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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
 Posted - 05/02/2005 : 7:02:00 PM
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I just bought another basic dreadnought guitar that I'm getting to like. It's a Washburn D10ST, which is their most basic solid top guitar. It was $215 at a local discount music shop. The D10S is a standard looking Martin copy with white bound fretboard and body and a rosette of dark wood and mahogany diamond inlays. It has a gloss finish. It looks pretty nice.
Every once in a while someone asks about a basic guitar for slack key, and I think this is one of those guitars. I think a spruce top gives the clearest treble and punch. It's a little dull on the lowest notes, but so it my $1200 Takamine.
I tried a similar model from Cort (Earth NS 70) and liked that's a lot, too. The satin finish and a lighter soundbox might have given the Cort the edge (better sound) over the Washburn.
But the D10ST has a built in chromatic tuner and that sold me. It's not a great tuner, but if you're sitting on the beach and wonder if you're at concert pitch, it's right handy.
If I had a little more money (I didn't) I might have bought the D30S, a nicer looking and playing version of this guitar. But I rationalized that this one is strictly for jamming and practicing, so I don't mind.
Time will tell if it stands up to beach trips and weather changes. But I found several $200 guitars with solid spruce tops and many work for slack key. I know that these China/Korea bargain guitars have nothing in common with the great Washburns of yesteryear. But they're a good value and the spruce tops, in general, offer a nice open ringing tone that sounds good in taropatch.
Jesse
Here's a link:
http://www.adirondackguitar.com/accoustics/washburnacoustics/washburn%20d10s.htm
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Edited by - hapakid on 05/02/2005 7:02:51 PM |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2005 : 5:54:44 PM
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| Last night I returned the favor of my guitar-picken buddy who drove me to the airport for SoCal last week. He quit his job Friday, took off for a week in Russia last night! As I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO FINISH PACKING I WENT INTO HIS music room and picked up the guitar he always has sitting out. It is an inexpensive Yamaha 6 string he bought in 1974 for $150. He owns a 700 series Taylor, a Martin D28, a Ntional tricone and a number of other guitars, basses, mandolins, etc., but this is the guitar i always see in his hands. I played it, really for the first time, for about 30 minutes and can un derstand why he likes it so much. Sounds good, plays easily, feels indestructible, and noone would ever think of stealing it. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2005 : 6:23:31 PM
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Hi Karl,
I have a friend with a high end Yamaha from the 1970s that has a magical sound and the lowest action of any guitar I've ever seen. I can't seem to get him to sell it to me, even though he never plays it.
Many of those Yamaha dreadnoughts from the 1970s were excellent guitars. The quality today is less predictable since manufacturing went to China, but some of them are still good values.
Good action and feel can be a lot more important than the name on the headstock. And when you're playing for fun, string balance and tonal qualities is less important than when recording or performing.
Jesse Tinsley |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2005 : 10:43:24 PM
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Aloha!
Lots of folks had good Yamahas is those days, though it seemed strange to see a Japanese guitar, Yamaha was the one. And $150 was not cheap.
Jesse - if you need a beach guitar, does that mean you might be coming back to the beach? (MB!)
n |
nancy cook |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2005 : 10:08:11 AM
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Jesse,
I bought a 12 fret, 12 string Ovation when i first came to Alaska. The guy was playing it onstage, plugged in and I couldn't not buy it fro him. I have rarely plugged it in since. It was my main (only) guitar for 20 years. I was cheapwith the strings, too...if one broke, I'd strip the other octaves off and play it as a six string until another broke. I almost sold it several times,while saving to buy a wood canvas river boat, a set of skis for the plane, etc.,, but could never quite let it go. Then i got my first Taylor and the Ovation is now relegaed to the office at work. I now, have about 6-8 guitars, some Talyors, a regal resonator, Backpacker, electrified resonator, 1846 parlor guitar, and have thought of gettng rid of the Ovation many times since that first Taylor came into my life. But, you know, that guitar is still one of the easiest to play, it stays in tune forever, never needs huidifiers, is virtually indestructible, the patch of moose hide I glued to the treble side waist keeps it from sliding off my lap, and it just plain sounds good. it wasn't cheap back in '71; I think i gave him $500 for it. Probably couldn't get 100 bucks for it now, but i would not sell it for anything. What would i replace it with? (you can't just get rid of a guitar anymore, right...you have to fill the emotional void left in your soul whenever one walks out the door)
Since the workshop with Uncle George, I have tuned her down to TP F and it really sounds good down there.
Expect soetihng in the mail soon:> |
Karl
Frozen North |
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MahinaM
Lokahi
USA
389 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2005 : 1:16:36 PM
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I LOVE my Yamaha that I bought in the late 70's! $165 was a lot of $$ back then when I was a starving student. Many friends wanted to buy it from me since then, but I wouldn't sell it. They were made so much better back then than they are today. Very different sound and action compared to later models. Since I have very small hands and short fingers, this was a nice sized guitar for me. I have that one tuned to F also. Sounds even sweeter!
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catheglass
Lokahi
USA
312 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2005 : 7:22:35 PM
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Aloha ahiahi;
My Yamaha is a nylon string classical model I bought in Yokohama Japan in 1965; it's "my old guitar" as Ozzie says. Been everywhere with me, was my only guitar until two years ago, when I dropped it for a Baby Taylor.
But then I needed a guitar tuned to C MoanaLoa, and wow. Forgot how nahenahe the old Yamaha (model #48) is. Sounds great in the low C, always did play easily, yep, learned my lesson..... |
cathe |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2005 : 8:25:03 PM
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Karl,
Jim Croce made a lot of classic fingerstyle hits with an early Ovation and if the neck didn't warp like crazy, it'll always be a good player. A lot of 12-strings didn't survive because necks or tops warped.
There are a lot of Yamaha, Goya, Yamaki, Suzuki and other international brands that made good guitars in the 60s and 70s, even some of the laminated ones sounded good. It seems like everything from China is sprayed with a thick coating of very shiny stuff, inhibiting the full movement of the wood, at least a little bit.
Cathe and others, I would like a guitar for each tuning, but unfortunately the status of "favorite guitar" is rotating among my collection (all cheap!) so that whatever my favorite guitar is tuned to, that's what I play.
Auntie Nancy,
Someday I'll make it back to MB for kanikapila. For now, my schedule is
Monday: babysit 3-year-old, then violin lessons for older son
Tuesday: work, then violin group lessons (I get to play guitar)
Wednesday: work, then Cub Scouts den meeting
Thursday: work, then Cub Scouts pack meeting
Friday: work, then babysit while tired wife goes out with her friends
Saturday: work, then jam "Smoke on the Water" loudly with friends
Sunday: Honey-Do list, mow lawn, fix cars, take kids to park
It'll be awhile before I can sneak away with a guitar!
Jesse
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2005 : 10:06:40 AM
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Jesse
I like your schedule...lots of kid stuff, even the Smoke on the Water part.
My Ovation 12 has a 5 piece laminated neck...no probles so far. I'd keep my fingers crossed, but it is harder to play that way
Karl |
Karl
Frozen North |
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Auntie Nancy
`Olu`olu
USA
593 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2005 : 1:49:47 PM
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Yah - you sound like all the rest of the parents - but then the little monsters go away to college!!! and maybe don't come back, or if they come back, put 'em to work.
then retire, do honey-do, work in garden, take care of grandkids, play guitar!!!
It was sure fun having the ohana!!
auntie |
nancy cook |
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