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Robert
April 21st, 2009, 07:10 AM
On this list, the top 10 folk guitars - http://folkmusic.about.com/od/toptens/tp/TenGuitars.htm

What's your thoughts, friends?

Hmm, no Wasburn there? :poke:
No Canadian guitars either. :cry:

bigG
April 21st, 2009, 07:31 AM
Interesting list. I've never cared for Ovation or Yamaha. Interesting that Takamine didn't make the list. I chose my Guild after playing just abt everything out there, and, to me, it's still the best.:D

Blaze
April 21st, 2009, 07:47 AM
How about all these unknown handmade guitars made around the world ..

Canadian guitar should have a place in there for sure
(Norman ,Boucher,Larivée,Seagull,Godin etc..)

Well i guess this is big name brand poll..


P.s: Need one to play around or start a campfire ???

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Silvertone-PD2-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=528912

Jimi75
April 21st, 2009, 08:01 AM
I can absolutely live with that TOP 10. And especially the hint regarding the Fenders is so true. They really build some awesome acoustics at Fender.

wingsdad
April 21st, 2009, 08:09 AM
First of all, a 'Folk' guitar is a particular type of acoustic guitar. Not all acoustic guitars are folk guitars. So this list is flawed to start with. It's bogus, to the point where it was either compiled out of ignorance or bliss from paid sponsorship by the listed Top 10-- or thier sellers. I note 2 of the 3 'sponsored links', paid Search Engine Marketing devices, are Musician's Fiend and Guitar Center. Still, only 4 of the 10 - Fender, Gretsch, Guild and Ovation - are all part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. So why isn't Takamine, also now part of FMIC, on the list?

Just one example of how flawed this list is: John Lennon played an Epiphone, true...but a Casino, not an acoustic. Yamaha and Fender get similar credit for their electric players.

There's no way that Fender, Gretsch and Epiphone belong on any Top 10 Acoustic guitar list. I have a Guild made in Guild's prime, when they certainly rivaled Martin & Gibson. But I wouldn't consider today's Guilds among the Top 10, nor would I include Ovation or Yamaha.

Spudman
April 21st, 2009, 08:14 AM
I'm saddened that they only state brands and not models. There are good and bad in every brand. This article could lead one to believe that just because it says Epiphone, for instance, on the headstock that it is going to be a good guitar and we all know that isn't always the case.

I'd like to see a 'these guitars in this price range have been proven to be consistent performers and are the best value' article.

mrmudcat
April 21st, 2009, 08:24 AM
First of all, a 'Folk' guitar is a particular type of acoustic guitar. Not all acoustic guitars are folk guitars. So this list is flawed to start with. It's bogus, to the point where it was either compiled out of ignorance or bliss from paid sponsorship by the listed Top 10-- or thier sellers. I note 2 of the 3 'sponsored links', paid Search Engine Marketing devices, are Musician's Fiend and Guitar Center. Still, only 4 of the 10 - Fender, Gretsch, Guild and Ovation - are all part of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. So why isn't Takamine, also now part of FMIC, on the list?

Just one example of how flawed this list is: John Lennon played an Epiphone, true...but a Casino, not an acoustic. Yamaha and Fender get similar credit for their electric players.

There's no way that Fender, Gretsch and Epiphone belong on any Top 10 Acoustic guitar list. I have a Guild made in Guild's prime, when they certainly rivaled Martin & Gibson. But I wouldn't consider today's Guilds among the Top 10, nor would I include Ovation or Yamaha.



:smile-us: :AOK:

Spudman
April 21st, 2009, 08:48 AM
Just one example of how flawed this list is: John Lennon played an Epiphone, true...but a Casino, not an acoustic. Yamaha and Fender get similar credit for their electric players.


Umm...not so, and I'll bet he even played some folksongs on it.

http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/EPIPHONE+EJ160E.JPG

mrmudcat
April 21st, 2009, 09:19 AM
That is not a straight accoustic my tater brother;)

Gallotone Champion acoustic (1st?)

martin d-28

12 string hopf? (correct spelling?)

Ive seen a gibson accoustic(not sure which model) he is holding sometime during his sparse accoustic recordings:poke:

I am just adding to this quick off topic and really without research ! So basically this is an ol mans opinion humbly and respectful like:master:
One can wikipedia/google it I suppose :thwap:

sunvalleylaw
April 21st, 2009, 09:49 AM
I don't really like that they just list brands either. Then they should call it the ten best lines of folk acoustic guitars. That might make their choices make more sense, because it would seem big companies would have deeper lines of guitars. I don't know why they threw "folk" in there though. What does that even mean? The term "folk" is so broad. As for individual guitars, most here know my favorite sound is a Martin rosewood/spruce dreadnought. I just can't afford one right now. I have played lots of acoustics and that sound still is my favorite. I did really like the Tacoma made Guilds as well. Based on this months Guitar Player mag, I really want to try the rosewood/spruce Epi they give an editor's choice award too. It looks like it might be quite nice.

Oh, and I do really like the Larrivee line. It is a really nice line of guitars and I think it should have made the list. Seagulls look nice, but I just can't warm up to them. Not my sound. I should look at a Fenders and Takamines sometime I guess too. I never seem to find a store that carries them.

Tone2TheBone
April 21st, 2009, 11:13 AM
Martin........yup.

Geraint Jones
April 21st, 2009, 11:20 AM
Lennon had a J 200 , If he`d got it for free from Gibson it would have been on the cover of Sgt Pepper but they said he could have it for cost, mmm great marketing decision . { I got that nugget from the book on Manny`s Music store that I got from my wife`s recent trip to NYC , I wanted another Tele btw}

hubberjub
April 21st, 2009, 01:22 PM
That list does not seem like it was well put together. Not that those companies make bad guitars. The tone of the article makes it seem as though the writer was writing for the non-playing reader as opposed to gearheads such as most of us.

markb
April 21st, 2009, 06:22 PM
That list does not seem like it was well put together. Not that those companies make bad guitars. The tone of the article makes it seem as though the writer was writing for the non-playing reader as opposed to gearheads such as most of us.

It felt more like a desperate attempt to think of ten guitar brands to me. Look at the Gretsch list. Bo Diddley?? Acoustic Gretsch?? :thwap:

Oh, and Gibsons are great acoustics because of the electronics they use? Purr-leeease :rotflmao:

I disagree about the "folk guitar" tag. A folk guitar is a guitar you use to play any kind of folk music. I've played folk music on Les Pauls, strats and teles as well as a variety o nice acoustics.

wingsdad
April 21st, 2009, 08:52 PM
Umm...not so, and I'll bet he even played some folksongs on it. http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/EPIPHONE+EJ160E.JPG

Ummm...not so, I'll bet he never even saw one, let alone play one... it was a Gibson J-160E and I'll bet George Harrison even got one just like it at the same time in 1962:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/George-John62GibsonJ-160E.jpg

That Epiphone commemorative version has only been made for about 10-12 years. Gibson also makes a Lennon model, too, besides the regular J-160E.

Tone2TheBone
April 21st, 2009, 10:52 PM
There's mah buddy George!

Blaze
April 22nd, 2009, 05:15 AM
Speakin of Fab 4 , father & son resemblance is obvious here.

John Lennon and son Julian

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icliverpool/nov2001/7/5/0007F0EF-D1B4-1BE2-8DE280BFB6FA01D8.jpg

Beatles guitarist George Harrison's son Dhani also boasts dads clean-cut
good looks.

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icliverpool/nov2001/6/5/0003B129-D15A-1BE2-8DE280BFB6FA01D8.jpg

Paul & James McCartney

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icliverpool/nov2001/5/5/0000AAB4-D0D1-1BE2-8DE280BFB6FA01D8.jpg

Jason, 36, even sported a beard like dad Ringo

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icliverpool/nov2001/8/5/000C8BDA-D225-1BE2-8DE280BFB6FA01D8.jpg

Rory
June 15th, 2009, 05:30 PM
There should be some law against selling a guitar, yeah Epiphone I'm talking about you, with a deceased person's name on it,, especially when every one knows John Lennon played a Gibson J-160. Epiphone wasn't even making the EJ-160 while he was living. M.F.'er even said in one of their advertisements, "if you have ever listened to early Beatles, you know what the EJ-160 sounds like". If you've ever listened to the early Beatles, you've never heard an EJ-160, there was no such thing at the time. You might ask yourself why you would ever purchase a guitar that had someone's name on it, living or dead. If a dead person will lie to you, don't you think a living person will to make a buck.

street music
June 15th, 2009, 06:22 PM
It's all about advertisement, it is justsad to see companies resort to such stuff in order to sell their products. Takamine has impressed me with what I have been able to find in many different stores-constant reproduction of good feeling and great sounding guitars without selling the farm. I have been looking at acoustic electric models again lately and cannot seem to find anything that really jumps out as that special take me home-I'm the one!
I was looking at Taylors and saw some problems that I didn't like and then read of the unhappy customers of late. I have even given the John Lennon Epi a look but when you compare the whole package I still find Takamine as the front runner.

oldguy
June 15th, 2009, 07:11 PM
"Hello, Trouble"...................
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:

I smell trouble brewing here.......

Perfect Stranger
June 18th, 2009, 05:41 PM
I'm glad to see Alvarez made the list. It's one of the most under rated guitars ever. They make just outstanding guitars. And I'm not just talking about the Yari's. I absolutely love me some Alvarez's

SharkUSMC
June 19th, 2009, 10:41 AM
Ovation? Ick. All the ones I've seen have that plastic bowl thing on the back. I can hardly even hold one of those without feeling like I was going to drop it.

wingsdad
June 19th, 2009, 08:32 PM
Ovation? Ick. All the ones I've seen have that plastic bowl thing on the back.
You won't find one that doesn't.

HW
April 22nd, 2010, 09:40 AM
Anyone out there own one of these, been really wanting to get one, though guitar center doesn't stock them and i'm hesitant to buy without trying it first.

Would love any feedback on sound, quality and electronics.

thanks.

Eric
April 22nd, 2010, 10:17 AM
It felt more like a desperate attempt to think of ten guitar brands to me.
That's exactly what I thought when I saw the list.

So...what would be a good top-10 list? Seems to me that Takamine, Seagull/Godin, Larrivee, and possibly Breedlove would make the cut. I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of acoustics, but those are ones that I've played and liked that weren't on the list.

Heywood Jablomie
April 22nd, 2010, 10:41 AM
Top 10???!!!! I guess in that guy's opinion. There are many better guitars that should be on that list, instead of some that were listed. I only agree with the top 2.

markb
April 22nd, 2010, 03:44 PM
That's exactly what I thought when I saw the list.

So...what would be a good top-10 list? Seems to me that Takamine, Seagull/Godin, Larrivee, and possibly Breedlove would make the cut. I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of acoustics, but those are ones that I've played and liked that weren't on the list.

Here's a few off the top of my head and in no particular order based on instruments I've played.

Any of these manufacturers will get you a fine guitar which you will keep.

Martin (but nothing with X in the model name)
Gibson (includes pre-1970 Epiphone)
Guild (older is better but the new Chinese guitars are still excellent)
Larrivee
Yamaha (high end, no APXes)
Maton
Santa Cruz
Takamine (for stage use only)

For lower budgets I'd happily play any of the following. Bear in mind that many cheaper guitars are made by a small number of builders and badged

Cort (variable, shop around)
current Epiphone (certain models, and not the J160e)
Fender (variable, shop around)
Tanglewood (might be UK only)
Crafter
Any of the Godin brands (Seagull, Simon & Patrick, Art & Lutherie)
Walden
Blueridge
Johnson Carolina / Recording King (see what I mean about badging)


A few more than 10 and I've probably missed loads of perfectly good guitars.

Also, note what a guitar snob I am :french

phoenix_p0
May 1st, 2010, 01:18 AM
My friend has a Takamine, can't remember the exact model but it's a great guitar. Fantastic sound. Only problem is a buzz created by a slightly loose fitting battery pack...

Other than that though, list seems fairly reasonable.

I'm actually glad to see Yamaha on there - not the most glamorous name, I know, but my big dreadnought sounds fantastic.

gregsguitars
June 9th, 2010, 02:16 PM
I can whittle it down a little .....
1-Prewar Gibson's through 1962
2- prewar Martins through 1972.
3- R.G.&G. Grammer guitars.
4- Crafters of Tennessee custom guitars.
5- that's my complete list....

Bridgepin
February 9th, 2011, 10:12 AM
That list carries zero merit we me, look at his reasons for his choices, I would have to say there had to be some qualifiers there that are not mentioned like you need to X amount of guitars per year or something :nono:

Beerman
February 9th, 2011, 11:03 AM
I've got a Yamaha, Ibanez, Washburn and Zagar and for me, it's hands down the Zagar. My friends have Martins, Takamine and Seagulls and tell me, my Zagar is right in there with the Martin.
A lot depends on the music I am playing at the time and opinions are very subjective.

etherington1878
April 19th, 2011, 06:47 AM
This list is predictable and lazy. Ovation? Ovation? best folk guitar? This is a plug in Guitar. And Fender? They're OK but not in a Top Ten.

Now I'm no expert but I've played a lot of Guitars and First of all, I agree Martin's are great but probably No. 2. The best Guitar I've played is a Santa Cruz. You can't get a bad sound out of this guitar. Right behind if not equal to any Martin is a Larrivee. Not quite as deep and woody as a Martin but extremely vibrant, high quality. Martin, Gibson and Larrivee are in a group right behind Santa Cruz. Finally Seagull guitars deserve a spot in No. 8 or 9. These guitars blow away any Fender, Washburn, Ovation, Takamine or Yamaha. The best guitar you can buy under $700.

Also how did this guy match up his guitars with guitarists? Neil Young is famous for playing the same old Martin (D-28) that belonged to Hank Williams and Jerry Garcia played an Alverez, at least on Dead Reckoning the benchmark Dead acoustic recording.

msteeln
May 3rd, 2011, 02:15 PM
You might get some decent mileage on any one of these seemingly good looking/playing/sounding/versitile China-made Tramontane's before needing a restoration... http://www.harmonycentral.com/docs/DOC-1592

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnTNp4mnxz4

msteeln
May 9th, 2011, 01:44 PM
These guys are getting good reviews too for their fair prices and good quality www.theloar.com

crowhue
May 18th, 2011, 01:25 PM
On this list, the top 10 folk guitars (http://www.gtrmusic.co.uk)- http://folkmusic.about.com/od/toptens/tp/TenGuitars.htm

What's your thoughts, friends?

Hmm, no Wasburn there? :poke:
No Canadian guitars either. :cry:

Hmmm, acoustic guitars IMO are more subjective than electrics. Its more of a sympathy thing going on between wood, strings and player and different guys and gals like very different instruments. I love my Epiphone AJ500 personally. I beat it until it howls and loves me back : )

omegadot
May 18th, 2011, 04:56 PM
I love my Ovation, but I don't play folk, so there you go.

Gibouille
June 19th, 2013, 08:57 AM
Collings (US)
Eastman (China)
Maurice Dupont (France)