So, about acoustic\electrics and these specs

Stratman68

Stratman68

Axe-Master
Hey,
Well I have posted many times about my arthritis and carpal tunnel issues.
So now I am looking for a "quality" acoustic\electric with the following specs-I haven't found any in my searches. For me, "quality" means either made in USA or Japan and $1,500+
Actually even just acoustic with these specs would be OK. I can always add the pickup system myself, like LR Baggs Anthem, etc
So, Scale length: 24.75" or even less, but above 24". Here is whats killing it. Nut width 1 11\16".
I do have a brand new seagull studio artist deluxe that I cannot return. It is an amazing build but the nut width kills me 1 7/8"
I can find one or the other but not a combo. This fits my playing and impairments.
With my Strats I have no issues, but probably will get a LP studio soon for the shrter scale.

I have checked by email with Laravee, Breedlove and Seagull (Canada) No luck
Martin has one but it's $6,000...out of my range for sure. Gibson is the closest. They have the scale 24.75 but not the nut width. They also are $2, 500 J-45. Any cheaper and you get the richlite fingerboard...which I do not like.
Sorry for the long post :(

Thanks for any tips on where\what to look for
 
Last edited:
Is the problem the NUT width or the neck width

within reason you could put a narrower nut and have the strings closer- but the neck will be the same size

But I think your issue is neck comfort it's not the nut at all- the nut itself is fairly negligible- especially depending on the strings guages

but really it's the neck size/width

you may be better off with an EPIPHONE acoustic

they basically have electric necks on acoustic guitars since the 70s
 
Jeries said:
Is the problem the NUT width or the neck width

within reason you could put a narrower nut and have the strings closer- but the neck will be the same size

But I think your issue is neck comfort it's not the nut at all- the nut itself is fairly negligible- especially depending on the strings guages

but really it's the neck size/width

you may be better off with an EPIPHONE acoustic

they basically have electric necks on acoustic guitars since the 70s
Click to expand...

Well, yes I guess it is the neck width, but iirc that usually follows the nut width. That's why I used nut width. So either is, yes the answer. I really want a well built acoustic. I did some more research and I surmised I may have live with 1.75, which many seem to be. Or live with the 25.5 scale length. So that brings me to Gibson. Never owned a Gibson anything and I have been playing a very long time.
I am going to try out a J-15 and a J-35. They have walnut fretboards, which I am not familiar with at all. But it is wood. J-45 would really be my choice but even $2,500 is to high. Like I stated $1,500 to maybe $2,000 tops.

The prices of acoustic guitars are really up their these days. The Seagull I have blows away Taylor and Martins in it's price range. Truth be told...Bought from Sweetwater and just never would have thought the neck would be so wide. But I missed the 30 days , so then I owned it. It sits in my closet, brand new.........

Thanks for chiming in. I will llok at the Epiphones to feel the neck........I'm going to GC and they have the epi's and the Gibsons in stock.
 
Every gibson acoustic today- or the last 5+ years is absolute unplayable garbage

They're not worth $500 let alone $2500

I would pick a $300 epiphone over any gibson today- because the gibsons are just a horrible value

I've always wanted a dove or hummingbird they were so bad i couldn't even pay $1 for one- I've seen fake china ones better
speaking of which- go on alibaba and email a few people that make gibson acoustics in china and they'll probably custom make one to your nut specs for maybe $50 and 2 weeks turn around time-

I played 300-400 acoustic guitars blindfolded a few years ago- a gibson didn't even make the top 30

and 30% of the guitars i tried were all 2000-5000 dollar gibsons

I remember playing SEVERAL guitars and they sounded so bad, played so bad, and felt so bad- i just had to see what it was- and every time it was a gibson- at least 4 times a guitar was SO AWFUL i had to cheat- and felt the top of the headstock to see what it was- every time it was a gibson- a $129 mitchell guitar made my top 10 acoustic guitars- no gibson came close

take the name and price out of the equation you'll be surprised

ALSO- the ali express factories- are literally the epiphone factories so they'll be better than your typical epiphone

I should also say we have very different views of QUALITY
Japan or USA + $1500 = quality is a poor standard of quality

Actually- i don't think you can find a new japanese acoustic- they don't really make them there- a few few few takamines are but most aren't

you could look at ovation- especially an older anniversary one- you can find for $300 ovations that were thousands new in the 80's
they have certain ergonomics i've seen people with issues do well with

Godin and Art and Lutherie make great guitars in Canada- they're subsided by the government of Canada too so their guitars are artificially priced low to compete- so you can get a very expensive quality guitar for nothing

I like Taylors- I can't recommend gibson or martin- unless it's older than my mom and worth more than my new car

I really think epiphone is your best bet in terms of neck

Fenders- certain series of them- have really thin nice necks and the Stratacoustic although cheap garbage is as good as you'll get for $200 as a $2000 gibson

ESP has some mid grade $500 acoustics- you can try them at sam ash- some of those have nice necks
The same with ibanez- some of them are super nice

I like personally- their little girls talman guitars- some are 3/4 scale and have necks as good as a JEM on it in terms of size and comfort- I've had one for years

My advice is don't spend more than $500- because you're not going to get much better at 1500-2000

And- the nut width means nothing to me- the way the necks are made is important- whether the ESP/LTD acoustic neck is whatever size it is- I will tell you- holding it is a different story than just specs on a website- it's not like the other necks that have the same width- same for fenders and epiphones- it's not measurable- there's more to it

Just to clarify- i wanted a 514ce- which is like 3500- i wanted to see if blindfolded i would pick it out of other guitars
played 300+ guitars blindfolded- some guitars sounded good but i was looking for a particular bright sound-
my top 3 were the three CHEAPEST taylors
110 210 214ce

A few martins sounded alright- but no gibson sounded playable

The expensive taylors all had a unique sound of their own- they were individual instruments- but not what i was looking for exactly

Also- take anything to a qualified luthier and they can sand the shit out of anything and shape it however you want

Ibanez also made a lot of "weird" acoustic electric guitars that have like RG necks on them and are easy easy easy to play and sound pretty good with decent electronics- best part is you can find them all day for $150

Also- you might want to look at some old washburns, tacomas

and if you can find a KRAMER FERRINGTON buy it

but don't waste your money- i've owned HUNDREDS of guitars and quality is more than price and where it's made
 
Stratman68 said:
So, Scale length: 24.75" or even less, but above 24". Here is whats killing it. Nut width 1 11\16".
Click to expand...
If you can live with a nut that's 1/16" wider, parlor guitars open up your possibilities at short scale lengths. They can be had with lovely, balanced tone, though not the heavy bottom end of, say, a dreadnought. Which means they hold up well when amplified and are a great choice when playing with other musicians.


Stratman68 said:
For me, "quality" means either made in USA or Japan and $1,500+
Click to expand...
If you measure quality by price and country of origin, you need a new yardstick. :)
 
The Tayler T5 line is a electric/acoustic but much closer to the electric side with a thin body but the guitar is VERY easy to play and sounds great plugged in. It’s thin sounding acoustically but if you use it mostly plugged in it has specs close to what you ask for. I own one and love it. The neck is 1 11/16” and scale is 24.68” which makes it very easy to play. Worth a look if you can find one. Used they run around $1,500-1700.
 
Jeries said:
od as you'll get for $200 as a $2000 gibson
Click to expand...

Thanks Jeries foir the extensive reply. After your post I did some research.....Your right and I will stay away from the Gibsons. Thank You

As I stated, I have learned I need to live with the 1.75" nut\neck width. Only 1/16 more than my preferred width.
Thanks again
 
Rex said:
If you can live with a nut that's 1/16" wider, parlor guitars open up your possibilities at short scale lengths. They can be had with lovely, balanced tone, though not the heavy bottom end of, say, a dreadnought. Which means they hold up well when amplified and are a great choice when playing with other musicians.



If you measure quality by price and country of origin, you need a new yardstick. :)
Click to expand...

Sorry Rex, I disagree. I have been playing for a lot of years....realistically about 45 years. Also, I am not talking gigantic amounts. I said $1,500 to $2,000. I looked at the Yamahas for $899 and $999. Didn't like them. I prefer USA, Canada or Japan, in no particular order. My $500 Takamine plays great, sounds OK but no OOOMF. Had an Alvarez in the 80's that was fabulous. But it was $600 then, so?Sorry but I stand buy that comment for acoustic guitars. I refuse to buy a guitar made in China. I am not saying a good acoustic cannot be found for less. But I have worked all my life, fought in a war,etc, etc. I know what I like. I played a breedlove at GC last week. Sells for $859 new. Played nice, sounded nice. Didn't like where it was made.............That is my choice. You have yours and I have mine. Japan makes nice guitars, so does Godin in Canada.
I did look at the parlour guitars. Not for me.
Thanks for the input REx, it's appreciated as always
Frank
 
For Clarity: Just want to be clear, I am NOT saying a good playing\sounding guitar cannot be had. I am saying, the chances of getting one are slimmer than a $1,000, $1,500 etc guitar. Also my "yardstick" as as it was put is only for "acoustics".

Tons of nice electric for much less $$$. If it wasn't for the fact that the Yamaha AC5R scale is too much for me (25 9/16th) I would have bought one. For less than a grand. Just so tired of scouring the earth to save a few bu, but the I just believe that ones chances of finding a good playing, comfortable\nice sounding ACOUSTIC|Electric IMHO are greatly increased when you spend a bit more money.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rex
I am not a beginner here folks. I know all about the guitars you can get for $500 and personally they are not for me. Strange. I think 40+ years of playing & buying acoustic and electrics guitars gives me a descent bit of knowledge.

Well thanks for all the replies. Appreciate it. Bye!
 
I have a Takamine that is great playing guitar. It is an acoustic/electric. It has a very playable neck and a great woody tone. I own several high-end acoustics, and they are great guitars. That said, my Takamine was used on several recordings, because it has such a great woody tone. Admittedly Frank, many of the Takamines I have tried have been pretty bad, either in tone , playability, or both. But they do produce some gems. I agree that the Gibsons (at least the newer ones) are junk. I like a few of the older Epiphanies I have played.

Perhaps a guitar show would be a good place to look. This weekend is Guitarlington, in Arlington TX. There are thousands of guitars for sale. New, old, and everything in between. Not sure where you live, but the number of guitars for sale is mind-boggling. Forgive me if this is not a very practical suggestion.

Another suggestion would be the string gage. I generally use 12's on my acoustics, but have one strung with 11's. I like the 12's for tone, but I like the 11's for playability. Guess I'm gettin' old.
 
Hey John
I wish we had guitar shows but we don't. Also, Takamine was my first thought but nobody keeps any in stock where I live beyond 2 or three. The string gauge was something I changed long ago due to arthritis. But with the Seagull the width of the neck and thinness of it is just too much for me. PRS players would like it I think. I have learned that , "for me", I could buy an electric online, no problem but not an acoustic.
Taylor seems to be one of the few (besides Gibson) that have a shorter scale. But the ones I have played did not warrant the price tag.

I am surprised by some of the responses here though. I have owned many acoustics in 40+ years. Many. It's like people post about how Fender strats suck (I am not saying this forum, I men the web) Well, IMHO they are great. I also prefer made in the USA. So that's a bad thing now I guess? As far as Japan, they still make some Yamaha and Takamine acoustics. Also Alvarez Yaris are made in Japan. The Yaris are expensive but can be found used at a fair price.

I am old guy also John. I firmly believe , as long as you have the KNOWLEDGE, you get what you pay for.
Thanks Pal
 
Yeah, that's a tougher combination to find. A good luthier could probably slim down a neck for you. Likely wouldn't be cheap though.
 
Jeries said:
The Taylor T5 is a good recommendation above
Click to expand...

And if you can't afford the Taylor T5, Crafter makes a great knock off.
Sounds and plays great. I had one but sold it because I just stopped doing acoustic gigs.
 
Stratman68 said:
I am surprised by some of the responses here though. I have owned many acoustics in 40+ years. Many. It's like people post about how Fender strats suck (I am not saying this forum, I men the web) Well, IMHO they are great. I also prefer made in the USA. So that's a bad thing now I guess? As far as Japan, they still make some Yamaha and Takamine acoustics. Also Alvarez Yaris are made in Japan. The Yaris are expensive but can be found used at a fair price.

I am old guy also John. I firmly believe , as long as you have the KNOWLEDGE, you get what you pay for.
Thanks Pal
Click to expand...
I forgot about Alarez. I have played a few Yaris and liked them a lot. Washburn might be worth a shot as well.

Opinions on guitars are everywhere. One man's trash is another man's treasure. No matter what brand is being discussed there will be people who love them and people who hate them. I find that Taylor and Martin are great guitars, but the prices are pretty formidable. I have a Martin D-41 and a Taylor 814. I have had the Martin since 1971, and the Taylor since 2000. They are not exactly take to the beach guitars. Hopefully you'll find what you are looking for, or U2 might write another song about you.;)
 
Stratman68 said:
I am surprised by some of the responses here though. I have owned many acoustics in 40+ years. Many. It's like people post about how Fender strats suck (I am not saying this forum, I men the web) Well, IMHO they are great. I also prefer made in the USA. So that's a bad thing now I guess? As far as Japan, they still make some Yamaha and Takamine acoustics. Also Alvarez Yaris are made in Japan. The Yaris are expensive but can be found used at a fair price.

I am old guy also John. I firmly believe , as long as you have the KNOWLEDGE, you get what you pay for.
Thanks Pal
Click to expand...

In 2017- you don't get what you pay for in guitars... in 2017- you get 50% of what you pay for

Guitars $50-500 are a great value and better than ever-

If you're spending $2000 today- you'll get a great $1000 guitar but a bad $2000 guitar

If you buy a USA PRS, it's a great $1500 guitar- but paying 2500-3000 is too much

Depending on the brand and guitar I'd say every guitar over $500 is overpriced 30-50%

But the market corrects itself on used value- however-

Are Fender Strat's great? yeah they are
Do Fender strats totally suck? also yes

Keep in mind- the Mexico Taylor factory is like 50 miles from the USA factory- and the Fender Mexico factory is only about 100 miles from the USA factory-

Lets put together a strat- a nice quality usa neck- usa body usa parts-
neck- $200-250, body $250, pickups and everything else $100-250

If you go import you could be at half that or less
Paying the right person to put it together and set it up right- for $300-700 you can part together anything fender makes and have a 100x better product- and it's better than something Fender charges $1500-2000

I like Strats- but if I found my dream strat- I know I could part the same guitar, color, specs, everything together for $300-500 easy

NOW- by todays standard- junk wood, poor build quality, bad electronics for $500-1000+ guitars and that need a $150 set up and fret dress out of the box- fenders suck

and gibsons are worse

You get what you pay for in music recording, recording studios- and you used to get what you pay for in guitars....
but not any more

I worked at guitar center for 3 weeks... around the time Fender/Grestch merged or whatever- and guitars were coming broken in half and warped out of the box- most of them

I've seen better fret work on prison barbed wire than the MIM EVH Striped guitars

I never understood why Fender never made quality acoustics and always put their FENDER name on shitty china $100 acoustics but wouldn't put fender name on decent import guitars (squier) until now- they're making $700-800 FENDER branded guitars in china... they're great instruments- but they're great for $350- horrible for $800

Manufactures are too greedy- the guitars wholesale prices are realistically what they should sell for-
 
Well Jeries, I agree, to a point. Building your own acoustic is a bit more involved - for me, totally out of my expertise. But, My avatar is the best Strat I have ever owned in my life and I have owned many. It's perfect. It's a 2006 USA Fender Strat Deluxe. The only thing I changed were the pups. I put fralin Blues specials in it. Where did I get it? Elderly Instruments for $900. So I get it, trust me.

Remember......I was and am talking ONLY about acoustics. Period. I have to charge (Credit card) what ever I buy, so that makes looking used a bit tougher and getting to play it first even tougher.

I didn't start this thread so people could tell me how to save $$$. I simply asked about acoustic guitars with the specs I mention in my op.
I think we all know about the markup on guitars. It's not a secret. That is why I will never buy a NEW Taylor or Martin.

I also would like to see you "part" my Strat for $300-$500. Sorry, you can't.
 
I never mentioned radius. Many acoustics (including my Seagull) have a `16" radius. That also is a killer for arthritis, in my case anyway, can't speak to others. The takamine I have that I mentioned has a 12" radius.

So , it seems Guild is where I am looking now. The Troubadour models have a 24.75" scale, 1-12/16 neck\nut width and a 12" radius.
Seems perfect for m except I have never played a small bodied acoustic before.
Going to try and find one to play. Then hunt for used first......

EDIT: well after searching the web, seems used they are pretty much the same price??? Weird.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom