Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

[Hoss]

Long time no see fellas!!!

So...anyways...I've been playing Acoustic only for the past year or so. I'm still rocking my old Takamine that I learned to play guitar on. I'd like to upgrade and get something that I'll enjoy for the rest of my days.

I'll be the first one to admit that I'm out of the loop on gear lately and I'm looking for recomendations. I primarily play light rock and folksy type stuff and mostly strum, with a little fingerpicking thrown in here and there for good measure.

I thought about wanting it to be Acoustic/Electric, but I'm retiring from Worship Pastoring in July, so this will mostly be for my own enjoyment, and I won't need to plug it in every weekend anymore.

I like bigger body guitars, as I'm 6'4 260 and make most guitars look like a ukelele...lol

So...shoot me your recommendations!

Thanks in advance!

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Check out Eastman. They’re Chinese, but they’re a small-ish shop, not an assembly line making a million different brands. I’ve got one of their mandolins and a dreadnought. Bluegrass guys who are into old Martins are impressed by the sound and playability of mine. When new, my AC120 retailed for like $450. Solid spruce top, laminate sapele sides. The mandolin is all solid, retails for $800, but I’d have to spend about $3k to get a noticeable upgrade.

Where in Kentucky are you? If you’re ever around Dayton, Ohio, I’ll let you compare the Eastman and an old 50’s Gibson J-45.

 

[ehdwuld]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Taylor's are nice

I have a Martin and an Epi Hummingbird
I got the hummingbird for the shorter scale
And it was really inexpensive

I like the way Taylor's play
All that I have picked up, played great
Some of the Eastmans as well
If you play the two side by side , you'll see

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I really, REALLY like my old, MIJ Alvarez. Solid top for sure, and I *think* it has solid back and sides. My suggestion is to play everything in your budget and get what sounds best to you. I found my Alvarez in a pawn shop for 150 bucks. I was originally looking at a Martin OM but that Alvarez convinced me otherwise.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

While my Martin CEO-7 is flat out awesome, $ for $ you would be hard pressed to beat an Eastman. All solid wood construction, light nitro finishes, spectacular tone and very nice necks. For budget acoustics that are all solid wood I haven't found a better one than Eastman.

The Taylors in that range only have solid tops (unless you go used and you may score one with all solid woods) but they are great players with great tone. Their necks tend to feel more like an electric guitar--very comfortable to play.

Epiphone Masterbilts are very nice but have a very thick poly coating on them. They are all solid wood and can be found very reasonably priced. Blueridge also has all solid wood, nice tone...their necks seem a tad off to me.

Check used prices, with cash in hand you can definitely score a great deal.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I love Taylors, great woods and great craftmanship. Check out the Grand Orchestra 418e!

 

[Gtrjunior]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Taylor's are nice

I have a Martin and an Epi Hummingbird
I got the hummingbird for the shorter scale
And it was really inexpensive

I like the way Taylor's play
All that I have picked up, played great
Some of the Eastmans as well
If you play the two side by side , you'll see

+1 on the Taylor. I have a Fall limited edition 516 and it is indeed amazing.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Oops, the 418 is maybe out of the OP's budget.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I'll definitely try to find some Eastman's to play.

Anyone played any of these?

https://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BRE-ORCN04-LIST

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Larivees are best accoustics for me in that price range... Extremely well built and I find their tone much richer than equivalent Taylors.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[Aceman]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Go to GC/Sam Ash -

Play everything under $1k twice. Play the good ones again.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Anybody play one of these?

https://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-ALV-WY1-LIST

 

[chadd]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I'll definitely try to find some Eastman's to play.

Anyone played any of these?

https://www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-BRE-ORCN04-LIST

The shop where I prefer to do business is a Breedlove dealer and I've played a couple of them. Pretty sure I played one with the same construction but with a burst and some higher end inlays. Outstanding guitar, played, sounded and projected really well.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I’m not kidding about the Eastman sounding and playing better than the old Gibson.

 

[arten]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I picked an Eastman over the equivalent Martin hd 28. Sounded and played as well if not better at half the price.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk

 

[Hoss]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I gotta play one of those Eastmans for sure...

I may go up to 2K if I can find something I like at AMS, with their 12 month no interest payment plan?

These are the ones I'm looking at there...


Alvarez WY1 Yairi Stage Folk


Breedlove Oregon Concerto Myrtlewood


Martin DC15ME Dreadnought


Takamine P5DC Pro Series

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

If you don’t mind a more traditional feel, the 15 series Martins are awesome. You’ll need to buy used though.

 

[Ben1962]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Long time no see fellas!!!

So...anyways...I've been playing Acoustic only for the past year or so. I'm still rocking my old Takamine that I learned to play guitar on. I'd like to upgrade and get something that I'll enjoy for the rest of my days.

I'll be the first one to admit that I'm out of the loop on gear lately and I'm looking for recomendations. I primarily play light rock and folksy type stuff and mostly strum, with a little fingerpicking thrown in here and there for good measure.

I thought about wanting it to be Acoustic/Electric, but I'm retiring from Worship Pastoring in July, so this will mostly be for my own enjoyment, and I won't need to plug it in every weekend anymore.

I like bigger body guitars, as I'm 6'4 260 and make most guitars look like a ukelele...lol

So...shoot me your recommendations!

Thanks in advance!

I think Seagull should get a look as well. Some are turned off by the headstocks tho. Great guitars for the money

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

I think Seagull should get a look as well. Some are turned off by the headstocks tho. Great guitars for the money

+1 Seagull on the lower end- great quality, good sound-
+1 Breeadlove but they can be a bit expensive for the total package-
+1 again for the Larrivee-

 

[6stringerguy]

Re: Looking for the best Acoustic around $1K

Don’t own one but played a faith and it was really nice. The Venus especially