# Is this forum dead?



## JohnEsmokes (Sep 9, 2009)

I'd like to think there's a good place to chat up on acoustic guitars in a Canadian context but there hardly seems to be any activity in this forum. What gives? Has it always been like this?


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

JohnEsmokes said:


> I'd like to think there's a good place to chat up on acoustic guitars in a Canadian context but there hardly seems to be any activity in this forum. What gives? Has it always been like this?


So far, it has not been the busiet area. Lets get some excitment going


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> So far, it has not been the busiet area. Lets get some excitment going


My all laminate acoustic can beat you're high end solid martin any daykkjuw
Jk's of course:smile:


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

My 12 string Echo Ranger with one broken tuner - and it's enormous neck - kicks your $4000 custom guitar's ass!


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I've always been Johhny Electric, but lately I've been moving toward a more acoustic oriented thing. Maybe I'm devolving. The funny thing is, I have very similar attitudes toward aciustic instruments as I do for electrics.

I think once you get over $1000~$1500, you get VERY diminished returns.


I think a nice mid level acoustic six string with a good preamp/pickup is on my short list of acquisitions for 2010.


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## Stephen W. (Jun 7, 2006)

Dead? You want to see DEAD? Try The Acoustic Voice forum. It goes for months at a time without so much as a; What's the best guitar under X dollars? Or, What kind of strings should I buy for my XYZ?
Like Granny Clampett, (Daisy May "Granny" Moses to be more precise) use to say; "Pitiful, just pitiful."

By comparison this place is busier than an airport terminal at Christmas. :smile:


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*Absolutely Dead*

But its not up to us to generate subjects and threads, its a job for all of us iuncluding the electric guys to because you can't start a song with out an acoustic.
So what would you like ty talk about, how about this. Did you know that Jam Industries { http://www.jamindustries.com/e/index.html } ( a Canadian comapany out of Quebec ){ they also run things like the Korg line } recently purchased USMusic which runs the Washburn Guitars,Parker guitars,Randal amps and Vinci Strings and such.
Or did you know that Washburn is the third largest seller of Acoustic and electric guitars.
Or here is a good one for you on bretheren to the south think that some of our luthiers get a subsidy from the government to build guitars ( some recieved a grant fund from the CCA ( Candian council for the Arts ).
Well thats all I have this morning but I am here almsot every morning to discuss acoustics or makers and gladly give and learn also from everyone.Ship


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Milkman said:


> I've always been Johhny Electric, but lately I've been moving toward a more acoustic oriented thing. Maybe I'm devolving. The funny thing is, I have very similar attitudes toward aciustic instruments as I do for electrics.
> 
> I think once you get over $1000~$1500, you get VERY diminished returns.
> 
> ...


I like to think you are evolving not devolving. :smile:


As for diminishing returns, if you are going for the pure acoustic tone(unplugged or miced with a good condensor) it is a little more complex than $1000-$1500 because of the different price ranges by wood type. Arguably the best sounding combination rosewood body and back and spruce top are pretty hard to find new in that price range.

That said, if you are just going plug in with the built in Piezo and perform you are absolutely right.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> I like to think you are evolving not devolving. :smile:
> 
> 
> As for diminishing returns, if you are going for the pure acoustic tone(unplugged or miced with a good condensor) it is a little more complex than $1000-$1500 because of the different price ranges by wood type. Arguably the best sounding combination rosewood body and back and spruce top are pretty hard to find new in that price range.
> ...


I like that kind of rattly fret buzz sound you get from a plugged in acoustic with the EQ set on low mids and high high's.....My newly acquired Ovation does a very nice job of it.....got it used - reasonably priced......I'm quite satisfied.....maybe its like electrics though - maybe after a while getting used to an acoustic - I'll soon develop the same sort of unsatisfiable quest for an elusive tone that I'll think MUST be behind a more expensive guitar.....we'll see.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

xuthal said:


> My all laminate acoustic can beat you're high end solid martin any daykkjuw



Oh. I was going to offer to trade you for my HD28V but since you like your's better......:wave:


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I'd love to see more traffic in this area. My impression is that GuitarsCanada is more of a 'electric guitar/amp' oriented forum. Doesn't have to be that way of course, its just that those areas of the forum seem to generate higher traffic.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

xuthal said:


> My all laminate acoustic can beat you're high end solid martin any day
> 
> Jk's of course





mrmatt1972 said:


> My 12 string Echo Ranger with one broken tuner - and it's enormous neck - kicks your $4000 custom guitar's ass!



HA! My 6 string all plywood acoustic with slippery tuners, brass frets (at least they look brass), cockeyed trapeze, wood nut, WITH CHAIR HOLE AND BLUE SPRAY PAINT! can beat any 10,000 dollar custom handmade acoustic!


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*And isn't it funny*

Because we have so many electric players, who also play acoustics but rarely get over here. Common guys we can only discuss Tele's,Strats,SG's and so forth only so many ways yes we all love em, but most of us use acoustics to write our songs with and if you look at the old and the new you'll see that a lot more of them are going acoustic to.Ship
PS............ now that guitar is sexy


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## OldSoulBluesMan (Jul 9, 2009)

It's all about the acoustics for me the past few years. Since leaving my previous bands which were strictly electric by others choosing, I've picked up my electrics only after playing one of my acoustics for at least half an hour.

And all of my writing starts on acoustic and only goes electric for layering tracks, and to get certain tones that the acoustic just wont provide.

Here's a question for the acoustic afficienados on here. . .
Since I'm new to gigging with the acoustic ( got my first acoustic gig on the 31st ) what's the best acoustic amp in the 300-600 dollar range?
I'm playing a Taylor 410ce. The ensemble is myself, a djembe/bongo player, sax, and vocals. 

I was thinking along the lines of traynor/yorkville for the durability and the ones I have played through sounded pretty good. . . 
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Apologies for the slightly long winded tangent. But you wanted the acoustic forum a little more active right ??? :smile:


Keep Rockin'
OSBM


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## rollingdam (May 11, 2006)

Gordon Lightfoot has used a Fender Twin Reverb for years.


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## -TJ- (Aug 28, 2006)

OldSoulBluesMan said:


> It's all about the acoustics for me the past few years. Since leaving my previous bands which were strictly electric by others choosing, I've picked up my electrics only after playing one of my acoustics for at least half an hour.
> 
> And all of my writing starts on acoustic and only goes electric for layering tracks, and to get certain tones that the acoustic just wont provide.
> 
> ...


I love and highly recommend my Roland AC60.... great tone, very useable, very portable, well built, extra connections on the back for line in and out as need....and it comes with a very nice padded roland carrying bag.


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## JohnEsmokes (Sep 9, 2009)

Well it's nice to see that this forum ISN'T dead after all. I do find it kind of funny that the electric guitar forum gets way more action than this forum since we all know very well that acoustics >>>>> electric (no offense to electric players because I've got a couple myself - collecting dust - they do make nice wall ornaments though) :smile:

Regarding Milkman's quote on diminishing returns on +1500 guitars, I would beg to differ. Not that you can't find a great guitar within that price range (or one that perfectly suits your needs/requirements) but as Jeff said you often looking a very good woods when you get beyond that range. Furthermore it would be very difficult to find a very fine, handcrafted guitar under 1500. But as most of us realize from the get go (but often forget in bouts of gas) it's not the guitar, it's the player. 

Hey let's keep it going a bit and make that electric forum a little jealous...


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Not dead, just resting.

For 15 years or so ending a couple of years ago, I played a variety of acoustic instruments in a sort of *celtoid* band. It varied in numbers from 6 to 9 or more depending on who was around, featured several vocalists, but always had many instrumentals and heavily instrumental arrangements. Most of the time as guitarist I was most of the rhythm section, a heavy load for such a large group. 

For the last ten years I've played in an acoustic duo with a violinist. I hold down the guitar, rhythm, strumming, fingerstyle, whatever. Swing, classical, folk, old time, jazz, celtic. My favourite band ever, though we don't play enough. Sometimes the violinist sits in with my electric band.

For 15 years or so I've played with an Irish singer, mostly rhythm and/or fingerstyle, currently with an added concertina player.

Lately, current and former members of a couple of these bands have started to play together a bit. Maybe a new band in the making?

And so it goes. Evolving, morphing, shifting. Acoustic groups do that to me. There's something very organic about the sound, the approach, the arrangements, the transitions from one to another.

Peace, Mooh.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

keeperofthegood said:


> HA! My 6 string all plywood acoustic with slippery tuners, brass frets (at least they look brass), cockeyed trapeze, wood nut, WITH CHAIR HOLE AND BLUE SPRAY PAINT! can beat any 10,000 dollar custom handmade acoustic!


OK, you win. Now why in the world isn't that thing firewood?


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## Lester B. Flat (Feb 21, 2006)

Ship of fools said:


> Because we have so many electric players, who also play acoustics but rarely get over here. Common guys we can only discuss Tele's,Strats,SG's and so forth only so many ways yes we all love em, but most of us use acoustics to write our songs with and if you look at the old and the new you'll see that a lot more of them are going acoustic to.Ship
> PS............ now that guitar is sexy


I've written most of my songs on acoustics. I find if you write on an electric you have a tendency to let the guitar or effects write for you. You can keep it closer to the bone on an acoustic.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Lester B. Flat said:


> I've written most of my songs on acoustics. I find if you write on an electric you have a tendency to let the guitar or effects write for you. You can keep it closer to the bone on an acoustic.


Me too. I tend to play electric a lot louder than acoustic, so singing over an acoustic is just easier, more convenient, and it was the way I started so it just feels natural to me. It's not the only way, but for me it's the easiest. 

As flaky as it sounds, I feel a much more emotional attachment to certain acoustics too...they make me feel better, so I compose better, I guess.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

Frankly, I agree in many ways. We have, here in Canada, some of the finest luthiers on the planet. These fantastic artisans are beavering away in basements, garages, and industrial shops turning out world class instruments. 

Why are we stuck talking about factory guitars which are generally mediocre at best, when we could be learning about Manzers, and Threets, and Parks, and Laskins, and Beneteaus, and Northwoods, and Thompsons, and Tubbs, and Andersons, and Proulxs, and Apitius', and Heidens, and Sawchyns, and Sohns, and ... and ... and.... hundreds of others?

C'mon folks, this is where the real excitement is!


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Mike MacLeod said:


> Frankly, I agree in many ways. We have, here in Canada, some of the finest luthiers on the planet. These fantastic artisans are beavering away in basements, garages, and industrial shops turning out world class instruments.
> 
> Why are we stuck talking about factory guitars which are generally mediocre at best, when we could be learning about Manzers, and Threets,...........................................................
> C'mon folks, this is where the real excitement is!


I should post my photos of a private shop tour that Judy Threet welcomed myself and a few others for one time. When I get a few minutes to scan the pics I'll post them for others' interest.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

*Common Smorg*

cheeze why are you making us wait so lonnnnggggggggggggggg, we can turn this into one of the longest running acoustic posts if you keep this up.Ship
9kkhhd okay I might consider myself a pot stirrer on this one


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

smorgdonkey said:


> I should post my photos of a private shop tour that Judy Threet welcomed myself and a few others for one time. When I get a few minutes to scan the pics I'll post them for others' interest.


Please do. I'd love folks to see what is actually out there being made by some of the best in the world. 
Last year, my wife convinced Judy to make me a guitar.  I haven't decided what I want yet. It will likely be a 'B' body with Mad Rosewood, and some of her fabulous inlays. 

When I had Grit make me a guitar in 81, I couldn't afford his stunning inlays. I regret that now, but I really could not have found the money in those days. It was tough enough to pay $1500.00 for a guitar in 1981. Though today it would be a $10K guitar. - and worth every penny!!!


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

ive been playing acoustic pretty much exclusively for the last 7 years,after 20 some odd years of electric playing- im going electric again now lol.
im into fixing up up old solid wood acoustics, buying cheap and getting the most out of them.
but, as in all acoustic forums, once the talk of custom builds and strange names and words and pickups and all start, my eyes glaze over and i go elsewhere lol. 
kinda like when you approach an attractive girl at the bus stop, and she starts telling you about her tongue piercing and how her friend is such a bitch and her cell phone is ringing and all that- i just cant be bothered lol.
im a ladder braced mahogany or birch, small bodied guitar and a mic kinda guy.
none of the expensive acoustics ive tried out sound anything like a beat up old harmony, so im not interested.:smile:


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Mike MacLeod said:


> Frankly, I agree in many ways. We have, here in Canada, some of the finest luthiers on the planet. These fantastic artisans are beavering away in basements, garages, and industrial shops turning out world class instruments.
> 
> Why are we stuck talking about factory guitars which are generally mediocre at best, when we could be learning about Manzers, and Threets, and Parks, and Laskins, and Beneteaus, and Northwoods, and Thompsons, and Tubbs, and Andersons, and Proulxs, and Apitius', and Heidens, and Sawchyns, and Sohns, and ... and ... and.... hundreds of others?
> 
> C'mon folks, this is where the real excitement is!


Agreed, and well, I've been plugging Beneteau (www.beneteauguitars.com), House (www.houseguitars.com) since I came here. I sometimes babysit a friend's Thompson which is simply stellar, have played lots of Laskins (but only have his book), I have a Peter Cox mandolin, have attended the Cdn Guitar Festival volunteering for Josh House. 

At the moment I can't afford another top drawer small shop guitar, but I live in hope. Maybe a lapsteel style acoustic, or a Django style guitar...

Peace, Mooh.


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## Skndstry (Jul 21, 2009)

Funny, I think it was Mooh who mentioned being more emotionally attached to acoustic guitars. I would agree, and I think the forums bear that out. Just look at the buy, sell and trade area. You get wayyy more electrics changing hands there than acoustics. Why? I can only surmise that it is because of what Mooh said. To me, there is something more organic and personal about the feel of the wood, the natural sound, and the lack of need for amplification. 

But I'm an exclusively acoustic guy for jamming and songwriting. I have a nice electric, but they are still a bit of a mystery to me and I just can't get in to playing mine. 

In my case at least, I am willing to cop to the notion that my relatively limited guitar skills after six years of playing, and preference for chording, strumming and flatpicking, make playing electric harder for me, at least to get it to sound the way I would want it to sound.


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## speedster (Nov 11, 2009)

Mario Proulx is turning out some of the best Acoustic Guitars I've ever heard bar none.

I'm still kicking my arse that I didn't buy his first D18 copy way back in the early 90's for $1800 or the D28 model for $2200 the next spring...

Now they are $$$$$$$ huge $$$$$ and getting better all the time....

He's got er down and has spent alot of time and money experimenting but man it was worth it as his guitars are loud and have tone to spare...

I just can't afford one now, nor would I want to wait the 2 or 3 years for one....

Oliver Aptitius is the man when it comes to Mandolin's, know both of these guys personally and they are consumed by their inner wish's to keep imiproving and making them better....


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

speedster said:


> Mario Proulx is turning out some of the best Acoustic Guitars I've ever heard bar none.
> 
> I'm still kicking my arse that I didn't buy his first D18 copy way back in the early 90's for $1800 or the D28 model for $2200 the next spring...
> 
> ...


It's kick my A$$ time!

I owned Proulx sn 22 (Dread with Adi top and SE Asian RW) and it was a beaut. It had the most amount of headroom of any guitar I have ever played, and absolutely begged to be dug in to. 

I sold it because a) I am not too bright; b) the narrow nut width was a problem for me; c) I made a tidy profit 

As soon as it went out the door I jumped on Mario's wait list (5 years at that time) and hope to have a crack at a new OM/D sometime in the next 3 years.


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

Now we're talkin'. I haven't played Mario's guitars yet, but I hope to get a chance one of these days. He seems like a terrific guy from the correspondence and various transactions we've enjoyed. I've played Oliver's mandolins and was mightily impressed. He's certainly one of the best.

The best time to buy instruments at the top of the heap like these are when you have confidence in the builder and he/she is just beginning to 'break'. All it takes is a name performer to step up and *POW*, they're beyond the means of normal folks. I ordered my first handmade guitar in 79 from Grit Laskin. It arrived about 14 months later. $1400. It still outperforms most guitars I've ever seen. I couldn't replace the thing for under $10K now. 

I missed my chance when Judy Threet was selling her guitars for $3K. Now that Tracy Chapman *bought* one, they are beyond my means. I kick myself. Judy has been one of my closest friends for 30 years and I don't have one of her guitars ........ Yet!

I bought my Heiden mandolin 4 years ago for $3K. Now, they are $10K. 

I should have bought the Beneteau that Mark sent out for re-sale when we had the store-front in Kensington. It was wonderful. I guess I thought I could always get more! :-(

I've never made a bad move buying Canadian luthiers. This country has some of the best in the world.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

fraser said:


> ive been playing acoustic pretty much exclusively for the last 7 years,after 20 some odd years of electric playing- im going electric again now lol.


I do and enjoy both. The electric gives me a charge that the acoustics don't but I still spend a lot of time behind one. This summer I did 8 all acoustic gigs. 

Sadly these Canadian luthiers won't see what little money I have. I hold back on building one mostly because I dread the time needed building jigs for just one guitar. I still drool over AJ's Beneteau. You never know.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Mike MacLeod said:


> Frankly, I agree in many ways. We have, here in Canada, some of the finest luthiers on the planet. These fantastic artisans are beavering away in basements, garages, and industrial shops turning out world class instruments.
> 
> Why are we stuck talking about factory guitars which are generally mediocre at best, when we could be learning about Manzers, and Threets, and Parks, and Laskins, and Beneteaus, and Northwoods, and Thompsons, and Tubbs, and Andersons, and Proulxs, and Apitius', and Heidens, and Sawchyns, and Sohns, and ... and ... and.... hundreds of others?
> 
> C'mon folks, this is where the real excitement is!


I agree there are many excellent Canadian luthiers, and there are several Canadian luthier guitars featured in a book I have that's great eye candy-Handmade, Hand played by Robert Shaw (not the actor)

But as pointed out, their guitars can be quite expensive.
With my income, and responsibilities as well as the fact guitar playing is basically a hobby, I don't see how I can justify spending that much on a guitar.

But I have tried some, and they are very nice, and much better than anything I can afford.

But fortunately there are affordable guitars that will do what I need them to, even if they're not in the same league.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> I do and enjoy both. The electric gives me a charge that the acoustics don't but I still spend a lot of time behind one. This summer I did 8 all acoustic gigs.
> 
> Sadly these Canadian luthiers won't see what little money I have. I hold back on building one mostly because I dread the time needed building jigs for just one guitar. I still drool over AJ's Beneteau. You never know.


hi pat- actually i lost all interest in playing electric for that long-
still liked them, bought a couple, put a couple together, but really only played them if i was somehow badgered into it. i just came to really prefer to play acoustic. but 7 years or so ago, i was almost completely new to the acoustic, and totally new to open tunings and slide and all that, so it was learning new stuff that got me excited-
last month or so tho, i have no interest in the acoustics, and just want to play electric. and last week my old bass player found me via the innernets-sdsre


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I last went through an acoustic phase after I bought my 12 string--about 12 years ago.

I hardly touched my electrics for months.

Now I haven't been playing my 12 string too much. I play it some, just not that much right now.

But it's turn will come again.


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