# Looking For A New Acoustic?



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

I saw this posted elsewhere and thought I would repost it here. I've often wondered about this so his results were quite interesting to me. Your thoughts or similar experiences?

_"This weekend I played a high end guitar at a shop and thought...holy cow, this guitar is incredible. I told the person I was going home to get my checkbook. 

So I went home and got my checkbook out of my desk. Before I left I decided well let’s take my guitar and compare, just in case. But the way that guitar sounded, I knew I would be writing a check. The guitar I was bringing was great, but this is a level above.

Finally got back to the shop and played it again. Man!!! What a tone! Shop owners words were, “she’s special huh!” “Absolutely”, I replied. Well, let’s see how mine sounds. So I opened my case and played MY guitar. Expecting to hear a nice tone, but not the amazing dynamics of the shop guitar. I thought....is this my guitar? My guitar sounds incredible too. I looked at him. Expecting him to say...yeah our guitar sounds much better. But he didn’t. I told him I was shocked I always love the tone of my guitar but I couldn’t believe that it sounds this rich here and that I thought before I got my guitar that his guitar sounded different than anything I’ve ever played. But they are very similar. The shop add beautiful wood floors I think it just made everything shimmer. 

I knew right then I wasn’t going to be writing a check and I felt kind of guilty but surprisingly he said if I were you I don’t see that much difference. The moral of the story always take your guitar and do a direct comparison because room dynamics can make a tremendous difference."_


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

I had the opposite experience.

When looking for a new acoustic I took my old Yamaha FG441s in for comparison.

It sounded horrible. Just awful.

Strange how our ears can get used to something.

I still love playing it and it's my go to home guitar as it's so comfortable to play after all these years.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

While contemplating the purchase of a D-28 Authentic 1941 I took my HD28-V to 12th fret to compare. The HD-28V is a pretty high end guitar as well but the Authentic is quite a ways above.
The sound comparison though, had my HD-28V pretty close. Better in some respects not is good in others. In the end it was subtle differences in tone woods and bracing.


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

Steadfastly said:


> I saw this posted elsewhere and thought I would repost it here. I've often wondered about this so his results were quite interesting to me. Your thoughts or similar experiences?
> 
> _"This weekend I played a high end guitar at a shop and thought...holy cow, this guitar is incredible. I told the person I was going home to get my checkbook.
> 
> ...


This is a clear case of a home studio badly in need of some upgrades


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

Guitars sound different. Whether you prefer the sound of one over the other is another story. Better is in the ear of the beholder.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Well, I recently decided to let go some on my axes, those I play less.
But I also tried some prospects at the local store... and was not sure...
In the meanwhile, I realized I need a cutaway !
I will definitely have to bring mine to the boutique though. ;-)


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## cbg1 (Mar 27, 2012)

Good idea not to evaluate a guitar in an area where you are surrounded by other guitars....all those sympathetic strings and bodies can affect / enrich the sound you hear


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

cbg1 said:


> Good idea not to evaluate a guitar in an area where you are surrounded by other guitars....all those sympathetic strings and bodies can affect / enrich the sound you hear


That's a good point. However, when you are *comparing* guitars, you have them both in the same area, subject to the same positive or negative effects.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Great thread. You still need to consider the age factor of your guitar compared to a brand new one though. Along with it being setup properly of course. I'd also take inflation of the Canadian dollar into account. My $350 S6 in 1991 is now equivalent to a $633 acoustic in 2018. So I'm thinking that you have to use today's prices as the base for the comparison with at least the price.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Dorian2 said:


> Great thread. * You still need to consider the age factor of your guitar compared to a brand new one though.* Along with it being setup properly of course. I'd also take inflation of the Canadian dollar into account. My $350 S6 in 1991 is now equivalent to a $633 acoustic in 2018. So I'm thinking that you have to use today's prices as the base for the comparison with at least the price.


Yes, that is a point to consider as well. Older guitars have an advantage there.


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

Whenever I think that I found another great acoustic, it only takes a few seconds of playing on my 1984 K. Yairi AR377E, to get me to blurt out “WHAT WAS I THINKING?”.

The K Yairi just sounds so open, full, ringing with acoustic breath, and the strings are at least a year old. I am not very good at keeping up with string changes on my acoustics. It has a smaller body that just fits my larger body so well, a decent neck, and has a voice that makes you notice.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Tone Chaser said:


> Whenever I think that I found another great acoustic, it only takes a few seconds of playing on my 1984 K. Yairi AR377E, to get me to blurt out “WHAT WAS I THINKING?”.
> 
> The K Yairi just sounds so open, full, ringing with acoustic breath, and the strings are at least a year old. I am not very good at keeping up with string changes on my acoustics. It has a smaller body that just fits my larger body so well, a decent neck, and has a voice that makes you notice.
> View attachment 181489


It doesn't hurt when you have a Lamborghini of a guitar like yours, either. I have an Alvarez Masterworks and it is one fine guitar but the Yairi's are quite a bit beyond those IMHO. However, if you ever do tire of it, PM me.


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

@Steadfastly, I have only seen one other guitar like my model of K.Yairi. I stumbled upon it in 1985 while picking up my 1973 Yamaha SA60 from my luthier at that time. There were a couple of Nashville musicians at the shop going nuts through the acoustic guitar racks. They both kept coming back to this K. Yairi, commenting, raving, how this one had something special about it.

I had a 1978 Japanese Epiphone acoustic at the shop that was supposed to get a nice pickup installed into it. While the guys were still going nuts over the K. Yairi, I traded in my Epiphone and wrote a cheque for the difference in price of the K. Yairi. I didn’t even play it until I got home with it. Those guys made it sound like the most awesome acoustic. I still think they were right.


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Tone Chaser said:


> ... 1984 K. Yairi AR377E ...


Could you please tell me what case you found for yours? Mine came with a soft gig bag. The knobs make it difficult to fit.

+1 They're exceptional (sounding/playing) guitars. The thin body makes them very comfortable to play, and the necks are truly amazing.

Jmo.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

It looks like yours is a dreadnought size so any hard case made for a dreadnought size guitar will work. Soft gig bags are a problem fitting in the tuners sometimes.


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## Guest (Mar 28, 2018)

Blind Dog said:


>


Gator kick stand. Love it!
And El Loco playing in the background? Beauties!


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Is it a case or a... super motorcycle behind the axes ? ))


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A 1995 Marc Beneteau is the guitar that changed my hearing and became the standard by which I judge other guitars. I think of it as my cold dead hands guitar. 



























I don't find better guitars, but I do find equal, different, and desirable guitars. The trick for me is to not be fooled into thinking the grass is greener. Someday I would like a good 1958 (my birth year) Martin D-18, but I will be surprised if anything will sound markedly better to my ears than my favourite acoustic. Different, not necessarily better. In recent years I've also taken a genuine interest in mahogany top guitars as well so it would be kind of pointless to take a spruce and rosewood guitar to compare. I tend to like a variety and rarely have two acoustics of the same woods. (I did have a second 6 string spruce/rosewood Beneteau but sold it as it wasn't getting played. My 12 string is spruce/rosewood, but you can't consider 6 and 12 equals.) Comparing guitars of different woods to determine quality doesn't work in my mind.

It's very difficult to compare guitar tones by memory alone, and room acoustics, sympathetic strings from other instruments, ambient noise, nerves, and other things can figure into our hearing. Regardless, I'm arrogant enough to believe I can reliably discern what I like.


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Steadfastly said:


> It looks like yours is a dreadnought size so any hard case made for a dreadnought size guitar will work. Soft gig bags are a problem fitting in the tuners sometimes.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

Quintessential dread' case (640) and the lid won't close. 

It fit in the original 1978 Yam' L series case, because it had similarly positioned knobs, but I let that go with the guitar. 

And the 377 is only about half as deep as a dread', so even if it fits into it, the fitment would be sloppy & tend to focus stress at the neck joint imo. 

Fits _into_ a Gibson Jumbo case, but I don't want the Yairi to have to _slum_ it.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Slummin guitars and Motorbikes. What is this, a Bikers Bar?


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## Tone Chaser (Mar 2, 2014)

@Blind Dog, great to meet someone who actually owns another one of these.
I actually have the actual K. Yairi case that is made for and came with the guitar.


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## Gary787 (Aug 27, 2011)

Checkbook? I'm guessing age might be a factor as well.


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## Blind Dog (Mar 4, 2016)

Thanks Tone Chaser, I've been trying to locate a K. Yairi case, but I think it's more than a long shot. Good to know what it looks like tho. Your guitar is in much better condition than mine. Frustrating critters to own eh? Worse than Yamaha, for 'experts' schooling you as to what you have sitting in your lap. 

You never really think of all the risks associated with being case challenged. (clic on image)


(Hey laristotle & mawmow -- the chop' is at its at the larva stage. I think it's about to turn into a Collings OM42, or Bourgeois OM Sig.', _or_ ... )

(Sorry for scope creep/derail Steadfastly, and Dorian2 .)


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