So I got permission from my wife to replace my acoustic. I have a fairly old Alverez that was never really a great guitar to begin with but when I plug it in the pickup / electronics are so bad it takes a modernly decent sound and turns into an untamable angry monster. I probably paid $400 USD for that guitar 25 years ago and it has served me well until I plug it in which I have only been doing for the past year or so. I will likely trade in though not sure I will recoup much there.
That said, I need some advice on how to buy an acoustic guitar. I have no issues buying/selling an electric guitar (I am familiar with brands, the different styles and pickups etc.) but for plug-in acoustic, I am a little lost in a sea of options. I know I can sit down and play, feel and listen to the natural sound, but how do I make sure that the electronics will do what I need when plugged in?
Couple of things I am looking for (I think):
- Under or at least close to ~$1,000 USD
- Probably dreadnaught and probably with cutaway, both of which I have now but we will see
- Not looking for any fancy woods especially the top wood or colors. “Traditional” light top and darker/dense back and sides.
- I am leaning toward something that has more than just a piezo because of my bad experience with current guitar but maybe that prices me out of a decent guitar?
Thank you in advance, most excellent forum mates!
♫⋆｡♪ ₊˚♬ ﾟ.
Hey Shawn!
My best-sounding Acoustic-Electric is a Takamine. Mine has a Koa top, back & sides but the pickup is really sweet! Checking out what Sweetwater offers I saw a bunch of choices under $1000… this one caught my eye though:
Have fun deciding!!!
Tod
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It is very personal choice, I would suggest you collect some recommendations here, but then go and try those guitars. That is the only way to know what works for you.
For me, this guitar is just perfect. I tried few other guitars (some far more expensive) but this one sounds and feels the best. It has electronics. There is a spruce variant, a bit more expensive, if you are after that look. However, I played this sapele variant, hence my recommendation.
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I have to ask, why a dreadnought? Many people find them too big and uncomfortable. Perhaps you’re fine with them and if so fair enough, but thought I’d ask
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You got a great wife Shawn.
I’ll put my 2 cent in for the only 6 string acoustic I have.
Epiphone DR-500MCE.
I will rave about the acoustic quality of this guitar. Solid sitka spruce top w/ mahogany back/side and neck best I know. It’s stunning when not plugged in. The notes seem to ring on forever and are most bell like.
As for the electric part of it. I find it ok and many of the recordings I’ve done with it are plugged directly into a audio interface. If I were to be buying it for the electric part of it I might think that there is something better. But I don’t know as I know nothing different. My DR-500 is the only 6 string acoustic I’ve had.
Disclaimer. My DR-500 seems to be a oddball. It only has one piezo pup, under the bridge. It has fishman preamp that don’t turn itself off after using the tuner. So forget to turn off the tuner and poof, the batt. is dead next time ya try to use it. Most DR-500s have 2 pups. The piezo + a surface mounted neck pup. They are stereo w/2 jacks for input. I think they have Shadow NanoMag and eSonic 2 preamp. I’ve read that this preamp is only ok. Ya might do some research on that if your interested.
I know I said some so so things about the electric part of this guitar. Myself, I play it mostly acoustic and for that I find it a real winner and I have no GAS for another 6 string acoustic since I got it 2 or 3 years ago.
These guitars are Epiphone masterbuilt and they are obsolete too. So you’d have to find one used. Got mine for $300. Think I got a good deal as they seem to run in the 4-500 dollar range. Think they were $700 + or - when it was new.
fwiw. My personal feeling is the solid sitka spruce top with all mahogany side and back is likely what makes it sing. I think.
If ya could find something else with that combo of wood, I would think it might sound similar. Just a guess though.
Good luck in your hunt and have fun in your search.
That is what I have now and I am used to it and I don’t find it too large. Even, I go back and forth between Les Paul and Dreadnaught acoustic. I am just most familiar with that body style. That said, I will certainly try different body styles and see if something else it better before making decision.
Thanks!
I am aware. This part is absolutely true. That’s for the feedback on the Epiphone. I am very concerned about the sound when plugged in and the additional neck pup is kind of what I am looking for.
Oh you know you can get a stick on pickup and add that to any guitar right?
Also, if you want a good acoustic sound you’re better off with a mic
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Hey Rob,
I own 2 Seagulls (an Artist model in mahogany & cedar & a n S6 12 string). I like them both a lot! I’ve sat with one of the PRS A50 Angeles models before & of the 3 you’ve posted, it is probably the outstanding value. Didn’t play it “plugged in” though, as I wasn’t really considering purchasing at the time. I’ve never “connected” with a Guild… I’ve wanted to because of the look & sound but it just wasn’t there in the “feel” category for me.
Tod
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Yeah from a sound and feel pov this is all a punt as it depend on @Svoisine and what they like
Yeah I don’t really have the option for a Mic and I am not recording. It is live performance so I don’t need that level of quality, but just better sound than I am getting currently.
I did see that PRS and my ears perked up a bit. I will definitely see if I can try that out. I do appreciate all the feedback. It is sometimes a question of I don’t know what questions to ask Even though I know it will be down to my preferred sound and feel.
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I would go to a guitar shop and tried out every guitar in my budget, plugged and unplugged.
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fyi,
The DR-500mce I have seems to be a oddball w/one pup. I can’t even hardly find any info on the www on my version of this guitar. I think it may have been the very end of run of this model. I really don’t know.
If ya find yourself further interested in it I think there is at least one or 2 folks here on this forum that have this guitar. I’d assume they have the 2 pup version so maybe they can let you in on how they feel about it. Maybe ask a new question about this specific guitar in a different thread? For sure there are many youtubes on it.
It really is a beautiful sounding guitar.
Here’s a video of my doing Dear Prudence on it. I’m plugged in. I went through a tremolo pedal then to the audio interface.
Again, I got the one pup version, but most are 2 pup.
I really do love this guitar. I got pretty fair elec. guitars and amps (worthy of playing anyways). This guitar gets about 40% play time. More in the summer when I’m jammin on my back stoop.
It (this guitar) was what I needed!
fwiw, this guitar is a import. Best I read they either come from China or Indonisa. I believe mine to be indonisan. Best way to tell the difference is the cutaway is more flat on the china version (cutaway comes straight down) compared to the more rounded cut (kinda comes back forward instead of straight down) out ya see on mine. There are other ways to tell too. Other ways that I can’t think of as I didn’t book mark the info I read on it. grrr. Back to google it. Sorry I got no links on it.
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I’ve never played a PRS but their acoustics seem well rated and sound great, worth a shot
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The “in my budget” part is pretty critical here as far as I think.
I was shopping for a 12 string a few years back & the shop I was at only had 5 or 6. I think three were under $750 which I’d told myself was the ABSOLUTE MOST I could afford to pay. So, I played all three several times but didn’t really bond with any of them… then, “just for fun”, played a Martin that as I recall was about $1600 - more than TWICE my budget. It was so much sweeter than the others… but I knew that there was no way to justify that much money. I went home without a new 12 string that day - but the next day, my wife surprised me with one of the ones that I’d played the day before… the sales guy remembered what he’d shown me. I was really excited that she’d done that but ended up returning the guitar by the weekend… the Martin had spoiled me a bit.
Moral of the story - which I’ve adhered to any time I’m looking to purchase something - don’t even pick up the model you can’t afford… it makes “settling” on what you can afford that much more difficult!
Tod
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I went to the store yesterday and tried a bunch of acoustics, just for research and I got to try the PRS. To my hands and ears, the PRS (which was I was excited to try) felt and sounded kind of cheap. I was not impressed. I tried a Martin D10e and Taylor 210ce and 214ce and a used Yamaha red label (didnt get the model #) all of which about the same price range and the PRS did not even feel in the same class to me. The tone just was not there. That said, I did learn a lot on my trip to the store, which I had not been to in a hot minute. Probably take a couple more trips with some additional research on what I find.
To me the front runners for my price range were the Taylor’s and the Martin. I was not interested in Taylor before (too popular for my taste) but also they sounded so nice for the price.
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