FGD! Free Guitar Day!

[ducktrapper]

Look what I found in the Good Neighbours Shed at the landfill yesterday. It pays to be a bit of a pack rat. I replaced the tuners, one was broken, with a set I had lying around, found some end pins as it had none, discovered I had a new saddle to replace a badly worn one, restrung it and voila! It's an Austin, completely laminated I think, made in China and will be the new "beater". Thanks to whomever left it.

[Yippie]

How does that saying go... one man's trash is anothers man's treasure

Great find and beater

[ducktrapper]

How does that saying go... one man's trash is anothers man's treasure

Great find and beater

Yeah. It was in the good neighbor's shed where folks put things they no longer want but that someone else might. I take a few things, leave a few things. Mostly books. It all works out. I'm glad I grabbed it before someone decided to turn it into a planter.  

[Mikeymac]

I'm glad I grabbed it before someone decided to turn it into a planter.  

Not that that would be a bad thing ... for THAT guitar... 

[ducktrapper]

Not that that would be a bad thing ... for THAT guitar...  

Ah c'mon! I was kind of pleased with myself for turning a planter into a guitar. It's actually not bad. The biggest problem was someone somehow broke off an end pin flush with the bridge and I ended up having to drill it out. We were sitting out on the deck the other night and I was banging out John Prine songs for my wife and a friend and it works fine. Tunable, playable and ... did I mention ... FREEEEEE! And I didn't have a black acoustic. How Johnny Cash! Anyway, a better beater! My old Yamaha FG-180 is too valuable for the job although it's looks like it's been dragged behind the truck.    

[old folky]

Good ole John Prine stuff.  Sounds good on any guitar

[ducktrapper]

Beater and better beater. The trouble with a cheap guitar for a beater is sometimes you fall in love with them. Most everybody is pretty impressed with that old Yamaha.

[Mikeymac]

Did John Prine try to carve his initials into your Yammy there?! 

I cant' make fun of you too much. The other day I took an old Fender acoustic I have - pulled out the pickup (and side control panel); put in a bone saddle (I had to fix the nut when I got it a few years ago, so it already had a bone nut). Now it has a square sound port on the upper bout - cool! And I'm thinking it sounds better both because of that and with a bone saddle and nothing else inside the bridge.

BONUS: My 2-year old grandson and I play this little game: He strums my guitar with one of my picks while I chord... I should say he strums once or twice, then drops the pick inside the soundhole! Now it's real easy to get the pick out with that extra sound port on the upper bout! Plus, he can look down in there and see the pick inside.

He can play that game f-o-r-e-v-e-r...! 

[ducktrapper]

Did John Prine try to carve his initials into your Yammy there?!  

I cant' make fun of you too much. The other day I took an old Fender acoustic I have - pulled out the pickup (and side control panel); put in a bone saddle (I had to fix the nut when I got it a few years ago, so it already had a bone nut). Now it has a square sound port on the upper bout - cool! And I'm thinking it sounds better both because of that and with a bone saddle and nothing else inside the bridge.

BONUS: My 2-year old grandson and I play this little game: He strums my guitar with one of my picks while I chord... I should say he strums once or twice, then drops the pick inside the soundhole! Now it's real easy to get the pick out with that extra sound port on the upper bout! Plus, he can look down in there and see the pick inside.

He can play that game f-o-r-e-v-e-r...!  

The initials JD are carved into the top of the Yamaha ... twice. Although it looks like he was twice as drunk the second time. The guitar came from Nashville so I'm thinking it was Jimmie Dickens' at one time.  

Interesting. I also removed the electronics from the Austin because the unit was broken. However, I covered the hole with an improvised patch covered with black electricians tape.  

All in all, much better than my first acoustic guitar which was a POS.  I could have learned to play on this. 


 

[ducktrapper]

So does anyone have any idea what a guitar like this would have cost new? With the cutaway and electronics, I'd guess between $300 and $350.00. I can only find one other one on the internet a used Austin with no cutaway or electronics and they're asking $185.00 for it.

http://www.austingtr.com/

[Mikeymac]

Made in China? Viet Nam? Indonesia?

There are some very low end acoustics on Rondo's website that have a cutaway and pickup and they're under $150. Amazing.

[ducktrapper]

Made in China? Viet Nam? Indonesia?

There are some very low end acoustics on Rondo's website that have a cutaway and pickup and they're under $150. Amazing.

Well, don't forget I'm in Canada. $200.00 US is $268.00 CDN today. Then there's 13% HST in Ontario.   

[Mikeymac]

Here's a lefty Austin on Reverb for $129...

Might give you some idea what your "planter" is worth!   

[ducktrapper]

Here's a lefty Austin on Reverb for $129...

Might give you some idea what your "planter" is worth!  

So yeah, actually asking $179.59 CDN, used, no cutaway and no original electronics so in Canada my estimate for it new is not that far off. However, don't forget I didn't buy  this guitar. It cost me a set of Larrivée tuners which I had lying around, a set of end pins which were also collecting dust, ditto a Tusq saddle (all of which I still have for that matter). I put on a set of Jack Daniels Strings by Peavey that I got for a buck and I spent 45 minutes drilling out the broken end pin, taking out the electronics, changing tuners, messing with the saddle and putting strings on it. I think it's definitely worth all that as it is a not ugly, tunable, playable, not bad sounding guitar. But, hey, that Austin dread is a lefty, you should go for it!  

[Mikeymac]

But, hey, that Austin dread is a lefty, you should go for it!  

Nah - don't need it, as I have this ol' Fender beater I mentioned. I think this afternoon I'm gonna put my LR Baggs M1Active in it just for kicks - might make a pretty good beater/go anywhere/plug-in acoustic. It plays great and can take all the abuse I can give it.

[Mikeymac]

There we go - it works swell!

[ducktrapper]

Never met a Fender acoustic guitar I liked but there's a first time for everything.