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Looking for a suggestion for an inexpensive flattop that's loud and reasonable quality.
The reason is that I occasionally go to "jam sessions" at a local pub where a bunch of old guys and a few gals get together and play folk songs and songs from the 60's. I took my Godin 5th Avenue, but was thinking a big ole flattop would be louder and better suited for this purpose.
Any suggestions?
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10-20-2018 07:58 PM
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A Dred, obviously. On the cheap, Eastman used seems hard to beat. But as always with the low end of guitars, kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince.
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Ovation Legend from the US, think 70s to 90s . Or just about any other model. Loud, great necks, good pickups on the electrics.
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Get a gypsy jazz guitar and blow those fogeys off their asses.
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I bought a couple of used Seagulls from Craigslist ads. I paid about $200 each, so they're cheap, but they play and sound way above their cost when set up. One is an Entourage Mini Jumbo. They stopped making it recently, but used ones are available all the time. It's plenty loud. The other is a Coastline Grand parlor sized guitar.
The best thing is that if you like the neck on a 5th Avenue as much as I do, it's the same neck on the short scale Seagulls.
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Loudest modestly priced guitar in my stable is the Martin JM Jumbo from the defunct Road Series - no frills but a great sounding instrument with lots of projection and resonant bass (mahogany back). If you are lucky you can pick one up on the used market for about 600-700USD.
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yamaha L series (preferably ARE-treated ones). I have an LS6 which is nicely sized and competes in volume with my mates' furch guitars and martins
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A price range would be helpful. If you can swing a used Waterloo (around $1,300), you’ll get a loud, well built and most importantly, truly inspiring instrument. I have other quality flat top guitars, but I reach for the Waterloo the most.
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What do the loudest players at the jam session play? Get one of those. Or, tell the jammers that you are looking to buy a flat top. Good chance, someone has something they'd part with that meets your needs.
Alternaively, try some flat tops at a local music store since they stock more flat tops than archtops. And, if you don't like the selection in Omaha, take a day trip to Lawrence and visit Mass Street Music. You can check out their stock on-line, by price.
No financial interest.
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I go to a jam like that most every week -- it's a blast !!!
My go-to guitar for my sunday jam is my trusty Gibson J-45. I know, I know, not cheap, but it does the job really well.
I had a Fender acoustic a few years back that was pretty decent too. Their new Paramount series is surprisingly good.
But the best cheap acoustic that I have played recently was an Epiphone Jumbo. It was at a pawnshop and I still think about it -- even though I do not need another guitar. It was big and loud and sounded good and felt good. Cool Guitar that I let pass on by.
Sounds like a fun afternoon of running around the local guitar shops might be in order . . .
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Blueridge Dread,
I think they are still the best bang-for-the-buck, especially a clean used one.
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As rlrhett say, Eastman. Hard to beat, but I'd also look at Sire new acoustic models.
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Please check your PM.
Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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Define cheap?
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What's your price range? Do you have a preferred style of guitar (e.g., "parlor", dreadnought, "orchestra", "concert", etc."). There are so many good cheap flattop guitars that it's hard to recommend something without narrowing it down a bit. I've played a ton of guitars $500-$1500 from Martin, Taylor, Eastman, Breedlove, Blueridge, Guild -- they're all really good, all the way down to the cheapest ones. The Blueridges and Eastmans are ridiculously good -- their $600-1000 guitars give the $2k+ Martins and Taylors a run for the money.
At the lower price levels -- $2-400 -- I'm not trying these out per se, but I keep stumbling on a cheap guitar that someone I know bought for the hell of it, and they're all legit, playable, good sounding instruments. Fender, Ibanez, Yamaha, Alvarez, Epiphone -- not a bad one in the bunch. A far cry from the bad old days when entry-level flattops had action a mile high and fell apart if you looked at them funny.
I think it comes down to which body style you're looking for, what's available nearby, and how much you want to spend. If there's only one model that meets those requirements, buy it. It won't suck. If there are two, flip a coin. More than two, find somebody to play "odd finger is out" with, and you'll be fine.
Or, if you happen to want to buy a reasonably priced vintage Gibson dreadnought, PM me.
John
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I will give another vote for Eastman.
I really like my E10OM (It's really a 000 size guitar with a 000 scale length). However with that adirondack spruce top it's a real cannon and the mahogany I believe helps to give it real clarity. I find rosewood can sound a little too mellow at times especially when humidity levels are high.
If your right shoulder can handle a Dreadnought there's the Eastman E10D. Frankly, I believe only parking lot bluegrass players really need a dreadnought.
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At the risk of getting slightly off topic, I would say all of my flattop guitars are really pissed at me. I have not been playing them now for several years. My playing style has changed. I find they just don't sound good to me when try to play them the same way I would play an archtop.
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May I suggest a Waterloo WL-14; not a dread but rather a L-00 size but loud and punchy and you get the added benefit that it is versatile as well as comfortable being it is a smaller body guitar. It's got a very dry sound suitable for jazz too IMHO.
Waterloo's play really well.
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Thanks for all the replies. I really want an inexpensive one, i.e., $250 or less, and not necessarily a huge one, in part because I plan to take it to Jamaica with me in January. So nothing I wouldn't want damaged.
Anyway, I will think about all the suggestions and keep my eye on Craigslist for deals.
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My Ovation 1117 came in for under $250. As a mid 80s version it still has the AAA spruce top and came with a case. Prices are inchinching up but there are deals out there. Balladeers, non electrics etc... The deep bowl models tend to be loudest.
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OK, good to know - that eliminates my first suggestion of a used Waterloo. I would also strongly recommend checking out the Ibanez AC420. It's an all mahogany OM sized guitar. A few years back, my dad was going to buy an acoustic guitar for someone that was interested in trying to learn to play guitar. Knowing that they might not stick with it, he set a budget of $300 and asked for my help. Oh, and he wanted something new! I did not think we would find anything worthwhile, but we went to Guitar Center to look. Lo and behold, the little Ibanez AC420 really grabbed me. I think he paid just under $300 all in. We took it home and I played it side by side with my Collings and was amazed by how well it held its own.
We may have got lucky and found a "good one", but it's worth a look. Good luck!
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One last suggestion, since you mentioned an upcoming trip: If you can stretch your budget a bit and find a used Voyage Air, I highly recommend them. I had one for years that traveled the world with me, and then stupidly sold it. They fold in half and are very easy to take anywhere. Mine also sounded very, very good and was easy to play.
Again, good luck!
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I've always wanted an Ovation...there's one on CL now, so will give it a look. Originally Posted by Cavalier
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Beyond just loud, the Ovations can be on the bright side of the spectrum which is good for cutting through the crowd. Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
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I bought an Ovation 1111-4 Balladeer new around 1970. It’s my first choice when I need an acoustic that might get knocked around at a picnic or campground. It’s nearly indestructible and still looks nearly new. I had it refretted a few years ago, not realizing that the refret job probably cost more than that value of the guitar. It plays great now though. It tends to project forward more than most flat tops (more like an archtop), so it can be hard to hear yourself in a noisy environment. Originally Posted by Cavalier
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