| Grizlas | New guitar |
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| | Location: Denmark | | Joined: 08.06.06 | | Posted on 18-04-2009 18:44 |
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It has been a long time since I've written anything in this forum, so I thought I'd write something about todays purchase.
For some time now, I have been wanting to get my hands on an acoustic western guitar - or an acoustic steel string guitar. I suppose it was because nylon strings were easier on the fingers, that I initially began playing on spanish guitars - or maybe it was only because that was the guitar I had access to. I have grown to love the deep, warm natural sound a spanish guitar makes, but I have been wanting to try steel string acoustics, since so many of my favorite tunes are played on them.
Having no knowledge about steel string guitars, I started by doing some research.
The oldest and most respected brand when it comes to acoustic steel string guitars is Martin. They have been making guitars since sometime in the middle of the 1800 and are still today a leading manufacturer of acoustic guitars. The most expensive acoustic steel string in the world is a martin. Then there is Gibson which also has been making guitars since early last century. I would rank them nr. 2 when it comes to acoustic steel strings. They've made many nice acoustics over the years - some of which can be found among the most expensive in the world. Then, there are a myriad of other good brands, such as Taylor, Takamine, ibanez etc. etc.
In the end, I went to the store and tried out about 20 guitars in my price-range that had the dreadnought or classic shape that I wanted, because of the better bass..love bass!. Some had too narrow a neck for my fingers to fit and others sounded very badly to me. In the end I saw a Gibson Hummingbird listed at 30k and decided to try it. It sounded wonderful and I almost decided to plunge myself into debt and buy it, but managed to put the guitar away. Then I tried the only Martin guitar they were selling that was in my range, and lo and behold, the thing sounded almost exactly like the hummningbird, albeit being slightly harder to fret. To me, this was a 3700 kr guitar with a 30k sound, so I bought it instantly. I give you the Martin DX-1:
Its not much to look at, and there's nothing extra of any sort. The neck, bottom and sides are made of a composite material called high-pressure lamminate (HPL) and it is very plastic-like. But the sound...the sound is absolutely amazing. The bass is clean and sustaining and vibrates the whole guitar while at the same time not blocking out the higher notes. It is relatively easy to fret and the shape fits me nicely. Somehow the HPL compliments the spruce soundboard to produce a sound only found in much better guitars with much better woods. It has gotten rave reviews on harmony-central too:
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/product/Martin/DX-1/10/1
(php-fusion dont like the + sign in the url)
I'm going to spend the next couple of weeks playing it, then we'll see if I feel the same way, but right now - I'm really happy about my purchase. I now have 3 girlfriends, one Spanish, one Swedish and now one American 
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You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing? |
Edited by Grizlas on 18-04-2009 18:48 |
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| Boddin | RE: New guitar |
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| | Group: Klikan
| | Location: Copenhagen | | Joined: 19.06.06 | | Posted on 19-04-2009 18:21 |
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Never been a fan of the western guitar, but then again some songs just get a better "ring" to it when a western is used.
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| Grizlas | RE: New guitar |
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| | General | |
| | Group: Administrator,
Klikan,
Regulars,
Outsiders
| | Location: Denmark | | Joined: 08.06.06 | | Posted on 19-04-2009 19:41 |
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I've always felt the same way, but I think it really depends alot upon the guitar being used. If you pick up a spanish acoustic, then it's seldom unplayable to me. You can always get them in tune and you can play them without much fuzz. With westerns though, I find that sometimes they're horrible "beaters" that require inhuman strength and fingers of adamantite to play. On top of that they might very well be impossible to tune and buzzing on every fret. I suppose there's just more that can go wrong with a western compared to a spanish.
Anyhow, if you manage to find a decent western, I think it sounds great for some types of music.
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You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing? |
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| OKJones | RE: New guitar |
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| | Location: Argir | | Joined: 12.06.06 | | Posted on 19-04-2009 20:17 |
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I'm no expert by any means, but spanish to me sound a bit dull, especially if you suck at playing guitar you sound much better on a western. Then again maybe not because some western are horrible to play on, but eventually you find something you like and you get used to it. Spanish for me feels kind of sloppy too much room for your fingers.
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Why would I want to end every post the same way? |
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| Grizlas | RE: New guitar |
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| | General | |
| | Group: Administrator,
Klikan,
Regulars,
Outsiders
| | Location: Denmark | | Joined: 08.06.06 | | Posted on 21-04-2009 12:46 |
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Me and Vester were jammin yesterday, and we both just couldn't help be amazed at how badly we thought my spanish guitar sounded when strumming. Once you get used to that metallic sound, the spanish sounds like someone plinking a cardbox - klung klung klunk. Still love my spanish though...just not so much for strumming just now.
anyhow, GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) has already set in so I've already got my next guitar purchase planned I'm sold on the Martin brand and I want a real expensive dreadnought someday. The one I've got my eye on is a D-28 from the 1970'. Like this one. Only 12.500
oh well, for now the one I've got will have to do
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You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing? |
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| Spiff | RE: New guitar |
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| | Familiar | |
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| | Location: Tórshavn | | Joined: 27.06.06 | | Posted on 21-04-2009 18:48 |
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not that I used to play much on my guitar, now I never do. My kids have kicked/pushed it so many times that the arm broke of.
So I´m also planning to buy a new one but not for 12.500,- but it would be nice to have like it
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nunc est bibendum |
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| Grizlas | RE: New guitar |
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| | General | |
| | Group: Administrator,
Klikan,
Regulars,
Outsiders
| | Location: Denmark | | Joined: 08.06.06 | | Posted on 22-04-2009 17:13 |
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Maybe in a few years you can buy my DX1 and I can get the d-28
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You want to tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing? |
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