This is the most information I have heard about guitars ! I would never say what I do is playing . I only started messing with guitars of late to keep the arthritis in my hands loose but it is fun to find out more and more about guitars ! Thanks you very much !
Takes daily focused practice. Just hold your guitar at least two hours per day. Even if just sitting on the couch keeping it warm getting comfortable plucking. I've been doing this four months now daily study Anything Guitar related. It's begining to make sense and I can see it's coming together. Daily. At least 10 minutes
This is one of the best information-laden videos I have ever seen anywhere! I've been playing guitars for 56 year and I learned a load of stuff!! Thank you so much!!
This is the most informative video to look at for those who are learning about guitars, especially acoustic players. Gary and Jack really know their stuff and go into great detail on what to choose and what NOT to choose, and what you gotta watch out for.
Bought a Martin HD-28 from Guitar Showcase 25 years ago and it has helped me write several albums worth of original songs. Brought the action down as the years went on and added a second peg to get my strap to work more like an electric model. Stick in a sound hole pickup when I'm on stage.
Great video guys. Love the 'throwback' and conversational feel with lots of demos of different guitars. The whole thing feels like it was filmed by a Bob Ross film crew in 1974....and that is a compliment. ;) I love the 'void' black background too with the old-skool subtitles. Great job.
Only if , someone 'properly' INTONATES the guitar first, even Carlos Santana said "I would have never bought my first guitar, if the store guitar tech hadn't done his 'MAGIC' first".
I have my doubts about the Right Hand/Left Hand stuff. At first glance, it seems like the right hand has the easier job, but the timing of when the notes are picked is more critical than that of when it's fretted, that is to say, so long as the fingers on the neck get there in time, it'll all work out, but if the picking hand hits the note too soon, it's a problem.
I'm a left handed beginner. No way I could play right handed like he said. He must not be completely left handed. My husband is like him. Right left handed but uses his right hand in many things.
@@darkestdarker3726 Really? This is the first time you heard this? You must be a very young man, or you're right-handed. I wasn't even able to find a factory built left-hand guitar until the mid '70s. Before then, while listening to the right-handers tell us what we should do and how to do it, we strung our guitars upside down and backwards. You may have heard of that guy called Jimi Hendrix. He got pretty good, with practice. If Shake Russell and Paul McCartney stay after it, there's just no telling where it may go.
@Ed Butler- I get a strong sense you are not a guitar player. If you were a picker and not a strummer, it would still be self evident that the picking hand is Not more critical than the fretting hand. The fretting hand doesn't form a chord and then idly lie around waiting for the next chord change to occur. The fretting hand also bends notes, slides notes, hammers on and pulls off notes and does it all in corresponding time with strummed or picked strings. Notice, I said Corresponding time. Additionally, the function of fretting, whether single notes, combinations of notes or chords requires strength, dexterity and speed. I am not saying fretting with the weak hand is not doable- I'm saying it comes more quickly, comfortably and easily to the dominant hand. Just for the sheer fun of it, use your weak hand to form a 1st position Bb barre chord, and then a barred first position F major. Slide that F up to the 3rd, then 5th frets Then move to the 4th fret form a C#m. Finally, go to the 8th fret and form an F major (D-shape) across strings 1-5. Bear in mind you are supposed to apply enough pressure to make all the strings ring clearly. A beginning player may have good strength in his/her dominant had, but will still experience "discomfort" until individual muscles strengthen, stretch and acclimate to chord shapes. Any player will feel Flat out pain forming these and other chords with the weak hand until it gains, then finally exceeds the strength of the dominant hand.
I love... well, I hesitate to say "play the guitar" but let's just say I love my guitars. I just bought my third guitar and it's a Fender California Newporter Special. Blues is my sound and I'm used to playing the Strat. Thanks for the video!
Good point. I guess every industry has its own terminology. A luthier is someone / company that builds / works on guitars. You could replace luthier with manufacture. So to say with in the manufacture they tend to build guitars the say way. Again, good point. If you have questions feel free to e-mail us and we will help as much as we can.
The Seagull didn't get a fair shake in terms of sound with just a few poorly picked notes. Made in Canada by Godin. There are also Art & Lutherie and Simon & Patrick, all by Godin. They are amazing value for money. They play well. I purchased the one you see by my name for under $300 CDN but played about 20 guitars by lots of famous makers up to $900. The Godin guitars sounded better than the "Made in China" brand names. Much more balanced. I'd buy Godin again if I want a new guitar!
I have a nice Martin, a nice Gibson, THREE Seagulls (two s6's and an S12) and A Godin Archtop. Yes, the Canadian Godin/Seagull guitars are excellent construction and a great value for the money.
I bought a Seagull S6 which is the model shown about a year before watching this. Went to 4 different guitar stores and played every acoustic they had. The only one that impressed me at the same level was a 12-string. Really a gorgeous sound, that's why it's award winning.
When i started playing guitar at 10, i had a full size classical guitar , haha it was so hard , but now im so happy that i started with this because when i go on a electric guitar after that, PFFF hahaha it played like butter ! no pain no gain ! remember this.
One thing about adding electronics to an acoustic. I bought a pure acoustic, and then went looking for something to add in. I then discovered the L.R. Baggs M1 soundhole pickup, the passive version. It has a detachable cable you can easily have hanging out of the soundhole when in use, and away when you're not plugging in. I highly recommend the sound quality. I would put it up against any undersaddle piezo - it really sounds like your guitar, and is much easier to use and make adjustments.
yes, this is true. altough a thing to note is that it is true only as it applys to each individual. dont go bragging about how is the best in the world to people and making others feel bad lol.
Yup! My seagull s6 sounds absolutely amazing. Got it for 230 bucks. Ill tell u wat. This guitar sounds better than every single 1500-2000 dollar guitar ive played. I even played 5 other seagulls and this guitar is frickn awesome. Who knew!
Great enthusiastic guys,the guys know exactly what’s best for all interested in being a guitar player,just listening to both chaps tells me they want to help so much, well done fella’s.
I have a 2015 614ce and I have a 816ce Taylor and I have a vintage 1980 Martin d28 I also used to own 2 Martin d 35 and a d28 12 string my favorite one is which ever I'm playing I've had Gibson's in the past and wish I still had them Taylor Martin Gibson love them all
It should be mentioned that Larrivée make excellent guitars, and they're a Canadian company. The D-60 in particular is a beautiful Brazilian rosewood and maple guitar with an ebony fretboard, and plays wonderfully.
This was a super informative video... thanks for making it.... I only have one correction in regards to the statement that all collectable guitars come from the US of A.... You forgot one very important exception which is Spain.... look up a Marcello barbero... could go up into the $100k...but I do understand flamenco is a specialized guitar style....
Guitar Showcase= Learned more in this short time than I thought possible from a posting. One day we were dispatched to a guy thumbing on the interstate. The man carried a martin guitar & when I took him to a safe place, [didn't arrest him], I asked how good r u on the guitar? He was good. I've loved a Martin ever since. However I' purchased a Gibson acoustic and it sounds great but seems to have a wider neck than a martin.? Know a Martin is pricey but that's my next guitar. Anyway you and this posting are a good source of information and in my opinion some of the good guys left out there . with respect.. Stay safe
A few comments and opinions: I would never call Fender a "luthier" or any one of their acoustic guitars "high end". Their guitars are mediocre at best, and their workers, with rare exception, are laborers. A lot of people may begin learning to play with $300-400 guitars, but it doesn't make a $300-400 guitar a beginner's model. More likely, it means I'll soon be buying another decent-quality guitar off another pawn shop wall. "Small Starter Guitars" you say, as you pick up another nylon string classical guitar of unknown quality (you don't hesitate to to call out brand names on decent quality items). For my most recent (65th) birthday, I bought myself a mahogany Taylor GS Mini. I will gladly put it up against most full-size, steel string guitars for tone and volume. As to your statement that the small scale guitar cost is wasted, I totally disagree. The GS Mini isn't my only guitar, but I fully expect to be playing it until the day I die. My room mate recently bought a Big Baby Taylor that he is also very impressed with. One thing not mentioned at more than half way through your video, is proper set-up of an acoustic guitar. I'm waiting to see if the subject will be broached and if so, how it will be addressed without hurting the feelings of your "high-end" manufacturers. My opinion is that about 98% of acoustic guitars made would benefit greatly from a proper set-up. I have bought "used" guitars at heavily discounted prices that were probably only played for a few hours and showed no sign that any effort was made to set the guitar up. Your statement regarding aftermarket "add-on" electronics is so much hog wash, especially pertaining to quality of sound. I would have expected you, if anyone, to know that for a long time more than one manufacturer (including a Pennsylvania company) didn't offer built-in electronics because the sound quality was crap. Other manufacturers have changed suppliers due to poor sound quality and/or reliability issues. L.R. Baggs and K&K Sound make aftermarket products which come to mind immediately , as they have both performed well for me. On the other hand, I had a factory-installed Ibanez pre-amp die in the middle of a Friday night performance and learned Ibanez wanted almost $400 to replace it- just the pre-amp (I'll never own another Ibanez product). Thank you for at least mentioning set-up, though in my opinion, it should have been more important than antique collector value. Every guitar shop should make set-up an included part of every sale.
0. 00 and 000 size are for anyone, especially for blues and us folksters. I have a USA Guild M-20 and it is slightly smaller than a Gibson L-00 and Martin 00. Great presentation guys!!! You are right about body size, I am 5ft 7 and mine is within the right size for me.
In my experience, for beginners at least, looks are (almost) everything. Having a guitar you think looks cool will make you go back and want to keep playing and practicing.
Nah bro, what I wanted to say is a guitar which has high action and looks cool is much harder to play than a guitar with low action, soft strings. Looks are important, yes, but not the deciding factor.
Ever hear of Grit Laskin, Jean Larrivee, Normand Boucher, Robert Godin, Paxton, ( all Canadians ),Alhambra ( Spain ), Yamaha Custom shop ( Japan ), Kort ( Korea ), Hermann Hauser ( Germany ), John Willaims ( England ).... sheeesh!!!!!!!
Larrivee just moved to California, he has built guitars in Canada since he started in the 70's, first in Ontario and then in Vancouver...he opened a plant in Oxnard a few years ago...my point is most Americans make little or no effort to look outside their own country and they seem to think they have a monopoly on all things, which is far from the truth....most American aeronautical engineers in the thirties, forties, and fifties were originally from the Soviet Union, Germany, and Canada who Americans then claimed as their own....most people move their for largely one reason, the money. Albert Einstein was from Germany, Martina Navratolova from Chezcoslovakia, etc. etc. etc.
Just to clarify, Larrivee moved to California about 15 years ago. I mentioned Paragon and Haida Gwaii because those guitar companies were/are made up of people who worked for Larrivee but didn't want to move to California. They are great guitars; I own 4 of them. Of course I also own an Ovation Adamas. Ovation was a somewhat unique guitar maker; they always tried to be innovative in every way they could. The Adamas is their top of the line - graphite top with a Lyrachord body.
Larrivee did not move all his operations to California then...he still made a lot of his models in Vancouver until just last year...Jean and his son still source all his Sitka spruce from B.C....personally I hate Ovations, the neck is too narrow for my taste and the shape of the body i find uncomfortable. He should have stuck to helicopters. I know some people like them, I just don't know why lol!
the odd bowl shape of the Ovation bodies keeps wanting to go horizontal when you play it...one shouldn't have to be fighting with one's guitar to stay put when you're playing it....I also don't think they sound nearly as good as a well made more traditional type wood guitar.
Seagulls are inexpensive, but I've seen some that sounded absolutely AWESOME. They also use a short scale (like a J-45 Gibson- about 25'') which makes it easier to play for a person with weaker hands.
Being an acoustic player myself.....this has to be the worst video on the matter I have seen. And the wonderful showboating on the 2 guitars that cost in excess of 2000 bucks....that arent in tune. Some of the information is decent...but it doesn't need to be drawn out. Want to know how to pick a guitar...go play a bunch of them at a music store and fall in love.
You are absolutely right: those two guitars, they played duet, aren't in tune!!! Plus: there are few videos on TH-cam, answering question, announced, much-much better.
Abolutely right. Left my comment and a demonstration video today. Can't get over how you can give such a demonstration, state this b....t as facts. And there might be people out there who do not know better and accept it as gospel.
I knew we were in trouble the moment they included Fender as a high end guitar. There are lots of really good guitar manufacturers out there besides Martin and Gibson that aren't offshore. Look around, play them all and choose the one YOU like.
Thanks for this video, very enjoyable and educational. I currently just have a classical, nylon string guitar, which I like, but I'm learning acoustic guitar playing now so would like an acoustic guitar for its narrower neck and bigger sound. I was worried this video would be repetitive given its length, but it wasn't. I learned a lot and liked the style and listening to the playing of the very knowledgeable guitarists in this video. Hope they do another video.
Laminate guitars are not necessarily bad guitars. in my honest opinion, My old laminate Yamaha fg160 Japan made is my go to guitar over my 1977 Martin d28
eddy green . Well said eddy. I have two Yamaha fg160-1 guitars (black label, all laminate). The heavily played one sounds awesome while the ‘not so much’ played one sounds ok. I’d pick an old well played guitar over an expensive new one every time!
@@murphroberts4891 I have a D-28, and I chose to noodle on a Taylor Mini GS. Not because it is superior to my Martin, but because it is cozy, sits in bed with me easily, and if I fall asleep I do not have to worry about breaking it...because, well, it is just a Taylor. xD When I want big sound and I am really getting down, the Martin comes out.
Well, I think you go out and by a Yahmaha 720, which I think is the cheapest solid top dreadnaught that I like. That's $199 at GC. If you want to spend $300, you can get a far better series of solid top guitars with a variety of makers, including Breedlove (not sure about the Mitchell at $279). I would not get the Martin or Taylors in this price range (they are really travel guitars). I would stay away from the cedar topped Seagulls for a beginner. From there, I think you go to the Big Baby Taylor at $400. Although it is a laminate, not a dreadnaught, and I think has a bolt on neck, it sounds wonderful. I have never seen a walnut seagull or many Washburns or Deans. I would urge people to start with the full Dreadnaught, and not an electric. If you want to play an electric, get an electric. If you want to play acoustic to a crowd, then play into a mic. With the exception of some high end Taylors, most electric acoustics sound terrible when you play more than one string at a time. Not that anyone will follow that advice.
I don't know why people play nylon strings. They don't have the treble, don't have bass, and lack harmonics, can't really bend the notes much either, I think. But, people say I am crazy as well.
moreanimalspirits Maybe a little crazy. I've been hearing a lot of really great nylons. It doesn't have that boom in sound like a steel, nylon sounds softer. One thing that makes a difference to me is the laminate vs solid top. If you have a nylon with a laminate top its going to sound pretty lame, but with a solid top and good tuning nylon can kick butt. All the guitars I've handled thus far though have been steel, like the Yahmaha my brother got. Very rich sound!
I can't play the larger ones because my Back Condition can not take an uncomfortable position. I'm in the market and decided on the "Concert" or "Orchestra" 0r "0" Type size. Larger than a "Parlor' buy smaller than a "Dreadnought"
I've only bought 1 guitar online, I bought a Rogue 12 string many years ago and I just had a feeling when it was delivered that the neck would be broken, luckily it wasn't. It was out of tune, I believer that it was tuned down really loose for shipping but after I cleaned it up and put on a new set of Elixirs. It's amazing sound and quality only set me back 99.00 dollars (American). I bought this guitar years ago it keeps tune and the sustain is really unbelieveable. As far as guitars go, it's the best 99.00 I ever spent.
DennisOnYT ...never say never...I have bought possibly over 300 guitars on-line...been playing for 50 years....and in terms of ebay...been disappointed perhaps 3-4 times...in which case I returned them.... On the plus side...I have usually purchased these pieces for 30-40% less than in my local store....more then enough left over to set them up just perfect.
I used to say the same thing, then several years ago I bought a $3400 Martin from Sweetwater. They’re big on customer support and they do a 55-point inspection on every guitar they sell. Their guarantee is bullet proof. I’m very happy with it.
I have a Suzuki from the 70's, all solid tonal woods, spruce top, mahogany back sides & neck with rosewood fretboard which has had numerous re-frets & set-ups .... & is a real pleasure to just enjoy playing. I also have a Cats-Eyes CE500 ... all solid tonal woods, spruce top, rosewood back & sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard which could do with some attention of a good Luthier .... but is also a real pleasure to spend time with. To purchase anything close or better you'd be looking at spending over £3k (each) .... the Suzuki cost me £50 + a Marshall valve amp & £300 in the workshop .... & the Cats-Eyes was £500 from Japan. + the Suzuki has some fantastic 'Cold-War' history to it ... :-) & Jimmy Moon of Glasgow (UK) does make some fantastic instruments ..... you do have to play one before making any comments / decision.
yes, American guitars are great instruments but please let's not forget about the Spaniards and their flamenco music , listen to Paco de Lucia and his Conde Hermanos guitar or less expensive Rodriguez guitars
Fantastic video, good work guys! Wish I knew all of this when I bought my first guitar, luckily my brother knew most of the tips and tricks, I'm ready to buy a new guitar now, this has been very helpful! :)
If lefties have the advantage on right handed guitars why aren't righties playing left handed guitars? Because it's bs. This is one of the oldest old wives tales around.
I'm about to buy a new one . I've watched lots of videos. It hasn't been as settling as these two guys . I can't trust the review ones coz I never know if they got given one or they are paid. This was genuine and laid back. ☺️
"There is no such thing as a collectible guitar made in any other country"?! I love (and own several) guitars made in the US, but this so wrong that it makes you wonder if you have any idea what you're talking about, especially when it comes to music made outside of the US (flamenco, gypsy, even classical, etc.). Furthermore, the simple fact that guitars don't originally come from the US should give a hint about the collectibility of some guitars from other places...
Exactamundo. You should see for how much go old classical or flamenco guitars made in Spain made one or two centuries ago. Torres guitars, to mention an example. Some (not only Torres) can go for more than €15,000.
I'm afraid (in this rare moment of correctness) Gomer is right -- it's Maple. This appears to be one of the 614's with a torrefied Sitka Spruce top and that easily identifiable, highy figured Western Maple 3-piece back.
When I teach guitar or approach anyone and they’re interested to start, I have always first emphasized the guitar size as these two gentlemen have mentioned. The guitar has to fit your body like a shoe fits your foot or you won’t play it anymore. That’s why so many people have guitars sitting around their houses.
How I agree! I had a deep bowl Ovation. Fabulous guitar but because of the bowl it kept slipping to a horizontal position (You can see it happening even to the great Glen Campbell on some TH-cam videos). I just couldn't play it. Still miss its brilliant sound though.
I honestly don't think that the guitar was invented by a left-handed person. The actual roots of the guitar have been lost in time, but there were certain instruments that contributed to its parentage: oud, lute, gittern, vihuela. And the earliest guitars were the four-course Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar.But all of these were played finger-style, and without a plectrum. Because of this, I'm certain the guitar was invented by a right-handed player.I also think you missed the point about neck widths. The "why". Wider necks are best for finger-style players, while the narrow necks are best for flat-pickers. And sadly you never mentioned resophonic guitars like Dobro or National. My favorites.And I think you're right about higher-end guitars holding their values. Some are better than Krugerrands. But markets can change. There were no National guitars made between 1942 and 1989. So thirty years ago if you wanted to own a National guitar one had to buy a vintage guitar, for which there were two competing price pressures that drove the prices uncomfortably high: 1) There were people who wanted to collect those old guitars. 2) And there were people who wanted to play them like Mark Knopfler, or Eric Clapton.But in 1989 new investors bought the name and some of the original dies and tools, and now make guitars that are, in my opinion, better than the originals.They are better because these new ones have truss rods, and other better improved parts. And metal, unlike wood, gains nothing from aging. There's no difference in tone between 1939 steel and 2018 steel (or brass, or "German silver"). So now there is no need for a player to buy a 1939 style "O" resophonic guitar. He can buy a guitar just as good made last week in California (They're still not cheap). As a consequence the prices for those older guitars are now only held up by the collector market, and as a consequence have suffered. But no one is giving them away; they're still valuable. In the stock market they would call this just a "correction".
So by Gary's reasoning, he would be advocating for all right handed people to play Left Handed guitars . Or perhaps trying to increase sales by 15% without diversifying inventory ?
Elizabeth Cottin played upside down backwards right handed guitar (left handed). Low E string on bottom. Check her out playing freight train. It’s a treat and can’t be duplicated by anyone I’ve watched.
"America is King when it comes to guitars...there's no such thing as a collectable guitar made in any other country......" (15:50) - What absolute "tosh" .. who's he trying to con? eg. Lowden guitars (Ireland) - not collectable!!!!! Tell that to American guitar players!!
Enjoyed the intro picking. Also, I think you hit some great points about buying a guitar. I wish you would have mentioned the fact that some manufactures, i.e., "Taylor" makes crap for a guitar, but places a huge price tag on it so most people willthink it is a wonderful guitar. I have to play or hear one of these that are any good.
Thank you Hugh Rogers for your comments about lefthanded guitar players and about guitar sales people! Your right on my freind! As a lefty player I hate to hear you can switch the strings or we can order that lefthanded. Some sales people get it but for those who don't l simply ask them if they test drove their vehicle before they purchased it?
As a left-handed player of left-handed guitars for almost twenty years, I need to tell you, I hate it when righty players insist that left-handed people learn to play in the right-handed position. It’s backward for most of us and counter intuitive. I am very left-handed in most of the things I do, and after two failed attempts to learn to play my grandfather’s righty guitar, someone suggested I string it upside-down and give it try. I did and fell in love with playing. It’s like throwing a ball with the correct hand. When I play, it’s the detailed strumming patterns, picking individual string with appropriate attack, and finger picking that require the most skill. Fretting chords and notes, and even bending strings are easiest and best for my right hand fingers.
I'm with you. It's also bogus to claim guitar was invented by a lefty. How would anyone know this? I stopped watching 3 minutes in because of this cock-sure, arrogant attitude.
@@Apples4244 It's an ages old prejudice, and really bad advice. There are loads of left handers who recall being sneared at for wanting to play guitar "the wrong way round". Hendrix apparently used to flip his guitar upside down if his dad wasn't watching. Play the guitar that is most comfortable for you to play.
There are great guitars made in Canada, the U.K., Germany, Ireland....etc..there's a great Scottish ex pat in Ontario who makes fabulous guitars... I'm surprised you guys didn't say that Americans invented music!!!!
A decent parlor guitar is a good starter and probably one you would want to hang on to forever. My nephew plays my Washburn R320swrk and it fits him very well.
This past July I bought a 65th birthday gift for myself: a mahogany Taylor GS Mini. This was not my first nor is it my only guitar. Actually, it's also not my only Taylor guitar. Will I hang it on a wall? Not likely. It will get played, often, until I'm dead.
Great video, really helps me out a lot on choosing a guitar. But I need a little more guidance. At the end of your video you mentioned that if your on a budget and are looking for a $200-$300 guitar, you should go test many different guitars in that price range to find one that suits you. But how about if you've never played a guitar before, how do you go and test something when you don't even know how to play to determine the proper sound that your looking for. They all pretty much sound the same to me. I'm using TH-cam Reviews on different guitar manufacturers to determine what I think would suit me. But in general, all manufacturer videos are pretty much salesmen trying to sell their product. Which doesn't matter to me but I just need a little more guidance. My budget is anywhere between $100-$1,200 range. I like the solid Spruce tops and solid Rosewood sides and back. I'll also opt for built in electronics as well. Thank you and have a great life. :)
If you know absolutely nothing, ask the guy in the store, you'll be able to tell if he feels comfortable playing a guitar and he'll guide you more than enough.
When I bought my first Yamaha (steel) I had the *fellow in the store* play (beyond my level!) the same song(s) on different guitars. Then you can compare the tone. brilliance and resonance and THEN play it for yourself (with your 6 chords?) to get the feel-then you are in a position to look for a used one online. ~I had to use smaller gauge strings until my fingers got stronger to help me with the action of the guitar. ~Don't get too stingy with the case. ~ I bought a guitar that *I would grow into!*. (I see pain in your future until you develop those callouses. Hehe) ☮
cigarjohn42 Not knowing how to play guitar and trying to choose the most suitable instrument for you will be kinda tricky. You can ask some advice from the store manager or bring someone who knows how to play guitar with you so that they can help you with buying and acoustic guitar
My advise is don't pay more than £5 ($10) for a guitar until you have mastered it otherwise you are throwing your money away. I much prefer nylon strings as they give a mellow sound and do not hurt your fingers. Also go for a smaller guitar at first no matter how big a person you are. I have been playing for 40 years now and still use a £5 child's guitar with nylon strings on it. I have played Gibsons and Martins but always go back to my little junk shop guitar.
I am a sax player by trade, but fell into guitar when I was playing in a rock band. But this is just fantastic teaching me how to look for a guitar, since I have no guitar right now. Thanks guys, for such a helpful video.
The inventor of the guitar whas left handed? And so the guitar is designed for lefties? IMHO the strumming hand is the one who articulates 90% of the time you play which is much harder than press a chord. And if still think that the cutaway makes a subtle difference on the sound please check it. There is a video in this same site showing it.
Informative. They do make a few biased statement here and there but you'll learn what you need here in order to choose a guitar - the importance of neck width, action, materials, action, saddle and bridge position, truss rod and most important of all, of course, whether you like the sound.
Nobody forgot to mention Yamaha. Yamaha isn't worthy of mention when speaking on the subject of quality guitars. I'm not trying to be an ass, regardless of your hurt feelings. In the early '70s I had a damn nice Yamaha. It had the best neck of any guitar I'd ever played at that time. But my Yamaha was a right-hand guitar I had strung for my left-hand playing and the intonation was noticably off. I came back from Europe and a local guitar shop was finally able to get me a real left-hand guitar. I don't remember the model of the Yamaha or the Epiphone LH I bought, but I can tell you I gave the Yamaha to my younger sister. Since that time, whenever I found a left-hand Yamaha, I picked it up and played it. None of them, regardless of price, sounded good enough to tempt me into buying. Then, a few years ago I read about Yamaha redesigning their entire line of acoustics, so I went looking for them. I was extremely disappointed. Every one of them - regardless of price - sounded dead. Like the body cavity was stuffed with someon'e laundry. Like playing under water. By the time this redesigned series came out I had a few guitars I was happy with, Since then, I've added others and I've continued to pick up a Yamaha when I saw one. Sorry, Yamaha still disappoints me and gives me no reason to own one. I'm not brand loyal to guitar builders and I'm not a guitar snob. I buy guitars one at a time based upon how they play and sound to me.
If a beginner asks me what they should buy, I always say Yamaha. Whatever your budget, a Yamaha will give good value and build quality is consistent. Anything else, I have to see the guitar before I recommend it.
Why do you say only guitars made in USA are the only collectables as there are many spanish, german and even Irish loathers such as Lowdon so please retract that statment regards Frank
When the Charvel was first introduced, I compared dozens of them and compared them to Jackson and Niel Schon. I found THE Charvel. Just got a stroke of luck and found a Laurel Canyon L100 that needed some TLC and some good strings. Great affordable mix between Martin and Taylor. I love it. Free with about 4hrs of intense labor. Very well worth it. Solid spruce top, mahogany, compensated bridge, scalloped bracing, real abalone rosett. Adjustable truss rod. Show me a better value
Well as much as I love my Lowden and other non American guitars such as Nick Huber...there is truth in the fact that if you buy Fender, Gibson or Martin they retain a higher retail value because of brand recognition....something to do with their iconic image and the history of contemporary music and I'll admit massive doses of marketing.
let's be reasonable and say that even if lowden are excellent guitars, the great majority of collectible acoustics come from the states...santa cruz, bourgeois, collings, taylor, olson, kevin ryan etc.etc. not to mention of course, historic brands like martin and gibson.
I have had an ovation for quite a while and love playing the thing (though it can be uncomfortable to hold due to its curved back) and didnt know the history of it .... the veitnam war angle and glenn miller etc ..... thanks for the enlightenment . Everyone that sees it mentions the 70s ....now I know exactly why .
" there are no collectable guitars made in any other country other than USA" - what a crass and typical statement from Americans, what about classics from Spain, what about handmade from all over Europe especially UK, Scotland ( Jimmy Moon ) and others.....,Guitars don't have to come from Fender/Gibson/Martin to be briliant and termed as 'collectable', depends on what you want to collect ! Guirars are not all about TELES, STRATS AND D42' S , Americans.......................See the world outside that Stetson dude.....
***** Вместо описания - один дельный совет, не смотрите российское тв, не читайте российских газет, не регистрируйтесь в российских соцсетях, в общем как можно дальше держите , huh? i saw this in your profile, you can read this? what language is this.... Greek?
I do think that is an ignorant statement for them to say and I don't agree with it but please don't think all Americans are like that I am one and I completely disagree with their thinking.
I love people that bash Americans. You must be a really cool guy. You just made me want to turn in my citizenship to live in another country. Americans... Pfffft, bunch of assholes that bail out all the other countries...
By all appearances -- this is merely a self-indulgent project. This is what is bad about TH-cam. I hate that uninformed beginners might take these guys seriously.
27:48 min of a shitload of bullshit man!! Typical Yankees who think they're always the best in everything. Yes i own a US made guitar but there adises and saying only US made guitars are collectible is nonsense! Canada, Australia and Japan (to name a couple) make great sounding and playable guitars. Than the comment also called Folk guitar is another weird thing to say because the english folk music started on Nylon stringed guitars. If i would be a starter this movie would bring on the completly wrong way!
When they said collectible, they were referring to how much the price will raise over time, and for the most part US guitars (martin, gibson, fender etc) will almost always be more valuable as time goes on than others. They didn't mean that only US guitars are good. Now I'm Australian, and while we make some great guitars (Cole Clark, Maton etc) in 20 years time they won't be half the price of a Gibson or Fender from the same time. I don't even like US guitars, but what they said is, for the most part, true.
Yep and for the same reason the price will raise, others will argue they are overpriced. Don't think they meant it as a shot. I'm an American and a Takamine fan, so I'm not all in on the American guitars either. However, what they said is true.
Of course many other countries make great guitars but that still don't make Em collectable, and take martin and gibson they are the oldest guitar makers that are still in business, now in my book that counts for something
For an acoustic guitar... it's easy.... buy a McPherson! You will have a guitar for generations to come. (imho) BUT... if you don't have the cash, something like the Seagull S6 is a winner for the price.
Picked up my seagull for 230 bucks. 13-56 gauge strings Elixer polywebs sounds absolutely AMAZING. I was at the guitar store other day looking at harmonicas for a buddy so decided to tink around. My seagull literally sounded better, louder, boomier bass, than the 5 guitars priced at 1500-2700 dollars. And this perticular guitar sounded better than all the other seagulls ive ever played. Look up the song the guitar by guy clark. Telln ya it was meant to be!
"Collectible guitars don't exist outside the US!" Ah, Ah... Drop your ten gallon hat dude, it makes your brain start boiling. Such a narrow minded statement even not deserves an ironic comment. Never heard about, Lowden, Furch, Maton, Queguiner, Cheval (and many more) ?..
he didnt mean it as a mean thing man. even if he did its such a petty thing to get upset about... if hes right hes right, if hes wrong oh well no big deal. (it may have been a big deal before the internet when fact checking was a hard thing to do, but now anyone who cares enought to invest enough money in to a new guitar and save ituntill its colectible or is buying a colectible, will do the reasearch.) no use in being mad about it, because there is nothing worthwhile that being mad will change.
Obviously they are a couple of hillbillies who don't know much about anything that happens outside America. They probably ain't never heard of Yamaha, Takamine, Hofner and all that. They've been stuck in Texas all their lives playing Bluegrass with their Gibsons and Martins.
I sell acoustic guitars...more for classical and to be honest.. my guitars sounds betters then a hight end guitar.. my are handmade and every details is done by a human hand not by a machine. Also I use real wood for example.. Brazilian, Indian wood amound others.. not plywood like I seeinat guitar center $ 800 guitars.. and by the way I am just pitting in my two cents..
Most classical nylon string guitars have necks 2;" TO 2 1/4" wide, which i too wide for my short, inflexible arthritic fingers. But Donna LoPrinzi, daughter of Augustino LoPrinzi, made a custom guitar specially tor me. It has a neck 1 3/4" , the same width as my two Martin guitars. It has rosewood back and sides, spruce top a maple neck and maple binding.. Donna gave it a shorter 630mm scale length, an auxiliary sound hole and a K&K pickup inside. It's the only one like it in the world and is my go-to guitar. It's easier to lay than my Martin 0028 or my Martin OMe Cherry guitars which cost more.
This is the most information I have heard about guitars ! I would never say what I do is playing . I only started messing with guitars of late to keep the arthritis in my hands loose but it is fun to find out more and more about guitars ! Thanks you very much !
Takes daily focused practice. Just hold your guitar at least two hours per day. Even if just sitting on the couch keeping it warm getting comfortable plucking. I've been doing this four months now daily study Anything Guitar related. It's begining to make sense and I can see it's coming together. Daily. At least 10 minutes
This is one of the best information-laden videos I have ever seen anywhere! I've been playing guitars for 56 year and I learned a load of stuff!! Thank you so much!!
I started playing with a long-neck acoustic guitar. When I first played a short-neck guitar, it felt so easy lol
It doesn't matter if it's long or short, what matters is how much you make use of it
@@hathaway.1166 no shit sherlock
This is the most informative video to look at for those who are learning about guitars, especially acoustic players. Gary and Jack really know their stuff and go into great detail on what to choose and what NOT to choose, and what you gotta watch out for.
One of the nicest sounding guitars Ive heard made in another country is the MATON of Austrailia.
Tommy Emanual uses these..
Bought a Martin HD-28 from Guitar Showcase 25 years ago and it has helped me write several albums worth of original songs. Brought the action down as the years went on and added a second peg to get my strap to work more like an electric model. Stick in a sound hole pickup when I'm on stage.
Seagulls are amazing for the price point. Great video, thanks
Great video guys. Love the 'throwback' and conversational feel with lots of demos of different guitars. The whole thing feels like it was filmed by a Bob Ross film crew in 1974....and that is a compliment. ;) I love the 'void' black background too with the old-skool subtitles. Great job.
If the guitar touches your "eye", your "ear", your sense of "touch" and your heart, that's your guitar no matter the cost.
Great Comment! It's so true!
Only if , someone 'properly' INTONATES the guitar first, even Carlos Santana said "I would have never bought my first guitar, if the store guitar tech hadn't done his 'MAGIC' first".
Thanks for all good tips! Will come back again...and again :)
Greetings from Wiwa in sweden.
I have my doubts about the Right Hand/Left Hand stuff. At first glance, it seems like the right hand has the easier job, but the timing of when the notes are picked is more critical than that of when it's fretted, that is to say, so long as the fingers on the neck get there in time, it'll all work out, but if the picking hand hits the note too soon, it's a problem.
Exactly. And this is the first time I hear someone recommend to the lefthanders not to play left-handed. Strange.
I'm a left handed beginner. No way I could play right handed like he said. He must not be completely left handed. My husband is like him. Right left handed but uses his right hand in many things.
@@darkestdarker3726 Really? This is the first time you heard this? You must be a very young man, or you're right-handed.
I wasn't even able to find a factory built left-hand guitar until the mid '70s. Before then, while listening to the right-handers tell us what we should do and how to do it, we strung our guitars upside down and backwards. You may have heard of that guy called Jimi Hendrix. He got pretty good, with practice.
If Shake Russell and Paul McCartney stay after it, there's just no telling where it may go.
@@connieabbott4972 Right left handed. wow.
@Ed Butler- I get a strong sense you are not a guitar player. If you were a picker and not a strummer, it would still be self evident that the picking hand is Not more critical than the fretting hand.
The fretting hand doesn't form a chord and then idly lie around waiting for the next chord change to occur. The fretting hand also bends notes, slides notes, hammers on and pulls off notes and does it all in corresponding time with strummed or picked strings. Notice, I said Corresponding time.
Additionally, the function of fretting, whether single notes, combinations of notes or chords requires strength, dexterity and speed. I am not saying fretting with the weak hand is not doable- I'm saying it comes more quickly, comfortably and easily to the dominant hand.
Just for the sheer fun of it, use your weak hand to form a 1st position Bb barre chord, and then a barred first position F major. Slide that F up to the 3rd, then 5th frets Then move to the 4th fret form a C#m. Finally, go to the 8th fret and form an F major (D-shape) across strings 1-5. Bear in mind you are supposed to apply enough pressure to make all the strings ring clearly.
A beginning player may have good strength in his/her dominant had, but will still experience "discomfort" until individual muscles strengthen, stretch and acclimate to chord shapes. Any player will feel Flat out pain forming these and other chords with the weak hand until it gains, then finally exceeds the strength of the dominant hand.
I love... well, I hesitate to say "play the guitar" but let's just say I love my guitars. I just bought my third guitar and it's a Fender California Newporter Special. Blues is my sound and I'm used to playing the Strat. Thanks for the video!
15:47
The blue shirt guys face is my favorite part of this video
HIS SPIRIT LEFT HIS BODY
Good point. I guess every industry has its own terminology. A luthier is someone / company that builds / works on guitars. You could replace luthier with manufacture. So to say with in the manufacture they tend to build guitars the say way. Again, good point. If you have questions feel free to e-mail us and we will help as much as we can.
The Seagull didn't get a fair shake in terms of sound with just a few poorly picked notes. Made in Canada by Godin. There are also Art & Lutherie and Simon & Patrick, all by Godin. They are amazing value for money. They play well. I purchased the one you see by my name for under $300 CDN but played about 20 guitars by lots of famous makers up to $900. The Godin guitars sounded better than the "Made in China" brand names. Much more balanced. I'd buy Godin again if I want a new guitar!
I have a nice Martin, a nice Gibson, THREE Seagulls (two s6's and an S12) and A Godin Archtop. Yes, the Canadian Godin/Seagull guitars are excellent construction and a great value for the money.
I bought a Seagull S6 which is the model shown about a year before watching this. Went to 4 different guitar stores and played every acoustic they had. The only one that impressed me at the same level was a 12-string. Really a gorgeous sound, that's why it's award winning.
When i started playing guitar at 10, i had a full size classical guitar , haha it was so hard , but now im so happy that i started with this because when i go on a electric guitar after that, PFFF hahaha it played like butter ! no pain no gain ! remember this.
Exact same experience.
One thing about adding electronics to an acoustic. I bought a pure acoustic, and then went looking for something to add in.
I then discovered the L.R. Baggs M1 soundhole pickup, the passive version. It has a detachable cable you can easily have hanging out of the soundhole when in use, and away when you're not plugging in.
I highly recommend the sound quality. I would put it up against any undersaddle piezo - it really sounds like your guitar, and is much easier to use and make adjustments.
The best guitar on the planet, is the one you love the most.
And...inspires you
yes, this is true. altough a thing to note is that it is true only as it applys to each individual. dont go bragging about how is the best in the world to people and making others feel bad lol.
Mark oohhh. Yo are a genius
Yup! My seagull s6 sounds absolutely amazing. Got it for 230 bucks. Ill tell u wat. This guitar sounds better than every single 1500-2000 dollar guitar ive played. I even played 5 other seagulls and this guitar is frickn awesome. Who knew!
"The best guitar is the one you cant put down" Tommy Emmanuel.. something like that.
Great enthusiastic guys,the guys know exactly what’s best for all interested in being a guitar player,just listening to both chaps tells me they want to help so much, well done fella’s.
Sheep herders. Welcome to the happy herd.
It’s why they make narrow necked nylon guitars. Also, I play jazz on a nylon.
No rules, just play what you like.
I have a 2015 614ce and I have a 816ce Taylor and I have a vintage 1980 Martin d28 I also used to own 2 Martin d 35 and a d28 12 string my favorite one is which ever I'm playing I've had Gibson's in the past and wish I still had them Taylor Martin Gibson love them all
All that and never learned grammar and punctuation. Really impresses the girls, eh?
It should be mentioned that Larrivée make excellent guitars, and they're a Canadian company. The D-60 in particular is a beautiful Brazilian rosewood and maple guitar with an ebony fretboard, and plays wonderfully.
Yes but not collectable
@@tysonrinker5958 Not collectable today doesn't mean it wont be in the future... Wise chinese proverb
Highly informative, highly entertaining delivered by two guys who know what their talking about. Thanks from a player from the UK.
This was a super informative video... thanks for making it.... I only have one correction in regards to the statement that all collectable guitars come from the US of A.... You forgot one very important exception which is Spain.... look up a Marcello barbero... could go up into the $100k...but I do understand flamenco is a specialized guitar style....
If you have to look up the maker it can not be very collectible.
Guitar Showcase= Learned more in this short time than I thought possible from a posting. One day we were dispatched to a guy thumbing on the interstate. The man carried a martin guitar & when I took him to a safe place, [didn't arrest him], I asked how good r u on the guitar? He was good. I've loved a Martin ever since. However I' purchased a Gibson acoustic and it sounds great but seems to have a wider neck than a martin.? Know a Martin is pricey but that's my next guitar. Anyway you and this posting are a good source of information and in my opinion some of the good guys left out there . with respect.. Stay safe
A few comments and opinions:
I would never call Fender a "luthier" or any one of their acoustic guitars "high end". Their guitars are mediocre at best, and their workers, with rare exception, are laborers.
A lot of people may begin learning to play with $300-400 guitars, but it doesn't make a $300-400 guitar a beginner's model. More likely, it means I'll soon be buying another decent-quality guitar off another pawn shop wall.
"Small Starter Guitars" you say, as you pick up another nylon string classical guitar of unknown quality (you don't hesitate to to call out brand names on decent quality items). For my most recent (65th) birthday, I bought myself a mahogany Taylor GS Mini. I will gladly put it up against most full-size, steel string guitars for tone and volume. As to your statement that the small scale guitar cost is wasted, I totally disagree. The GS Mini isn't my only guitar, but I fully expect to be playing it until the day I die. My room mate recently bought a Big Baby Taylor that he is also very impressed with.
One thing not mentioned at more than half way through your video, is proper set-up of an acoustic guitar. I'm waiting to see if the subject will be broached and if so, how it will be addressed without hurting the feelings of your "high-end" manufacturers.
My opinion is that about 98% of acoustic guitars made would benefit greatly from a proper set-up. I have bought "used" guitars at heavily discounted prices that were probably only played for a few hours and showed no sign that any effort was made to set the guitar up.
Your statement regarding aftermarket "add-on" electronics is so much hog wash, especially pertaining to quality of sound. I would have expected you, if anyone, to know that for a long time more than one manufacturer (including a Pennsylvania company) didn't offer built-in electronics because the sound quality was crap. Other manufacturers have changed suppliers due to poor sound quality and/or reliability issues.
L.R. Baggs and K&K Sound make aftermarket products which come to mind immediately , as they have both performed well for me. On the other hand, I had a factory-installed Ibanez pre-amp die in the middle of a Friday night performance and learned Ibanez wanted almost $400 to replace it- just the pre-amp (I'll never own another Ibanez product).
Thank you for at least mentioning set-up, though in my opinion, it should have been more important than antique collector value. Every guitar shop should make set-up an included part of every sale.
I didn't watch the video. This comment is actually more helpful. Thanks Murph!
0. 00 and 000 size are for anyone, especially for blues and us folksters. I have a USA Guild M-20 and it is slightly smaller than a Gibson L-00 and Martin 00. Great presentation guys!!!
You are right about body size, I am 5ft 7 and mine is within the right size for me.
Thanks for posting. This is very informative.
I just bought a Yamaha Trans Acoustic with built in reverb and chorus. It's lovely.
Interesting but I would always choose a guitar that I liked personally, but I'm sure this would help some people choose one .
I've been playing guitar for almost a decade and I learned stuff. Really good show.
In my experience, for beginners at least, looks are (almost) everything. Having a guitar you think looks cool will make you go back and want to keep playing and practicing.
+Jonathan Sefcik very true!
No sir.
KarmicYogi Aw Mann Karmic Yogi said no so it must not be true!
Nah bro, what I wanted to say is a guitar which has high action and looks cool is much harder to play than a guitar with low action, soft strings. Looks are important, yes, but not the deciding factor.
Taylor makes beautiful guitars. I'm a proud owner of a 814CE and I absolutely love it.
The most polite demonstration in all of history.
in 20 yrs of playing this is the most ive ever learnt within 30 minutes. nice one guys
Ever hear of Grit Laskin, Jean Larrivee, Normand Boucher, Robert Godin, Paxton, ( all Canadians ),Alhambra ( Spain ), Yamaha Custom shop ( Japan ), Kort ( Korea ), Hermann Hauser ( Germany ), John Willaims ( England ).... sheeesh!!!!!!!
Larrivee is in California, aren't they? Ever hear of Paragon or Haida Gwaii ?
Larrivee just moved to California, he has built guitars in Canada since he started in the 70's, first in Ontario and then in Vancouver...he opened a plant in Oxnard a few years ago...my point is most Americans make little or no effort to look outside their own country and they seem to think they have a monopoly on all things, which is far from the truth....most American aeronautical engineers in the thirties, forties, and fifties were originally from the Soviet Union, Germany, and Canada who Americans then claimed as their own....most people move their for largely one reason, the money. Albert Einstein was from Germany, Martina Navratolova from Chezcoslovakia, etc. etc. etc.
Just to clarify, Larrivee moved to California about 15 years ago. I mentioned Paragon and Haida Gwaii because those guitar companies were/are made up of people who worked for Larrivee but didn't want to move to California. They are great guitars; I own 4 of them.
Of course I also own an Ovation Adamas. Ovation was a somewhat unique guitar maker; they always tried to be innovative in every way they could. The Adamas is their top of the line - graphite top with a Lyrachord body.
Larrivee did not move all his operations to California then...he still made a lot of his models in Vancouver until just last year...Jean and his son still source all his Sitka spruce from B.C....personally I hate Ovations, the neck is too narrow for my taste and the shape of the body i find uncomfortable. He should have stuck to helicopters. I know some people like them, I just don't know why lol!
the odd bowl shape of the Ovation bodies keeps wanting to go horizontal when you play it...one shouldn't have to be fighting with one's guitar to stay put when you're playing it....I also don't think they sound nearly as good as a well made more traditional type wood guitar.
Seagulls are inexpensive, but I've seen some that sounded absolutely AWESOME. They also use a short scale (like a J-45 Gibson- about 25'') which makes it easier to play for a person with weaker hands.
Being an acoustic player myself.....this has to be the worst video on the matter I have seen. And the wonderful showboating on the 2 guitars that cost in excess of 2000 bucks....that arent in tune. Some of the information is decent...but it doesn't need to be drawn out. Want to know how to pick a guitar...go play a bunch of them at a music store and fall in love.
You are absolutely right: those two guitars, they played duet, aren't in tune!!!
Plus: there are few videos on TH-cam, answering question, announced,
much-much better.
Abolutely right. Left my comment and a demonstration video today. Can't get over how you can give such a demonstration, state this b....t as facts.
And there might be people out there who do not know better and accept it as gospel.
I knew we were in trouble the moment they included Fender as a high end guitar. There are lots of really good guitar manufacturers out there besides Martin and Gibson that aren't offshore. Look around, play them all and choose the one YOU like.
Thanks for this video, very enjoyable and educational. I currently just have a classical, nylon string guitar, which I like, but I'm learning acoustic guitar playing now so would like an acoustic guitar for its narrower neck and bigger sound. I was worried this video would be repetitive given its length, but it wasn't. I learned a lot and liked the style and listening to the playing of the very knowledgeable guitarists in this video. Hope they do another video.
Laminate guitars are not necessarily bad guitars. in my honest opinion, My old laminate Yamaha fg160 Japan made is my go to guitar over my 1977 Martin d28
Who ever said every Martin guitar was a good guitar?
eddy green .
Well said eddy. I have two Yamaha fg160-1 guitars (black label, all laminate). The heavily played one sounds awesome while the ‘not so much’ played one sounds ok.
I’d pick an old well played guitar over an expensive new one every time!
@@murphroberts4891 I have a D-28, and I chose to noodle on a Taylor Mini GS. Not because it is superior to my Martin, but because it is cozy, sits in bed with me easily, and if I fall asleep I do not have to worry about breaking it...because, well, it is just a Taylor. xD When I want big sound and I am really getting down, the Martin comes out.
30 seconds into this video I realized the wisdom of Norman (at Norman's Rare Guitars) in having qualified players demonstrate his instruments!
Well, I think you go out and by a Yahmaha 720, which I think is the cheapest solid top dreadnaught that I like. That's $199 at GC. If you want to spend $300, you can get a far better series of solid top guitars with a variety of makers, including Breedlove (not sure about the Mitchell at $279). I would not get the Martin or Taylors in this price range (they are really travel guitars). I would stay away from the cedar topped Seagulls for a beginner.
From there, I think you go to the Big Baby Taylor at $400. Although it is a laminate, not a dreadnaught, and I think has a bolt on neck, it sounds wonderful.
I have never seen a walnut seagull or many Washburns or Deans.
I would urge people to start with the full Dreadnaught, and not an electric. If you want to play an electric, get an electric. If you want to play acoustic to a crowd, then play into a mic. With the exception of some high end Taylors, most electric acoustics sound terrible when you play more than one string at a time.
Not that anyone will follow that advice.
moreanimalspirits My little brother bought that $200 Yahmaha at GC and it sounded amazing. I have heard that in the
I don't know why people play nylon strings. They don't have the treble, don't have bass, and lack harmonics, can't really bend the notes much either, I think.
But, people say I am crazy as well.
moreanimalspirits Maybe a little crazy. I've been hearing a lot of really great nylons. It doesn't have that boom in sound like a steel, nylon sounds softer. One thing that makes a difference to me is the laminate vs solid top. If you have a nylon with a laminate top its going to sound pretty lame, but with a solid top and good tuning nylon can kick butt. All the guitars I've handled thus far though have been steel, like the Yahmaha my brother got. Very rich sound!
I had a gentlemen at GC recommend a Yamaha FG800 folk as a starter.Tag didnt provide any specs though
When u say most acoustic electrics sound terrible, do u mean they sound bad plugged in or just in general?
Thanks Sean! We're glad you enjoyed it.
I can’t believe that they managed to get Lil Wayne to play the intro for this video
I can't play the larger ones because my Back Condition can not take an uncomfortable position. I'm in the market and decided on the "Concert" or "Orchestra" 0r "0" Type size. Larger than a "Parlor' buy smaller than a "Dreadnought"
The SJ200 was introduced in 1937. It cost $200 then hence the 200. They cost more now.
I’m 6’4” big hands which would you buy I’m leaning to pick
You guys should do an episode regarding acoustic bass guitars. I would been interested to watch your critique of the instruments.
Never buy an guitar online, try it out in a store before buying nomatter you're beginner or an expert
DennisOnYT I agree. I think trying instruments, not just guitars, at a music store is more important than the pictures online.
David McAninch unless they don’t sell what you’re looking for.
I've only bought 1 guitar online, I bought a Rogue 12 string many years ago and I just had a feeling when it was delivered that the neck would be broken, luckily it wasn't. It was out of tune, I believer that it was tuned down really loose for shipping but after I cleaned it up and put on a new set of Elixirs. It's amazing sound and quality only set me back 99.00 dollars (American). I bought this guitar years ago it keeps tune and the sustain is really unbelieveable. As far as guitars go, it's the best 99.00 I ever spent.
DennisOnYT ...never say never...I have bought possibly over 300 guitars on-line...been playing for 50 years....and in terms of ebay...been disappointed perhaps 3-4 times...in which case I returned them....
On the plus side...I have usually purchased these pieces for 30-40% less than in my local store....more then enough left over to set them up just perfect.
I used to say the same thing, then several years ago I bought a $3400 Martin from Sweetwater. They’re big on customer support and they do a 55-point inspection on every guitar they sell. Their guarantee is bullet proof. I’m very happy with it.
The best information I have found anywhere about acoustic guitars. Thank you soo much!! I found it immensely helpful.
thank you
I have a Suzuki from the 70's, all solid tonal woods, spruce top, mahogany back sides & neck with rosewood fretboard which has had numerous re-frets & set-ups .... & is a real pleasure to just enjoy playing.
I also have a Cats-Eyes CE500 ... all solid tonal woods, spruce top, rosewood back & sides, mahogany neck, ebony fretboard which could do with some attention of a good Luthier .... but is also a real pleasure to spend time with.
To purchase anything close or better you'd be looking at spending over £3k (each) .... the Suzuki cost me £50 + a Marshall valve amp & £300 in the workshop .... & the Cats-Eyes was £500 from Japan.
+ the Suzuki has some fantastic 'Cold-War' history to it ... :-)
& Jimmy Moon of Glasgow (UK) does make some fantastic instruments ..... you do have to play one before making any comments / decision.
yes, American guitars are great instruments but please let's not forget about the Spaniards and their flamenco music , listen to Paco de Lucia and his Conde Hermanos guitar or less expensive Rodriguez guitars
they are great guitars
Gunther Berghof ...as well as Selmer and Maccaferri Gypsy Jazz Guitars.
+Gunther Berghof: Two words:
Antonio Stradivari.
He made guitars as well as violins!
Cellos and Violas as well.....So did Guaneri... The Cremona Luthiers were Non-Pareil!
^^^ Big Paco DeLucia fan!
Fantastic video, good work guys! Wish I knew all of this when I bought my first guitar, luckily my brother knew most of the tips and tricks, I'm ready to buy a new guitar now, this has been very helpful! :)
If lefties have the advantage on right handed guitars why aren't righties playing left handed guitars? Because it's bs. This is one of the oldest old wives tales around.
because it costs more to buy a Lefty, and you have to start lefty, you can't just change one day
it's not
I'm about to buy a new one . I've watched lots of videos. It hasn't been as settling as these two guys . I can't trust the review ones coz I never know if they got given one or they are paid. This was genuine and laid back. ☺️
"There is no such thing as a collectible guitar made in any other country"?! I love (and own several) guitars made in the US, but this so wrong that it makes you wonder if you have any idea what you're talking about, especially when it comes to music made outside of the US (flamenco, gypsy, even classical, etc.). Furthermore, the simple fact that guitars don't originally come from the US should give a hint about the collectibility of some guitars from other places...
Because US people think US is the only place that matters on earth.
Muh america
Exactamundo. You should see for how much go old classical or flamenco guitars made in Spain made one or two centuries ago. Torres guitars, to mention an example. Some (not only Torres) can go for more than €15,000.
68’ Rumble Bee lol since when are Alvarez’s collectible?
Tell that to Maton and Cole Clark some of the best guitars made and not in the good old US of A. But Australia.
Tell that to the very loyal Lowden owners.
This was great for a person like me who thinking of getting a Guitar who knows nothing about them. Thank you vary much for the video I learned a lot.
The back of that Taylor at roughly 10-11 minutes is not maple... that's koa, boys.
TheMrturn1 it was a quilted back?
Oh no-a, that's not Koa. Sorry Mable, it is Maple.
Koa Schmoa. I own a Taylor 614 CE and the sides and back are made from highly figured Western Maple. It is a beautiful instrument.
I'm afraid (in this rare moment of correctness) Gomer is right -- it's Maple. This appears to be one of the 614's with a torrefied Sitka Spruce top and that easily identifiable, highy figured Western Maple 3-piece back.
Quilted maple - I have one.
When I teach guitar or approach anyone and they’re interested to start, I have always first emphasized the guitar size as these two gentlemen have mentioned. The guitar has to fit your body like a shoe fits your foot or you won’t play it anymore. That’s why so many people have guitars sitting around their houses.
How I agree! I had a deep bowl Ovation. Fabulous guitar but because of the bowl it kept slipping to a horizontal position (You can see it happening even to the great Glen Campbell on some TH-cam videos). I just couldn't play it. Still miss its brilliant sound though.
easy, just make sure it says Gibson J200 and...no worries...
I honestly don't think that the guitar was invented by a left-handed person. The actual roots of the guitar have been lost in time, but there were certain instruments that contributed to its parentage: oud, lute, gittern, vihuela. And the earliest guitars were the four-course Renaissance guitar, and the five-course baroque guitar.But all of these were played finger-style, and without a plectrum. Because of this, I'm certain the guitar was invented by a right-handed player.I also think you missed the point about neck widths. The "why". Wider necks are best for finger-style players, while the narrow necks are best for flat-pickers.
And sadly you never mentioned resophonic guitars like Dobro or National. My favorites.And I think you're right about higher-end guitars holding their values. Some are better than Krugerrands. But markets can change. There were no National guitars made between 1942 and 1989. So thirty years ago if you wanted to own a National
guitar one had to buy a vintage guitar, for which there were two competing price pressures that drove the prices uncomfortably high: 1) There were people who wanted to collect those old guitars.
2) And there were people who wanted to play them like Mark Knopfler, or Eric Clapton.But in 1989 new investors bought the name and some of the original dies and tools, and now make guitars that are, in my opinion, better than the originals.They are better because these new ones have truss rods, and other better improved parts. And metal, unlike wood, gains nothing from aging. There's no difference in tone between 1939 steel and 2018 steel (or brass, or "German silver"). So now there is no need for a player to buy a 1939 style "O" resophonic guitar. He can buy a guitar just as good made last week in California (They're still not cheap). As a consequence the prices for those older guitars are now only held up by the collector market, and as a consequence have suffered. But no one is giving them away; they're still valuable. In the stock market they would call this just a "correction".
So by Gary's reasoning, he would be advocating for all right handed people to play Left Handed guitars .
Or perhaps trying to increase sales by 15% without diversifying inventory ?
@@filianablanxart8305 I'm not so sure Gary has any reasoning. I think he habitually opens his mouth and stupidity pours out.
WARNING! THIS COMMENT WILL TELL YOU NOTHING ABOUT BUYING AN ACOUSTIC GUITAR.
Nor will this video.
Elizabeth Cottin played upside down backwards right handed guitar (left handed). Low E string on bottom. Check her out playing freight train. It’s a treat and can’t be duplicated by anyone I’ve watched.
"America is King when it comes to guitars...there's no such thing as a collectable guitar made in any other country......" (15:50) - What absolute "tosh" .. who's he trying to con?
eg. Lowden guitars (Ireland) - not collectable!!!!! Tell that to American guitar players!!
Of course, I knew all this already, but I still enjoyed listening to these fellas! Good job guys!
Enjoyed the intro picking. Also, I think you hit some great points about buying a guitar. I wish you would have mentioned the fact that some manufactures, i.e., "Taylor" makes crap for a guitar, but places a huge price tag on it so most people willthink it is a wonderful guitar. I have to play or hear one of these that are any good.
Raymond Poston I think your dead wrong mabey you just don't know guitars they are of the best hands down
Thank you Hugh Rogers for your comments about lefthanded guitar players and about guitar sales people! Your right on my freind! As a lefty player I hate to hear you can switch the strings or we can order that lefthanded. Some sales people get it but for those who don't l simply ask them if they test drove their vehicle before they purchased it?
I sort of resent that he said that it's better to play the guitar in the "normal", right handed position. lol
As a left-handed player of left-handed guitars for almost twenty years, I need to tell you, I hate it when righty players insist that left-handed people learn to play in the right-handed position. It’s backward for most of us and counter intuitive. I am very left-handed in most of the things I do, and after two failed attempts to learn to play my grandfather’s righty guitar, someone suggested I string it upside-down and give it try. I did and fell in love with playing. It’s like throwing a ball with the correct hand. When I play, it’s the detailed strumming patterns, picking individual string with appropriate attack, and finger picking that require the most skill. Fretting chords and notes, and even bending strings are easiest and best for my right hand fingers.
I'm with you. It's also bogus to claim guitar was invented by a lefty. How would anyone know this? I stopped watching 3 minutes in because of this cock-sure, arrogant attitude.
@@Apples4244 It's an ages old prejudice, and really bad advice. There are loads of left handers who recall being sneared at for wanting to play guitar "the wrong way round". Hendrix apparently used to flip his guitar upside down if his dad wasn't watching. Play the guitar that is most comfortable for you to play.
The smaller guitar they called Requinto is a Spanish Guitar they used for play bolero music. Is very popular on the most hispanic country.
How to choose a chair....never choose a chair with arms if your going to sit down and play a guitar😉
Thanks you guys for this comparison between gibson Sj 200 and Martín D40...amazing..I'd go for gibson.keep it up
There are great guitars made in Canada, the U.K., Germany, Ireland....etc..there's a great Scottish ex pat in Ontario who makes fabulous guitars... I'm surprised you guys didn't say that Americans invented music!!!!
A decent parlor guitar is a good starter and probably one you would want to hang on to forever. My nephew plays my Washburn R320swrk and it fits him very well.
This past July I bought a 65th birthday gift for myself: a mahogany Taylor GS Mini. This was not my first nor is it my only guitar. Actually, it's also not my only Taylor guitar.
Will I hang it on a wall? Not likely. It will get played, often, until I'm dead.
Great video, really helps me out a lot on choosing a guitar. But I need a little more guidance. At the end of your video you mentioned that if your on a budget and are looking for a $200-$300 guitar, you should go test many different guitars in that price range to find one that suits you. But how about if you've never played a guitar before, how do you go and test something when you don't even know how to play to determine the proper sound that your looking for. They all pretty much sound the same to me. I'm using TH-cam Reviews on different guitar manufacturers to determine what I think would suit me. But in general, all manufacturer videos are pretty much salesmen trying to sell their product. Which doesn't matter to me but I just need a little more guidance. My budget is anywhere between $100-$1,200 range. I like the solid Spruce tops and solid Rosewood sides and back. I'll also opt for built in electronics as well. Thank you and have a great life. :)
If you know absolutely nothing, ask the guy in the store, you'll be able to tell if he feels comfortable playing a guitar and he'll guide you more than enough.
Seagull S6
exactly my problem. I am allowed to try them out at Long&McQuade, but I can't play the thing worth beans!
When I bought my first Yamaha (steel) I had the *fellow in the store* play (beyond my level!) the same song(s) on different guitars.
Then you can compare the tone. brilliance and resonance and THEN play it for yourself (with your 6 chords?) to get the feel-then you are in a position to look for a used one online.
~I had to use smaller gauge strings until my fingers got stronger to help me with the action of the guitar.
~Don't get too stingy with the case.
~ I bought a guitar that *I would grow into!*.
(I see pain in your future until you develop those callouses. Hehe) ☮
cigarjohn42 Not knowing how to play guitar and trying to choose the most suitable instrument for you will be kinda tricky. You can ask some advice from the store manager or bring someone who knows how to play guitar with you so that they can help you with buying and acoustic guitar
I agree Ed Lake, I've been playing a Yahmaha 12 string since 1981...still the best sound I know of...for a 12-String
Playing one since '81 and can't spell it?
My advise is don't pay more than £5 ($10) for a guitar until you have mastered it otherwise you are throwing your money away. I much prefer nylon strings as they give a mellow sound and do not hurt your fingers. Also go for a smaller guitar at first no matter how big a person you are. I have been playing for 40 years now and still use a £5 child's guitar with nylon strings on it. I have played Gibsons and Martins but always go back to my little junk shop guitar.
Where did u get a playable 10$ guitar?
+John Afella just imagine the action on that 10$ guitar
I am a sax player by trade, but fell into guitar when I was playing in a rock band. But this is just fantastic teaching me how to look for a guitar, since I have no guitar right now. Thanks guys, for such a helpful video.
You shouldn't knock Yamaha..The LL 11 Series is a beaut. and can hold it's own in any company.
Ed Lake m
Anyone actually seeing this video would probably be fine buying one.
there are some pretty amazing german, Spanish and Italian guitars as well. id say collectible, especially some of the german made from the 40s and 50s
And French guitars. Selmer-Maccaferri anyone?
And French guitars. Selmer-Maccaferri anyone?
The inventor of the guitar whas left handed? And so the guitar is designed for lefties? IMHO the strumming hand is the one who articulates 90% of the time you play which is much harder than press a chord. And if still think that the cutaway makes a subtle difference on the sound please check it. There is a video in this same site showing it.
Thank you! Maybe all righties should play left handed since it’s “easier”
Informative. They do make a few biased statement here and there but you'll learn what you need here in order to choose a guitar - the importance of neck width, action, materials, action, saddle and bridge position, truss rod and most important of all, of course, whether you like the sound.
You all forgot to mention Yamaha.
duffermod1 nothing like a Yamaha
@@andrewwheelerguitar Exactly! Which is why it wasn't mentioned.
Nobody forgot to mention Yamaha. Yamaha isn't worthy of mention when speaking on the subject of quality guitars.
I'm not trying to be an ass, regardless of your hurt feelings.
In the early '70s I had a damn nice Yamaha. It had the best neck of any guitar I'd ever played at that time. But my Yamaha was a right-hand guitar I had strung for my left-hand playing and the intonation was noticably off. I came back from Europe and a local guitar shop was finally able to get me a real left-hand guitar. I don't remember the model of the Yamaha or the Epiphone LH I bought, but I can tell you I gave the Yamaha to my younger sister.
Since that time, whenever I found a left-hand Yamaha, I picked it up and played it. None of them, regardless of price, sounded good enough to tempt me into buying. Then, a few years ago I read about Yamaha redesigning their entire line of acoustics, so I went looking for them. I was extremely disappointed. Every one of them - regardless of price - sounded dead. Like the body cavity was stuffed with someon'e laundry. Like playing under water.
By the time this redesigned series came out I had a few guitars I was happy with, Since then, I've added others and I've continued to pick up a Yamaha when I saw one. Sorry, Yamaha still disappoints me and gives me no reason to own one.
I'm not brand loyal to guitar builders and I'm not a guitar snob. I buy guitars one at a time based upon how they play and sound to me.
@@murphroberts4891 Burt Jansch = Yamaha
If a beginner asks me what they should buy, I always say Yamaha. Whatever your budget, a Yamaha will give good value and build quality is consistent. Anything else, I have to see the guitar before I recommend it.
I played a gibson J 40 for a very longtime I moved to a Songwriter and now use a J200 all are very nice guitars
Why do you say only guitars made in USA are the only collectables as there are many spanish, german and even Irish loathers such as Lowdon so please retract that statment
regards
Frank
When the Charvel was first introduced, I compared dozens of them and compared them to Jackson and Niel Schon.
I found THE Charvel.
Just got a stroke of luck and found a Laurel Canyon L100 that needed some TLC and some good strings.
Great affordable mix between Martin and Taylor.
I love it.
Free with about 4hrs of intense labor.
Very well worth it.
Solid spruce top, mahogany, compensated bridge, scalloped bracing, real abalone rosett.
Adjustable truss rod.
Show me a better value
America makes the only collectible guitars? Nonsense. What about Lowden or Avalon? Both highly collectible and made in a Northern Ireland.
Well as much as I love my Lowden and other non American guitars such as Nick Huber...there is truth in the fact that if you buy Fender, Gibson or Martin they retain a higher retail value because of brand recognition....something to do with their iconic image and the history of contemporary music and I'll admit massive doses of marketing.
let's be reasonable and say that even if lowden are excellent guitars, the great majority of collectible acoustics come from the states...santa cruz, bourgeois, collings, taylor, olson, kevin ryan etc.etc. not to mention of course, historic brands like martin and gibson.
I have had an ovation for quite a while and love playing the thing (though it can be uncomfortable to hold due to its curved back) and didnt know the history of it .... the veitnam war angle and glenn miller etc ..... thanks for the enlightenment .
Everyone that sees it mentions the 70s ....now I know exactly why .
" there are no collectable guitars made in any other country other than USA" -
what a crass and typical statement from Americans, what about classics from Spain, what about handmade from all over Europe especially UK, Scotland ( Jimmy Moon ) and others.....,Guitars don't have to come from Fender/Gibson/Martin to be briliant and termed as 'collectable', depends on what you want to collect ! Guirars are not all about TELES, STRATS AND D42' S , Americans.......................See the world outside that Stetson dude.....
***** Вместо описания - один дельный совет, не смотрите российское тв, не читайте российских газет, не регистрируйтесь в российских соцсетях, в общем как можно дальше держите , huh? i saw this in your profile, you can read this? what language is this.... Greek?
I do think that is an ignorant statement for them to say and I don't agree with it but please don't think all Americans are like that I am one and I completely disagree with their thinking.
I love people that bash Americans. You must be a really cool guy. You just made me want to turn in my citizenship to live in another country. Americans... Pfffft, bunch of assholes that bail out all the other countries...
Poor choice of wording, I don't think they meant to denigrate guitars of other countries.
yeaaaa Richard
I will never forget these guys' names because of how many times they're shown to us.
shame these two nutbirds didn't post the make/model of each guitar,
then maybe they'd end up selling more guitars instead of their egos.
By all appearances -- this is merely a self-indulgent project. This is what is bad about TH-cam. I hate that uninformed beginners might take these guys seriously.
27:48 min of a shitload of bullshit man!! Typical Yankees who think they're always the best in everything. Yes i own a US made guitar but there adises and saying only US made guitars are collectible is nonsense! Canada, Australia and Japan (to name a couple) make great sounding and playable guitars.
Than the comment also called Folk guitar is another weird thing to say because the english folk music started on Nylon stringed guitars.
If i would be a starter this movie would bring on the completly wrong way!
When they said collectible, they were referring to how much the price will raise over time, and for the most part US guitars (martin, gibson, fender etc) will almost always be more valuable as time goes on than others. They didn't mean that only US guitars are good. Now I'm Australian, and while we make some great guitars (Cole Clark, Maton etc) in 20 years time they won't be half the price of a Gibson or Fender from the same time. I don't even like US guitars, but what they said is, for the most part, true.
Yep and for the same reason the price will raise, others will argue they are overpriced. Don't think they meant it as a shot. I'm an American and a Takamine fan, so I'm not all in on the American guitars either. However, what they said is true.
Of course many other countries make great guitars but that still don't make Em collectable, and take martin and gibson they are the oldest guitar makers that are still in business, now in my book that counts for something
I think you're spot on. The brand is what we all fall for. Thanks for reminder, blueridge sound great
For an acoustic guitar... it's easy.... buy a McPherson! You will have a guitar for generations to come. (imho) BUT... if you don't have the cash, something like the Seagull S6 is a winner for the price.
Picked up my seagull for 230 bucks. 13-56 gauge strings Elixer polywebs sounds absolutely AMAZING. I was at the guitar store other day looking at harmonicas for a buddy so decided to tink around. My seagull literally sounded better, louder, boomier bass, than the 5 guitars priced at 1500-2700 dollars. And this perticular guitar sounded better than all the other seagulls ive ever played. Look up the song the guitar by guy clark. Telln ya it was meant to be!
Beautiful duet at the end.
"Collectible guitars don't exist outside the US!" Ah, Ah... Drop your ten gallon hat dude, it makes your brain start boiling. Such a narrow minded statement even not deserves an ironic comment. Never heard about, Lowden, Furch, Maton, Queguiner, Cheval (and many more) ?..
he didnt mean it as a mean thing man. even if he did its such a petty thing to get upset about... if hes right hes right, if hes wrong oh well no big deal. (it may have been a big deal before the internet when fact checking was a hard thing to do, but now anyone who cares enought to invest enough money in to a new guitar and save ituntill its colectible or is buying a colectible, will do the reasearch.) no use in being mad about it, because there is nothing worthwhile that being mad will change.
@@numnut1516 Try fact checking your spelling next time you're near a computer.
Obviously they are a couple of hillbillies who don't know much about anything that happens outside America. They probably ain't never heard of Yamaha, Takamine, Hofner and all that. They've been stuck in Texas all their lives playing Bluegrass with their Gibsons and Martins.
Useful tip: Always try them out by playing them with winter gloves on first. Hope this helps.
2 minutes in. I heard some mediocre picking and a lot of "I'm gonna talk about...." Haven't learned a thing. ...
Thanks! The guitar is made by Martin. The exact model escapes us at the moment, but it appears to be an LXK2 or similar model.
I sell acoustic guitars...more for classical and to be honest.. my guitars sounds betters then a hight end guitar.. my are handmade and every details is done by a human hand not by a machine. Also I use real wood for example.. Brazilian, Indian wood amound others.. not plywood like I seeinat guitar center $ 800 guitars.. and by the way I am just pitting in my two cents..
do u have a web to see ur guitars ??
Cornelius Vasi www.mgclassicalguitar. com
So what's the deal? Why do solid wood Recording Kings and Ibanez Artwoods sound so bad compared to Martins?
Miguel Guevara just Wondering If you are really aware of how much hands on work there is in the gibson montana factory? So I guess theres still hope
You make guitars in South America ? OK, I'll buy one Mahogany neck,back,sides, cedar top flame maple cap $100
Most classical nylon string guitars have necks 2;" TO 2 1/4" wide, which i too wide for my short, inflexible arthritic fingers. But Donna LoPrinzi, daughter of Augustino LoPrinzi, made a custom guitar specially tor me. It has a neck 1 3/4" , the same width as my two Martin guitars. It has rosewood back and sides, spruce top a maple neck and maple binding.. Donna gave it a shorter 630mm scale length, an auxiliary sound hole and a K&K pickup inside. It's the only one like it in the world and is my go-to guitar. It's easier to lay than my Martin 0028 or my Martin OMe Cherry guitars which cost more.