Long Shot...

[Justinginn]

Over the summer I got to play this guitar here

and I just found out that its owner is willing to sell it (for somewhere in the $3-400 range) and I'm planning on buying it because it's one of the best-sounding guitars I've played in years. I have no idea what it is but I've got a decent picture here (some other guy playing it)

The owner says she's had it for a few years and got it from somebody who had it for 20-30. It feels old. There's a crack at the back, but it's the kind that woodglue and a bedsheet could fix so I'm not concerned about that. It sounds great anyway. There's no manufacturer name anywhere or serial number so I can't really tell where it came from. The head almost looks Martin-ish but it doesn't feel/sound like any Martin I've played. Maybe a little more Alvarez-sounding, if you know what I'm saying. Pretty sure the top is spruce, back and sides look like ash with flamed maple running down the middle.

The problem is that I live across an ocean from the guitar so I won't be able to go see it until the owner actually brings it over here (both attending the same conference here) so I can't examine it much more. I know it sounds good enough for me to buy it so I'm 90% sure I will but it'd be great if I had a better read on what it is before I buy. Any thoughts?

 

[Justinginn]

The back looks quite a lot like Martins and Alvarez that I've seen, come to think of it. It's probably one of the two. Any help identifying it would still be great.  ccasion14:

 

[Nando Vallart]

I don't know what brand could be, but if you link the song and it's going cheap (US$400) get it and go to a luthier to have the problem fixed... The sound of it is the matter, if it's good, it's a good purchase...

 

[Justinginn]

Yeah I'm gonna get it and I'm even confident that I can fix it myself. I just wanna know what it is.  :toothy10:

 

[Velcro]

Jesus! for a moment there I thought you said $3400! I was thinking whats to talk about? An unbranded guitar with a crack in the back. But then upon re-reading it I realised that it was $3 TO 400.

If u liek 1t th3n u 5hud by it.

 

[Justinginn]

This is the beast, I'm pretty sure.

http://www.jvguitars.com/showproduct.pl?id=1067116290

Alvarez copy of a Martin D-45. I was right about it sounding like an Alvarez. There's nothing like it. They made these in the 70's from what I gather, which means it's handmade. Score.

 

[Alfang]

I have a friend who has some old accustic guitar, I don't know the brand, but it looks old and worn. But when you play it, it sounds incredible, like no other guitar I've heard.

Every once in a while when they are making guitars, the stars allign and whatever, they make an incredible guitar that stands out from the ones being built from the same shop, by the same people.

So brand doesn't matter, if it sounds good , it sounds good, buy it!

 

[JaySwear]

So brand doesn't matter, if it sounds good , it sounds good, buy it!

+1! i passed on a great deal on a 1990-era gibson acoustic just because it sounded dead and lifeless. this definitely goes both ways. lower end acoustics can sound amazing or higher end instruments might be really underwhelming. and with an acoustic you can't just change out some pickups and hope for a better sound. which is why i think it's so important to really disregard brand names when you're shopping for them