[smokiee]

hi all guitar freaks (thats a compliment ok hehe),

last night i was reading an interview with miss Michelle Branch (cute girl) of an old copy of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

in the interview she said that she uses a Taylor 614ce as her main guitar when performing. obviously its a great piece of equipment. then she said she has a vintage Gibson Hummingbird (forgot what year) for writing songs and playing around (i think she uses a Martin too). In short the Taylor is her on stage guitar and the Hummingbird is her song writing guitar cos its more intimate and absorbing (i think she said that lol).

well if you guys have any opinions about $500 guitar use exclusively for personal/in-house playing (no pickup)... which should I consider? originally I wanted to buy a Taylor but after reading miss Branch's interview I started thinking cos I'll be playing at home with friends etc but still want a quality acoustic to write songs with.

or maybe you guys will say that its the same, you can get a guitar that perform well both plugged/onstage and unplugged/inhome. or maybe there's a fine (or fat) line between those two playing conditions?

sorry for the long message hope u guys can give your opinion.. thanks guys.

[dadfad]

I understand where she's coming from. The Taylor has superior electronics for the convenience of being able to plug in when on stage, if that's what one wants to do. And a vintage Hummingbird is a great guitar and (i/m/o) nothing sounds warmer or has the potential for explosive power when needed than vintage Gibsons.

The $500 level is at the point where it will buy a pretty nice guitar but not enough for a vintage (or even new) Gibson. In that range you might want to try out an Alvarez AJ-60. My son bought me one for Father's Day a few years ago. I was surprised at how well it was made, and was extremely playable and nice tones. It's not super-powerful (compared to vintage Gibsons anyway, although it is stronger than my Taylor JC (which is a 9-series) un-plugged. The AJ-60 also comes in a model that has pretty decent on-board electronics. Generally speaking, most non-electronic acoustic guitars are stronger acoustically than one with on-board electronics when played un-plugged.

The AJ-60

[jimbomonkeypie]

I have an old Cort acoustic which I use for songwriting; really easy to play, only cost around $350, and sounds superb with a fresh set of Elixirs on it. However, when plugged in it's quite horrible, so I usually gig with my electric or a friend's Maton acoustic.

It's all about what you feel comfortable with; in my experience the best guitars to write songs on are guitars which make you excited to play - not sexually, of course, but I mean the types of guitars which sound so good and are so much fun to play that the music just seems to come out of the both of you.


I could say "Get a Maton CW80", but the guitar might not attract you at all. So I'd recommend going to your local store and just having a good go on all of the acoustics there and see what is the most fun to play. Don't look at the price tags or even the brands, they're just noise that prevents you from making the right decision. If the guitar's right for you, you'll be able to feel it when you play it.



That's the way I'd go about it, anyway, but I'm sure there are many who'll disagree with me. Oh well, as long as you're able to make good music with it then who cares!

[jimbomonkeypie]

Yeah Takamine are very good in the mid range market, if you have to look for a certain brand I'd recommend them.

[smokiee]

thanks guys for the insight... the hummingbird's a great guitar but as you said it its not in my price range.. guess i'll keep saving then hehee.. a vintage hummingbird would be great...

so now.. just keep on playing untill I find the right one.. (its like looking for a wife innit?)..

cheers...

[ninjato]

I'm a Taylor freak. I sold almost all my midline acoustics and replaced them w/ Jumbo Taylors. I just love the way a Taylor rings.

Michelle Branch was exclusively Taylor (a red 614CE w/ ES system) until she wanted Taylor to "give" her a new guitar. Taylor doesn't give guitars away for endorsement purposes. They don't care who you are. You are paying the same price as anyone else. Michelle got pissed at that and went to Gibson who "gave" her a guitar for endorsement purposes because she believed her star quality deserved it.

Everything else she said is BS about what guitar she uses to write and perform with. It's all publicity speak.

This post has been edited by ninjato: 24 April 2006 - 12:30 PM

[dadfad]

I'm a Taylor freak. I sold almost all my midline acoustics and replaced them w/ Jumbo Taylors. I just love the way a Taylor rings.

Michelle Branch was exclusively Taylor (a red 614CE w/ ES system) until she wanted Taylor to "give" her a new guitar. Taylor doesn't give guitars away for endorsement purposes. They don't care who you are. You are paying the same price as anyone else. Michelle got pissed at that and went to Gibson who "gave" her a guitar for endorsement purposes because she believed her star quality deserved it.

Everything else she said is BS about what guitar she uses to write and perform with. It's all publicity speak.

I'm pretty sure Taylor give signature models to the artists who design them with them.

There is a difference between Taylor's endorsement artists and their signature artists (those who actually have a model-line with their name on it designed to their specifications). Taylor artists as Taylor calls them, are made up of both groups, endorsement-artists and signature-series artists. Both groups are repaid for endorsing Taylor by being given publicity by Taylor (for example in ads, at Taylor-sponsored workshops, etc). But the signature-artists may also recieve one (or more) free guitars. I was given a Taylor John Cephas Model (basically a 9-series with modifications) by John who recieved several first-issue guitars as part of his compensation-package from Taylor. A compensation-package can be negotiated in any of several different ways. Another part of his package is a lifetime ability to buy any Taylor guitar at factory-cost (a savings of over 50%).

I've heard that said about Branch and Taylor before as well. Sounds like her hat-size got a little out of control. Many years earlier (maybe twenty-five or thirty years) when I'd first met John Cephas and was trying to learn from him at his farm in Virginia, during a break I'd commented how great his stuff was. I said kiddingly "Hell, John, they'll probably even name a guitar after you someday!" (There had just been a Clapton-something-or-other issued). Country-blues had very few people playing or listening to them back then. The genre was almost dead. John laughed "Hahahahaha!!! Yeah, a John Cephas model gee-tah!!! Hohoho!!! Yeah, right! And I'll be sure to send you one, Johnny, just as soon as they do! Hahahaha..." One day a couple of years ago, a UPS truck pulled up and delivered a package. Numbered and signed on the label by John and Bob Taylor, and personalized to me on the soundboard.

http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!F0!7A!7E95A955A3C8/dadfad/THEDADFADGUITARPAGE/media/captureD4.jpg http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!F0!7A!7E95A955A3C8/dadfad/THEDADFADGUITARPAGE/media/captureD5.jpg

[ninjato]

I've heard that said about Branch and Taylor before as well. Sounds like her hat-size got a little out of control. Many years earlier (maybe twenty-five or thirty years) when I'd first met John Cephas and was trying to learn from him at his farm in Virginia, during a break I'd commented how great his stuff was. I said kiddingly "Hell, John, they'll probably even name a guitar after you someday!" (There had just been a Clapton-something-or-other issued). Country-blues had very few people playing or listening to them back then. The genre was almost dead. John laughed "Hahahahaha!!! Yeah, a John Cephas model gee-tah!!! Hohoho!!! Yeah, right! And I'll be sure to send you one, Johnny, just as soon as they do! Hahahaha..." One day a couple of years ago, a UPS truck pulled up and delivered a package. Numbered and signed on the label by John and Bob Taylor, and personalized to me on the soundboard.

http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!F0!7A!7E95A955A3C8/dadfad/THEDADFADGUITARPAGE/media/captureD4.jpg http://community-2.webtv.net/@HH!F0!7A!7E95A955A3C8/dadfad/THEDADFADGUITARPAGE/media/captureD5.jpg

Too cool!!!!