Help Me Find A good Acoustic Guitar For Blues.

[rezamozaffarinia]

I am planning to buy an acoustic guitar for blues.My knowledge about acoustic guitars is very limited, the only thing that i have learned from my few experiences trying out acoustic guitars is that i like the acoustic guitars with a solid,"ringing" Mid and High frequencies,i also prefer the wider fretboards near the nut.

I don't really have any specific Brand in mind,unfortunately,my budget is limited to 400 USD but i can push it to 500.

i know a lot of guys here are really experienced with acoustic guitars (TexmexMike,NBTB,Jason...to name a few),so i would appreciate any help on this,if you can recommend me a guitar or just specifications of what i should be looking for in a n acoustic guitar for blues.

Thanx:thumbsup:

[Justpickin]

Well one thing about the price range you are in Rez, there are a ton of choices. In that price range, my opinion is you have to get into a store, plan on spending some time, and sit down with the guitars. Over here, a store like Guitar Center can have 20 - 30 guitars in that range. I think it would be tough to recommend a guitar in that range, given the large selection that is available. I own two in that range, one is a Dean Exotica, Dao, it's pretty, not a bad player, but it doesn't have a bluesy sound IMO. The action is somewhat high, which makes it decent to use a slide on. The other one I have in that range, a brand of acoustic that I'm always surprised that I don't hear more on here, is a Fender......mine being a DG22SCE. It runs about 450US (a little cheaper if you haggle or look around at websites), I find this guitar to just plain sound fantastic. It's one I played at a GC, when I had about 650-700 to spend, and I couldn't find one to beat the sound or the workmanship at that range. Mine is a maple flame top, they now make them in some exotic woods, but the sunburst pictured here is pretty. It's got a nice tone quality like you are looking for, but also the bass strings resonate fantastic for those bass notes when fingerpicking. After I had this a while I actually went out and got a plush hardshell case for it, I felt this one was a keeper that I wanted around for a long time. We're not talking Martin here (I feel the best blues sounding acoustics), but we're not talkiing $2500 either. Just my opinion on the Fender, we all hear things different, what I find pleasing to the ear you may not, so like I said, get into some stores, sit down, and play.
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/781/dg22sce6gx.jpg

[TexMexMike]

Crud...I spent 45 minutes responding. Just to have my PC CRASH! OK. I'll respond again soon! But time for me to head out.

Great thread. I am sure that it will be of interest to many on the board. :rock:

[rezamozaffarinia]

thanx for the quick replay JP:thumbsup: ,in the past few weeks i have tried i think more than 20-25 fender and epiphone guitars ,and you are right ,fender acoustics can be very good, the best guitar that i have tried was sold already and it was a fender,(i am searching the fender site to find out which model it was)....

as you mentioned in that price range a lot of nice guitars are available ,i liked the SJ models from fender also,but the problem is that i cant find something in this range that sound so bluesy,i'm not experienced as i said but i think there's something about some smaller aoustics that produces a very nice mid/high range tone,it might be the wood not the size, i don't know really,

I dont think that i have tried the one that you mentioned but i will be looking for it.

[rezamozaffarinia]

thanx TexMexMike , same thing has happened to me before ,looking forward for the response.:thumbsup:

[Bytor1975]

Nothing But the Blues is who really needs to chime in on this one.

[Slowhand]

Yep, Erik can definitely help.. but be careful, before you know it you'll be walking out of the store with a Martin.. remember, I warned you!

:lol:

[nothin but the blues]

Jeez, give me some credit guys, I don't point EVERYONE in the direction of Martin.

So, anyway... yeah, your best bet would be a Martin. :lol:

Ok, where to begin... This is really all going to come down to your personal preferences, but I'll give you some information to try and help you along. So, sorry if this post gets a little long winded! :lol:

First, there is really no specific Acoustic Guitar good for Blues. You can play Blues on all them. The best thing to do in all honesty, is just pick the Acoustic Guitar you like the most in your price range, and then play the Blues on it. Although, I think I understand kind of what you mean when you say what a good "Blues" Acoustic guitar is, so I'll run with that for now.

A lot of people will tell you old Gibsons are the best for Blues, just as many people will tell you that old cheap Stella's or Kalamazoo's are the best for Blues, and of course, some will tell you that Martins, Taylors, New Gibsons, and every other brand under the sun is good for Blues. Personally, for Blues nothing touches the old Gibson L-00's in my opinion. But, they are certainly out of your price range. Old Stella's are good, and very cheap, but I'm assuming you'll want to play things other than Blues on it, and still have a nice sound, so thats probably not your best option either.

It's been mentioned a few times, and I think you said you were looking for one already, but I'll mention the Epiphone Blues Master again (and if I find one, I'll let you know). These are great little guitars, but keep in mind that if you plan on doing a lot of strumming, you may not get the sound you desire from it. These little guitars for the most part, shine best when they are fingerpicked, or when your desired tone is that of someone like Robert Johnson, or Blind Lemon. Then can sound very thin to people who are used to hearing full sized Dreadnaught bodied guitars being strummed. This goes for all the smaller bodied guitars for the most part. There are plenty that sound wonderful strummed, just not as full or bassy as a Dreadnaught. I can't recall what kind of neck this thing has, as well as the spacing at the nut, and the scale length. I'll see if I can find some specs on it, or you may already have.

Another guitar to check out in that price range, is the Martin 000-X1. I actually own one, and for the money it sounds real nice for Blues. I use it primarily for slide tunes, and it holds up very well. I think I have a sound clip of me doing a little bit of sliding on it, I'll see if I can track it down. This one does not have a 1 3/4 nut spacing however, nor does it have a short scale, or wide/thick Vintage V neck shape.

Epiphone Masterbilts are also very nice for the money. A little out of your price range for a brand new one, but they can be had on Ebay for what you are looking to spend. The 2 that I would recommend, are the EF-500R (Rosewood Back and Sides, Spruce Top) and the EF-500M (Mahogany Back and Sides, Spruce Top). The Mahogany versions will be a little less than the Rosewood versions. Both sound very good, Mahogany typically tends to give a more mellow tone. The upside about these Epiphones, is the body is 100% real wood, there is no Laminate on these guitars at all. This really makes a difference, and will make an even bigger one in terms of tone as the wood ages. The two I mentioned above have Laminate Back and Sides, durable as all hell, but certainly doesn't have the tonal qualities/properties that an all wood guitar does, and will have down the road. These 2 guitars, also have a very fat, thick V neck, and are 1 3/4 at the nut.

Yet another option (and perhaps the best in my opinion) would be to try and pick up a used Martin 000-15. They can be had at times for around $500.00. It has a solid Mahogany body all the way around, so if you don't care for the look of the little red Martins, cosmetically it may not be for you. The sound of these guitars however, is just incredible for the money (or any money honestly). They are held in high regards by the majority of Martin fanatics. They are certainly one of, if not the best bargain Martin has, bar none. They don't have a thick Vintage V neck, or 1 3/4 nut spacing, or a short scale for that matter, but are really just wonderful guitars for the money, and sound great for Blues (See Ralph Machio in the movie Crossroads :lol: )

Bytor found a new Guild that looks like it may be a nice guitar for the money as well. It actually appears to be a clone of the Epiphone EF-500 guitars. I don't recall what the model is, but I'm sure Jason can add that to this thread so you can check them out as a possibility.

If I was looking for a guitar to play the Blues in that price range, these are the guitars I would look into personally. Of course, going back to what I said at the beginning, you can play Blues on any Acoustic guitar, and it will sound good. A lot of it, as with any other style of playing, has a lot to do with you. So, you may find a guitar like the Fender posted above that suits your fancy. I prefer the smaller bodied Acoustics for Blues on a personal level.

It's crazy to think that the majority of these Blues guys were playing on the cheapest guitars around in they're day, and here we are now trying to find a guitar that comes close to the tonal qualities :lol: Gotta love it!

I'll keep my eyes, and ears pealed for anything else that grabs my attention in that price range and let you know. Let us/me know if you have any other questions during your HUNT!

Hope this helps some.

P.S. To address another of your questions I just noticed (sorry, it's 1:15am :lol: ) a smaller bodied guitar will give you in most cases a thinner, more middy, more over all balanced tone. The wood will play a big part on the specific "tone" overall, but in general all smaller bodied acoustics will have those same differences over a full sized Dreadnaught. Some small bodied guitars will also sound "boxy" which many of the older Stella's, etc sound like. This can be desirable for Blues as well, depending on what your playing.

[TexMexMike]

OK....NBTB's just stole most of my thunder. Right down to the Kalamazoo and Stella line. Though he did forget Harmony. I agree with 99.9% of what everyone has said so far.

I will add my 2 cents in the morning! :smoke:

[Grumpy Old Fool]

Personally...... I'd love to be able to get my hands on a decent old Harmony Sovereign again. I had one for years and absolutely adored it. Yes they Look Odd, Yes they weren't THAT Popular over here in the UK, but for a GREAT Fingerstyle Guitar, they sure took some beating. :thumbsup:

[rezamozaffarinia]

Thanx for the great reply Erik:thumbsup: ,


Martin 000-15 has been a guitar i wanted to get my hands on for a while now,i've seen Big Lucky Carter play one,and it sounded fantastic for blues,sounds great also when Tom Waits plays totally non-blues stuff on it,i guess ,just a great guitar for many styles,

I have never played a gibson L-00 but i found a Epiphone L-00 last week and loved the sound but it was about 800$,I'm looking for a used one, has anyone played on of these?

i'm gonna be looking for Epiphone masterbilts and 000-X1, see if i can find them here :confused: .

as for epiphone bluesmaster,i wish i could find one...

btw,this guitar is going to be for mainly fingerpicking,my 12 string gets all the strummin':) .

[Brew]

An acoustic guitar is just so much more a thing of personal choice, even more so than an electric, I find... so all of these ramblings are my own opinion. I would urge you to try out as many as you posibly can and hopefully, you will find one that you fall in love with...

In your price range, as far as New guitars are concerned, a small bodied (OOO sized) acoustic would be my first choice.

I was really impressed by the Martin OOO-X1s. That Martin feel and sound, and all for about 500 bucks new. Every time I see one hanging up in a guitar store, I try it out - and I havent found a crappy one yet.

Don't be put off by the construction materials either.

Used: difficult to say... a low end, smaller bodied Martin or the Epis, that were already mentioned... they all seem nice. Maybe even a Taylor? Some of them make for nice blues-tones... (but, NOT the "Babys"... they are just awful... IMHO)

Not much good to you, I know, but for $250, I picked up a 1967 Epiphone Caballero - which is a Kalamazoo made, all mahogany, small bodied acoustic... a warm sweet tone, which lends itself nicely to the blues. I also picked up a 67 round shouldered Gibson J45, on eBay, for $350! It has the worst refin ever, but - holy moly - what a fantastic tone.. the bargains are still out there... good luck

[Justpickin]

Brew...where can I get one of those Tree Holders pictured in your avatar?

[nothin but the blues]

Thanx for the great reply Erik:thumbsup: ,


Martin 000-15 has been a guitar i wanted to get my hands on for a while now,i've seen Big Lucky Carter play one,and it sounded fantastic for blues,sounds great also when Tom Waits plays totally non-blues stuff on it,i guess ,just a great guitar for many styles,

I have never played a gibson L-00 but i found a Epiphone L-00 last week and loved the sound but it was about 800$,I'm looking for a used one, has anyone played on of these?

i'm gonna be looking for Epiphone masterbilts and 000-X1, see if i can find them here :confused: .

as for epiphone bluesmaster,i wish i could find one...

btw,this guitar is going to be for mainly fingerpicking,my 12 string gets all the strummin':) .Your Welcome Rez :thumbsup:

I have played a few of the Epiphone L-00's. They were very nice little guitars, especially for old Blues pickin, but were a bit out of the price range. Although you right, you maybe able to find one used in your range. The Epi L-00's are much easier to find than the Blues Masters, so that may be your best bet yet in terms of Epiphones :thumbsup:

[nothin but the blues]

BTW, the BluesMaster has a 24.75" scale length, is 1 3/4 at the nut, and has a very thick, neck.

[nothin but the blues]

Hey Rez, here's a BluesMaster on the block. His price is a little steep for the condition it's in, but considering there is only about 500 in the world, who knows.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-Bluesmaster-Acoustic-Guitar_W0QQitemZ7374539184QQcategoryZ33023QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

:thumbsup:

[Cat]

Oooh NTBT I may just buy this one. Rez if you want it tell me and Ill hold off.

Cat

[Brew]

Sweet looking Epi.... I like the look of those... :)

Brew...where can I get one of those Tree Holders pictured in your avatar?
LOL! I believe that they are available at all good Garden Centres, JP....
:)

[rezamozaffarinia]

WOW! this is awesome ,the price is out of my range tho, i don't think i can top that last Bid :( , did this guy just raise it from 435 to 625? and its pobably gonna go higher.....

thanx alot Erik for keeping an eye:thumbsup:

cat , feel free to buy it:smiling s

PS.update on my situation: i have been searching for acoustic guitars here , and since there's no official Martin distributer ,i had to search the local ads , mainly on acoustic magazines, i found this ad:100+ takamine,alvarez,martin guitars in stock ,old and new (it doesnt say used and new,:confused: ) private seller, the place is far from where i live but i'm going there this afternoon ,,,who knows maybe i'm gonna come home with an acoustic .:)

[nothin but the blues]

Sweet Rez, be sure to let us know :thumbsup:

[rezamozaffarinia]

I went to an acoustic seller today ,i spent a few hours there trying different guitars, alvarez, martin , epiphone etc...

I started with the cheaper ones ,almost all the alvarez guitars sounded nice ,dk60 was my fav. for 500$,i tried a taylor which sounded awesome but went for 1.5 grand , they also had 2 different models of epiphone L-00s!!! one for 1300$ the other for 750$, its a bit strange because epiphone website mentions only one type,

it was time to go to the martin section:smoke: , there were more than 20 guitars in this section, the 1st one was a D-15 model which sounded far better than any other guitar in the shop (SO FAR :icon_bigg ...) , i also tried an EC28 model which went for a nice 3500$ which i can not even think of buying, so i didnt spend that much time with it.

then came the 000-15 , it certainly wasn't the most good looking martin in the shop but i sat down , one strum was enough ,,my oh my... the most balanced tone i have ever heard coming out of an acoustic guitar , perfectly EQed, the bass was there , the treble was there , the mids were all there it sounded umm... kinda like a bubble , perefctly round and balanced,,, i tried few more guitars that were above my budget but not 2000-3000$ either and i have to say none of them even came close to 000-15.

perhaps now i know the secret ,why some people spend so much money on Martins,,, because the sound AWESOME ,that being said the "little martins" were so bad , & the DM series which go for about 600-800$ sounded good but not "MARTIN AWESOME"...to my surprise they didnt have the 000-X model which was mentioned here:sad: .

No gibsons either , i really wanted to try the J-45 , which brew mentioned ,( i know Guy Davis plays one of those and it sounds real good).altho i doubt that anything can beat 000-15 for me, i know this might not be a totaly mature statement specially for the ones who have played higher end acoustics , but to my ears 000-15 sounded better than most of ,(well maybe all of) the guitars out there.

as of today I will be saving my money to buy a new 000-15 ,unless i find a good used gibson j-45 or 000-15 that sound as good as this one.

PS.thanx for the replies everyone , it certainly helped a lot.i owe fenderpickers one, cheers :beers:

[Jossy]

Wow, so much good info about acustics. Great thread.

BTW, i like your signature, Rez... :smoke:

Saludos.

[nothin but the blues]

Rez, did you think I would have lead you astray by telling you the Martin 000-15 would be the best of the bunch? :lol: Thanks for the review. :thumbsup:

Glad you enjoyed it my friend. You now realize why Martin enthusiasts rave about that little guitar. To me very few if any compare with the 000-15 in terms of tone, playability, quality, and certainly value. Most people have the same reaction you did when they first pick them up. I only have but one question to ask you about the 000-15... did you smell the Soundhole??? If you didn't, next time you play it, smell it. You will need to attend Soundhole Sniffers Anon. :thumbsup:

In regards to the Epiphone L-00's you saw, the more expensive one was in all likely the Jim Croce Elitist Epiphone L-00. I think the basic model is called the Epiphone EL-00.

Gibson has quite a few versions of the L-00 also. The Standard one, there was a few different Nick Lucas ones, and sometime in the early 90's (I think it was 92) they also had released a 1936 L-00 Re-issue. Hard to keep up with them all sometimes.

Hope you can grab that 000-15 soon!

[Disraeli Gears]

I have a 000-16 rgt and it is the best guitar I have ever played, very similar to the 000-15. I love this guitar- the action is just right, it has a great high end and just feels the right. I don't think that you will regret spending the extra money on this guitar. Just my 2 cents.

[rezamozaffarinia]

I only have but one question to ask you about the 000-15... did you smell the Soundhole??? If you didn't, next time you play it, smell it. You will need to attend Soundhole Sniffers Anon. :thumbsup:

actually i did, you cant miss the smell if you hold the guitar close enuff to look inside the soundhole for the paper, it's a very strong smell a very umm...sweet smell, but 000-15 wasnt the only martin who smelled good, do martins come with built-in perfume bottle:rlol: ?

[SpeckledJim]

actually i did notice a very nice smell when handling the martins at my local music store when i worked there for a week. I was polishing one of the upper range ones, i think it was £5000 on the price tag, it smelled better than any other guitar i have been in close proximaty to this day. I remember having to stop my self from taking a bite out of it just in case it was made from chocolate

[Disraeli Gears]

I can still be caught sniffing mine from time to time LOL!:drool2:

[rezamozaffarinia]

BBC had a special on sniffing a while ago, they said that Martins are the 3rd most "Sniffed" material in the world right after Glue and Panties.

[SinnerBoy]

:cracking I think ol' Sugar Lumps keeps a couple pairs of panties inside his Martin, that's why he sniffs his more than others :p :lol:

[pit_s_xroad]

Thanks guys.... wondeful thread... learned a lot... though I was not involved directly...

I am sure the next time I get hands on a 000-15 I play it.... oh no no no I smell it.... yeeeehaaaah:Loco:

sounds really interessting and it looks so straight.... actually like a bluesgeetaar somehow...

G.A.S. alarm...
PIT :drool2:

[Jossy]

:cracking I think ol' Sugar Lumps keeps a couple pairs of panties inside his Martin, that's why he sniffs his more than others :p :lol:

Oh, how sweet...our first fenderpick fetish thing... :smoke:

Saludos.

[Grumpy Old Fool]

Er......Yes, Right :drool2:
Well I'm afraid that I didn't smell the Martin D35 that I played on Wednesday, (makes mental note......) but I have to say that it left everything else in the place standing. The last time I played a Martin Dreadnaught was in 1985 when I was starting to think about replacing my much loved..but Stolen D45.
I have to say that I was hugely impressed by this guitar that I played, instant Martin "Authority" and everything just felt right. I tried a few 000s that were there and nothing really stuck out as being "The One" apart from the D35. Hmmm, quite pricey nowadays, but I really did want a Martin....so.
Got a fantastic Deal and Trade In on my Taylor 314CE and I am now the lucky owner of a Martin again after what seems like a VERY Long Time Indeed.
:drinksmil

[Cat]

Er......Yes, Right :drool2:
Well I'm afraid that I didn't smell the Martin D35 that I played on Wednesday, (makes mental note......) but I have to say that it left everything else in the place standing. The last time I played a Martin Dreadnaught was in 1985 when I was starting to think about replacing my much loved..but Stolen D45.
I have to say that I was hugely impressed by this guitar that I played, instant Martin "Authority" and everything just felt right. I tried a few 000s that were there and nothing really stuck out as being "The One" apart from the D35. Hmmm, quite pricey nowadays, but I really did want a Martin....so.
Got a fantastic Deal and Trade In on my Taylor 314CE and I am now the lucky owner of a Martin again after what seems like a VERY Long Time Indeed.
:drinksmil
Very nice pics, soundclips?

Cat

[Grumpy Old Fool]

All will follow shortly. Pics first then....Hopefully soundclips. Finally seem to have got this PC Recording Lark under some sort of control :thumbsup:

[SinnerBoy]

Nice one Rob! Does that means we'll get to hear the Rory as well :drool2:

[Bytor1975]

Reza.. did you ever get the acoustic you were looking for?

[rezamozaffarinia]

Reza.. did you ever get the acoustic you were looking for?actually i was at the shop last friday , no 000-15s here in the last 6 months, they just fly off the shelves when they arrive , i actually tried a D-15 model which i liked very much , but a little out of my price range.

as of gibson j-45 , i found 2 so far , both second hand but both went for around $2000 :mad0177: ,maybe i get lucky and find an older /cheaper j-45.

this seller is supposed to call me when 000-15s arrive ,his shop is out of town & i have a bicycle ,can't just go & check ,specially with rain & all :lol:

[TexMexMike]

actually i was at the shop last friday , no 000-15s here in the last 6 months, they just fly off the shelves when they arrive , i actually tried a D-15 model which i liked very much , but a little out of my price range.

as of gibson j-45 , i found 2 so far , both second hand but both went for around $2000 :mad0177: ,maybe i get lucky and find an older /cheaper j-45.

this seller is supposed to call me when 000-15s arrive ,his shop is out of town & i have a bicycle ,can't just go & check ,specially with rain & all :lol:


The 000-15s is a great guitar. And alot of bang for the buck! I had one for a week. Sold it to my cousin. My wife lost her job and the money pit Passport needed trany work! I felt it was better to sell and not put the needed work on a CC. I miss that box!

J-45's are wonderful INMYHOP. It is my go to guitar. Really comes alive with a good set of medium PB's on it.

Either is an excellent choice! :thumbsup: :hat-man:

[TexMexMike]

Here's one for you Rez! http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5446/dscf0396jt3.jpg

[Justpickin]

You get your hands on a Masterbuilt yet Rez?....I love mine, great blues guitar, and great if you're a finger-picker.......these things are alot of bang for the buck......believe me.....

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7673/master3jv8.jpg

[TexMexMike]

Great suggestion JP. I have played a few of them. Very impressive and whole lot of guitar for the price. A definate "Best Buy!" :hat-man:

[Bytor1975]

I am not a big fan of gig bags, but the Epi Masterbilt has by far one of the coolest stock gigbags around!

[Justpickin]

I am not a big fan of gig bags, but the Epi Masterbilt has by far one of the coolest stock gigbags around!
basically a hard/soft case, with built in hygrometer......and a very nicely built (tough) case

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6427/master2ny4.jpg

[Slowhand]

basically a hard/soft case, with built in hygrometer......and a very nicely built (tough) case

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/6427/master2ny4.jpg
and a damn nice camo chair to boot!

[Justpickin]

:lol: ...actually not my chair, those pics were taken by the guy I bought it from.......I liked his pics, so held on to them........the camo chair would work well at the camp though.......

[rezamozaffarinia]

thats a beautiful guitar mike .

Guy davis has one too

http://img.bluesalive.cz/pict/2003/guy_davis.jpg

as for epiphone masterbuilts , the only way i can get them is to prepay & order one thru the dealer , they go for about $1200 here (the RJ model) which is not cheap .
unfortunately here the instruments are much more expensive than they are in the US.
& unfortunately i'm not rich (yet that is). :rlol:

[Grumpy Old Fool]

To Update on my original Post regarding Harmony Sovereigns.
I finally found one that was in stunning condition on Fleecumbay. The "usual" problems associated with Sovereigns were all missing....which was great news as the most usual problem is that the Neck needs a Re Set.

The Sound of this thing is just downright glorious. It has a Bell Like Chime in the Midranges and the Treble and Bass are almost Piano like.

OK.....NEVER a Contender in "The Most Beautiful Guitar" Stakes by any stretch of the imagination, BUT.....it's THAT Sound that I had so wanted to get back.

Price Paid......£145 for a 1972 American Built Acoustic??

Yes You Betcha I'm happy!!! :thumbsup:

Chin Chin
Rob :hat-man:

[TexMexMike]

Wow. Sounds sweet Grumpy! Congrats on the find! :thumbsup:

Can we say PICS! :smoke:

[TexMexMike]

Thanks Rez. Now if only I looked that good! :smilewide

[BluesPicker]

Hello Everybody,

Without a doubt Martin makes a great guitar. I've been playing on a Simon and Patrick acoustic that I practically got for nothing because it had a cracked headstock. I repaired it and then did some research on Simon and Patrick. Basically mine has a Sika spruce topy, laminated cherry sides, mahogany neck and Indian rosewood fingerboard. It has a nitrocellouse finish. It sounds great and I have a Kent WC-14 vintage PuP in the sound hole. I just thought I might mention that those Canadian luthiers do excellent work. I missed an old Martin 15 right about the same time. Oh well.

[Time Pieces]

I just thought I might mention that those Canadian luthiers do excellent work.

Its true, I play an Art & Lutherie Folk Cedar, which is also owned by Godin, the parent company of S&Patrick, A&Lutherie, Seagull...a bunch of 'em..anyway. For somewhere around $250.00 (Can$) I got a solid top guitar that sounds great, and plays killer also.

Check 'em out, they are impressive IMO.

godin.com I think thats the link, you can basically see the entire family there

[Time Pieces]

http://www.godinguitars.com/


Bad link earlier, sorry.......here's the one above. Bytor has a Ami. Very nice:thumbsup:

[ldelo]

While I'd agree that Martins are the standard for blues, don't count Taylors short. However in ~$500 price range you won't find much of a Taylor.

On a more relevant note, I have an old (early 80's) Takamine F360S. It's basically a Martin clone. Solid rosewood back and sides, standard neck, nice spruce top sheet. They generally can be had for about the money we're talking (at least here in the Seattle area) and if not all wacked out (warped topsheet or neck), they are a pretty nice guitar.

YMMV...

[BluesPicker]

Hi Everybody,

I might add that my Variax 700 Acoustic is a very fine sounding guitar. The neck is great and it has a 25.5 inch scale so going back to the Strat is easy. The only problem is once the warranty goes if any of the printed circuit boards go with the cpu and all the transitors it would be hard to replace pricewise. Thats why I would hesitate to buy one second hand. You can get them for $1100-1200 maybe cheaper now and there is a version with less models. It sounds good enough amplified that I doubt seriously most people if any could tell the difference between a Variax 700 Acoustic and the real thing when both are run through amplifiers. Of course there are probably many who would disagree with me but I don't know thats just a gut feeling. Its more than what you were thinking about spending but it is something to consider.

[GeetarMonkey]

Epiphone Blues Master. These babies just scream the blues...

http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j188/GeetarMonkey/DSC_0004.jpg