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fishin' for acoustic discussions...
Tony Raven
#1 Posted : Wednesday, December 22, 2010 12:12:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Guitar God
Tony Raven
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Joined: 12/5/2009(UTC)
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Location: Northern Tier, EEUU
Yes, I'm bored. I kinda spasmed my back moving the snow yesterday, so I mostly just want to sit still & poke at the computer -- hence my recent wave of FruGu posts.

First: Washburn acoustics don't get the love they deserve. I've tried more than a dozen at a shop, tagged from $200 to $1,000, & have been pleased by them all. Though appliance-white may not be your first choice, if you're in the market you should consider this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...em&item=290514895934
$300 (delivered!) gets you an axe with Fishman electronics, Grover cast heads, & Buzz Feiten nut, not to mention a very nice fitted case. If I recall right, the body binding is a rich bronze-brown.

Anyway, on to the fishing. Stuff to think about & maybe share:

** Have you ever seen an ugly acoustic on the wall of the shop, then found it to play amazingly?

** Conversely, have you ever picked up a high-end guitar & been profoundly disappointed?

** What oddball guitars have you seen? I've played guitars with carbon tops, aluminum tops, & a 1933 Martin roundhole archtop.

** Antonio Tsai has been going nuts with his shop's inlay work. He's from Taiwan, with a factory in Vietnam. Rather than cloning, he's moved into some interesting axes. Here's a jazzbox that on looks alone I could tag for $1,000, more if it plays half as good as it looks:
http://cgi.ebay.com/EAGLE-INLAY...&hash=item5196ddedbe
He's lately having more guitars made in China & India, & they sure are pretty. If anyone's got hands-on experience with Tsai's stuff, I'd like to hear more.
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JohnSS
#2 Posted : Saturday, January 15, 2011 5:22:37 PM(UTC)
Rank: Strummer
JohnSS
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Tony:

1) Agree w/you about Washburn. I also think Alvarez guitars are grossly underestimaated, and their QC is excellent. I tried their new spalted maple jumbo recently and was amazed by its sound & playbility for under $400.

2)Once upon a time, Ibanez had a cutaway mini jumbo with an extended fingerboard & cutaway and a Maciaferri like soundhole that they called their "Ragtime" Model. Guess it was designed for fingerpicking, but it was a fairly unattractive mix of aesthetic elements.

Picked it up, expecting it to be a dog, but it was a great fingerstyle guitar! Very comfy, excellent action, balanced tone.

3)I love Gibson J-200's and plan to get a nice blonde one in the near future. I tried a used one at Best Buy last year and was surprised that it has going for $1900. I tried playing it and it was awful; dead as a corpse! It was as dead sounding as a Norlin J-200 with tone killing triple X bracing and a plastic adjustable bridge saddle. I was shocked, but understood why the price was so low!

4) I actually like Ovations and Rainsongs, speaking of carbon topped guitars. I heard that Peavey took over the defunct Composite Acoustics brand, so that should be revived soon. Have not seen too many "oddballs" of late, unless you count some of the Dean heavy metal models.
Caddy
#3 Posted : Wednesday, November 02, 2011 10:50:37 AM(UTC)
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Caddy
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Location: Indiana
I bought a Washburn dreadnought for my son a few years ago. It was rated as the best solid top acoustic for under $400. It was a very nice guitar and sounded great. Can't remember the model number now. I have a washburn classical with a solid cedar top and it is really nice guitar, especially for the cost. Better than some costing much more.

About a year or two ago Washburn was sold and the the plant was changed. I had heard back then that QC had dropped somewhat. Don't know if that has been resolved.
jgauker
#4 Posted : Thursday, November 03, 2011 2:33:45 PM(UTC)
Rank: Guitar Hero
jgauker
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Location: New Carlisle, Ohio
I stopped by a local Guitar Shoop yesterday at lunch and picked up a Washburn acoustic, not sure of the model, and it sounded incredible. It didn't have a pickguard and had a cedar top. Absolutely beautiful and sounded like a much more expensive acoustic. I think it was $300 on the tag. It is calling my name!
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Caddy
#5 Posted : Friday, November 04, 2011 7:35:46 AM(UTC)
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Caddy
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Location: Indiana
I really think that Washburns are very under rated, especially for the price. Acoustics really do need to be solid tops, IMHO.
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