.

But that is merely a snapshot of what was happening in 1976. There are many many Martins and Gibsons I would love to own that are from other eras.

Right now I'm most impressed with Martins, but they don't exacxtly give those darn things away, do they? I also love the Collings I've played, but they not cheap either.

In my humble opinion, Gibson has been having quality problems the last couple years and I'd stay away from them for awhile.

And as nice as some of the Taylors look and sound, I agree they're overpriced, and of 5 friends who have Taylors, all 5 have had some serious problems, mostly having to do with top cracks.

The new Guilds from Tacoma are looking and sounding real nice :D
 

G.O.

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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
I'm wondering if there are any production brands that Guild fans tend to like or dislike.

I like Martins and hate Gibsons. I think Larrivee is under-rated.

I also like Tacomas, so I'm wondering if Guild might have gone there partly because Tacoma would be better than others at building Guilds the good old fashioned way.


Ibanez & Fender.

A great 12 string acoustic is a Breedlove. That low E string rattles the brain!


:)!
 
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Darryl Hattenhauer said:
A true Freudian. Everybody around you is a perv, especially if they say they aren't. And a true Puritan. Everybody you accuse is guilty, especially if they don't confess.

Ok, you beat it out of me ...I confess I am a pervert! I like most any guitar that is played well. In any event "could have" doesn't really qualify as an accusation or conviction. Merely raising a possible motivation. Sorry if any sensitive toes were stepped upon.
Sometimes my blindness has it's advantages. Not seeing the name on the peg head allows one to appreciate the sounds without prejudice of player's choice. Ed Gerheart has a fine album made with pawn shop guitars. No poser or boutique specials, just plain old department store guitars. He didn't even change the strings. Tuned them and played them. If he didn't reveal that facts, few if any would have known. I think it is one of his best albums.
The sound of the word "hate" applied to a person or the product of a proud craftsman is probably uglier than the worst Gibson.

Could be the Heinekin talking again ... or just a cheap whine
 

Jeff

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Small body Gibsons, LGO's, LG1's usually sound a bit full to me. Not always, but usually.

In my limited experience indicates the smaller Guilds are a better sound value.

In fairness to Gibson however, it is hard not to appreciate a good
Hummin bird. Except for the price!
 
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