anyone in this forum play acoustic guitar?

[init.6]

Thinking of getting a "nice" acoustic for my birthday this year. Something ~$1500 or less. Don't need pickups or anything.

What would you all get with that money?

I went into the shop with this exact range and walked out with a $2500 Martin less than 2 weeks ago! I did play an Eastman Dreadnought that sounded superb though. It was $1200, firmly in your range so I'd recommend giving that a shot.

The Taylor American Dream series and the new Gibson line with the sound hole feeding directly to the player were not impressive to me at all. I'd say, if you're going for something around $1500 to just bite the bullet and buy a lifetime guitar like the Gibson J-45, Martin D-18, or a 300-series Taylor (which actually might end up in that $1500 range if you buy used). If budget is a concern however, I'd honestly go way down in price and grab a BBT Taylor for around $500. They sound fantastic for that price range, imo.

 

[campilobaxter]

I went into the shop with this exact range and walked out with a $2500 Martin less than 2 weeks ago! I did play an Eastman Dreadnought that sounded superb though. It was $1200, firmly in your range so I'd recommend giving that a shot.

The Taylor American Dream series and the new Gibson line with the sound hole feeding directly to the player were not impressive to me at all. I'd say, if you're going for something around $1500 to just bite the bullet and buy a lifetime guitar like the Gibson J-45, Martin D-18, or a 300-series Taylor (which actually might end up in that $1500 range if you buy used). If budget is a concern however, I'd honestly go way down in price and grab a BBT Taylor for around $500. They sound fantastic for that price range, imo.

Great feedback!

What Martin did you end up with?

 

[init.6]

Great feedback!

What Martin did you end up with?

I did end up with the Martin D-18. A Gibson Hummingbird came in second and the Eastman came in third (over the J-45 and a ton of Taylors).

The store actually had a Martin Custom they let me try out which blew my mind but the price was a little extreme. The owner of the shop said the one I have should eventually sound as good after a few decades of playing. Pretty amazing to hear how they relic the new ones to sound like they've been played for years

 

[Kevin1951]

Epiphone Masterbilt 6 string and Epiphone El Capitan acoustic bass. Puttered around with 6 string for most of my life and moved to bass about 15 years ago. I’ve learned more about music theory, scales, etc., playing bass than I ever hoped to learn while playing 6 string guitar.

 

[notsure2]

I have played acoustic guitar for many years and have owned mostly Martins and Taylors. The first guitar i owned was a 1967 Martin Brazilian D35. However i would not trade for my more recent D28 Madagascar. Modern guitars have better construction for the most part. A true old growth Brazilian is the pinnacle of tone.
As for my advice change strings often, use guitar humidifier, use capos finger picks for best sound.

 

[T BOX]

I have a couple of guitars both electric and acoustic

 

[robrandalgz]

Thinking of getting a "nice" acoustic for my birthday this year. Something ~$1500 or less. Don't need pickups or anything.

What would you all get with that money?

Honestly, man, I'd plant my ass in the acoustic section of a good music store and just start plucking your way through the room. I went to a Guitar Center once with the same intention. I had $1000.00 in my pocket to blow. I picked up all the high end guitars first (Your usual Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, etc.). All sounded very nice. I must have spent two hours in there but I kept coming back to a Takamine. A SPECIFIC Takamine. I even picked up another one of the exact same model and it wasn't the same. It was missing a little bit of the bottom end and a timbre in the mids. I was thinking to myself that there's no way that this $400.00 guitar was outperforming that Hummingbird. But, sure enough, I there was no way I was walking out with the (to me) inferior sounding guitar. I walked out with the Takamine.

 

[campilobaxter]

Honestly, man, I'd plant my ass in the acoustic section of a good music store and just start plucking your way through the room. I went to a Guitar Center once with the same intention. I had $1000.00 in my pocket to blow. I picked up all the high end guitars first (Your usual Martins, Gibsons, Taylors, etc.). All sounded very nice. I must have spent two hours in there but I kept coming back to a Takamine. A SPECIFIC Takamine. I even picked up another one of the exact same model and it wasn't the same. It was missing a little bit of the bottom end and a timbre in the mids. I was thinking to myself that there's no way that this $400.00 guitar was outperforming that Hummingbird. But, sure enough, I there was no way I was walking out with the (to me) inferior sounding guitar. I walked out with the Takamine.

This is a great post, and one I relate to on a lower level. I once bought my wife (when she was my girlfriend) a cheap Hohner guitar from a pawnshop for $100. Just so she would have something to mess around with and learn on. 22 years later, I pick up that guitar several times a week (she hasn't touched in 21 years). I know it is not a high-quality guitar, but it has a certain sound and playability that is very pleasing to me.

 

[robrandalgz]

This is a great post, and one I relate to on a lower level. I once bought my wife (when she was my girlfriend) a cheap Honer guitar from a pawnshop for $100. Just so she would have something to mess around with and learn on. 22 years later, I pick up that guitar several times a week (she hasn't touched in 21 years). I know it is not a high-quality guitar, but it has a certain sound and playability that is very pleasing to me.

I have an old Austin acoustic that is the same way. Austin guitars are crap. But this particular one just sings.

 

[edelguy]

I have a Fender Paramount Series PM-2 Standard All-Solid Sitka Spruce/Mahogany

 

[mav52]

If you do play acoustic guitar, do you prefer Brazilian Rosewood or East Indian Rosewood for your acoustic guitar? I play my Taylor 814ce Brazilian rosewood acoustic guitar between work hours for stress relief.

I have both. I think it all depends on the bracing. I've got a 1950 Martin D28 that I have had since 1971 and a early Blueridge BR260 when they made them, a pretty correct copy of the D28 in Brazilian and they both sound so very similar. My Rosewood Martin D28 just doesn't have they deep lower register that the Brazilian model does, but the bracing is not the same. I do enjoy my acoustic guitars, but my fav acoustic is my Bourgeois Slope Shoulder D in mahogany with a bear claw figured Sitka spruce top, it just sound so good.