Acoustic guitar option paralysis

[SillyOctpuss]

I need to buy a new acoustic and for the first time I've no idea what I want. I've always just bought dreadnoughts or grand auditorium body shapes in the past. I've been without an acoustic since I sold my taylor a few years ago.

I'm going to be doing some acoustic gigs with a singer, but also fancy playing more finger style at home so I've been thinking about an OM.

Anyone got an OM? What's it like to strum on vs playing fingerstyle? Lol my phone keeps trying to autocorrect fingerstyle to "fingers Tyler"

Anybody got an Eastman acoustic? They seem to be excellent bang for the buck.

 

[newholland]

oms arent my favorite, tbh. the low end is too cold and kanky-- theyre made for cut, and i think they sit wrong as a gratifying lap guit kinda like an archtop. great IN context- but rare to find one you love to play on solo. i play with anpick and fingerstyle- and oms aint my goto- but ooo's and oo's are. same comfort level- more even response.

i have a martin 12 fret dread, a 12 fret ooo16, and an 12 fret eastman oo- and i love them all for different reasons, but these days i mostly play my eastman rosewood. eastmans are really solid- definitely try a few. i find that mine needs periodic truss rod adjustments to keep it sounding its best.. but thats easy enough!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

oms arent my favorite, tbh. the low end is too cold and kanky-- theyre made for cut, and i think they sit wrong as a gratifying lap guit kinda like an archtop. great IN context- but rare to find one you love to play on solo. i play with anpick and fingerstyle- and oms aint my goto- but ooo's and oo's are. same comfort level- more even response.

i have a martin 12 fret dread, a 12 fret ooo16, and an 12 fret eastman oo- and i love them all for different reasons, but these days i mostly play my eastman rosewood. eastmans are really solid- definitely try a few. i find that mine needs periodic truss rod adjustments to keep it sounding its best.. but thats easy enough!

Which Eastman model do you have?

 

[newholland]

its an E20 00!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

its an E20 00!

Nice. The whole 20 range look great.

 

[la szum]

Anywhere close by you can go and play a bunch of different ones.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Anywhere close by you can go and play a bunch of different ones.

There's a music store which should have a decent selection of acoustics about an hr away. I'm going to head over once I get Christmas out of the way. There's a few Eastern European brands I'd like to try but no dealers in N Ireland. Furch guitars look pretty interesting but can't try them here.

 

[la szum]

Nice! I'd easily buy an electric sight unseen (and have dozens of times), but not a nice acoustic.

I just feel like with an acoustic the tone and feel is even more vital---because there is nothing
else in play and you are stripped right down to the bone.

 

[la szum]

And obviously how you play matters a great deal. Sometimes you don't want that big-ass Dreadnaught sound.

They can be a bit like the 4 x 12 of the acoustic realm, in my experience.


OM could be a great all arounder.

Will you be Micing it up, or searching for onboard electronics? Or both?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

And obviously how you play matters a great deal. Sometimes you don't want that big-ass Dreadnaught sound.

They can be a bit like the 4 x 12 of the acoustic realm, in my experience.


OM could be a great all arounder.

Will you be Micing it up, or searching for onboard electronics? Or both?

I've always had big bodied acoustics so want to try out other styles to see what floats my boat. I'm going to be micing for recording at home and plugged in for live. If I find one I like which doesn't have a pickup I'll get one fitted.

I definitely want to try out a dreadnought, OM and J45 style.

 

[la szum]

Nice! I had a Gibson J45 for many years as my only guitar. I didn't even
own an electric for like 10 years. Just the J45. It was warm and full,
but could also be a bit dull and thick.... if you know what I mean.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I need to buy a new acoustic and for the first time I've no idea what I want. I've always just bought dreadnoughts or grand auditorium body shapes in the past. I've been without an acoustic since I sold my taylor a few years ago.

I'm going to be doing some acoustic gigs with a singer, but also fancy playing more finger style at home so I've been thinking about an OM.

Anyone got an OM? What's it like to strum on vs playing fingerstyle? Lol my phone keeps trying to autocorrect fingerstyle to "fingers Tyler"

Anybody got an Eastman acoustic? They seem to be excellent bang for the buck.

The Eastman Martin-style guitars are solid value. Tonally a little less refined than Martin; often plenty loud if that's a concern, but not always. Which gets to @la szum 's super valid point -- you gotta play acoustics. If I reeeeally wanted an OM for the scale length, I might hold out for the right one. If instead I was looking for a smaller-than-dread-but-still-able-to-hold-up-to-strumming, then it's totally going to be guitar-dependent . . . a 000 might be the best guitar in a shop for that purpose, sounding better than any of the OMs, or even a 00.

Similarly, I have played plenty of OMs that would make better flat pickers than plenty of dreads that I've played. An acoustic guitar spec sheet is near meaningless. Gotta play it.

 

[Tomm Williams]

You didn’t mention a budget, perhaps having a custom built to your specs is a reality ?

 

[SillyOctpuss]

You didn’t mention a budget, perhaps having a custom built to your specs is a reality ?

Ideally I'd like to stay about £1000. I could push it a little more if I find something that really moves me.

If I had the cash for something custom I wouldn't be looking at Eastman. I've got Lowden and Avalon guitars not very far away but that kind of build is way beyond my means.

 

[ragingplatypi]

I know this is out of left field, but while you’re trying Eastmans, maybe consider an Archtop. It’s a way different sound, and very fun to play at home

 

[Frankencat]

I just traded my Martin OM-28V for a nice Les Paul. It was a guitar I thought I would never sell but there you go. The fact is that when I go out of the house to jam acoustic I grab my old beat up Taylor 214ce. It does all of the things and I don't have to worry about a super expensive guitar getting stolen or destroyed. I have had many acoustic guitars from high end to utility prices like the T214. would say start with something that works and go from there.