[TallestMan]

I have a furch (same company who make stonebridge) and its exceptional! Perfectly set up out of the box

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by TallestMan

I have a furch (same company who make stonebridge) and its exceptional! Perfectly set up out of the box

Good to hear! I have heard many good things and not a single bad thing from Furch and Stonebridge guitars... Correct me if I am wrong TallestMan but wasn't it you that recently shared a story of an imperfect finish?

This photo is one from Thomann after I requested some, how did they honour their returns waranty/guarantee? And how was your experience of buying a guitar sight un seen?

[stevo]

Originally Posted by Dan C

Hey everyone,

So I think my next purchase will be an acoustic, I'm on the OM sized path at the moment...

One think that keeps popping up is the sides and back material. Its largely Mahogany or Rosewood. I don't really understand the tonal differences of the two, and thought that the solid top and bracing was the big 2 elements that affected tonal characteristics.

I finger pick, think Rockablilly, Bluegrass & country as opposed to anything classical But also enjoy a good campfire song with flatpicking and strumming. I think the strumming is more 'important' to my needs as I tend to do that more.


Dan

The number one factor is overall design, then top construction, then top material. After that, the back and sides contribute as well. But even within the same back and sides materials, there are variation due to species, construction methods etc. The general rules for back and side material used to be that mahogany was bright while rosewood was darker and more gritty while Koa was more even / flat. But then you can play a brazilian rosewood guitar and it really has a nice bell like tone with plenty of bite. But there are no hard and fast rules.

Bottom line - if guitar tone was heavily influenced by the back and sides, makers wouldn't spend so much time on the top.

If you look at the Taylors that have been made in the past 10 or so years, they're using cedar for the tops and getting lots of bluegrass canon type sounds out of an concert shaped guitar. Go figure!

Going by your stated preferences in playing styles, I would personally lean toward Martin dreadnoughts with scalloped bracing. I like the newer HD28s as they sound really brilliant and rich with plenty of volume. But you really have to play a few instruments with an open mind and make your choice accordingly.

[fletch]

I'm a firm believer in looking at what the professionals play - not at home, but on stage where the balance of performance, reliability and affordability counts.
So don't take my word for it, just turn on your TV and look at all the pros (particularly country pickers) who play Takamine.

[Sharkblues]

LOVE it Dan! I read good things about them on the Blueridge forum. We don't see many on this side of the pond.

I'm a firm believer in looking at what the professionals play - not at home, but on stage where the balance of performance, reliability and affordability counts.
So don't take my word for it, just turn on your TV and look at all the pros (particularly country pickers) who play Takamine.

I see your point, but I guess I'm skeptical as endorsements are such a big part of marketing.

[stevo]

Originally Posted by fletch

I'm a firm believer in looking at what the professionals play - not at home, but on stage where the balance of performance, reliability and affordability counts.
So don't take my word for it, just turn on your TV and look at all the pros (particularly country pickers) who play Takamine.

Ha ha! That's pretty funny.

[stevo]

Originally Posted by Sharkblues

LOVE it Dan! I read good things about them on the Blueridge forum. We don't see many on this side of the pond.



I see your point, but I guess I'm skeptical as endorsements are such a big part of marketing.

It's not so much that as "I don't want to take my nice guitar on the road". But really, how many do play Taks live? Not very many that I watch and listen to.

[senojnad]

There are a TON of big name players who swear by Martin, and without much in the way of endorsements. My understanding is that the endorsement share of monies from Martin signature models goes to the charity of the artist's choice.

[jimmyb]

I think you are making a wise choice looking for an OM. IMO, this body shape is the most versatile of any flat top.

With no budget stated, and erring on the side of caution, I would look at Eastman. Their guitars are very well built, sound particularly fine, have amazingly good woods, and the prices are tough to beat.
They offer 4 0M's
E20 OM: Adirondack Spruce top, Indian Rosewood B/S
E10 OM: Adi top, Mahogany B/S
E80 OM: Sitka Spruce top, Indian Rosewood B/S
E60 OM: SItka top, Mahogany B/S

Jimmy

[Dan C]

Thanks for those Jimmy! Eastman do indeed have some nice guitars on offer, but unfortunately for me no where close enough for me to travel and try has them on offer! Bummer!

D

[TallestMan]

Hey man, yeh mine had a finish problem but i think it must have been at the thomann end of things (didnt check it before they sent it off). Overall thomann are sorting it all out, didnt have t pay a thing for postage just needed to put it in a box (un-original) and take it to the post office. Not sure whats going to happen now, i kind of want store credit as im after a martin dreadnought (not because of the quality of the furch, its amazing just other silly little reasons)

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by TallestMan

Hey man, yeh mine had a finish problem but i think it must have been at the thomann end of things (didnt check it before they sent it off). Overall thomann are sorting it all out, didnt have t pay a thing for postage just needed to put it in a box (un-original) and take it to the post office. Not sure whats going to happen now, i kind of want store credit as im after a martin dreadnought (not because of the quality of the furch, its amazing just other silly little reasons)

I see, good to hear you are getting it sorted out

Which Martin dreadnought, and why not just go for another Furch Dread if you liked it? What are the silly little reasons?

[TallestMan]

well im looking at the martin d16gt which i can get for roughly £800 and the next furch up is £1200, so martin is a better option. The way I see it, once you get to that sort of price for an acoustic anymore your paying is for fancy inlays and other gimmicks!

[gigatron]

For £800 to £1200 you're getting a nice factory-made guitar made with good woods that will be playable, sound pretty good, and durable. The factories build them heavy so they don't break easily, so they don't have a lot of warranty returns. You can pay a lot more for a luthier-built model, and you can get a lot of bling, or you can get it pretty plain. When you pick up one of those guitars, the first thing you notice is how light it is. It's built much more lightly, so it's fragile, but it also resonates more. Then you notice how the sound just seems to jump out of it, and how it rings and sustains. It will probably sound a lot richer, with more overtones. Unfortunately, now you're looking at £2000 to £10,000. If you can hear the difference, the price difference may be worth it. For playing blues, a mellow-sounding, relatively inexpensive guitar like a Martin D15 might be perfect for you. For fingerstyle, you might be drawn to a more expensive guitar. Classical guitarists can spend more than £10,000 for a concert guitar.

[stevo]

Originally Posted by gigatron

For £800 to £1200 you're getting a nice factory-made guitar made with good woods that will be playable, sound pretty good, and durable. The factories build them heavy so they don't break easily, so they don't have a lot of warranty returns. You can pay a lot more for a luthier-built model, and you can get a lot of bling, or you can get it pretty plain. When you pick up one of those guitars, the first thing you notice is how light it is. It's built much more lightly, so it's fragile, but it also resonates more.

? I've never heard that before. I'm not so sure it's because they're heavy, I think it's because they take more time to select the top wood and voice it accordingly. Lowdens and Goodalls seem pretty heavy to me - maybe weightier than equivalent Martins. I wouldn't send someone looking any farther than a new HD-28 if they were looking for a Rosewood/Sitka dreadnaught. They have as much sustain as any Collings and just as much projection.

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by Dan C

What do y'all think?

Take a look at the rest of the photos in the album too

Sorry to be greedy, but any more opinions or alternatives would be appreciated

Conditions:
OM Sized
Anything up to 1100 ish (GBP)

[ishtar]

May I dare suggest Blackbird composite guitars? I had a Rainsong dread that I liked. Pops, Wayne Compton at Northwoods Jam #?- "If it were a righty I'd offer you something for it right now!"

Not growing fond of the dread size and shape, I got into Martins, 000/OM-size, but I had a Larrivee parlor size a while back that was great for size and sound. All mahogany, which is special.

Anyway, I always missed the bell ringing of the Rainsong dread, always missed the parlor sized Larrivee, and the Blackbird Lucky 13 comes along- a hybrid of my size, sound, quality expectations of the two other long gone guitars.

Blah, blah,blah...

But Composites are cool. You can still wreck them. They not impervious to everything. But, they stay in tune. My Lucky 13 has electronics run by capacitor power. One minute charge, supposedly gives me 15 hours of playing plugged in. Unlike a 9Volt battery-powered live pickup system, you are ill advised to take the Lucky 13 swimming or bathing with you.



http://jerrysleftyguitars.com/left-h...lklucky13.html

[Crooner]

While I admit to being a bit of a Martin snob, (I used have an absolute mint 1965 000-18) I picked up a 1969 000-18 about a year and a half ago and LOVE it. That being said, the Blueridge acoustics I've heard are amazing and are an incredible bargain, so count me as a +1 to whoever mentioned them above.
The only drawback for me is that they have traditional "C" neck, as opposed to the fat "V" neck on old Martins.

[Metasoma]

Martin OM28v.

[TallestMan]

Anyone got a Faith guitar? They look beautiful, and great quality for an awesome price! Looking at their hi-gloss saturn dread