Favorite Guitars

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mbk734
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Favorite Guitars

Post by mbk734 »

What brand/model guitars are your favorite and why?
Also, where do you buy your guitars? I am a big fan of http://www.musiciansfriend.com with their 15% off promos and generous return policy.

Mine are:

Acoustic (steel string): Martin, Gibson, Taylor : traditional style, great quality, and sound. I love the Taylor Koa guitars and the Martin Mahogany Guitars.

Classical (nylon string): Cordoba : great sound and affordable. I would like to play a guitar made by a small scale luthier someday.

Electric: Paul Reed Smith: 24 frets, bird inlay, and great tone
Gibson ES-335: awesome look and sound. Still saving up for one though. They are pricy.
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Jack FFR1846
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Wow.....what a topic!

For me, Music Man. I have 3 now and have had a few others. I played the first prototype Albert Lee HH at a MM sponsored event at Guitar Center in Boston, then went to dinner with Sterling Ball (CEO of MM) and John Petrucci with my son and a few other MM nuts.

I also build guitars from craigslist-bought Mexican strats and telecasters. Repaint the bodies in lacquer, level and crown the frets, roll the fingerboard edges, sand and tru oil the back of the necks, new pickups, clean up the electrics, do great noise shielding and a great setup. Done a few dozen including Mark Knopfler replica and a few by order from people who bought from me before.

I've bought a few at Guitar Center, some at Music Go Round and a couple from Pete at DuBaldo Music plus lots of private party buys from craigslist, the Carvin Museum, Strat Talk forum.....

I still have a 69 Guild Studio 302 that my parents bought me new when I was 12.
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Texas Radio
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Texas Radio »

Schecter, ESP for electric
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radagast
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by radagast »

I really like the Ramirez Anos 125 classical guitar.
angelescrest
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by angelescrest »

Can't even begin to describe how many guitars I tried, including various versions of the same model as they aren't all hand crafted exactly the same, to find the right tone and action. I finally settled on a Martin HD-28, and that's been my favorite acoustic to play, although I slightly prefer listening to a D-35--I just don't care for the action on it. Not cheap, and these things are high maintenance.
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sperry8
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by sperry8 »

I am not a professional player nor do I build guitars for a living (although I did build one)... but I've found that a guitar is a very personal choice. I play them all and well... you know it when you play it. It feels good in your hands... the sound resonates with your soul. For me, I've found some amazing used guitars that are broken in and have a lovely feel for me. I don't care about the brand just the feel and sound. That said, some of the acoustics mentioned clearly are of high quality. And ever since building my own acoustic I've learned a lot about how to look for such quality when shopping for acoustic.
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bondsr4me
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by bondsr4me »

I like my Sho-Bud E-9.
Can't play it, but can make noise with it.
Gropes & Ray
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Gropes & Ray »

I have only played Martins in stores, but I would say they are unparallelled.
Rich in Michigan
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Rich in Michigan »

Have played guitar for 51 years and have played Martins for 41 of those years. There are also some great guitars made by small boutique luthiers but I am a Martin man all the way.

I rarely play electrics anymore but own a couple of Fenders. We have a couple of nice Gibsons in the family as well.

But for me, nothing does it like the instruments that come from the good folks in Nazareth, PA.
Rich in Michigan
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Rich in Michigan »

boroc7 wrote:Can't even begin to describe how many guitars I tried, including various versions of the same model as they aren't all hand crafted exactly the same, to find the right tone and action. I finally settled on a Martin HD-28, and that's been my favorite acoustic to play, although I slightly prefer listening to a D-35--I just don't care for the action on it. Not cheap, and these things are high maintenance.
Except for the occasional limited edition or custom model, you can't get much better than an HD-28 if you are a dreadnaught player (I play both D's and 000's). I have never played one that wasn't a dream. I personally prefer them to D35's.

They should not be high maintenance. Keep them humidified in dry conditions. Get them set up every now and then. Maybe swap out saddles if needed. If you have a non-adjustable neck, the Martin warranty will cover the inevitable neck reset.
angelescrest
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by angelescrest »

Rich in Michigan wrote:
boroc7 wrote:Can't even begin to describe how many guitars I tried, including various versions of the same model as they aren't all hand crafted exactly the same, to find the right tone and action. I finally settled on a Martin HD-28, and that's been my favorite acoustic to play, although I slightly prefer listening to a D-35--I just don't care for the action on it. Not cheap, and these things are high maintenance.
Except for the occasional limited edition or custom model, you can't get much better than an HD-28 if you are a dreadnaught player (I play both D's and 000's). I have never played one that wasn't a dream. I personally prefer them to D35's.

They should not be high maintenance. Keep them humidified in dry conditions. Get them set up every now and then. Maybe swap out saddles if needed. If you have a non-adjustable neck, the Martin warranty will cover the inevitable neck reset.
Thanks for the affirmation Rich. I bought that guitar at a time when I was clinically depressed. It was at the time the most expensive thing I'd ever bought, but she chased the darkness away.
BAM!
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by BAM! »

I have a US Martin & mexican Fender i've had for 20 years. Mexican Fenders are actually pretty good. I really wanted to like Taylors, but they just don't feel right. I grew up playing my dad's guilds, which are pretty awesome too.

Jack - I'd love to see a picture of some of your guitars you've rebuilt. I've always thought about doing this too.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by bhsince87 »

I'm a Rickenbacker 12 string fan. Any of them with the 60's jangle sound.

In my version of Heaven, the angels play Rickenbackers instead of harps!
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

BAM! wrote:I have a US Martin & mexican Fender i've had for 20 years. Mexican Fenders are actually pretty good. I really wanted to like Taylors, but they just don't feel right. I grew up playing my dad's guilds, which are pretty awesome too.

Jack - I'd love to see a picture of some of your guitars you've rebuilt. I've always thought about doing this too.

Feel free to roam around my photobucket......

http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Jackff ... t=3&page=1
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Mel Lindauer
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Mel Lindauer »

I've owned three over the years.
1. A Les Paul Custom Fretless Wonder
2. A Fender Stratocaster
3. A Gibson Hummingbird
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Scott62
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Scott62 »

Sweetwater.com is awesome if you are comfortable buying online. They usually have multiple photos of each actual guitar, and they assign each customer a real customer service rep. Highly recommended.

As for my guitars (and I'm just a hack), I own two 1980s-90s made in USA Peaveys, a Patriot and an Limited. I also have made a few "partscasters" and made a couple more where I made the bodies from scratch: a mahagony Jag and a poplar Tele.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by jginseattle »

Favorites.

I have two Collings. An acoustic and an electric guitar.

I also own a very nice Suhr Strat copy.
Biffer
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Biffer »

bhsince87 wrote:I'm a Rickenbacker 12 string fan. Any of them with the 60's jangle sound.

In my version of Heaven, the angels play Rickenbackers instead of harps!
Well, we know that Rickenbacker 12-string's can do eight miles high, at least. So maybe you're on to something.
Billionaire
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Billionaire »

In 1979 I bought a Guild D-40 dreadnaught acoustic, that I still own. Richie Havens played this brand/model at Woodstock. His was a few years older than mine. Anyway, I love Guilds and have been shopping for another. I want a jumbo body. Guild was bought by Cordoba and have relocated to Oxnard, CA. Ren Ferguson is VP of Manufacturing. He was previously employed by Gibson.
desiderium
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by desiderium »

Larrivee
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fire5soon
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by fire5soon »

Rickenbacker 360 jetglo. Because they sound cool, they look cool, and cool bands play them 8-)
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IPer
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by IPer »

I have been going to this little jazz club and I use my 2004 American Strat when I am there, as a matter of fact I don't own a
traditional jazz guitar so I use it most of the time. I bought a Ibanez with 24 frets recently to learn tapping but have not
used it because when I practice at home I usually do so unplugged and the sound on the strat is so good unplugged. Anyway
back at the jazz club one guy brought a Washburn that looks more like a 335/339 style and traditional. He was complaining that
the action killed him. The other night I picked it up as he was outside and decided not to use a pick with it and the band
played a few tunes. I didn't notice if the action was harder or not, the tone I got seemed very nice...I keep thinking I want an
ES-335 or one of the newer ones with the 339 neck. I also heard the tone on the axe that Kurt Rosenwinkel uses though he also
uses affects in one video he is using it clean and the tone sounds amazing. So I contacted the luthier and there is a pre deposit
and about a year or so wait and the total cost will be around double what an ES-335 costs new. I also noticed that on most of these
videos where I have seen traditional type jazz guitars and people are talking about the tone that I don't really like the tone when
I listen to it! I like Joe Pass's tone, most of the time and there are few others of note. I do NOT like John Scofield's tone, though
he does have a few nice moments, never really liked his playing though it is *interesting*.

Aside from all that I agree the Ramirez classical guitars I have tried have been exceptional!
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by IPer »

Rich in Michigan wrote:Have played guitar for 51 years and have played Martins for 41 of those years. There are also some great guitars made by small boutique luthiers but I am a Martin man all the way.

I rarely play electrics anymore but own a couple of Fenders. We have a couple of nice Gibsons in the family as well.

But for me, nothing does it like the instruments that come from the good folks in Nazareth, PA.
Have you tried the DCX1E? I want to know how it compares to the D-28 or HD-28 ... or if it can. Thanks.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by IPer »

Jack FFR1846 wrote: Feel free to roam around my photobucket......

http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Jackff ... t=3&page=1
They say sex sells but you have taken it to a new level! http://s143.photobucket.com/user/Jackff ... rt=3&o=337
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saladdin
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by saladdin »

Any guitar played by Jimmy Page is my favorite.
Rich in Michigan
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by Rich in Michigan »

IPer wrote:
Rich in Michigan wrote:Have played guitar for 51 years and have played Martins for 41 of those years. There are also some great guitars made by small boutique luthiers but I am a Martin man all the way.

I rarely play electrics anymore but own a couple of Fenders. We have a couple of nice Gibsons in the family as well.

But for me, nothing does it like the instruments that come from the good folks in Nazareth, PA.
Have you tried the DCX1E? I want to know how it compares to the D-28 or HD-28 ... or if it can. Thanks.

They are really totally different beasts. The DCZ1E is an affordable (by Martin's standards) guitar with a built in pickup. It uses laminated sides and back as opposed to the solid rosewood or mahogany sides and back on the standard dreadnaughts. It has a solid spruce top. I would guess the bracing would be different as well. Often, when Martin introduces more affordable instruments with laminates, they brace them fairly lightly to try and coax more sound out of them. Not sure what tuners, etc they use on it but they would likely be lower end tuners as well.

That is not to say that it isn't a nice guitar. I have never played one however. When plugged in, it is going to be at the mercy of whatever amp you are playing it through. My advice on any guitar, and especially on any guitar under a thousand dollars, is to try as many of that model as you can and cherry pick a winner from the group. There will be variation but I am sure you will end up with a nice instrument that you will enjoy for a long time.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by fkampere »

desiderium wrote:Larrivee
second I own a Larrivee D03r for a acoustic but other than that I'd love to get a Gibson Les Paul for a electric someday.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by wfrobinette »

Oh boy! What a topic!

I'm a sucker for custom made guitars, McIntosh MC250 power amp, heavily modified Fender Twin Reverb preamps, Sarno Earthdrives, Sarno Classic preamp, Mutron III, and a host of other analog effects.

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grog
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by grog »

For acoustic, I think Seagull guitars are pretty good value.
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Re: Favorite Guitars

Post by TSR »

If I had my pick, I'd go for a Collings, probably either an OM-1A or a DS-1A (forgetting their nomenclature, but you get the picture).

As it is, money is finite, so I have a truly awesome Martin OM-18V Custom (the custom is an Adirondack top) that is "all the guitar I'll ever need," if not all I'll ever want.

If money got really tight, I'd probably bump down to a used Taylor 314, or maybe even one of the new Eastman 00 models with the Adirondack tops -- they're making some pretty great stuff out of China these days.

I live in a city with too many great guitar stores to choose from, but I would go for locally owned any day of the week. Aside from those options, I find myself on the following stores' websites pretty much daily: Mass Street Music, Elderly, Gryphon, Mandolin Brothers, etc.
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