Who is your favorite guitar manufacturer?

[Grog]

On 1/12/2018 at 3:35 PM, Cindy said:

Taylor makes lefty guitars an option for at least some of their models. Finding one in a store might not be so easy though since there isn't a big call for them. And finding limited editions might be more difficult in lefty models, too. 

What is it about your Martin that makes you play it more?

Hi Cindy:

This fact was driven home to me in spades yesterday. Go to Sweetwater.com and search on Left handed acoustic guitars. There are 1 or 2 Taylors. There are pages of Martins. Most are so new that they don't have pictures yet.

Availability or even a chance to order a model is a big selling point to a lefty.

Cheers

 

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

The Art and Lutherie are the "lowest" model line of Godin guitars. 

Very nice beginner guitars

 

[matonanjin]

Doug, you are so correct.  The Art and Lutherie are nice beginner guitars.  I had posted here about my granddaughter's new guitar.  I am 93.7% certain it is an Art and Lutherie.  I, of course, checked it out before my granddaughter began playing it. When I took her to the lesson the instructor checked it out and commented, "This plays nice".

[Tony cash]

I LOVE my Gibson acoustic 635 walnut..Played it  around Martin, Taylor many more expensive guitars. It sings beautifully. Stands out, among all those others. At least at the Tommy Emanuel guitar camp I was at this last summer it did. People were turning to listen to it during classes. Gibson's get a bad rap by people, THANKS it makes them more affordable. Personally I own two Gibson guitars. Both my go to players.Just seems Taylor guitars are everywhere. They sound good but nice to hear something different. that sounds good also. Good playing. 

[Randy120]

For acoustics I am a Taylor fan. I am curious about the new Taylor V bracing. I would like to have Andy Powers make my next guitar.

For electrics I go with Gibson. I love my Gibson Les Paul Studio. I dream of getting a ES-335 in Cherry Red of course.

I have great respect for Martin. I wouldn't mind a Fender Strat either.  

[Mouseslave]

It's interesting that the responses on this thread are primarily talking about acoustics and few Fender fans.  It may be that acoustic players are more outgoing and electric players could be introverts.  Not trying to offend anyone, just curious.

For my 2 cents, I will wave the fender flag. I have a tele that gets 80% of my attention or more.  My other two guitars are a les paul studio (my first) and a Larrivee dreadnaught.  Don't get me wrong, I like both the Larrivee and the Gibson but when I start playing them I usually end up with the Telecaster.

I have wanted an ES-335 for a long time but had a chance to play around on a new Strat american professional and like it a bunch.  With that being said every guitar I own started out to be a strat search and I have always ended up with something else. I need to start a song called the"fickler side of me".

[IanD]

@Mouseslave I have a Les Paul, an ES335 and a strat. The LP and 335 are beautiful and I enjoy picking them up and playing them, but they always feel like I'm playing someone else's guitar. The Strat somehow just feels and sounds like it's mine and is so comfortable to hold and play.

I think the key is trying to find a guitar that feels like it's yours, no matter what the brand.

[Six String]

I guess I have to say Gibson since I own more of them than anything else, but the truth is there are a lot of great guitars out there at every price point.  I have played individual models guitars I'd love to own from a lot of Companies.

When I was shopping for a "Good" acoustic, I played a lot of Taylors and Martin's and the Martin D-28 became my benchmark.  I also could have been happy with a lot of the Taylors and Gibson acoustics I played as well, but all were well above my price point.  I played a Epiphone Masterbuilt that really impressed me, but left the shop without it and it was sold when I went back.  Finally, I was trying to find the budget for a Martin DCPA4 when I stumbled on a used Breedlove D25/SRH Pro Series, which I felt came closer to the D-28 sound than anything I'd played and was within my price range. I'm thrilled with my Breedlove and blown away by their customer service even after I explained I had bought my guitar used.  Great Company.

For Electrics I own Epiphones and a Squire that are way better than their price would indicate.  In stores I've played guitars I'd be happy to own from Gretsch, Ibanez, Schecter, D'Angelica, PRS and more.  

Long story short, when shopping try not to focus too much on brand and play lots of stuff.  You may find something that speaks to you where you least expect it.  

[Mouseslave]

On 2/25/2018 at 12:30 AM, IanD said:

@Mouseslave I have a Les Paul, an ES335 and a strat. The LP and 335 are beautiful and I enjoy picking them up and playing them, but they always feel like I'm playing someone else's guitar. The Strat somehow just feels and sounds like it's mine and is so comfortable to hold and play.

I think the key is trying to find a guitar that feels like it's yours, no matter what the brand.

I agree 100%.

[Six String]

11 hours ago, Mouseslave said:

I agree 100%.

Interesting I am 100% the opposite.  Of all my guitars the Strat (which I have owned the longest by far) feels strangest to me.  I'm forcing myself to play it more to try and get over that as I think it sounds and plays great, the right hand position just feels very different. Conversely I took to my Tele immediately, so its not just a bias against Fender.

I feel like if I can swap between acoustic, Les Paul, Flying V and ES-135 I should be able to get comfortable with the dang Strat! lol

Edited February 28, 2018 by Six String

[CapM]

I have 4 brands of electric guitars and about the same for acoustics.  As for electrics, it depends on the model and the year.

Gibson - although there are stories of recent shoddy workmanship as morale is low right now at the company, my Gibsons (LP, SG, and ES-335) are a few years prior.  They are good quality instruments, though you can tell they are mass production models.

Fender - I have two Strats and two Teles, with one of the Tele's being a Custom Shop.  Frankly, the mass production models seem to be high quality (though people have always said Fender makes their guitars to be workhorses).  Interestingly, my Custom Shop Tele does not have the same "custom" feel as my guitars I'll mention below.  I think that's because a lot of Fender's CS models are period specific.  So they might be more into building guitars that feel like they were made in the 1950's - 1970's.

PRS - Workmanship on all three of mine is excellent.  PRS guitars are known to be perfectly set up right from the get go.  I know Paul is very hands on in the factory, so I feel things could never get out of hand there.  My three are US made models (HBII, DGT, & 408), and not the foreign SE models (though I've heard Paul say he visits the overseas factory often).

Tom Anderson - TA's are built as custom made guitars.  Not needing to be period-specific like Fenders, TA's can focus on putting the best components in their guitars.  As a result, I can say it is my highest quality guitar.

So in conclusion, PRS is great for production guitars that really compete well against custom builders like TA.  Fenders are the workhorses, though their CS models are custom in that they reflect the period-specific vibes, not because they feel like a custom guitar builder.  I might be hesitant to buy a newer Gibson, but if you can play a used one and it feels good, it might be a nice production guitar.