Thanks for all of the wisdom, everyone. I still haven't picked something else up, but I'll keep my ear out for the best dreadnought I can afford. Hopefully a Seagull. More and more I can see how the folk sized, shallower bodied guitar that I currently play is nicely suited to fingerpicking, but is a bit anemic for strumming.
Cheers, Mike
The ideal DADGAD guitar?
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Lightheaded Mike
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Loren
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Why not hold out for a used Larrivee L-03 or D-03? They are far nicer than the Seagulls (both in workmanship and tone) and you'll save yourself the need for future upgrading. Larry's seem to be some of the best bang for the buck right now.
Another option would be to go with a Blueridge guitar. Their low and mid-priced guitars are hard to beat for the money, and to my ear they just crush the Seagull guitars. I bought a nice Blueridge a couple of years ago for $350. with a very nice archtop hardcase. Very nice sounding and playing guitar, even at twice the price.
Loren
Another option would be to go with a Blueridge guitar. Their low and mid-priced guitars are hard to beat for the money, and to my ear they just crush the Seagull guitars. I bought a nice Blueridge a couple of years ago for $350. with a very nice archtop hardcase. Very nice sounding and playing guitar, even at twice the price.
Loren
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Loren
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Lightheaded Mike
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Hi Loren,
Yes a used Larrivee would be wonderful. A few of the folks I play with play them, and they seem to be instruments to fall into a certain kind of love with. At the moment and for the foreseeable future, it's a matter of absolute dollars available for another instrument purchase, so I have to stay in the shallow end when it comes to guitar purchase. What I'm hoping to get is a "good enough" sounding guitar. Seems to me that (musicality aside) unlike the flute, the tone of a guitar is largely up to the guitar. I've heard some guitars that sound like boxes with strings, some that were sublime, and most just sound nice if played well. When I think of upgrading instruments, the only thing that comes to mind for me would be adding a G# and Fnat keys to my flute. And the cost of those keys would buy me a nice guitar!
I've only seen Blueridge guitars around here in one shop, and the prices started around $650 CDN. I recall it was an auditorium sized instrument. Looked really nice. I've never played one, though. Can you recommend a specific dealer of these? I know that giannaviolins stocks them, but they seem to sell the higher end models IIRC.
Best, Mike
Yes a used Larrivee would be wonderful. A few of the folks I play with play them, and they seem to be instruments to fall into a certain kind of love with. At the moment and for the foreseeable future, it's a matter of absolute dollars available for another instrument purchase, so I have to stay in the shallow end when it comes to guitar purchase. What I'm hoping to get is a "good enough" sounding guitar. Seems to me that (musicality aside) unlike the flute, the tone of a guitar is largely up to the guitar. I've heard some guitars that sound like boxes with strings, some that were sublime, and most just sound nice if played well. When I think of upgrading instruments, the only thing that comes to mind for me would be adding a G# and Fnat keys to my flute. And the cost of those keys would buy me a nice guitar!
I've only seen Blueridge guitars around here in one shop, and the prices started around $650 CDN. I recall it was an auditorium sized instrument. Looked really nice. I've never played one, though. Can you recommend a specific dealer of these? I know that giannaviolins stocks them, but they seem to sell the higher end models IIRC.
Best, Mike
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Loren
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Yes, I agree that it's important to find a decent sounding guitar, and many of the newer guitars do sound pretty lame these days.
I certainly understand about having to work within a certain budget. Check out the BR and BG 40 and 60 if you're looking for something new. The 40's can be had for under $400. new. Not sure where there are dealers in your area, you'd have to check for blueridge dealer locations on the saga music website, just google it.
Honestly though, I'm always thinking used when it comes to guitars, because that's where the deals are. Check out ebay, just search "Blueridge Guitar" If you want a Dred, then look at the BR and BG-40, 60, 140, and perhaps 160. I prefer OM/000 sizes, which would be the BR-43, 63/73, 143, 163/183 etc.
The 100's and up are all solid, the lower lines have a solid top with laminated backs and sides. Even so, the lower priced laminated b&s models sound surprisingly good.
Loren
I certainly understand about having to work within a certain budget. Check out the BR and BG 40 and 60 if you're looking for something new. The 40's can be had for under $400. new. Not sure where there are dealers in your area, you'd have to check for blueridge dealer locations on the saga music website, just google it.
Honestly though, I'm always thinking used when it comes to guitars, because that's where the deals are. Check out ebay, just search "Blueridge Guitar" If you want a Dred, then look at the BR and BG-40, 60, 140, and perhaps 160. I prefer OM/000 sizes, which would be the BR-43, 63/73, 143, 163/183 etc.
The 100's and up are all solid, the lower lines have a solid top with laminated backs and sides. Even so, the lower priced laminated b&s models sound surprisingly good.
Loren
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Loren
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Okay Mike, I just checked on ebay, and it looks like the Blueridge guitars have started to creep up a bit in price - maybe still in your range used, but the Epiphone Masterbilt DR and AJ series guitars are a better deal at this point, have a look at this page:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-DR500M-Mas ... dZViewItem
Well under $400. for several of them, a few just over $400 brand new. That's great pricing for well made all wood guitars (The all wood Blueridge guitars are now going for nearly twice as much, hmph.) I've played the AJ in rosewood and the DR in Mahogany, both sounded nicer (to my ear) than many of the guitars in the store that cost 2-3 times as much! If I were looking for a dread right now, I'd go with one of these, unless I could find a used Larrivee for the same price or cheaper.
Just my $.02
Loren
http://cgi.ebay.com/Epiphone-DR500M-Mas ... dZViewItem
Well under $400. for several of them, a few just over $400 brand new. That's great pricing for well made all wood guitars (The all wood Blueridge guitars are now going for nearly twice as much, hmph.) I've played the AJ in rosewood and the DR in Mahogany, both sounded nicer (to my ear) than many of the guitars in the store that cost 2-3 times as much! If I were looking for a dread right now, I'd go with one of these, unless I could find a used Larrivee for the same price or cheaper.
Just my $.02
Loren
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Lightheaded Mike
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brad maloney
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Seagulls are great, The breedloves are really, really good for the money as well.
I saw someone post that dadgad is better for melody playing & that is not a fact. Tunes can be played in either tuning, as a guitarist as well as a fiddler I find standard to be far easier for tune playing. I can do it in both, but it is more work in dadgad for me.
DADGAD is not a magic cure, it can break the open chord monotony of a so-so guitarist, but it will not make a guitarist a better musician. Only learning, experimenting & practicing will do that. It's a long, fun, tough road with so many great friends along the way.
I saw someone post that dadgad is better for melody playing & that is not a fact. Tunes can be played in either tuning, as a guitarist as well as a fiddler I find standard to be far easier for tune playing. I can do it in both, but it is more work in dadgad for me.
DADGAD is not a magic cure, it can break the open chord monotony of a so-so guitarist, but it will not make a guitarist a better musician. Only learning, experimenting & practicing will do that. It's a long, fun, tough road with so many great friends along the way.
Play Happy
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kgallagher
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Guitar
Hi Mike,
I'm not a dread player (I find the size uncomfortable) - but I agree they have that low end punch.
For the money, I think you can't beat a Larrivee. I play an OM 03 in a local 'slow session' and its just a great all-around guitar. I believe their dreads are also highly regarded.
You can find a good used basic Larry for $600 or so - and a new one from good online dealers for a little more. The on-line Larrivee forum is one of the nicest groups on the net (like c&f!).
Good luck with your search!
Regards,
Kathy G
I'm not a dread player (I find the size uncomfortable) - but I agree they have that low end punch.
For the money, I think you can't beat a Larrivee. I play an OM 03 in a local 'slow session' and its just a great all-around guitar. I believe their dreads are also highly regarded.
You can find a good used basic Larry for $600 or so - and a new one from good online dealers for a little more. The on-line Larrivee forum is one of the nicest groups on the net (like c&f!).
Good luck with your search!
Regards,
Kathy G
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Griffis
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Not going to recommend a specific make/model of guitar for that tuning, but wanted to say I kept a guitar in DADGAD tuning for a long time and then somewhere picked up DADF#AD and while it's very similar I really liked it better and used it more often. YMMV.
By the way, at the time I wasn't playing ITM or anything, so I don't know how this slightly different tuning would suit that.
By the way, at the time I wasn't playing ITM or anything, so I don't know how this slightly different tuning would suit that.
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Lightheaded Mike
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Well, after looking around at some of the guitars mentioned in this thread, and letting the whole thing simmer a bit, I ended up getting a cheapy dreadnought with a solid spruce top and ply sides. It's a house brand guitar of a big Canadian Music store chain (the brand is "Northland"). Sort of a ubiquitous, beginner/intermediate-target guitar that's made in China.
This, after all of the excellent suggestions here
It was such a deal, though. Discontinued model, $100. Down considerably from the list price that compared to midpriced Yamaha guitars (and probably why they are clearing them out).
The store guy helped me pick out the best sounding one from the bunch. I had a gift certificate from that same store for just more than that amount. And in the final analysis, I'm a melody player first and foremost. If I am to pick up and put modest money toward another instrument, it's going to be fiddle
.
As far as the sound of the thing is concerned, I'm pleased. I lowered the bridge and the saddle, changed the strings to a D'Addario PB set, Medium bass, light trebles. I had put a 56 gauge low E-string on but it intoned sharp after the 7th fret when tuned to D. Better intonation with a 52. The sound is plenty bassey and the tone is nice to my ear. Much more blendy sound than the folk-sized guitar I was playing before.
In my session, we have just a few players but many of us play multiple instruments. We've got two excellent guitarists and we like guitar in our sesh, but these guys also like to play flute, whistle, mando, tea-chest bass, etc. I'm kind of the third-chair guitar player, so this axe will suit me perfectly.
Thanks again for the recommendations, I'm having a blast with my new guitar, and I'd encourage any Canucks looking for a beach guitar to get to your local Tom Lee music store! (NFI)
Mike
This, after all of the excellent suggestions here
It was such a deal, though. Discontinued model, $100. Down considerably from the list price that compared to midpriced Yamaha guitars (and probably why they are clearing them out).
The store guy helped me pick out the best sounding one from the bunch. I had a gift certificate from that same store for just more than that amount. And in the final analysis, I'm a melody player first and foremost. If I am to pick up and put modest money toward another instrument, it's going to be fiddle
. As far as the sound of the thing is concerned, I'm pleased. I lowered the bridge and the saddle, changed the strings to a D'Addario PB set, Medium bass, light trebles. I had put a 56 gauge low E-string on but it intoned sharp after the 7th fret when tuned to D. Better intonation with a 52. The sound is plenty bassey and the tone is nice to my ear. Much more blendy sound than the folk-sized guitar I was playing before.
In my session, we have just a few players but many of us play multiple instruments. We've got two excellent guitarists and we like guitar in our sesh, but these guys also like to play flute, whistle, mando, tea-chest bass, etc. I'm kind of the third-chair guitar player, so this axe will suit me perfectly.
Thanks again for the recommendations, I'm having a blast with my new guitar, and I'd encourage any Canucks looking for a beach guitar to get to your local Tom Lee music store! (NFI)
Mike