Best Acoustic under $1k

[Jasonfcounce]

Would like some opinions on the best value / sounding acoustic under $1000...

 

[spe111]

I've always thought older Guilds made in Rhode Island are under priced.

 

[mayfly]

Godin.  Hand made in canada, thin finishes, nice woods, well done.

 

[Rick]

A big fan of ovations and adamas.  Not the celebrity line, though they are good, you'll want the next line up, $600 to $1300.  Paying a little more, in the long run is worth it.  Of course, some people are biased against them, but in performance, love them.  The preamps are awesome, and the necks are easy to play.  If you look at my avatar you'll see one in action.

I like this one:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/1778TX5--ovation-mod-tx-mid-depth-black?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=lowerfunnelnew&utm_content=display&utm_term=300x600

and this one:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/2078ME6P--ovation-melissa-etheridge-signature-white-pearl

Also, takamines and yamahas are terrific value.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Takamine. 
Taylor has a budget line, but I haven't played any of those.

 

[new-killer-star]

Yeah the Taylor budget line can be ok, you have to play each one.

Seriously though don’t forget to look at used - for example you can get a nice used Taylor 214 for under a grand and my 214 sounds way too close to my 914 and so much better than any new instrument I’ve heard at the same price point.

 

[Jasonfcounce]

I am not a fan of the back “bowl” shape of the ovations.

 

[Seamas]

Yeah the Taylor budget line can be ok, you have to play each one.

Seriously though don’t forget to look at used - for example you can get a nice used Taylor 214 for under a grand and my 214 sounds way too close to my 914 and so much better than any new instrument I’ve heard at the same price point.

I have found that an inexpensive Taylor doesn't sound or play all that much different from their higher priced guitars--so long as the size and (most) of the specs are the same.

For me, an acoustic really demands for someone to play the exact article. Not just the feel but the tone, response and vibe can be highly individual.

 

[Rick]

OK, I'll bite, why don't you like them?  The sound?  The playability? Comfort?  All I can say is get up on stage and play them for a couple of hours and you'll understand why people like them.  It might be you were put off by a budget celebrity?  Give the higher end a chance. 

I can't tell you the gigs I've gone to, and people say asinine things like, you're playing a piece of plastic, whatever, once you start playing they shut up.

 

[spe111]

In my opinion Ovations play awesome, maybe better than any other acoustic guitar. I think the sound is a hurdle for many people. I've heard them a lot of times and thought "that sounds acceptable", I've heard them a lot of times and thought "that sounds horrible" but I've never heard one and thought "that sounds great". The setting and what else is going on in the mix is obviously a big factor.

 

[BroccoliRob]

I think the sub-1000$ taylors are #fantastical.

the ovations look dope and feel nice but sound like butt to my ears. But whaddo I know, i am the kinda guy who blazes it so hard I see my own face on the Wheaties boxes at the store

 

[Rick]

Sounds like butt ... sounds acceptable ... oh man you guys are rough ... I'll just say, plug it in, play at volume, sounds great to me.

 

[spe111]

Sounds like butt ... sounds acceptable ... oh man you guys are rough ... I'll just say, plug it in, play at volume, sounds great to me.

That's one of the great things about sounds. No one agrees on what sounds good and no one has to. It would be pretty boring otherwise. 

 

[aarontunes]

Sub 1000 new, I'd be looking at Takamine or Yamaha. Lower end Taylors to me are too "stripped down", with matte finishes, etc., while the Yamaha stuff is still pretty full-featured.

My dark-horse pick: Blueridge. Really, REALLY great Martin copies for not a lot of coin....right down to the diamond volute on nicer models.
https://www.sagamusic.com/products/show-guitars.aspx?lo=501&hi=1000&brand=blueridge

I have a Blueridge BR-183 that is pretty dang nice. Got it, a case, and a K&K Pure Western pickup installed, all for $1100 brand spanking new. This was some years ago, however. I'm not sure they make this model anymore, and prices have surely gone up. They may not have even been able to import this model during the CITES prohibition on Rosewood, due to the back and sides being made of it.

 

[bagman67]

Just here to second the Blueridge and Godin recommendations.  Seagull  (possibly the lower-cost Godin brand) makes a great guitar, too.  If you're in the market for a new axe, the Chinese-build Guilds are pretty stellar instruments at the price point as well.

 

[aarontunes]

Oh ya....forgot to add my beef with Ovations: they are impossible to play sitting down because they constantly want to slide onto their backs. I love the look of them though, especially the ones with the leaves and multi-sound-hole-thingies. To me they evoke images of John Denver and John Bon Jovi playing in a band together in 1976. Mostly duets about cowboys crossing the Rocky Mountains on steel horses.


Sometimes Glen Campbell sits in.

 

[BigSteve22]

Ovations: they are impossible to play sitting down because they constantly want to slide onto their backs....

I solved that problem on mine with some self adhesive, cork shelf liner. A  patch at the waist, right side of the body, between the bouts, right where your knee/leg meets the guitar. Not perfect, but it keeps thing much more stable when playing seated.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Seamas]

Ovations were OK when they were just about the only company really zero-ing in on the amplified acoustic guitar.
Once pickups and acoustic amplification options got better and more available and other makers opened up lines of amplified acoustics, Ovation far less edge on that end of the market.
I'm generally not a fan at all. They play nice and are made to a decent standard, I just don't care for their feel or looks, and like their sound even less..
I'm partial to the Martin end of the steel string acoustic sound--which to many people is a little dark, but to each their own.

 

[bass917]

Always loved Seagull guitars for their value and cool headstock, owned by Godin i think.

 

[DangerousR6]

Taylor and Godin's I've found I like best. But I did happen to be at CG and picked up a Mitchell, Just under $400 and I was really surprised..