[B.B. Hudson]

I've played for a few years now, but it's taken me this long to realise the simple truth that you all probably know. Acoustic is just... better. I feel it is time to buy me a brand new acoustic, for two reasons. Firstly when I usually play gigs I take two guitars - one in standard tuning and one in open-G for slide - but now my slide repetoire is large enough to sustain a set by itself. Second, I'm borrowing my dad's acoustic at the moment, and all my slide stuff sounds absolutely awesome on it.

So next time I play for a crowd I don't want to be that white boy wannabe bluesman waving his strat around the stage, I want to be sat proudly with only a nice hollow piece of wood and a lump of brass round my finger with no electrics save for the microphones playing Muddy and Johnson for the entire set.

Oh yeah, I have a new summer job that's going to end up earning me a good £400-500 spare over the next month.

Anyway, come to think about it, I know sod all about acoustics. I mean I can sum up my entire knowledge for you here: Martin's are like top quality and expensive, Ovations are the ones with the round packs that feel great and sound aweful, Gibson have some expensive stuff, Fender have some cheap stuff, and Takamine are like good budget instruments.

Please recommend me some brands, and some key models to check out. Don't tell me to go buy a specific guitar, because I'm going to try everything I can get my hands on anyway. I just want suggestions of key models I should definitely try for comparison.

Also, can somebody who plays a lot of slide tell me if it's worthwhile having a cutaway, because none of the songs I play at the moment go past the 12th fret, and the only reason I can see of going higher is if I use a capo.

Thanks in advance.

[pimp_vince]

I've played for a few years now, but it's taken me this long to realise the simple truth that you all probably know. Acoustic is just... better. I feel it is time to buy me a brand new acoustic, for two reasons. Firstly when I usually play gigs I take two guitars - one in standard tuning and one in open-G for slide - but now my slide repetoire is large enough to sustain a set by itself. Second, I'm borrowing my dad's acoustic at the moment, and all my slide stuff sounds absolutely awesome on it.

So next time I play for a crowd I don't want to be that white boy wannabe bluesman waving his strat around the stage, I want to be sat proudly with only a nice hollow piece of wood and a lump of brass round my finger with no electrics save for the microphones playing Muddy and Johnson for the entire set.

Oh yeah, I have a new summer job that's going to end up earning me a good £400-500 spare over the next month.

Anyway, come to think about it, I know sod all about acoustics. I mean I can sum up my entire knowledge for you here: Martin's are like top quality and expensive, Ovations are the ones with the round packs that feel great and sound aweful, Gibson have some expensive stuff, Fender have some cheap stuff, and Takamine are like good budget instruments.

Please recommend me some brands, and some key models to check out. Don't tell me to go buy a specific guitar, because I'm going to try everything I can get my hands on anyway. I just want suggestions of key models I should definitely try for comparison.

Also, can somebody who plays a lot of slide tell me if it's worthwhile having a cutaway, because none of the songs I play at the moment go past the 12th fret, and the only reason I can see of going higher is if I use a capo.

Thanks in advance.

for a nice slide guitar, i'm thinking a martin or gibson would be good for you, probably a Jumbo size to boot.

(the SJ-200 comes to mind) but that would cost a lot. taylor is a bit more affordable but have a really modern (jack johnson, lindsey buckingham, ben harper) feel to it. the tone is more elastic than a traditional (martin, gibson) acoustic.

[goldrush]

Congrats on your acoustic epiphany. I virtually stopped playing electric years ago. The only time I play one is with friends when everyone else is plugged in.

As far as acoustic guitars go it sounds like you're on the right track. Everyone has their favorites. Certainly a Gibson (I'm not familiar with their models) would suit your blues and slide playing. I'm partial to smaller-bodied Martins (OM's and 000's) for fingerstyle work. Whatever you choose I'm sure you'll make it sound good!

[jshrel24]

Look at what alvarez has to offer.
Tak's are a good guitar.

I play a lil slide on my acoustic, mines a cutaway and i think i like it better than i would like a full body, just becuase of the feel and being able to get high frets.

[HighInfidel]

up front, i've never played slide. if ya willin to teach, i'd be more than willin to learn.

The major brands that i'd recommend have already been listed. For slide, I'd go gibson. If you can afford it, get two different models, one with a cutaway and one without. if ya can't afford two, get a non cutaway.

I'd tune the cutaway to standard tuning and the non cutaway to the open g for slide. string the cutaway with light to medium and the other medium to heavy.

the cutaway you could consider maybe a taylor, if you can afford it, or a tak or alvarez.

ya never know when ya might wanna learn a song that might be better suited for a cutaway.

[capo2nd]

Hah, I've abandoned my 'leccy as well. I bought one in summer last year and sold it again after like 4 weeks because it was only gathering dust.

[guitargod22]

I would recomend a gibson or a TAYLOR no one has mentiond taylors i love the way they sound

[evileye]

Gibson for slide. Somebody above said that Gibson SJ200's are expensive - you don't need an SJ - just get a J200, they come really cheap second hand. Look around for a well looked after second hand Gibson or Martin, you won't regret it.

[B.B. Hudson]

I shouldn't think I'll have enough for a Gibson, though I'd be tempted if I see a 2nd hand bargain. Still I'll certainly try some anyway. What are some cheaper brands that are quite 'Gibsoney'?

Oh yeah, what does the Dreadnought/Jumbo thing mean? It's to do with the shape isn't it?

[dadfad]

I totally understand your feelings regarding acoustic and electric. I don't "denounce" my electric music, but I do think of it in an entirely different way than I do my acoustic guitar. Just like it's another instrument, made for another genre of un-related music. Acoustic guitar is more than just "un-plugged", or should be anyway. To me the difference between acoustic guitar and electric guitar is as great as the difference between guitar and banjo. Maybe even more so. I'll play electric about as often as I'll play a banjo or a mandolin. Once in awhile, or when I need to.

As far as guitars..... I guess it's preference. You know all the good brands...Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Lowden, etc, etc and the good more moderately priced ones...Alvarez, Tak, etc...and the still more moderately priced Washburns, Epiphones, Fenders, etc. A guitar is what you can do with it. A skilled player can do more on a Johnson than a novice with a Gibson. So there are a lot of factors. Personally, I think Gibson is "the standard". At least for the kind of music you're talking about (and I'm talking about). Country blues. With rare exceptions, the pro's think the same way. I mean guys who do exclusively acoustic country blues. Out of the guys I know personally, the only one who plays anything else does so because he has an endorsement contract and his own sig model by another quality company. The only exception maybe is using a National for some slide tunes or authentic Blind Boy Fuller, etc. Or on a twelve, where an old Stella, Harmony or Tonk Brothers is the "holy grail", and Gibson, both vintage and new, falls a little short. Taylor and even Martin make better 12s than Gibson (imho). (Although tuning the old ones can be even more of a b!tch than a 12 already is!). Anyway, just depends what you like. My choices are Gibson on the high end, Epiphone on the moderate end, and Alvarez in the middle. But like I said, just depends on the individual's taste.

For country-blues slide, I've never needed a cut-out. Rarely do you go higher than the twelfth-fret (a little messing around maybe on the 13/14 like the couple of little notes on "Come On In My Kitchen" etc once in awhile, or a flashy-finish thing maybe). Joined at the 13th or 13 1/2 is fine for me. Joined at the 12th, like a few old vintage guitars sometimes are, occassionally gets in the way once in a while but nothing very insurmountable, especially if you wear your slide on your pinky (like you should! j/k...my preference though). Even for regular fingerstyle, in the old country blues I don't think it's necessary. More contemporary stuff, it comes in handy sometimes, but I generally prefer to not have it because on a nice guitar the more body-volume the bigger the sound. I learned my slide basics from Fred McDowell. Mr. Fred played a Harmony, but said several times someday he was gonna own a Gibson. And he finally did.

All this stuff above is just my preference and not everyone's. And it differs between genres... if I'm gonna do "Embryonic Journey" or "Sweet Baby James" I'd rather use my Taylor, but for country-blues.........

[tapelator]

i've played this old fender acoustic guitar, it played like magic, the feel and the sound was perfect, never had an acoustic guitar so wonderful..

maybe try a fender?

[evileye]

i've played this old fender acoustic guitar, it played like magic, the feel and the sound was perfect, never had an acoustic guitar so wonderful..

maybe try a fender?

Oh god... I mean each to their own opinion, but...

[adds]

i've played this old fender acoustic guitar, it played like magic, the feel and the sound was perfect, never had an acoustic guitar so wonderful..

maybe try a fender?

Oh god... I mean each to their own opinion, but...

Oh come on mate you have to love that ply wood sound.

[dadfad]

i've played this old fender acoustic guitar, it played like magic, the feel and the sound was perfect, never had an acoustic guitar so wonderful..

maybe try a fender?

Oh god... I mean each to their own opinion, but...

Oh come on mate you have to love that ply wood sound.

Although actually I have a pretty old one that still has a solid top, American-made, around a 1979 or 80.



(Don't know if I'd call it wonderful though......)

[evileye]

The new ones are utter tripe, obviously I can't speak about the older ones. Fender acoustics are really the worst of the worst...

[HighInfidel]

Me thinks it's time i trade the ovation celebrity and squire strat for a gibson eh?

I know, i'm gonna hear it!

what ya'll think?

[evileye]

Me thinks it's time i trade the ovation celebrity and squire strat for a gibson eh?

I know, i'm gonna hear it!

what ya'll think?

Yes.

[dadfad]

I vote......hmmmm......lemmee think about it........hmmm.....er...... YES

[pimp_vince]

YES!

[cheguevara_007]

Hey B.B.-welcome to the United States of Acoustica(Dadfad is our President ). I could sit here and tell you which models to get and whatnot(which El Presidente did a fabulous job of, I must say), but Acoustica is about liberty, so I reccomend you go down to your local music store and just start noodling. You'll find the guitar you want(or should I say "She'll find you" ).