Guitars similar to Martin JC16RE?
September 6, 2011 10:18 AM Subscribe
Guitar advice required: something similar to Martin JC16RE Aura?
MeFiGuitarists: I've had the same Yamaha acoustic guitar since forever, and while I will never be a professional musician I have been thinking of an upgrade. I picked up a Martin JC16RE Aura in my local music shop, and I just fell in love with the sound. But not so much with the price. From what I've read much of the cost of that guitar is in the pickup system, and I will mostly be playing unamplified in my own home. Is there anything that would sound similar that might come in a little cheaper that I should be looking at?
MeFiGuitarists: I've had the same Yamaha acoustic guitar since forever, and while I will never be a professional musician I have been thinking of an upgrade. I picked up a Martin JC16RE Aura in my local music shop, and I just fell in love with the sound. But not so much with the price. From what I've read much of the cost of that guitar is in the pickup system, and I will mostly be playing unamplified in my own home. Is there anything that would sound similar that might come in a little cheaper that I should be looking at?
I have a Guild F40 (OK mine was made in 1960 but still. . .).
But the newer ones are supposed to be very nice, and a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Martin you are looking at. Does not have the cutaway, but you might like it if you can find one to try somewhere.
posted by Danf at 10:54 AM on September 6, 2011
But the newer ones are supposed to be very nice, and a few hundred dollars cheaper than the Martin you are looking at. Does not have the cutaway, but you might like it if you can find one to try somewhere.
posted by Danf at 10:54 AM on September 6, 2011
Martin has (had?) a second brand, Sigma (which is to Martin as Epiphone is to Gibson, more or less). For my oldest kid's birthday we picked up a Sigma that had been reconditioned (by this mysterious luthier called "Pine" about whom I can learn nearly nothing) for a song. It sounds fantastic. I guess my lesson here is ... haunt the guitar shops, look for something used that you love and doesn't cost much. Don't buy something without playing it first, yeah?
posted by zomg at 11:11 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by zomg at 11:11 AM on September 6, 2011 [1 favorite]
Body shape looks like a Taylor "grand auditorium" style. I have a 214e (before that model got a cutout) and love it. Taylor's full line has a super-wide price range, though I haven't kept up on the variations between models for the past few years.
I can't imagine that a significant portion of the cost is in the pickup. Most of the cost is in hand workmanship; the more fine details, the more time, the more $$.
posted by supercres at 11:18 AM on September 6, 2011
I can't imagine that a significant portion of the cost is in the pickup. Most of the cost is in hand workmanship; the more fine details, the more time, the more $$.
posted by supercres at 11:18 AM on September 6, 2011
The JC-16RGTE, which lists for ~$500 less than the RE, is the same guitar with a Fishman pickup instead of the more expensive Aura system. A used JC-16RGTE would (in my rough estimate) be about half the cost of a new JC16RE, which could bring the price into a more reasonable range.
posted by Lorin at 11:39 AM on September 6, 2011
posted by Lorin at 11:39 AM on September 6, 2011
I think the key piece of missing information is your final price range-- what counts as "a little cheaper"? (I'll stick to my Taylor GA recc at any price range, though.)
posted by supercres at 11:55 AM on September 6, 2011
posted by supercres at 11:55 AM on September 6, 2011
Response by poster: Supercres, I could max reach about USD1600.
posted by StephenF at 2:00 PM on September 6, 2011
posted by StephenF at 2:00 PM on September 6, 2011
Yeah, I would try a Taylor if you can, to see if it has a similar sound. I played a dreadnought shape for a long time, and the first time I picked up a GA/Guild/Gibson-shaped guitar (anything with a narrower "waist"), I was immediately struck by the sound. Fewer mid-range frequencies, with more pronounced highs and lows. Something like this might fit the bill.
posted by supercres at 3:20 PM on September 6, 2011
posted by supercres at 3:20 PM on September 6, 2011
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2. The Martin site has a pretty good pick-and-choose interface.
posted by Sys Rq at 10:29 AM on September 6, 2011