Guitar Nerds Anonymous

Anyone tried a Guild M120? looking for a small acoustic to mess around on at that price point.
or should i get a Little Martin?

^^^^^^Look upthread. I just bought one. Beautiful little guitar.

I had gone to the shop (Music Centre in Cologne, Germany) half intending to buy a J45 or a D28. I'd tried all of the new cheaper solid-top only Martins in the main shop and didn't like any of them. They just sounded and felt lifeless to me. My 1980s Sigma DR28 is way nicer.

I notice they've started manufacturing Sigmas again as it happens and while they look (and sound) better than the budget Martins, I'm not in the market for another immitation.

Although the budget Martins are "real Martins" they all have laminate back and sides, multi-ply necks, a horrible synthetic sharp edged fingerboard and synthetic bridge. The finish is a nasty dusty matt as well. I was just hugely underwhelmed by all of them. Do not want.

Asked for access to the "proper" acoustic room in which the expensive things are kept and tried a few J45s. Man, just such a great sound, cutting, high mids, twangy, punchy, rhythmic. Perfect country/folk flatpick lines. Just perfect. My only slight reservation would be the thick black finish on the neck. I like a thin finish that will wear down to bare wood over a few years... but I could live with it I suppose. Heh. One day.

Then for comparison my friend tuned up a new Martin D35 and we swapped back and forth a few times. Holy fuck. Such a huge sound. Massive bass and super sparkling treble and a totally scooped out middle. It almost sounds compressed. Total tonal opposite of the Gibson. When you strum an open G the whole body of the guitar resonantes and vibrates so you can feel it though your chest. Just a million miles from any of the cheaper ones "outside".

Would have been deliriously happy to have taken either home but but but... we're heading towards £2000 for either and although I had a credit card burning a hole in my pocket.. I just couldn't do it. I WILL save up and do it properly this time.

So having decided to wait I found myself back outside killing time while my buddy fannied about buying DJ equipment. Came across the Guild M120 and started playing it. 45 minutes later I was still playing it. Got up to leave it and when someone else came over to pick it up I had a fit of jelousy and went back. I liked the look. I've always liked Guilds and this one was super cute with a beautiful mahogany gloss finish. Liked that it's all solid mahogany. Liked the small size. Liked the feel, although the body is gloss the neck has a matt finish and the rosewood fretboard felt good. It's a pretty slim neck but felt good for picking and strumming. Liked the punchy, middly sound that seemed to really ring out much louder than you'd expect from such a small body. Figured that would work in a band with another acoustic rhythm guitar played with a bassy dreadnaught. Best of all though was the way in which notes and chords balanced across the neck. Barre chords at the 7th fret clang out with the same volume as open chords. Very playable. I liked the vintage style open tuners, the art-deco headstock, the compenstaed saddle and graph-tech nut and Fishman pickup... asked for a price; 550 Euros. And it comes with a cool hard case. Sold!

Cracking little guitar and a great buy if I do say so myself. Haven't recorded with it yet but I did a gig with it last night. Played a 45 min set followed by a 90 minute set so I'm starting to get to know it now.

The only issue I have is that I could not get a sound I liked through the Trace Elliot acoustic amp I was usinglast night. Could have been the amp, my ham-fisted setting up or it could be the Fishman piezo... I really don't like the sound of Piezos. Never have. I have K&K transducers in my other guitars which, I think, have much more natural sound to them. Is it mad to buy a £500 guitar with a Fishman and add a £150 transducer making the internal electrics redundant? Because (pending a couple more tests with PAs) I think I'm going to.