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Post by John on Apr 7, 2024 15:41:16 GMT -7
I went to Michigan to spend the weekend with friends, and I figured I'm going to be as close as I'm going to get to Elderly Instruments in Lansing, so I'm going to go there.
As I've mentioned in other threads, I've discovered I like smaller bodied acoustics. I've been wanting a Martin O-18 for a while now. (I have a dread, a OOO and a OO...but I want a single O) I played a O-18 out in Colorado about 18 months ago, and it's been haunting me. I know from the Elderly website they have one in stock. So I went to Elderly with a big wad of cash, determined to leave with a guitar. And my wonderful wife is pushing me to buy one....telling me I better not come home without one. (she's a keeper) I went to Elderly with the intention of looking/considering three guitars:
Martin O-18. This is by far the one I'm most interested in. Probably by 80%. The remaining two guitars I'd be interested in looking at are probably only going to be considered if this Martin doesn't appeal to me.
Taylor AD12e...a smaller bodied guitar, but not really all that small. Sort of a midrange budget-ish offering from Taylor. (Still considerably better than their 100 series) Has a built in pickup, which would be nice.
Recording King RP 342...A high end offering from a budget guitar maker. Really small body, but it has a V neck. I may not get along with a V neck
I get in the store, I find the Martin and I don't want to even take if off the wall. The ebony fretboard has several splotches of tan in it. Deal breaker. Sadness ensued.
I find the Recording King. Cool guitar. I liked the tone, I liked the look of the small body. The V neck wasn't as offensive as I thought it would be. It was a mild V. But there was a quality issue...the saddle was too low. There was some fret buzzing because of it. I didn't want to buy it thinking "I can fix this". I liked the guitar, but it went back on the shelf.
The Taylor. Wow..tone and playing wise, it was great. (maybe a little bright, but Taylors are known for that) I must admit the finish on the top of the guitar looked rather cheap. Not something you would expect on a $2000 guitar. I didn't plug it in. But I kept playing it and playing it. It was set up well, had new strings, and played really well. But after a while I realized, since the body wasn't that small, it sounded like one of my guitars at home...and that made me realize I would be duplicating tone. But I already have that tone from a guitar at home, why would I buy another that sounds similar. I came to the store specifically to look at a guitar(s) that has a sound I want...and don't own. That was enough for me to put it back...and walk out of the store without a guitar.
And my wife literally texts me 4 minutes after I get in the car "Did you get a guitar?" I called her with the disappointing news. She couldn't believe it.
She wants me to buy a Collings. She's starting to tell me to pick the model of Collings I want, and if I don't...she'll pick one. Yeah, she's a keeper...
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Post by Ridgeback on Apr 7, 2024 16:50:59 GMT -7
Cool story. Thanks.
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Post by John on Apr 7, 2024 18:10:23 GMT -7
Would have been a lot cooler if I came home with a guitar!!
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Post by ME on Apr 7, 2024 18:45:55 GMT -7
Too bad you didn’t find a guitar, but if they don’t speak to you… I hear the Collins’s are exceptional instruments, but again the individual guitar must be right for you. ME
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Post by Ridgeback on Apr 7, 2024 20:18:42 GMT -7
Would have been a lot cooler if I came home with a guitar!!
Yeah, but when you finally do, it will be the right one.
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Post by "Z" Steve on Apr 7, 2024 20:31:32 GMT -7
Heck, that Collings would've sounded great at that hole in the wall gig you turned down last week! But seriously, I haven't heard a single complaint re Collings acoustics, with the exception of the prices. But if your wife wants to buy it, well, there ya go! Good luck on your journey!
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Post by j4gitr (John) on Apr 8, 2024 3:52:21 GMT -7
Have you checked out Maury’s music in PA? Quite an assortment of Martins. I bought my Martin J-28 from him. It was an online purchase, something I thought I would never do especially on an acoustic guitar costing as much as it did. Maury was incredibly helpful and accommodating actually creating three videos of three different J-28’s with different spruce tops, Engleman, Adirondack, and aged Adirondack. My experience was fabulous and my guitar is spectacular. You obviously have to come to grips with that online arrangement on your own. www.maurysmusic.comIf you’re in Colorado visiting you should make an appointment with Wildwood guitars. Great folk with a great selection. Not a walk-in establishment, but wonderful folk to do business with. My wife’s Baby Taylor ( or some small lefty Taylor) came from them and they bent over backwards to take care of us and make her happy on a $500 sale. Definitely on the lower $ side of their business transactions. If you’re up for a trip to Chicago, Chicago Music Exchange is a great place to visit, but a jaunt to the Western suburbs and Tobias Music will take you to an extremely friendly and helpful acoustic dealer. I’ve done business with both. Lastly, a friend bought an Andrew White guitar online for a very small investment. I played it. It was very nice and unique. He runs auctions on guitars often. That’s how my friend came upon his guitar. For a different sound, his guitars would deliver I believe. www.andrewwhiteguitars.comThe hunt for an acoustic guitar that speaks to you is fun, but sometimes exhausting and time consuming. Take your time, don’t rush it. Does your wife have a sister? Actually my wife is very supportive, especially since 90% of the time I’m her musical accompaniest.
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Post by John on Apr 8, 2024 4:46:51 GMT -7
And just for a goof, I searched Collings dealers last night to see if I could find what I'm looking for in the midwest.
1-4 are requirements, 5 is a request..not a deal breaker.
1) OM body 2) long scale 3) 1 3/4 nut 4) Rosewood back and sides 5) intricate/flashy binding (vs plain strip of black)
The only one I could find within an 8 hour drive...was at ELDERLY INSTRUMENTS! I must have been within 5 feet of it. (Not that I was looking at Collings at the time.)
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Post by Ridgeback on Apr 8, 2024 5:39:09 GMT -7
I suggest that you contact Collings. They can tell you which model(s) you should be looking at given your requirements. I've contacted them a couple of times about electrics and they were always helpful and friendly.
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Post by GuitarZ on Apr 8, 2024 10:16:10 GMT -7
Would have been a lot cooler if I came home with a guitar!!
Just Chapter 1 of the story. 😎
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Post by Paul (TRANE) on Apr 8, 2024 11:41:09 GMT -7
Sounds like a great day either way. To me at least.
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Post by adam on Apr 8, 2024 16:46:35 GMT -7
I think it's cool that you've gotten into acoustics at that level, and also think it's cool that you were wise enough to walk away and trust your gut. Something will come your way at the right time.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Apr 26, 2024 19:43:58 GMT -7
Went into a shop when I was in Nashville a number of years ago. At the time I was ready to get my first nicer Martin and asked to play a couple D18's. They didn't do anything for me, so the guy asks, "Can I bring you something else just to try?" When I said yes he brought me a Collings OM2h that was the best guitar I had ever played. Took me 6 years of saving and trading up, but finally got my D1 four years ago. It is equally as special.
Buffalo has a high end acoustic shop. They don't carry Collings, but I've played all the brands he has and nothing compares.
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Post by John on Apr 27, 2024 4:10:00 GMT -7
he brought me a Collings OM2h
That's the model I've zero'd in on. But sometimes they come with a 1 11/16 nut, and sometimes they come with a 1 3/4 nut.
If I'm going to pull the trigger, it would be this model, with the 1 3/4 nut. But dang...that's a lot of money. It would never leave the living room.
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Post by runninwiththerevil (Matthew) on Apr 27, 2024 12:20:45 GMT -7
I ended up with a D instead of the OM because they go for less on the used market. As the wait list for Collings has gone up so have the prices. This seems to be the trend for all the boutique acoustics. Glad I got one when I did. Facebook has a Collings buy-sell-trade. There was an OM with the nice cases that Collings used to make for a great deal a couple months ago. So there are deals, but not very often.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Apr 29, 2024 10:24:19 GMT -7
so the issue with the Martin was purely cosmetic?? the one you were most interested in and you didn't even listen to what it sounds like?
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Post by John on Apr 30, 2024 16:22:39 GMT -7
so the issue with the Martin was purely cosmetic?? the one you were most interested in and you didn't even listen to what it sounds like? I actually did finally pull it off the wall. I strummed one chord, and discovered the strings must be 5 years old. So I couldn't even really tell what it's supposed to sound like.
And I don't know if it's a 'purely cosmetic' thing. Upon seeing the guitar, my first reaction was 'that shouldn't have left the factory'. It was so bad, that to my thinking...it was outside 'cosmetic' and was in the 'that's wrong' area. And if I'm spending that much money, I don't want to buy something that bothers me. (even if it's cosmetic) With the 5 year old strings, it would seem that others agree with me because it hasn't sold.
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