What's your idea of a dream acoustic guitar...and which guitar has come the closest so far?

[dreadnut]

Probably the F312.

Yeah, that's another one on my bucket list...

 

[dreadnut]

Here's one of the sweetest acoustics I've ever played, The Taylor "Koi" model. Elderly had one displayed inside a glass case for quite a while, then once when I went there they had it out on the rack in the acoustic room.

I might say this is the finest guitar I've ever played. Not only is it beautiful to look at, it sounded like a choir of heavenly angels. A bit out of my price range though.

 

[Westerly Wood]

yeah Dread, the Taylor 610 is a fantastic acoustic guitar. Their necks are sublime, and while this is a suped up model of a 610, that is a dread I gas'd for a long time. Not this particular Taylor but a 610 regardless, now it must be called a DN6. Spruce topped, Maple b/s all solid wood dreadnaught.

 

[spoox]

Hmm...for non-resophonics my '65 F212...for electrics my '67 Starfire XII
both surprised me the first time I played them: "Where have you been all my life?"
for resos, my 12 string Dobro that David Flood, John Dopyera's apprentice made me in "75

Oh, wait...this isn't just about 12 strings...?!
I guess for a 6 string acoustic it would have to be my '56 F20(s) with the DeArmond PU...it's my main songwriting guitar.

 

[Rayk]

My idea of a dream guitar was pretty straightforward. I listened to a ton of solo acoustic players while researching different types of wood. Anyway after listening to lots of songs I started to separate the ones I like but not for the song itself but the tone of the guitar.

I’d research info about the guitars or speak directly with the player to talk about the guitars build .

And so it went . Once I had gathered enough info I found two guys that had really great tone . Then there it was a combination of a sort between the two then went for it . I have my dream guitar and I’m totally satisfied. I supplied the top and my luthier did the rest .

 

[Westerly Wood]

My idea of a dream guitar was pretty straightforward. I listened to a ton of solo acoustic players while researching different types of wood. Anyway after listening to lots of songs I started to separate the ones I like but not for the song itself but the tone of the guitar.

I’d research info about the guitars or speak directly with the player to talk about the guitars build .

And so it went . Once I had gathered enough info I found two guys that had really great tone . Then there it was a combination of a sort between the two then went for it . I have my dream guitar and I’m totally satisfied. I supplied the top and my luthier did the rest .

who were the two artists whose tone you really liked?

 

[Rayk]

who were the two artists whose tone you really liked?

Um ... one guy I can’t remember met him on AGF he had a custom build African black wood B&S with lucky strike red wood top so same woods as my guitar . I’d have to dig to find out his name again .

The other is Fred and yes I forgot his last name . Lol he’s playing a Doerr Lucky strike red wood with Cocobolo B@S

here’s a track .

"FRETFUL"

A different type of tune for me.........lots of single notes, which were a challenge for the Phrasing, tone, dynamics all at play in trying to do justice to the song. "Fretful" (slight play on words w

soundcloud.app.goo.gl

 

[F30]

An M40 that sounds like a J50...
Sorry couldn't resist...you said "dream guitar"

 

[dreadnut]

My '81 F512 had the biggest sound of any guitar I've owned, but it caused me pain in my fretting hand. It sounded like a Steinway piano though, I've never heard another guitar with that kind of big presence other than an F412.

But I need to stick to 6 strings to play comfortably and achieve my desired tone.

 

[Neal]

I found mine. 1949 J-50.

 

[PAPADON]

Of all the acoustics I've owned and loved over the past 50+ years which include Guild, Martin and Taylor oddly enough this is the one that has been my all time favorite since the day I got it back in the early 80's in trade for a beat up old piano.

1980 made in Japan Sigma D10 Anniversary

 

[wileypickett]

Well, since my '84 D64 was the only acoustic I played for 30+ years, I guess it was my dream guitar. Until shoulder issues caused me to sell it (to LTGer wileypickett). So now my '11 F-30RCE is my dream guitar, it's the only acoustic I'm playing. It's easy to fulfill your dreams if you don't ask for too much.

walrus

Hey Walrus!, Your D64 gets played ALL the time! It’s my second favorite Guild dreadnaught and I own a dozen, and have owned and sold a dozen more.

My favorite is my Brazilian backed D50. Considering the D64 has maple back and sides (flat back, not arched) it’s surprising how similar they sound.

My DV72 is right up there, but having just A/B’d it against the D50 and D64, IMO it’s eclipsed by both.

Just to let you know it’s not being ignored!

Glenn

 

[bobouz]

In 1975 I played a Gibson Heritage Deluxe in a shop in Eugene. Can't remember the price but it was perfect! Walked out and never saw it again. The stuff dreams are made of.

Ha - That’s right about the time I bought a Gibson Heritage in Eugene, I kid you not! Still have some old Polaroid pics of it around here somewhere, and it was a very nice guitar. But to answer the question as of today, my new best friend is a 2012 Gibson J-185 (next to my second best friend, a 2015 Gibson J-50):

 

[ezstrummer]

Love that 185...….

 

[Westerly Wood]

I found mine. 1949 J-50.

wow, a 1949 Neal. These are basically J45s right but with a non burst top?

 

[millrat]

Ha - That’s right about the time I bought a Gibson Heritage in Eugene, I kid you not! Still have some old Polaroid pics of it around here somewhere, and it was a very nice guitar.

I saw it in a place called the Sun Shop just off the U of O campus. Coolest place to hang out at the time.

 

[Neal]

wow, a 1949 Neal. These are basically J45s right but with a non burst top?

Correct, Woody. Same exact guitar as the J-45, only the J-50 is natural vs. sunburst.

 

[dreadnut]

I found mine. 1949 J-50.

Where did you find that, Neal?

 

[Neal]

in a small shop in Florida. It was on consignment.

It won’t win any beauty pageants, but it is all original. I had the neck reset, and a new nut was cut that cheats the string spacing out to 1 1/2”, without the E and e strings slipping off of the fretboard. Much more playable for me now. It is a beast.

 

[Br1ck]

The 1939 J 35 I played by mistake one day in the vintage room at Sylvan Guitars in Santa Cruz.By mistake, I mean it was just another old beat up guitar. Only later did I realize it had been taken out of the glass case and not put back. I stay away from the behind the glass stuff, but I picked it up and started playing it. Then I looked at the tag. It was the best guitar I've played so far, by far.

So I started looking for that sound in a more affordable price range. No modern Gibson got there except for the J 45 vintage. I reasoned if I were going to spend four grand, I should shop the used Gibson market, so it was back to Sylvan and they had four 60s J 45s that day. Like hitting the mother lode, except only one was a satisfying guitar. Disappointing, but then I looked at the second tier wall with the more oddball older guitars, and there was an old Epiphone with what I thought was the ugliest sunburst I'd ever seen. I pulled it off the wall, and when I next looked up, it was two hours later. I went and had lunch and found the asking price was absolutely top dollar. I went back to play it again, and another hour and a half flew by. I walked across the street to a bank and got cash.

It was a 65 Epiphone Texan. I can not begin to describe the tone other than to say many wouldn't like it, especially if your ideal is a rosewood dread. And I won't apologize for the adjustable bridge and ceramic saddle, or the 1 5/8 nut. The longer scale delivers a bright, forward tone a J 45 can't provide. But the 39 J 35 will haunt me. But a bird in the hand.....