Spending most of my money on a mandolin, now for a good guitar

[Jesse Kinman]

I’m getting a custom built mandolin from Tyler White this summer/fall, and am spending most of my allowance....hahaha, but now I want a good, or rather great guitar, without spending over $2k.

I have a Eastman E20D which “was” a decent guitar, until I left it in the car for an hour, and was uneducated at the time on how to handle that situation, and I opened the case immediately... it has a bridge doctor now, and is ruined for the most part. I don’t want another Eastman tho, cause at its best I wasn’t fooled into thinking I had a Martin. Great guitar for the money though.

I am looking for a Martin D18 style dreadnaught with Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce, with forward shifted X bracing,(could be steered otherwise on the Adi Spruce, but definitely want Mahogany, not rosewood)

So besides Martin/Santa Cruz/Bourgeois/Collings/Huss and Dalton, are there any other makers out there, even little known ones that I need to be on the lookout for, that make great bluegrass guitars under $2k (used is totally fine with me).

I’m planning a trip to Carters, and Gruhns to play some mandolins, and plan on playing guitars while I’m there to get a feel for more specifics, but so far nothing they have currently that I think I’d like is in my price range.

And for the record, I’m not prepared to buy one now, but should be towards end of fall.
Thanks in advance!

[Jesse Kinman]

I will be on the lookout for used Huss and Dalton or Collings, Bourgeois, SCGC in the meantime tho, just so nobody thinks I wouldn’t be interested in any of them.

[yankees1]

When at Gruhn's ask George if he has any Wienman mandolins in yet and see what you think !

[MikeZito]

Taylor has a full line of guitars using a wide variety of woods - play a bunch and you may find what you are looking for.

[Jim Garber]

And for the record, I’m not prepared to buy one now, but should be towards end of fall.
Thanks in advance!

That is a good record to know about. I was about to direct you to two D-18's in the classified, both somewhat close to your price range but it would make no sense right now. What is the point of bringing this up now. Likely whatever we would find would be gone by the time you are ready.

I got a beautiful Huss & Dalton DS rosewood dreadnaught guitar brand new on eBay at a great price but I was just lucky. They are excellent guitars and in many cases out-Martin the Martins. The other brands you mention are also often more pricey than the regular Martin D-18s, but you never know what you can find. However, you do need to be ready to put down the money, esp if you want a quality guitar in that price range.

I would guess that after your Carter and Gruhn visit you will need to up your ante and save somewhat longer to get the guitar you want. it will be worth it though. Good luck.

I would agree with Mike Zito to take a look at the range of Taylors that are out there. There are some nice ones and within your price range.

[Jesse Kinman]

When at Gruhn's ask George if he has any Wienman mandolins in yet and see what you think !

I’ll try to remember that, I remember reading about them on here.

Taylor has a full line of guitars using a wide variety of woods - play a bunch and you may find what you are looking for.

I’ll keep a lookout for them, I’d played several different Taylor’s tho and wasn’t impressed, I did play was a 710ce that was decent tho, but that was before I knew what I was looking for, I’ll have to keep an eye out for their dreads tho, thanks for the suggestion, I had forgotten about Taylor lol

That is a good record to know about. I was about to direct you to two D-18's in the classified, both somewhat close to your price range but it would make no sense right now. What is the point of bringing this up now. Likely whatever we would find would be gone by the time you are ready.

I got a beautiful Huss & Dalton DS rosewood dreadnaught guitar brand new on eBay at a great price but I was just lucky. They are excellent guitars and in many cases out-Martin the Martins. The other brands you mention are also often more pricey than the regular Martin D-18s, but you never know what you can find. However, you do need to be ready to put down the money, esp if you want a quality guitar in that price range.

I would guess that after your Carter and Gruhn visit you will need to up your ante and save somewhat longer to get the guitar you want. it will be worth it though. Good luck.

I would agree with Mike Zito to take a look at the range of Taylors that are out there. There are some nice ones and within your price range.

Well I reckon I tend to start my research way before I’m ready to buy something, much to my wife’s dismay...lol. But I’m not looking for one specific guitar at the moment, just a direction to look in as far as possible brands to research to help make my decision.
I know what you mean tho, after playing some vintage Martins and some recent guitars way out of my price range, I’m gonna want to save up several hundred more... hahaha. I am going to be selling off my Eastman guitar (for cheap) and my other mandolins once I get my White, so maybe that will help me get up into the Collings D1A range, or the like. Kenny Smith’s guitar(and guitar pickin) sure make me want to get one)

[EdHanrahan]

... I’d played several different Taylor’s tho and wasn’t impressed ...

Over the long term, I tend to agree BUT ...

For the past few years, Taylor has been revising much of the line (progressively across their various series: 800s, 400s, etc) very nicely. Last summer, I got to take their factory tour in El Cajon, CA, w/ dozens of guitars to sample freely, and was blown away - and me being a long-time Martin guy.

FWIW, maybe the most impressive guitar I've played recently was a used Huss & Dalton version of a D-18 (sort of slope-shouldered, & sorry I forget the model #), with an asking price at GC of around $2,700. I've only played two or three other H&D's, but each was a gem. Good article on them in Fretboard Journal several years back.

[DougC]

For a mahogany guitar, I'd suggest Larrivee. I once went through all of the high-end guitars at a shop in Minneapolis. It took three visits as I remember. So I had played all that you mentioned and more.

The Larrivee just stood out like the sunrise in the morning. There was a Santa Cruz as a close second, but the Larrivee was much cheaper. People hold on to these instruments, but occasionally there is one in the classifieds.

Since those days, I've seen some amazing guitars from those makers, but they come with a price to match. Larrivee is a darn good value in my opinion.

[Canuckle]

I second DougC’s comment about Larrivees. I bought a D03R ten years ago thinking I’d end up getting something nicer down the line but the guitar just keeps sounding better and better.

Another great bargain is Stonebridge or Furch guitars (same company using different names). They’re made in the Czech Republic and never quite caught on in North America. Their dreadnaughts are built for bluegrass and because the brand never caught on if you find a used one they’re pretty cheap.

[Northwest Steve]

Not a guitar player and a mediocre mandolin player so take it for what it is worth.

I had the thought to get a guitar to play rhythm and had it for a short time and quickly decided that I needed to shoes one instrument if I and stick with it if I was going to be a decent player. I bought a Larrivee D-03 and it was a really nice guitar. Sounded great in the hands of someone who could actually play. They don't seem to sound quite like a Martin (good or bad?) but mine was really good for the money. Most do have a narrower nut than the traditional 1 3/4". Made in Canada or the US it it matters. For some reason they do not have the resale value that some others have so seem to be a good value.

For your price I would think that you could find a builder in the data base that could make a guitar to your specs for a around your budget. One that comes to mind is Walter at June Mandolins and Guitars. He had a couple of really nice looking guitars listed a while back.

[LadysSolo]

I agree about Larrivee quality, my Larrivee P-03 (parlor) is the best-sounding guitar I own, definitely a keeper. I could use it for Bluegrass, but you want a bigger guitar. You also may have forgotten Guilds - some very nice guitars. Also Seagulls "punch above their weight," IMHO. I think you need to go play a lot of guitars and then make a decision.

[CES]

I have an Alvarez Yairi that's basically a D-28 copy that is an exceptional guitar...but, my Guild D-40 is more what you're after, with the spruce/hog combo...a great strummer/flat picker, and it always gets compliments for its focused mahogany bass thump...

If you play enough Blueridges, Yamahas, or Takamines you'll find one that is Martin-esque, for a fraction of the price...but you've gotta cull through them...one of the best D-28 copies I've played recently was actually a Seagull priced around $800. That was an awesome guitar.

I'd also agree that Larrivee makes some affordable gems, and my most versatile 6 string is my Taylor 714, which is a great finger picker that handles strumming well also. Really, I think you can find a stage worthy guitar for far less than $1500. There are some awesome makers out there selling for less right now...

[Frogstar]

I’ll keep a lookout for them, I’d played several different Taylor’s tho and wasn’t impressed, I did play was a 710ce that was decent tho, but that was before I knew what I was looking for, I’ll have to keep an eye out for their dreads tho, thanks for the suggestion, I had forgotten about Taylor lol

Try one of their Grand Symphony bodies as well, if you get a chance. The smaller body styles don't do much for me, but the GS & GO have something going on (I own a cedar/mahogany GS).

[Jesse Kinman]

Well, I repurposed some other funds I had set aside for something else and pulled the trigger on a Huss and Dalton Road Series Sitka Spruce and Mahogany dreadnaught for $1800 shipped. I can replenish that money back where it came from in a few months, I felt I couldn’t pass this one up, and didn’t want to wait till the Fall. I’ve been leaning towards saving up for a higher end Huss and Dalton for some time now after hearing so many good things online and from friends, and then a few people here, and decided I’d take advantage of a more no frills version, of which I am totally fine with. Sound and playability are really the only two things I’m looking for in a guitar, as long as it’s not hideous looking, and this one appears to fit the bill. . Hopefully I can live with this one for years to come. Thanks for all the advice and info, I really do appreciate it, and I’ll post a follow up on here to let y’all know how I like it, if you care to know. Thanks again!!!

[Drew Egerton]

My Larrivee D60 is a hoss of a guitar. It was 2k new 14 years ago. Rosewood though, but just thought I'd chime in since the conversation went that way. No complaints at all about it other than it desperately fret work!

I also have a D-16GT Martin that is a really nice Mahogany guitar and it was very reasonably priced at the time.

[NursingDaBlues]

If you have the opportunity to try out a Martin D-18GE, I don't think you'll be disappointed. (The only major consideration is the neck; some folks find it a little too beefy.) I've got one that I am well pleased with. I don't believe they're in the current Martin lineup; although I'm not certain of that. Occasionally a Martin D-18GE will surface on CL for around the $2K range. It's a terrific guitar if you can swing one.


EDIT: Whoops; I missed the post that indicated you got an H&D. Good guitars. I hope that it will give you great joy through the years. Congratulations!

[Baron Collins-Hill]

I think you've done well with your H&D, that's going to be a great guitar!

Thanks,
Baron

[Steve Ostrander]

I was going to comment on Larrivee, but I see that you bought your H&D and I hope you enjoy the heck out of it.

I bought a new Larrivee D-02 a couple years ago and it was a bargain at significantly less than 1k. It's mahogany back and sides with maple binding. I really like it a lot, but I had some warranty issues and I can't endorse the treatment I got from the company. I wouldn't buy another one, not new anyway.

[Jim Garber]

Well, I repurposed some other funds I had set aside for something else and pulled the trigger on a Huss and Dalton Road Series Sitka Spruce and Mahogany dreadnaught for $1800 shipped.

They are phenomenal guitars. The DS Crossroads was the guitar I was going for since I wanted a modern replacement for my vintage Gibson SJ but I ended up with the fancier rosewood DS and am quite happy with it. Sounds like you got a good deal too.

I love Martins BTW but rarely find a new one that appeals to me. I do agree that the Golden Era ones are quite nice, of the ones I have played.

[Jesse Kinman]

So I got my Huss and Dalton last week, and at first I wasn’t impressed a ton, I mean it played great, but the low end was really suppressed...it had really dead EJ16 strings on it, and it had also been sitting for well over a month.
I put new Curt Mangan Phosphor Bronze 12-53 strings on it and suddenly it sounded great, and it has really opened up in 1 week of playing. I’m really impressed with it, it is really lightweight, and sounds wonderful to my ear. My Eastman it a lot heavier, not sure if it’s the Rosewood or just a heavier build or both, but now my Eastman sounds like junk.
I will try to post a video of it sometime soon, thanks for all the info and help you all, I really appreciate it!