Egnater friends! Please help me choose an acoustic!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kiteboarder
  • Start date Start date
Yes, I totally agree with the points made about not wanting to have an acoustic that plays like an electric...if the strings are so low that everything buzzes, it defeats the whole point of the acoustic.

But I do think the default string height that new Martins ship with is, for most players, a bit on the high side. You can take it down just a bit to make it more playable (ie more like a Taylor) but without sacrificing the tone and sustain.

Another option is that lot of guys will have a second or third saddle made...nice thing about that is each saddle can be a slightly different height to accommodate for different playing styles as well as seasonal changes in temperature/humidity that may affect the guitar.
 
Good point!

I just contacted someone who is selling a Martin on Craigslist. He almost begged me not to buy a Taylor even if I didn't buy his Martin. Some people are really loyal to brands!
 
Guys! I need a final piece of advice. I'm headed to the shop with my wife in a few minutes...

I don't think I'm ready to spend $1,600 on an acoustic at the moment. I'm really busy with the band, and there are way too many other things I need to buy for the project...

So, having said that, I still need an acoustic for some songs and recordings. Is it worth going with an entry level Martin such as the DX1 or DCX1E with the plan of eventually changing it in the near future? I mean, you guys know very well that once a guitar is recorded, mix and compressed, almost no one can tell the difference. What do you think? If I go with the entry-level one am I going to regret it? It could be fully acoustic too. I have a good condenser I could use to record it.

-Danny
 
OK guys... I finished my research and put everything into perspective... Here are the results...

So I went to GC with my wife (who's my singer and has a golden ear). I figured I should take her along to help me compare. With a fresh ear I went back to the Taylors I had tried a few days before. I started with the 214CE that I had liked the first time around. I wasn't impressed, it sounded a lot thinner this time. So then I tried the 414CE. There we go! Much better. So, then I figured I'd try the 314CE. Good. But the 414CE is clearly better. Actually... much better.

Now, I had been thinking. I'm working very hard to get my new band going. I need lots of cash for that right now. Do I really need a $1700 guitar. So I decided to really give the lower end guitars a chance. I new I didn't like the sound of the anything Taylor under 300 series. So... Let's check out the Martins...

Let me start of by saying that the one I preferred the most in terms of sound was the XC1T Ellipse ($900) and then the DC-16GTE Premium ($1400). But I don't like the top of the Ellipse. Seems too delicate.

So, that's when I decided to really pay some serious attention to the DX1. Yeah, I know. It's the $500 model. But, I was REALLY impressed! Guys, this guitar sounds awesome. I don't care what anybody says. Made in Mexico. Yes, I know. HPL, who cares? I'm sure it's more stable to climate changes anyway! For $500!! No-brainer!!

Here's what my wife and I noticed. I compared the DX1 to DC-16GTE Premium and the Taylor 414 and we found that the DX1 lacks some of the very faint and sweet harmonics that the other 2 guitars have. But, what's left is a very solid and deep fundamental tone that is extremely pleasing. We we back and forth, and the back a forth again between guitars and decided that it's absolutely great. Yes, the more expensive ones have very distinct and unique harmonics and tone, but guys, for $500 the DX1 can't be beat.

So in perspective, in our recordings there's no way anybody will be able to tell the difference. Plus, for live playing, well, unless it's a perfect acoustic room where everyone is quiet, no one will be any wiser. And, guess what? If I go for this one I'll have $1000 left for some mics that I need, an audio interface, the violinist I need to hire for one of my new songs, etc. etc. Also remember, I need to feed the drums too. I could possibly have even cooler guitar gear if I didn't have to maintain my drumming side as well.

So, what did I end up doing? Well, I decided wanted a DX1 with a cutaway with no electronics (I would add those in later - thanks to the suggestion of some good forum members). But guess what? Martin doesn't make it! They make the DCX1E which is essentially the exact same guitar but with a cutaway and a simple Fishman Classic 4. I would've preferred it with no electronics, but the cutaway is kind of important for me and my style of playing. I compared them both (DX1 and DCX1E) and they sounded almost the same. The DCX1E given the cutaway and the electronics inside, in theory has less air space, but the difference in tone is negligible. The DCX1E is $200 more, but I've got it inside my shopping cart right now, with a 20% off for the holiday weekend. That's $560!

When I have more money to spare I'll be happy to go spend $2000 on an acoustic. Right now, I need to stretch it in order to do more. I'm happy with this deal.

Comments appreciated...!

Regards, Danny
 
Danny, if you are happy then anything we say completely doesnt matter! Enjoy it!
 
To give this thread some closure... I'm posting some pics.

Quick note: A few things changed while I was getting ready to purchase the DCX1E. I was looking on Craigslist and found a DM a great price. So I went to see it. I plays and sounds very similar to the DX1 and DCX1E. No electronics or cutout though. But it's USA made on laminated mahogany at the back instead of HPL. The neck is solid, not laminate.

The bottom line... I paid $375 for it! :thumbsup: With a good Martin TKL case! I did the research and I can put some pretty good electronics for about $100-$150. I'm pretty happy with the deal!

martin_1.jpg


martin_2.jpg
 
I can't say i'm an acoustic expert, but my favorite acoustic I've played has been a Larrivee, I liked it more than the equally priced martins or taylors (If I'm not mistaken it was a L-03 R or something along those lines...was about $1.2-1.6k range). If I ever get a second acoustic, i'm 90% sure it'd be a Larrivee. I've also played some excellent taylors.

Best advice is to go out and play as many as you can. Some feel better to play, some sound better, but play enough and you'll find one that both feels and plays right for you.
 
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