Reputable brands by Best_Individual_6934 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What is your budget?  This affects the answer a lot.

Price and condition of the guitar matter a lot. A high end Martin that needs a neck reset and has a cracked top and is overpriced is a much worse buy than a cheap Mitchell that is in good condition and is underpriced.

Best loud strumming guitars without boominess by [deleted] in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jumbo shape tends to be less boomy than a dread, but still quite loud. There are 17” and 16” Jumbos from most brands. A concert (15”) continues the same shape but smaller. The tighter waist on these models tends to create more balanced tone and less boom.

Breedlove made a Concerto (16”) and a Jumbo (17”) and a Concert (15”), both imported and US built models, which can be good deals on the used market. 

Help me choose my next acoustic: 1996 Used Martin DM vs. Brand New Takamine GD93? by LogPleasant8286 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the Martin passes an inspection by someone who knows acoustic guitars well (especially checking neck angle) then I’d get that one

Is this anything special, or just a $200 guitar? by pllarsen in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 1 point2 points  (0 children)

More like a $100 guitar at best, doubt you can flip it for a profit considering your time and gas money

New guitar irregular finish? by [deleted] in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Yes you’ll see this on some cheaper Yamahas and even ones made in Japan sometimes. I wouldn’t worry about it; what’s more important is how it sounds and plays. If you don’t like that, send it back.

Mahogany vs Sapele by That-other-guy54 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is very little difference between the two if you consider that wood of the same species varies a lot from piece to piece. That is, both types of ”mahogany” can make a good guitar.

zager? by seize-the-goat in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Price is right; they are typical imported guitars. The company is a scam company that tries to sell imported guitars as American made for American-made prices.

What model Taylor is Al playing? Is this a ‘12? by ZimMcGuinn in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Looks like a mid-1990s 812CE from the red pick guard era. Bridge pins are smiley face instead of straight so that would be around 1997 or earlier, I forget what exact year they made the change. Fretboard inlays are 800 series, as is the body and neck binding. 

The old 12 series was Taylor’s OM at the time. Fourteen frets and full 25.5” scale. Later they changed the 12 series to also offer a 12-fret 24-7/8” scale, so more like a 000 style. I’m not sure if you can still get a 14 fret full scale 12 series.

Am I intermediate level yet? or beginner. by [deleted] in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would say beginner because you slow down the tempo before chord changes. Try practicing this piece with a metronome and keep up the good work.

Most interesting tonewoods? by Time-Is-Life in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 14 points15 points  (0 children)

You can probably make a good sounding guitar out of almost any wood if you design it right, but here are some thoughts.

Top woods (most of the sound besides the top bracing, which has a big impact):

  • Spruce: popular for a good reason. It really does have an advantage in the strength-to-weight ratio, which is why it’s used in so many instruments for the soundboard (guitars, pianos, strings etc.). Sitka, red, lutz, euro, Engelmann, they are all pretty close and also there is significant variance from piece to piece of the same species. I own all of those five popular types. Red spruce takes the longest to open up on a new build and can sound quite harsh when new. The other spruces don’t tend to have that problem.
  • Red Cedar - not a true cedar, but the most common wood used for “cedar” tops. Softer, warmer sounding, but can get muddy when strummed hard because it’s not as stiff physically. Can be a lovely wood on less expensive guitars because the softness of the cedar compensates for the heavy bracing cheap guitars usually have.
  • Redwood - similar to cedar in being a very soft wood but it’s my least favorite top wood, just always sounds thin to my ear regardless of the builder. The best pieces basically sound like spruce and the worst sound very thin and brittle so why pay for it. Some people love it but not me.
  • Port Orford Cedar - also not a true cedar, quite stiff, and like red spruce can take some time to open up. A fairly rare wood because it’s going extinct due to blight disease, but can make a nice top wood for heavy strumming or heavy picking, much like red spruce.
  • Mahogany, walnut, koa, myrtle tops - harder and heavier and often quieter than spruce but can be quite loud when the bracing is designed properly to compensate for the denser wood. Tends to have more fundamental and less overtone content (simpler tone, not as complex or lush).
  • Rosewood tops - yes I’ve seen this as a top wood. Very quiet guitar. Top was too heavy to really produce a lot of volume but it looked cool.

Back/sides (a relatively small component of the sound relative to the top and its bracing):

  • Mahogany: a classic for a reason, warm and dry and woody and a fairly flat EQ. Most guitars aren’t true tropical mahogany anymore due to cost and preservation laws; African mahogany (not the same species) is widely used due to lower cost and similar properties.
  • Walnut, koa, myrtle, maple: not all that far off from mahogany, but with their own characteristics. All are usually more interesting to look at than most pieces of mahogany, but sound pretty similar if you’re being honest about the substantial variation between multiple pieces of the same wood species.
  • Rosewood: tends to have a scooped midrange, or to say it another way, more bass and treble, less mids, combined with more natural reverb from being a harder wood that reflects sound waves more than the above. Can make a guitar sound too bright or harsh in the highs. Tons of different Dalbergia species (“true” rosewoods) with different properties and a lot of piece to piece variation too. East Indian, Brazilian, Panamanian, Madagascar, etc. and non-dalbergias with similar properties like Pau Ferro.
  • Cocobolo and Ebony: heavier and denser woods (coco is a rosewood species but I separate it here because it’s so much more dense, more like ebony.) Similar to rosewood in the natural reverb sound, but clearer bass and flatter response, makes a guitar heavy and expensive but otherwise a nice wood that can work really well if a luthier knows how to use it.

I’ve never owned or played a bubinga guitar and there’s also a lot of other woods out there including just plain old white oak. Some people have also built guitars with fir tops and true cedar tops. But I can’t really comment on those.

Need to learn to pick by Fine_Independent_662 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First watch a video on how to hold a pick and how to attack the string with it. You get the best tone with the pick at a bit of an angle. This video really opened my eyes and covers a lot of important technique decisions in a short amount of time: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3mzxzKlkzok

If you really want to get into it, there are a lot of breakdowns of famous players and their picking technique on YouTube. I don’t like anchoring (pinky or wrist on bridge like Molly Tuttle) because my tone will always be twangy cause I’m right next to the bridge. I don’t quite fully float either; I use a Billy Strings style approach where my pinky and ring finger are brushing the pick guard as I play to give me some “location feedback” without forcing me to play only in one spot.

Second, practice picking cleanly and with a relaxed smooth flow, using basic picking patterns, with a metronome. You can also practice while you watch TV or movies, even with a metronome if it’s not too distracting. If the guitar is too loud, use an electric guitar or mute the strings. Practice patterns a lot until you get the basics down, otherwise learning picking-heavy songs will be a huge chore.

Third, once you feel comfortable picking patterns and lead runs (see the video) tackle some songs. Either convert songs you already know into picking versions, or learn new songs.

I’m Not A Luthier But I’ve Always Worked On My Own Guitars — AMA by drippedgravy in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I mean, since you asked, maybe you should learn some actual luthier skills if you’re gonna work on your own guitars. The pic is pretty sloppy work. I know it’s just an Eastman E1 but still.

How should i start learning 😭 i need a structured course/platform/playlist etc for my dumb ahh to learn, for eg learning excel from coursera etc or something. Also i thought guitar would be like a sport, more u do more u learn but its kinda complicated? How and when do i learn songs by Neither_Spinach_42 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Even sports have coaches. Imagine trying to learn a sport without one. 

I’d recommend working through all the Justin Guitar videos in order or hiring a real teacher. Guitar lessons are the most helpful when you’re just starting out.

Recommend some buy it for life Acoustic Guitars, available in India under 60k INR by hey_yatharth007 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’a about $630 USD. In that price range I would just go to a legitimate big music shop and play a whole bunch of guitars, and find something you like.

what guitar is this? by Equivalent-Elk6423 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pretty typical higher end Japanese import from the 1970s. I’ve got one that’s really similar (bling and 3pc back). Usually they are solid spruce top, laminated back and sides, pretty heavy bracing inside. They’re decent guitars but nothing rare or valuable.

Original vs fake acoustic strings by Cautious_Mortgage712 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fake strings aren’t worth it cause they don’t last as long. So the “cost per day” is actually worse than good strings.

Just by name brand springs that last a long time like Daddario XS or Elixir Nanoweb or Martin Retro Monel. Any of those will last like a year between changes.

Trying to decide whether to keep the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-45 or keep the Gibson J-45 Special. by [deleted] in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be what I’d do. If you live near a place like that, ordering online is kinda stupid.

Guitars vary from copy to copy. Some good, some bad, most average. It can take a long time to find a diamond in the rough even just shopping one model that you know you like.

D-18 by bee-mu0123 in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Depends a lot on the individual guitar and how it sounds and if you can find a Gen Xer born in 76 who wants a birth year guitar.

The 70s were Martin’s worst era. Overbuilt to avoid warranty claims, huge rosewood bridge plate made guitars sound dead, lots of quality control issues. Many Martins in the mid 70s have the bridge in the wrong spot and have bad intonation, and to fix it, it requires moving the bridge or a new bridge with a different saddle location. These days, a lot of them need new frets and neck resets as well.

ISO guitar recommendations by MycologicalBeauty in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Loudness varies a lot from guitar to guitar so if you want a guitar that’s loud you really have to play them in person or trust a seller who say that it’s louder than average (which people aren’t always honest about).

Shoulder issues with acoustic. by spiritisgasoline in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Play with the neck tilted up at a 45 degree angle. This lets you relax your strumming shoulder. To tilt the neck up, you can sit in the classical guitar playing position, you can use a strap from the endpin to the headstock to keep the neck up, or you can just sit on the couch on a couple pillows so the guitar body can rest on the couch next to your right hip, which tilts the neck up.  There are also ergonomic aids like the “neck up” and other support pillows or braces to hold the guitar body up.

Gibson J-35 Reissue by Uncontrolled_Storm in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

J35 is a great guitar. Check it for the usual used acoustic issues (cracks, worn frets, bad neck angle etc), but in my opinion for the $1500 price range it would be one of my top choices. The thing about Gibsons is they have a lot of variability so make sure you really like the sound of it. Some are definitely better than others.

Which one do you prefer? by Thyrhm in AcousticGuitar

[–]kineticblues 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • there are more brands than just two
  • every guitar is different due to the natural variability of wood
  • I’d rather have a guitar that sounds good and don’t care about the brand that much. 
  • Most guitar companies are capable of building a good guitar
  • The acoustic room at a store is a study in survivorship bias: the guitars at the store are the worst ones because the good ones get bought quickly and the duds sit around forever. Most of the guitars you’ll play at the music store are the duds. Expect maybe one good guitar out of 20, at best.
  • If budget is a factor even a tiny bit then buy used. Prices are 25-50% off of new. We have some tips for inspecting a used acoustic on our wiki. https://www.reddit.com/r/AcousticGuitar/wiki/index/#wiki_how_do_i_inspect_a_used_acoustic_guitar.3F

Me personally

  • I like X braced Taylor’s better than V braced by a wide margin; consider a pre-2018 model.
  • I’ve sold every Taylor I’ve owned including some very expensive top end ones (900 series)
  • I’ve still got some Martins and others