Best acoustic guitar for studio

[Wakena2003]

hi,

I'm looking for all pourposes acoustic guitar for upgrade my recording studio guitars. My budget is about 1000$. What do you advice me?

Larrivee? Taylor? Takamine? Washburn?

What about buying an Line 6 Variax?

[stevetothink]

For under a $1000 you can get a Martin D15 (all Mahogany) but stay clear of the laminant Martins out there these days. There is a store in NJ called Nothing New Music that still sells good guitars at good prices...unlike the major chains.

I have a Martin SP 000 series and it usually does the trick for most acoustic needs.

[bluegrasser]

I wouldn't drop that much on an acoustic guitar. Anyone's who's the least bit serious as an acoustic guitar player will have their own guitar that they like the feel and sound of. I'm extremely fussy about the feel and sound of guitars I play. And I think I'm the norm. There's no way in hell you'd catch me recording off some guitar I've never played in a studio.....

[mwagener]

Just got one of the new Parker acoustics and I absolutely love it. It has a normal pickup and a piezo pickup which can be blended together, great sounding guitar IMHO.

Parker Acoustics

[dlmorley]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Just got one of the new Parker acoustics and I absolutely love it. It has a normal pickup and a piezo pickup which can be blended together, great sounding guitar IMHO.

Parker Acoustics

Interesting! Looks a bit weird, but I like Parker.
How is the actual acoustic sound and would my hate of piezos be tamed??

[damien]

You're just talking about "steel string folk guitar".But you could also buy a nylon one.

I always play new soul songs with acoustic guitars.
2 nylon /classics guitars:
- Di giorgio author
- Giannini guitar AWN31

1steel guitar:
- Godin Multiac Series Steel Duet


I love them all.

The 2 nylon acoustic guitars are incredibly naturaly warm and precise. It always sound like bossa nova guitars.

The steel one is the perfect one for soul music and ballads because I don't like the martin sound with bright hi's that much.
With the godin it's smooth and very well balanced. Godin's are really really good.
You should try and buy one in second hand. It's about 950€

[sdelsolray]

Larrivee OM-05 or L-05.

[bluegrasser]

Well....

If you absolutely insist on getting a high-end acoustic guitar for your studio. Get a Martin D-18. Some people complain that the low end on Martin's make them difficult to record. That is less true of a D-18 which, of course, has brighter/sweeter voice than it's big bad brother........the D-28.

[A440]

I'd say a used Larrivee OM-09. They go for around $1000. It's a really well balanced guitar, great playability, good woods. Records brilliantly.

[Musiclab]

the problem with Larivees is they are a little mid scooped. Find a OOO sized guitar or Jumbo any bigger doesnt stay focused.

[A440]

Originally Posted by Musiclab

the problem with Larivees is they are a little mid scooped. Find a OOO sized guitar or Jumbo any bigger doesnt stay focused.

A Larrivee OM is a 000 sized guitar with a 25.4" scale. I find the OM-09 to be very evenly balanced across the spectrum, not 'midscooped' at all. I agree though that the bigger sized guitars, especially the D's, are overly bassy for most recording purposes.

[Flying_Dutchman]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Just got one of the new Parker acoustics and I absolutely love it. It has a normal pickup and a piezo pickup which can be blended together, great sounding guitar IMHO.

Parker Acoustics

Parker rocks for sure!

Dont get this line 6 thing... in my opinion.

Check the guitars at your retailer... some cheap stuff can sound more amazing than you might first think off.

Building guitars is special, some gibson les paul std sound better than customs, just like the acoutic shit going around.

Let your ears tell you whats going on.

Don´t by a name, buy a guitar....

[sdelsolray]

Originally Posted by Musiclab

the problem with Larivees is they are a little mid scooped. Find a OOO sized guitar or Jumbo any bigger doesnt stay focused.

Compared to what? I find that Larrivees are more balanced, tonally, than most other guitars at its price points. You generally don't find superb midrange in acoustic guitars until you get to the high end instruments.

Keep in mind we are not talking about high end acoustic guitars here, but servicable mid level instruments. On par with, for example, an AT 4050 as far as LD mics go.

[iziphonics]

Check out Furch guitars!!
They are very comfortable to play and sound great. Really classy instruments!
http://www.furch.cz

[jmikeperkins]

Early 70's Gibson SJ and Hummingbird models (with the word Deluxe added to the name) are under $1,000 (used of course), they are great and they record well. Not yet collectable, they sell for a fraction of their 1960's versions and even less than new models of the same guitar. Listen to any of the acoustic based Rolling Stones tracks from the CD's Goat's Head Soup or Its Only Rock and Roll (like the song Angie) and you can hear Keith and Mick Taylor both playing early 70's Gibson guitars. I know Keith used an early 70's Hummingbird and you can see him play it in the promo film for Angie. I have an early 70's SJ I got off ebay for about $900 and it records as well as anything. The SJ and the Hummingbird are essentially the same guitar (with minor cosmetic differences). Some 1970's Gibson acoustics are not so good but their best models (like the SJ and Humminbird) were still very good guitars and 30+ years of aging makes them better.

J. Mike Perkins myspace.com/jmikeperkins

[Lemonart]

I like Taylors, but would stay away from them in the studio. They are QUITE crisp. Larrivee's are consistant and they can come at a good price... BUT... (and I realize this is out of the specified budget, but is worth mentioning here for others anyhow) my FAVOURITE acoustic in the studio is a Gibson Hummingbird. Consistant and beautiful every single time, tight low end, crisp but creamy in the top, and nice full mids. In a full mix you can still hear every string. In fact, Gibson acoustics in general are all AMAZING guitars.... IMO.

G

[Kiwiburger]

Consider a deep bowl Ovation. They are rare - the cheap shallow bowl ones are more popular, but the sound is compromised.

Ovations were originally designed for their acoustic properties. Somehow along the line they got a reputation as an electro-acoustic, and that nasty piezo sound has put many people right off Ovations. Don't use the pickup - record it like any other acoustic.

The fibreglass and graphite construction means they are more consistent and less vulnerable than wood guitars. They are bright - very bright - and that's their strenght. I've had some acoustics that sound great, until you go to record them.

In the '70's, anyone who was anyone was recording Ovations.

If anyone still thinks they don't like Ovations, I say: Cat Stevens, Eagles, Bread, Paul McCartney & Wings, Crowded House, etc, etc, etc

[pete murray]

for steel string i like the martin hd28. a bit above the budget but it it's worth waiting for a great instrument .a used d28 would be cheaper


Pete

[Surfkat]

For less than $1k you can find a nice used Guild acoustic with mahogany sides and back and a spruce top from the 60's or 70's. These are the most balanced sounding acoustics I have heard in the studio and in 27 years of recording I have heard (and owned) lots of different guitars.

[johnnyjellybean]

For around $1000 to $1200 you can get an early 70s Martin D-18 in goode shape but the best bang for the buck under a grand is the Blueridge BR-180 or even several other models by them. The 180 is styled after a Martin Dreadnought with D-45 appointments and has a select sitka spruce top with solid indian rosewood back and sides. They sound like a $3000 guitar. I mean they sound GREAT!
Check them out on Ebay. There's always a couple for sale.

[ToddF]

$799 for the all mahogony Martin D-15. Great balanced sound and play very well.
Todd F.

[bluegrasser]

Originally Posted by johnnyjellybean

For around $1000 to $1200 you can get an early 70s Martin D-18 in goode shape but the best bang for the buck under a grand is the Blueridge BR-180 or even several other models by them. The 180 is styled after a Martin Dreadnought with D-45 appointments and has a select sitka spruce top with solid indian rosewood back and sides. They sound like a $3000 guitar. I mean they sound GREAT!
Check them out on Ebay. There's always a couple for sale.

The Blueridge's are fantastic!! One of them has become my goto dreadnought. Forgot the model number. Like Martin's they don't all sound the same, so it's best to try them out.............

[Musiclab]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Compared to what? I find that Larrivees are more balanced, tonally, than most other guitars at its price points. You generally don't find superb midrange in acoustic guitars until you get to the high end instruments.

Keep in mind we are not talking about high end acoustic guitars here, but servicable mid level instruments. On par with, for example, an AT 4050 as far as LD mics go.

I played a DM 3 and and think it was an OM3, both of which when you stick a mic in front of it didn't really cut in a track so well. I really liked the way they play tho,
I wound up with a 10 year old NOS Taylor 412 which is more of a 000 size guitar.
Which works better than the Larivee. I think the Larivees are nice guitars I just don't think they record as well as others. I have a client who has a small Guild and a Jumbo that both sound great, and another client who has the Clapton model Martin, which is real nice.

[mds]

I'll give another nod to Larrivee. Extremely good guitars and very reasonably priced. Not as bright or midless as Taylor, in my opinion. Good players and good tone from a consistent, solid company.

Mike

[vernier]

I barrowed a junk guitar once and it ended up sounding fine.

[mrbowes]

I don't have much experience with the sound of various high-end guitars, but in general, I've always had an easier time recording smaller-bodied guitars. That said, I'd look for an 000 body. Martin, Taylor, Gibson...they all sound good; it's just a personal preference at that point.

[studjo]

I love my Larrivee for Steel string sounds - it's a special edition. There's no second one afaik

OH I love the Godin nylon string thingy pictured above - I'm currently doing a whole album centered around that guitar. Doesn't sound like a true Nylon string thingy but it has its own sound - love it.

Jo

[Rob King]

I have a Takamine 341C cutaway in my studio and it has been used on a lot of recordings. It records very very well. The thing is about acoustics, they all sound different. You might hear 6 of the same model and 1 stands out like a star, as was the case with my guitar.

[bgc]

Originally Posted by bluegrasser

The Blueridge's are fantastic!! One of them has become my goto dreadnought. Forgot the model number. Like Martin's they don't all sound the same, so it's best to try them out.............

+1

blueridge makes a great guitar for the money.

My ideal is a late 40s j45. Not quite in your range.

[studjo]

Originally Posted by Rob King

You might hear 6 of the same model and 1 stands out like a star, as was the case with my guitar.

This is absolutely true - not 2 acoustic guitars sound the same. Sometimes I think the same of e-guitars. I played loads of Fenders (same model-same year) and some sounded considerably better than others.