First guitar was a 1980 Horner $100 with cardboard case. Did not play it long. Then in 2009 I bought a Martin DX1. It actually played well...Spruce top hpl sides and I still have it. Then I bought my Eastman AC 722 from John. Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides. It's an easy player, strong sound and I love it...play it every day.
I do a variety of folk, gospel, Americana, bluegrass, country, others (movie & play songs) old & older for an average age audience of 88, playing & singing acoustically. I have guitars with Rosewood, mahogany, maple, cherry, Osage Orange, laminate, And walnut backs. I start the grandchildren with a guitar that looks good to them, but is easy to play. They are various makes, although not always made in the USA. My 1st guitar is a 1968 Airline (Regal Sovereign H6600) that I played for over 24 years until it needed a fret job. John can set you up with a nice Starter, but this failed to mention a Taylor GS Mini or Taylor Grand Theater: small good sounding guitars. I have a nice D-28 12-fret VTS Adirondack top that I play almost everyday and a few others as well
Thank you both for your great videos. I am a 70 year old hacker who has owned maybe 40 guitars of all types, sizes, and tone woods, including Martins, Collings, Santa Cruz, Cordoba, and all sorts of inexpensive guitars. Despite owning nice larger guitars, the guitar I have picked up most often in the last eight years or so is a custom Martin 12 fret O-18, with a 1 3/4" nut and 2 3/16" string spacing at the bridge, MLO neck profile, Golden Era scalloped bracing, and thinner top that I purchased used with a large well-repaired crack on the lower side. It is plenty loud and has plenty of bass, with or without amplification, and it seems to work well for me, within my limited abilities, for all types of music that I play, even more so now with my bum shoulders. In my opinion, the best guitar for a beginner or anyone is the best sounding, best-built, most comfortable guitar that is at the top of the person's budget and that works well for that person for the type(s) of music to be played.
Love the ending for this about hoping people have a good dealer that sets up the guitar well. I had a guitar I took into a shop to have them set it up properly. It came home super buzzy and not fun to play anymore. Ended up selling it shortly after, and buying a new guitar thinking it was just the guitar that was bad. That experience never sat well with me and after a few years of playing I learned to do my own setups and now realize that the guitar was probably fine, just the shop probably only turned the truss rod in a rush “setup” because they were a week behind on what they told me for the setup, and once the guitar settled in from that turning of the trussrod, less than 24 hours later it was too flat with not enough relief. Now I will NOT take a guitar into a shop. I do all my own work now. I dont trust anyone to touch my guitars. Bad experience that ruined me. But, maybe it just made me better, because I now understand how to do a lot of my own work. I dont need to try to verbally express what I want done to someone else. I just do it and get things exactly how I want. Oh, and also just for giggles, my very first guitar, my grandmother gave me my grandpas guitar. Its a 1920 (assuming the stamp inside is accurate) First National Institute of Allied Arts parlor guitar. I have had it over 32 years now. It was barely playable back when it was given to me, and now its even worse. Needs a neck reset badly. It sounds horrible too. Lol! Just put new strings on and tried to play it a few months back. Yikes. But, I learned my first few chords and songs on that guitar. I will never get rid of it until I pass on and it goes to one of my kids.
I gotta say when your first starting I believe dreadnaughts are the hardest to learn on. They may sound bigger and better but a smaller guitar is just easier to feel comfortable on.
I wouldn’t rule out laminated. I bought a D-1 in 1993 for $700. I have a room full of super expensive instruments and that D-1 is still my go to. People ask if it’s a D-18 all the time. The reason they’re asking anything about it is because it sounds amazing. I don’t rule out anything. I don’t care what brand or shape it is. If I did care, I wouldn’t have just bought an Eastman from you guys. It’s an amazing guitar as well. It’s all about sound. Dreadnought mahogany seems to be what I’m drawn too but I still play every guitar in the store if I’m in the market. I’m glad I don’t live close because that mahogany Atkin you have right now would probably be mine.
I own a Martin D-28 (rosewood) and a D-18 (mahogany), so I have experience with both woods. If I’m playing by myself or with another guitar player I prefer rosewood. Rosewood tends to have a sonic signature like a smile (strong, tight highs and lows, and a scooped midrange), which leaves a nice sonic space for vocals. However, I have a slight preference for mahogany at a bluegrass jam. Mahogany tends to have a sonic signature like a frown (more subdued and rounded highs and lows, but a strong midrange). In a jam you are likely to be playing with mandolins, banjos, and fiddles, which are loud and completly dominate the top end. There will also likely be an upright bass, which is also loud and covers the low end. That leaves a sonic hole in the midrange, and I find that hole is nicely filled by a mahogany guitar. I just find it cuts through the mix better. But frankly the differences are modest and can vary greatly from guitar to guitar (I have a Collings mahogany guitar that is brighter than my D-28). I see plenty of rosewood guitars at jams, so, as always, the best choice is probably the guitar that speaks to you.
first guitar...ORPHEUM...could only play 3 frets , but good enough at the time to use to back up singing...now least expensive is a used 90s Alvarez ....enjoyed the video
Did y'all see that actor Jason Momoa recently bought a 1934 Martin D-28 that is identified as the "First D-28 EVER built" by Martin? There's a youtube video! No mention how much he paid for it.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Oh wow didnt expect a shotout! Thanks Marcel,love ya dude.
Acoustic shoppe keep on rockin’.
First guitar was a 1980 Horner $100 with cardboard case. Did not play it long. Then in 2009 I bought a Martin DX1. It actually played well...Spruce top hpl sides and I still have it. Then I bought my Eastman AC 722 from John. Spruce top, Rosewood back and sides. It's an easy player, strong sound and I love it...play it every day.
I do a variety of folk, gospel, Americana, bluegrass, country, others (movie & play songs) old & older for an average age audience of 88, playing & singing acoustically. I have guitars with Rosewood, mahogany, maple, cherry, Osage Orange, laminate, And walnut backs. I start the grandchildren with a guitar that looks good to them, but is easy to play. They are various makes, although not always made in the USA. My 1st guitar is a 1968 Airline (Regal Sovereign H6600) that I played for over 24 years until it needed a fret job. John can set you up with a nice Starter, but this failed to mention a Taylor GS Mini or Taylor Grand Theater: small good sounding guitars. I have a nice D-28 12-fret VTS Adirondack top that I play almost everyday and a few others as well
Thank you both for your great videos. I am a 70 year old hacker who has owned maybe 40 guitars of all types, sizes, and tone woods, including Martins, Collings, Santa Cruz, Cordoba, and all sorts of inexpensive guitars. Despite owning nice larger guitars, the guitar I have picked up most often in the last eight years or so is a custom Martin 12 fret O-18, with a 1 3/4" nut and 2 3/16" string spacing at the bridge, MLO neck profile, Golden Era scalloped bracing, and thinner top that I purchased used with a large well-repaired crack on the lower side. It is plenty loud and has plenty of bass, with or without amplification, and it seems to work well for me, within my limited abilities, for all types of music that I play, even more so now with my bum shoulders. In my opinion, the best guitar for a beginner or anyone is the best sounding, best-built, most comfortable guitar that is at the top of the person's budget and that works well for that person for the type(s) of music to be played.
That was a lot
This was great! Informative all the way through. Both of your channels are such great resources for new people getting into bluegrass and guitar.
I enjoyed Marcel's Pizza Tape reference. Kinda makes the point that music is more than just a genre.
Great to see a guitar with a plain fretboard!
What a sweet colab!
My two very favorites! Awesome ambassadors!
For a beginner grasser and flatpicker yeah I agree with John, get an EASTMAN E1D.
Marcel totally rocks.
I picked up a used one owner just by accident I found a Furch 2DR just amazing guitar and my Boucher dread I couldn’t be more pleased with
Love the ending for this about hoping people have a good dealer that sets up the guitar well. I had a guitar I took into a shop to have them set it up properly. It came home super buzzy and not fun to play anymore. Ended up selling it shortly after, and buying a new guitar thinking it was just the guitar that was bad. That experience never sat well with me and after a few years of playing I learned to do my own setups and now realize that the guitar was probably fine, just the shop probably only turned the truss rod in a rush “setup” because they were a week behind on what they told me for the setup, and once the guitar settled in from that turning of the trussrod, less than 24 hours later it was too flat with not enough relief. Now I will NOT take a guitar into a shop. I do all my own work now. I dont trust anyone to touch my guitars. Bad experience that ruined me. But, maybe it just made me better, because I now understand how to do a lot of my own work. I dont need to try to verbally express what I want done to someone else. I just do it and get things exactly how I want.
Oh, and also just for giggles, my very first guitar, my grandmother gave me my grandpas guitar. Its a 1920 (assuming the stamp inside is accurate) First National Institute of Allied Arts parlor guitar. I have had it over 32 years now. It was barely playable back when it was given to me, and now its even worse. Needs a neck reset badly. It sounds horrible too. Lol! Just put new strings on and tried to play it a few months back. Yikes. But, I learned my first few chords and songs on that guitar. I will never get rid of it until I pass on and it goes to one of my kids.
Glad to see you guys doing collaborations!
I am very happy with my Martin D28 reimagined which I purchased new in August of this year. Big step up from my Seagull S6 original.
I gotta say when your first starting I believe dreadnaughts are the hardest to learn on. They may sound bigger and better but a smaller guitar is just easier to feel comfortable on.
My first guitar was a Stella by harmony in 1962, when I was 7.
I wouldn’t rule out laminated. I bought a D-1 in 1993 for $700. I have a room full of super expensive instruments and that D-1 is still my go to. People ask if it’s a D-18 all the time. The reason they’re asking anything about it is because it sounds amazing. I don’t rule out anything. I don’t care what brand or shape it is. If I did care, I wouldn’t have just bought an Eastman from you guys. It’s an amazing guitar as well. It’s all about sound. Dreadnought mahogany seems to be what I’m drawn too but I still play every guitar in the store if I’m in the market. I’m glad I don’t live close because that mahogany Atkin you have right now would probably be mine.
Awesome info thank you both
I own a Martin D-28 (rosewood) and a D-18 (mahogany), so I have experience with both woods. If I’m playing by myself or with another guitar player I prefer rosewood. Rosewood tends to have a sonic signature like a smile (strong, tight highs and lows, and a scooped midrange), which leaves a nice sonic space for vocals. However, I have a slight preference for mahogany at a bluegrass jam. Mahogany tends to have a sonic signature like a frown (more subdued and rounded highs and lows, but a strong midrange). In a jam you are likely to be playing with mandolins, banjos, and fiddles, which are loud and completly dominate the top end. There will also likely be an upright bass, which is also loud and covers the low end. That leaves a sonic hole in the midrange, and I find that hole is nicely filled by a mahogany guitar. I just find it cuts through the mix better. But frankly the differences are modest and can vary greatly from guitar to guitar (I have a Collings mahogany guitar that is brighter than my D-28). I see plenty of rosewood guitars at jams, so, as always, the best choice is probably the guitar that speaks to you.
I have a 1980ish takamine FS360 lefty dread that is a great bluegrass guitar. I love the old girl
I'm still playing the $120 Samick I bought myself in 2001. It is not a great guitar, it's probably not even a good guitar. It is definitely a guitar.
My first guitar was a plywood Denver dreadnought. The tuners were poxy, the sound "Meh", but it got me playing...
That's the key, it got you playing!
first guitar...ORPHEUM...could only play 3 frets , but good enough at the time to use to back up singing...now least expensive is a used 90s Alvarez ....enjoyed the video
I use a Blue ridge BR60 and a cheap Yamaha, both are great for flat picking
Good stuff 👍🏻
I've got an Eastman E1OM that is amazingly loud.
Nice!
great vid.
for sure, a guitar's appeal makes a big difference, so be sure to find a guitar that is attractive to you,
I had a bad fall 10 years ago and cannot reach around a dread without a lot of pain. I use 00's ,000's OM's
Question? What was the Large sound hole guitar you were holding at the beginning of the video? Looks cool.
That would be a Bourgeois Large-Soundhole Heirloom with Madagascar RW.
My record king sounds great but the neck is too thick and the tuners are trash, like they’re seizing up
Did y'all see that actor Jason Momoa recently bought a 1934 Martin D-28 that is identified as the "First D-28 EVER built" by Martin? There's a youtube video! No mention how much he paid for it.
Yep, pretty cool. I hope he takes good care of it in that junkyard. LOL
Its not that there's a problem with guitar cutouts... I just think they're ugly.--Rice
On the other hand... Prince.
When one citizen of the Bluegrassanaut Universe pushed him/her/theirself, a voice was alleged to have said: “Quit Shovin’!!”
I belong to both or vice-versa, whatever man.