Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Embenny
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Embenny » Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:19 am

sal paradise wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:38 am
Is that why people have cutaways, for solos? I joke, yet the realllllly good debut album by Turin Brakes is almost ruined by a pentatonic acoustic solo… :ph34r:

I have seen Laura Marling do some pretty high up finger picking, so we’ll all pretend that’s why I need it. Thanks.
I'm going to jump in here and say that I actually prefer the look of a Venetian (blunt) cutaway on most acoustics. I'm not usually a fan of Florentine (pointy) ones though, but they can look great on certain shapes. All but one of my custom acoustics have cutaways, and the non-cutaway one was simply because my luthier didn't want to risk breaking the side during the steep bend. He was using a set of Brazilian Rosewood he had saved for nearly 40 years, so it was irreplaceable. He said that there was a 5-10% chance of it breaking during the bend, and given the significance of the guitar and the wood (my fifth and final build from him, near the end of his career, with an irreplaceable set of wood), neither of us wanted to roll the dice on that one.

But it's a functional thing for me. I play fingerstyle in mostly open tunings, and I also frequently capo between the 4th and 7th frets. I travel upwards of the 12th fret quite often, and a handful of my songs are more or less unplayable on a non-cutaway guitar (especially if the neck joint is at the 12th fret instead of the 14th), unless I transpose and/or rearrange some things.

So I just don't play those songs on that guitar, which is a shame, because it's the most stunning sounding guitar I own.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by sal paradise » Thu Mar 09, 2023 1:38 pm

Embenny wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 10:19 am
sal paradise wrote:
Thu Mar 09, 2023 9:38 am
Is that why people have cutaways, for solos? I joke, yet the realllllly good debut album by Turin Brakes is almost ruined by a pentatonic acoustic solo… :ph34r:

I have seen Laura Marling do some pretty high up finger picking, so we’ll all pretend that’s why I need it. Thanks.
I'm going to jump in here and say that I actually prefer the look of a Venetian (blunt) cutaway on most acoustics. I'm not usually a fan of Florentine (pointy) ones though, but they can look great on certain shapes. All but one of my custom acoustics have cutaways, and the non-cutaway one was simply because my luthier didn't want to risk breaking the side during the steep bend. He was using a set of Brazilian Rosewood he had saved for nearly 40 years, so it was irreplaceable. He said that there was a 5-10% chance of it breaking during the bend, and given the significance of the guitar and the wood (my fifth and final build from him, near the end of his career, with an irreplaceable set of wood), neither of us wanted to roll the dice on that one.

But it's a functional thing for me. I play fingerstyle in mostly open tunings, and I also frequently capo between the 4th and 7th frets. I travel upwards of the 12th fret quite often, and a handful of my songs are more or less unplayable on a non-cutaway guitar (especially if the neck joint is at the 12th fret instead of the 14th), unless I transpose and/or rearrange some things.

So I just don't play those songs on that guitar, which is a shame, because it's the most stunning sounding guitar I own.
this is what I meant when I said I’ve bought a Taylor 214ce, with a cutaway.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by marqueemoon » Thu Mar 09, 2023 4:09 pm

As a heavy capo user cutaways seem a silly thing to be snobby about, but old biases are hard to change.

For whatever reason I find them less offensive on nylon string guitars. Probably because Eirik from Kings of Convenience is amazing.

I am easily won over if you play good music on a guitar with a cutaway, but I will judge you first. ;D

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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by ryland » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:00 am

JSett wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:19 pm
Larry Mal wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 2:10 pm
johnnysomersett wrote:
Thu Dec 08, 2022 1:57 pm
I found a good deal on a Yamaha FSX5. I've ordered one to come mid next week. Free returns means it's pretty risk-free too.
There you go- looks like a great guitar!
Indeed. Every single review online is overwhelmingly positive and all the demos sound great and very familiar to what I have. Solid mahogany back and sides, solid spruce top, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard... All the ingredients for a half-decent acoustic guitar.
What are your thoughts on the FSX5? I've been obsessing over smaller body Martins over the last few weeks, but can't bring myself to spring for one, then I stumbled on some reviews of the FS5.

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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by JSett » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:09 am

ryland wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:00 am
What are your thoughts on the FSX5? I've been obsessing over smaller body Martins over the last few weeks, but can't bring myself to spring for one, then I stumbled on some reviews of the FS5.
So far, so good. I'm still yet to find any real fault in the build quality and it rings like a bell with finger-picking. Like I've said before it's comparable to the similar sized Martins but with a better (for me) neck profile. I'd prefer a slightly narrower nut coupled with a deeper profile but I'm comparing it to my old 70s FG160 which I'd got used to over a very long time. It's still very comfortable though.

I haven't had an opportunity to use it live or record with it yet but just been using it as a songwriting partner, for which it is perfect.

I might take it to the local tech to get the action lowered a little, it's not high really but down a little would be nice for playing chords up past the 7th fret.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by ryland » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:17 am

JSett wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:09 am
ryland wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:00 am
What are your thoughts on the FSX5? I've been obsessing over smaller body Martins over the last few weeks, but can't bring myself to spring for one, then I stumbled on some reviews of the FS5.
So far, so good. I'm still yet to find any real fault in the build quality and it rings like a bell with finger-picking. Like I've said before it's comparable to the similar sized Martins but with a better (for me) neck profile. I'd prefer a slightly narrower nut coupled with a deeper profile but I'm comparing it to my old 70s FG160 which I'd got used to over a very long time. It's still very comfortable though.

I haven't had an opportunity to use it live or record with it yet but just been using it as a songwriting partner, for which it is perfect.

I might take it to the local tech to get the action lowered a little, it's not high really but down a little would be nice for playing chords up past the 7th fret.
This sounds like exactly what I'm looking for, thanks!

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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:28 am

JSett wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:09 am


I might take it to the local tech to get the action lowered a little, it's not high really but down a little would be nice for playing chords up past the 7th fret.
You can just pull the saddle out and sand it down. It's a 2:1 ratio, that is, if you want to lower the action by 1mm at the 12th fret then you bring the saddle down 2mm.

Make sure your neck is straight before you do it, but it's not complicated.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Flurko » Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:43 am

I've recently moved my Gibson J-29 case from the guitar pile in the yet-to-be-done office/studio to the living room, so I can take the guitar out and play it more often.
It still sounds great, and needs some new strings. I might try to put flatwounds on, multiple people here seem to dig it? The action is a bit too high, but I don't feel like setting up an expensive guitar myself. In a world where I'm not considering the resale value, I would ideally remove the undersaddle pickup (I think there's one in there ?), put a bone saddle and pins and wire a soundhole pickup to the soundhole minipots. And also put some vintage tuners, but as everything else on the instrument, what's on there already works great.

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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by JSett » Fri Mar 10, 2023 8:12 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:28 am
JSett wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:09 am


I might take it to the local tech to get the action lowered a little, it's not high really but down a little would be nice for playing chords up past the 7th fret.
You can just pull the saddle out and sand it down. It's a 2:1 ratio, that is, if you want to lower the action by 1mm at the 12th fret then you bring the saddle down 2mm.

Make sure your neck is straight before you do it, but it's not complicated.
Yeah, I've done it a few times on my last Yamaha but I have a tendency to over-do it sometimes. Maybe I'll just give it a shot again. I don't want to take it down too far as I tend to play 'vigorously', and mostly cowboy chords. The nut could be filed a bit deeper too.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Larry Mal » Fri Mar 10, 2023 9:01 am

Flurko wrote:
Fri Mar 10, 2023 7:43 am
I've recently moved my Gibson J-29 case from the guitar pile in the yet-to-be-done office/studio to the living room, so I can take the guitar out and play it more often.
It still sounds great, and needs some new strings. I might try to put flatwounds on, multiple people here seem to dig it? The action is a bit too high, but I don't feel like setting up an expensive guitar myself. In a world where I'm not considering the resale value, I would ideally remove the undersaddle pickup (I think there's one in there ?), put a bone saddle and pins and wire a soundhole pickup to the soundhole minipots. And also put some vintage tuners, but as everything else on the instrument, what's on there already works great.
There is a pickup in there, I removed the one from mine. That would lower the action by a millimeter at the 12th fret or so in and of itself.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Dok » Sat Mar 11, 2023 5:19 pm

Long story short, I have two D-18s now. One of them is a "Reimagined" standard, but I think the one I'm going to be keeping is this Golden Era with the Adirondack top.

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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Larry Mal » Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:12 pm

Nice. I saw you had your CEO up for sale, I assume that's what made this D-18 yours?

How do you find the difference between the Sitka and Adirondack?
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Dok » Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:26 pm

Larry Mal wrote:
Sat Mar 11, 2023 6:12 pm
Nice. I saw you had your CEO up for sale, I assume that's what made this D-18 yours?

How do you find the difference between the Sitka and Adirondack?
Well, there was a local D-18 Standard for sale for real cheap that I figured I could flip and I liked its sound better than both the CEO and my J45, whose very full C neck profile I was not getting along with. But I also didn't love the modified low oval profile of the D-18 standard. So the CEO and J45 went out the door as a GE (with a mod-v neck, my absolute favorite) came up for sale locally, so I picked that up, too. Both D18s are at the shop getting set up now.

The GE is a 2010, but according to the seller it had been played only 10-15 times in the last 13 years, so while it's in mint condition it has not been played enough to open up yet. It's got a very balanced and focused tone with a sweet top end, but it's not as loud as the sitka-topped Standard from 2012. That Standard is loud, and it has a hell of a growl to it when pushed. It is really responsive and fun to play and it has plenty of sustain and low end, but it's a bit thinner in the top end. I'm not sure yet which is going to be the better recording guitar - my wife says the GE sounds better in the room, and it feels better in the left hand. But it doesn't quite assert itself the way that the sitka-topped Standard does just yet.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Larry Mal » Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:33 pm

I guess they say that Sitka "distorts" at lower volumes than Adirondack does, or maybe they say that Adirondack stays clear through a wider range.

I can't say that because I've never had two of the same guitars with the different woods but maybe you will develop an opinion at some point.

Sorry that J-45 didn't work out for you.
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Re: Anyone else infatuated with their Acoustic?

Post by Dok » Sat Mar 11, 2023 8:20 pm

Larry Mal wrote:
Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:33 pm
I guess they say that Sitka "distorts" at lower volumes than Adirondack does, or maybe they say that Adirondack stays clear through a wider range.

I can't say that because I've never had two of the same guitars with the different woods but maybe you will develop an opinion at some point.

Sorry that J-45 didn't work out for you.
Thanks, yeah, me too! The neck was juuust big enough that I always felt clumsy on it with my smallish hands, and so I never even got it to the shop to do the usual mods that would have put the cherry on top. It was a lovely, deep, guitar and hopefully the stars align someday where I can get another Gibson to have alongside one of these Martins.
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