Best guitar you've ever played?

Started by J. Hunter, October 06, 2009, 11:57:45 PM

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Quote from: Lawn Jockey on October 16, 2009, 10:40:09 AM
Don't the OM-01's all have 1 11/16" nut widths?  Were there some with 1 3/4"?

This page only shows the 02's and up.

:cheers

My OM-01 has a 1 3/4" nut. It was from a batch of five that were available at the Podium in '03.
Larrivée OM-01
Avalon A201
Silver Creek T-160
LAG T66D
Douglas WF165

A beat up 1972 blonde Fender Tele a co-worker has. That thing has mojo to spare. Even sounded great in a cheap $100 Fender practice amp. If only he'd let me play his old Ricky bass...  :angry:
Gregg
'05 Fender Highway 1 Strat
'07 Fender Lite Ash Tele
'70s Crown Gold Top LP copy
'04 Larrivee D-03 Mahogany
'05 Martin D-15 Rosewood
Washburn 5257 1/2

I have a few thoughts on the subject.
I have a friend in New Orleans who bought a Yamaha LL new, back in the 1980s when they were made in Japan. I have been playing it since it was new. He thinks I go down there every year to visit him. I love that guitar.  :bowdown:
I heard Amy White (of Al Petteway and Amy White fame)  say a couple of weeks ago, that she played a friend's Olson (of James A. Olson Guitars) a while back, and that guitar made her cry.
I read and hear lots of people say that their newest acquisition (whatever it happens to be) is the best fit, feel and finish, best sounding guitar they have ever played.
I always take those remarks with a grain of salt, and *thought* that I was above this hyperbole.
but I have this new L-09 quilted sapele...  :nice guitar:

1930 Martin OO-45....Played it at Mandolin Bros a few months ago.....It was dirt cheap...."only" $65,000 :winkin:

Lowden O12 and a Taylor XXX-RS. Both equal in playability, but with completely different sound and feel.

"Time flies like an arrow..Fruit flies like a banana"
Townes Van Zandt

For years and years it was my '02 Gibson J-45. It was a great, vibrant mahogany guitar. It strummed richly, and it finger picked Blues like it was born to it. Unfortunately I just found the body size too big and eventually sold it and bought my Larrivee OM-03R. Looking back I dont know that it was the best guitar Id ever played, but a lot of the music I was listening to was played with Gibson J-45s or -50s, and I loved that guitar enough to keep it long enough to grow so used to it that I could coax the tones I was looking for out of it without even thinking.

The Martin OM-21 I am about to pick up has also spoken very loudly to me, but as has been mentioned its way too early to tell if it is truly a great one. A Larrivee OM-50TSB I played in a shop once was also just one of those guitars that I could do no wrong on, it seemed to know what I wanted to play.

And Uncle, I used to own a Cherry Red '65 Gibson ES-330, one of the best electric guitar tones Ive ever heard. I also owned an original '65 Fender deluxe reverb to run it through, so that definitely helped. Love those P-90s in a hollow body!

And lastly the shop down the road from me has a particularly nice Martin 00-15 that just oozes mojo!

Cheers, Scott.
Martin OM-21. 
Gibson SG Special.
Schertler David.
Achillies 5F2A Princeton.

Victoria, Australia.

Hard to say whats the best... I've played some great guitars over the past few years.  The ones I own stand out (if they didn't, I wouldn't have bought them).  I do have a recent addition to my collection..... which may be the best I have ever played or owned.  pictures and some detail will come once I finish up on my job, and get home. 

For guitars that I've played in shops, there's a few that would have been a nice addition to the rest, but wasn't in the budget at the time. 

52' Martin D-28, 57' D-21, 52- Gibson LG-2....... all in the same store at the same time I should add.     I played an amazing D-60MR in the 12th Fret a while back, and then compared it to a Bourgeois dread with Brazilian rosewood...... and then Larrivee blew it out of the water, and for less than half the price. 


The biggest thing we can all take from this thread, is that there are so many great guitars out there that need to be played.
Larrivee D-50 total sunburst
Larrivee D-03r
Gibson Custom Shop Advance Jumbo Gold
Gibson SG Classic
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Seagull S6+GT
Art&Lutherie 12 String
Epiphone M-20 Mandolin
1960/61 Supro Lap Steel
Squier P-Bass

My 2c's ...

Martin OM-21 special w/bearclaw. Wish I never sold it..........Most expressive OM I've played.
Collings D1A. Wish I never sold it........... Best Hog for Bluegrass / Circle Jammin'
McPherson 4.5 with maple / Spruce- Wish I could have afforded it.............Unreal in every respect including the price.

Once in a while, a Martin HD28v...................... I can pick up about 15 of em that are "ok", then pick up one that you say "holy cow"


Russ

000's are my thing...some folks like redheads or blonds, but I like those triple 0's!

My Martin 000-28 VS is my favorite for now and I would put the Lari 000-60 not far behind.  Peaceful, sit-on-the couch comfortable and quality sound!  When you are playing around like that, I'd bet most of us lower your blood pressure at least 20 points...don't you think?

:guitar
Larrivee 000-60
Martin 000-28 VS
Guild Mark II
Alvarez Yairi CY 127 CE
Alvarez Yairi CY 140 CE
Two cats who like my playing

So, the best guitar (I'm assuming we're doing steel string acoustics) I've ever played is my 1993 Collings 000-2H. The guitar is special, anyone that hears it concurs. Seeing as how we're on a Larrivee forum, I did include my P-09 in the picture (which I am quite fond of also!)




Jimmy
The kids:
Eastman Pagelli PG2 archtop
Kremona Fandango FG630CW
Landau Parlor
Pono 0000-30SP
Ramsay Classical
Neil Gardiner Parlor
Neil Gardiner Concert
Gretsch 6120-1959TV
Darren Hippner Flamenco

and the ukes:
Kanilea K3 Koa Super Concert
Kanilea K1 Tenor Custom (Claro Walnut)
Kanilea K1 Tenor Custom (Koa)
Mainland Tenor
Willie W

I'm brand new to the forum.  Looks like a good one.
The best guitar I've ever played is one that was stolen from me.  I'm still broken-hearted about it after many years.

My uncle gave me a 1940 Martin Hawaiian when I was 10 (I'm an old dude).  I never could master using it as a lap steel though.  It was a gorgeous Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood guitar with abalone rosette, around both top and back body, abalone back center stripe and abalone tree of life down entire fretless fretboard.
I finally pried a fretboard off an old Gene Autry guitar (Silvertone) and glued it onto the Martin.  I knew nothing about action, intonation or other highfalutin things but the addition of that fretboard height made it possible to play it as a standard guitar.  My fingers always had heavy callouses and sometimes even bled so the action must have been awful high.  But I didn't mind because the sound of that guitar was totally awesome!  I played in some small bands and toted that Martin across the U.S. and even to Vietnam when I was there 1967-70.  After I got back to the States I was in Chicago when my Martin was stolen in 1971.

Okay, that was the best one, but not the best sounding or playing one.  That would be almost a draw between the three I have right now - my Martin J-1, Martin SPD-16K (Koa) and Walden G-3000.  I guess between those three I'd have to go with the Walden :nice guitar:.  Those Chinese have outdone Martin, Taylor and other high enders in the U.S.

Really though, have you heard any Chinese Blues music?  :rolleye: :yak:

Best was a vintage Martin OM something or other.  Either an OM-42 or -35.  Can't remember what it cost other than way way above my price range.

Quote from: ZHMMY on November 05, 2009, 08:12:57 AM
...and Walden G-3000.  I guess between those three I'd have to go with the Walden :nice guitar:.  Those Chinese have outdone Martin, Taylor and other high enders in the U.S.
:+1:
Hmmmm, interesting comment indeed - I have one of those too, and just love it - it is my main gigging axe. The action is as smooth as butter, and the response and tone like nothing I've played or heard ever since -  I find there is something mysterious and very special about cedar tops.
Irony, it has some major "odds" against it - Chinese made, bolt-on neck and satin finish - must be the bone nut and saddle that does the trick for me... :winkin:
"To me...music exists to elevate us as far as possible above everyday life." ~ Gabriel Faure

       My reply runs through a similar vein as some other posters here.  The best guitar I ever played was a mid 60s Gibson Dove that I bought when I was 14 (that's 20 years ago...do the math...I'm still a youngin').  I bought it used for $600.00 which was a heck of a lot of money for a teenager to save up.  The previous owner obviously loved it enough to carve his initials "LGN" on the back of the headstock.  I always felt like I was playing a guitar with a former life.  I always strung it with mediums, tuned to concert pitch.  I played it until the bridge split down the middle and was almost completely lifted off, top bulging and neck joint sinking, but it sounded simply sublime.  The action was high and the saddle was gone, but I really didn't care at the time.  I just enjoyed making music.  I didn't know what I had.  Looking back I never should have let it go.  It had a few loose braces internally and potentially other issues and the rattling got so bad I had to address it.  I took it to several good repair men and talked with unclrob a lot about it, and the only thing that could be done and really work was a full retop and restoration.  I couldn't afford it and I thought it would ruin the instrument.  So I sold it to a fellow who was going to restore it for $600.00.  I guess I got my money back minus inflation!  I have had many guitars in my hands since then and they may have sounded better or looked prettier, but they're all firewood compared to that Dove.  I may need to seek counseling over this one... :roll

Justin
OM-03 MT Custom (Cree Studios "Fish Guitar")

The best yet for me is my 97 Larrivee OM-09 Walnut.  I think its the walnut, the most woody guitar I have had in my hands.  Also, most any guitar played in a shop full of guitars sounds better than it really is.  Must be all the round holes hanging there.  Never trust a guitar until its at home and on your couch.
Dave
I love those older Canadian made Larrivees!

   A friend was over today and played my F-III. I always enjoy hearing it played by really good players (which he is).  He said how sweet sounding a guitar it was and played on and on.
  I had just lowered the action and put bone pins in it. I have a bone saddle in it already. I don't think the pins did anything for tone really.
 
         But, I have to say with the action down as low as I can get it without a buzz, it has enhanced my feeling towards this sweet little guitar. It certainly lacks bling and is still less than a year old. But it is gaining more respect from me and becoming one of the top three guitars I've ever played.

Martins, Larrivees, Guilds, Taylors and Gibsons have all passed through my hands. The buck stopped at a Breedlove Focus concert and Goodall RCJC. Seems right. They both played on the same little league team as kids. Like minds and all that.

I realize this is a general curiosity from the OP but if I may qualify myself on my choices, I play strictly fingerstyle using thumbpick and fingernails (not fingertip flesh). These two guitars respond with the lightest touch and I don't have to dig for notes (accentuate) to get a balanced sound. As such, real accentuation (when needed) is effortless and natural. And, because they are so responsive my nails take much less of a beating than from other brands I've played. I will say that the Larrivee OO-05 I (stupidly) sold was similar in response. Not so other Larrivee models including one OMV-09E I had that couldn't sing as well as the OO-05. If you coughed near it you could hear it blessing you.

A metallic red Taylor T-5 Standard. Unfortunately I felt guilty after buying that guitar ("I don't deserve a guitar this nice") and sold it. Midlife crisis thing. But that guitar just feels great to me, totally effortless to play, and you can play any kind of acoustic or electric music on it. Of my acoustics, I like my Larrivee L-01. It's not expensive or fancy, as guitars go, but I would hate to be without it.
Larrivee L-01
Taylor 710
Martin 000-16SGT
Martin OM-21 Special

A Linda Manzer.
Can't recall the model, as it was years ago.I still remember walking out of Ring Music in Toronto thinking"Now I understand all the fuss"
Gibson J-45 TV
Martin D-18
Martin OM-21

Quote from: L05HD28 on November 12, 2009, 08:50:35 PM
A Linda Manzer.
Can't recall the model, as it was years ago.I still remember walking out of Ring Music in Toronto thinking"Now I understand all the fuss"
Huh?

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