The Search for...

[Outlaw_Twanga]

A new Jumbo!

well friends my recent change from lead guitar to singer/rhythm has caused me to ultimately put down alot of my electrics... even sell some of them.

But as I lay down alot of old something new must take its place... And in my gear plan is a new Acoustic Jumbo... and there are so many Taylors, Gibson, Guild, Maton, Martin, Faith... gah!

While I have my mind loosely set on a Maton(very easy to get a hold of here in Oz)


Them Mcpherson's sure look... enticing



I'm wondering what shall end up in these hands...

[elk]

After watching Tommy emmanuel beat on his Maton, I'd say they're pretty well-built!

[elk]

Also FWIW, I find myself using a smaller guitar when leading worship. My dread and even my mando are so loud it's sometimes difficult to hear myself in the monitors. My current favorite is a Taylor big baby that's had B-band electronics added.

[scooteraz]

I love my McPherson. An amazing instrument.

[Outlaw_Twanga]

Originally Posted by scooteraz

I love my McPherson. An amazing instrument.

Tell me how are they? projection wise? how do they sound when the strings become old? They look so beautiful and if the sound on the website is anything to go by they sound as great as they look.

I find my acoustic is not loud enough especially when everybody sings in harmony... then again I'm the only musician in the church at the moment...

[scooteraz]

When I was looking, I had a chance to play all sorts of guitars. This is close to my home, and I went there and tried just about everything in the price range and down. As you can see from the web site, he has a lot of nice stuff. There it came down to the Collins D-3 was the best for my style. A D-3 was like the best Martin D-28 you had ever played. That dreadnaught sound (which I like) great projection. Since I play a lot of plectrum, and not much finger pick, the really late compression of the D-3 was great. I could strum pretty hard, and get loud and uncompressed. Many acoustics these days in the upper ranges are built optimized for finger pickers. Great guitars, but not for my and what I play.

I went up to Cave Creek Guitars, and they had both Collings and McPherson. The McPherson just did not compress. It got louder. Very similar tone. Each time I would pick up one or the other, I would think "Wow, this is the best guitar EVER for me." However, I just could not pull the trigger. I also really liked a cedar topped Breedlove, but it was not quite as nice a player as the other two. Then Cave Creek got in a Redwood/Rosewood McPherson. A slightly mellower sound than the Spruce/Rosewood D-3, all the volume, and the almost total lack of compression of the McPherson.

They project as well as any guitar I have ever played. Still, to overcome our choir, I plug it in at church. They do something with the pickup, and it sounds better plugged in than most, as well. The sound on the website is pretty much what you get.

[Rubsoul]

Hi Outlaw,
I have played & sold several acoustics over the years and now play these 3 acoustics:
Guild D-25 Probally the acoustic that I have owned the longest & don't plan on selling.
Gibson J160- Scream's Beatles when ya plug her in.
Martin D-35- The Cadillac of acoustics at my house.
Ever since I played my cousin's Martin D-28 years ago.... I knew I would eventually own a Martin. A couple of week's back a spotted the Martin and wound up in a 4 guitar trade/sale from a shop in my area.
I traded a 1990' Rickenbacker and a MIM Strat for a Mint Epi Elitist Casino and a 1973 Martin D-35. Will never regret the trade. (I still have a RIC 6 string- my avatar!)
Good luck on the acoustic search.