[matt_theripper]

I'm getting more and more into my acoustic playing lately, and am actually starting lessons on Wednesday from a very good and very well know local musician that does a lot of acoustic stuff. I'll be working on a bit of everything with him, but the main things I want to focus on are old time Country-Blues, Folk (specifically finger picking) and Bluegrass.

I'd like to get a guitar to compliment my current acoustic (An Alverez Regent Dreadnaught with a ceder top). The current guitar is great for open chording and some finger picking, but the tone is a little bit too dark for what I like. I do use 13s on it, so I'm not sure if that would have anything to do with it or not. I need something a bit brighter in sound. I'm thinking I'm going to have a budget of around 600 or so, but I wouldn't complain at spending less than that.

So basically, for a brighter tone, what should I be looking for in terms of top wood, body style and brand? I like Seagulls and I like Alvarez. Ideally I would love to get a nice Gibson, but I definately can't afford that at all.

Ideally, I'd like one that has electronics in it, just for the convenience.

I'll be looking around for the next couple months, but I need a place to start, so let me know what you think.

[The_buffalo]

What strings are you using? Have you tried 80/20 bronze?

[matt_theripper]

I only play Dean Markley Vintage Bronze 13s on that guitar.

[dadfad]

I can recommend quite a few but mostly more expensive than I think you want to spend. You said you like Alvarez. You might want to look at their AJ-60. I have one, given to me by my son for Father's Day a couple of years ago. (My son, who is not very guitar-knowledgeable, when he got his first good job out of school, bought it for me because he said he felt bad for me because all of my guitars were old ones. ) I was surprised by how well-made and good-sounding it was for the money. And they really are pretty nice looking guitars too.

Alvarez AJ60 Artist Series Jumbo Acoustic Guitar - AJ60

Artist Series
The Alvarez Artist Series offers solid tops and a choice of colors black and blonde. Look for bound fingerboards and headstocks, nickel hardware and exquisite white pearl inlay. The AJ60 is also available in black.
-Specifications
Body Style Jumbo
Back/Sides Maple
Top Solid Engelmann Spruce
Finish Natural-Blonde or Black
Rosette White Pearl
Body Binding White/Black Multi-ply
Fingerboard Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay 12th Fret Diagonal
Tuning Machines Nickel
Bridge Rosewood

My son over-payed about $650 for it, but you can find them easily in the $500ish or less range. They also come with on-board electronics. Anyway, it plays and sounds nice. It's not some $3000 jumbo, but a pretty good buy for the money. The solid spruce top gives it more brightness (which, if using on-board electronics doesn't really make much difference, most of the sound being determined by the electronics). It's now two or three years old with no structural or action problems. I'm sure there are several other good ones in that range by different companies, but that's one I'm pretty familiar with.

[ninjato]

I can recommend quite a few but mostly more expensive than I think you want to spend. You said you like Alvarez. You might want to look at their AJ-60. I have one, given to me by my son for Father's Day a couple of years ago. (My son, who is not very guitar-knowledgeable, when he got his first good job out of school, bought it for me because he said he felt bad for me because all of my guitars were old ones. ) I was surprised by how well-made and good-sounding it was for the money. And they really are pretty nice looking guitars too.


My son over-payed about $650 for it, but you can find them easily in the $500ish or less range. They also come with on-board electronics. Anyway, it plays and sounds nice. It's not some $3000 jumbo, but a pretty good buy for the money. The solid spruce top gives it more brightness (which, if using on-board electronics doesn't really make much difference, most of the sound being determined by the electronics). It's now two or three years old with no structural or action problems. I'm sure there are several other good ones in that range by different companies, but that's one I'm pretty familiar with.

I hope you didn't tell him he got ripped off. That was a thoughtful thing he did.

This post has been edited by ninjato: 17 October 2006 - 11:00 AM

[matt_theripper]

Thanks John. I'll give that a look. Unfortunately the shop here doesn't do much Alvarez, but there is a shop a few hours a way that does. I'll check and see if they have one next time I'm that direction.

I'd eventually like to get myself a Gibson J-45. I play one at the Gibson Factory Show room every time I'm in there and I love the feel and the sound. Such a nice guitar.

[an epidemic of the mannequins]

its all up to you really different brands sound different you might check out ovation guitars they seem to have a bright soundd and i know you can get electronics in them

[matt_theripper]

its all up to you really different brands sound different you might check out ovation guitars they seem to have a bright soundd and i know you can get electronics in them

I'm not a fan of ovations at all. They sound flat to me when unplugged. At least thier models within my price range do. I usually play unplugged, but like having the electronics so I can use it if I need to.

[dadfad]

I can recommend quite a few but mostly more expensive than I think you want to spend. You said you like Alvarez. You might want to look at their AJ-60. I have one, given to me by my son for Father's Day a couple of years ago. (My son, who is not very guitar-knowledgeable, when he got his first good job out of school, bought it for me because he said he felt bad for me because all of my guitars were old ones. ) I was surprised by how well-made and good-sounding it was for the money. And they really are pretty nice looking guitars too.


My son over-payed about $650 for it, but you can find them easily in the $500ish or less range. They also come with on-board electronics. Anyway, it plays and sounds nice. It's not some $3000 jumbo, but a pretty good buy for the money. The solid spruce top gives it more brightness (which, if using on-board electronics doesn't really make much difference, most of the sound being determined by the electronics). It's now two or three years old with no structural or action problems. I'm sure there are several other good ones in that range by different companies, but that's one I'm pretty familiar with.

I hope you didn't tell him he got ripped off. That was a thoughtful thing he did.

Not at all. I fawned over it, saying how great it was and thanked him over and over. My daughter, who has been playing since she was five or six, gigging at fourteen, music-minor at Oxford University, etc, who knows guitars (and is a bit of a music-snob) (picked that up at Oxford too!) smirked and started to roll her eyes when he said that. A good swift kick under the table and a dirty sideways look took care of that. That guitar means more to me than guitars I own worth ten times that amount. And as I mentioned, it actually is a pretty good guitar and, cosmetically, extremely nice which is probably what caught my son's eye in the first place when he went shopping for one. I try to make it a point to be playing that guitar whenever I know he'll be stopping by.

[matt_theripper]

Alvarez makes really good guitars in the middle of the road price range. I love the one that I have currently and wouldn't give it up for anything. Whenever I know someone who is looking for a beginner or intermediate acoustic guitar, I recommend an Alvarez RD like mine. My younger brother has one in Mahogany.

[kooldood1]

This is the model Alvarez that i own and its an awesome guitar. I love how it has the option to add an internal condenser mic (ill be getting one soon) to mix with the peizo. I also think its got a nice unplugged sound and its also a nice looking guitar. Its a spruce top so it will be brighter then your alvarez. Good luck with the search.

[ninjato]

Takamine G-Series aren't bad although they are just solid top guitars.

Fender has released some Masterbuilt guitars which are quite nice.

Parkwood is a newer manufacturer that puts out all wood guitars that are "affordable" compared to a Taylor or Gibson.