Originally Posted by jpfeifer
Oh dude, don't hurt me. The GAS attack is killer. I have to get my amp purchased first for Pete's sake! Thanks for starting the thread. I come into this as a newbie guitarist, and therefore rely on instinctive impressions at this point. I have decided to have my current Joshua, which is spruce topped (it appears solid, may have one laminate on top) and laminate elsewhere, re-strung by the Martin guy coming to do re-stringings and a clinic at the local shop. Then, learn some more in technique with the guitar I have, and develop my tastes over a longer period before buying again. My Joshua is very bright, has good low action, and is pretty easy playing. I tend to make a lot of string noise at this point with my technique. The D15, which is I understand mostly all Mahogany with a rosewook neck, and satin finished, is much deeper toned, and seems more forgiving in terms of string noise. The D16 I played (Turned out it was a D16RGT instead of a D16R, have to research the difference) has a nice tone, but its high E string was harder for me to play cleanly. Maybe the set up on that unit.
I basically play the same songs on each guitar, Heart of Gold, and Old Man, and the hammer ons/pull offs on the intro to Old Man are currently serving as my benchmarks for playablility. In otherwords, if I can make those hammer ons and pull offs in the D chord ring cleanly, it works for me. The Larrivee D50 is I understand a spruce/mahogany guitar, was owned by the local shop hero who plays professionally in a bluegrass band (Public Radio) and has had it gone through and balanced carefully by the local luthier. It just plays great. The tone seems in between the D15 and 16. I would have to go back and try more to be sure. It sure is beautiful, kind of like a dressed up D18 I guess, but it is its own deal. A dovetail neck instead of a bolt on like the D16. The neck's shape sure seems to fit nicely. That is not really a tone deal but just another perception.
Man, will have to resist the GAS, but it is sure fun to look! I am sure that Martin clinic (see my other acoustic thread) will be really fun.
Steve