The Takamine FT340 BS is a versatile axe for the gigging acoustic guitarist who needs a consistent sound at a variety of volumes in a variety of venues.
The real pleasure of Ovation's 50th Anniversary Limited-Edition Elite is its sound. The guitar is equipped with the company’s proprietary OP Pro Studio preamp and OCP1 high-output pickup.
The instrument has all the hallmarks of a great 000: a brilliant, piano-like response and a sound that’s distributed evenly across the frequency spectrum.
Even though the M-20 is relatively unadorned—no binding, nor abalone nor mother-of-pearl inlays except in the “Guild” insignia on the head stock—its build is apparent in the quality of the woods, fret dressing, bone nut and saddle, and set up.
At first glance, the Michael Kelly Forte Port might seem like nothing special. After all, it has laminated sapele back and sides, a two-piece mahogany neck, a nylon nut, black ply binding, and a sticker price of just $299.
With a street price of just under a grand, this Macassar is one of Martin’s least expensive guitars, but it’s not an inferior instrument. A solidly built guitar with a winning personality and Fishman Sonitone electronics, it’s a smart choice for a beginner or a cost-conscious pro.
I am a little snobbish when it comes to instruments, but two new Eastman guitars—the AC–GA1CE and AC–GA2CE—have led me to reappraise my view of lower-priced models.
This diminutive, slope-shouldered beauty has a warm and lively voice and is extremely responsive. It’s got a surprising amount of volume and projection for its size.
The Rayco has a warm and brilliant tone, drenched with harmonic color. It’s an impressively loud and lively instrument that almost sounds like multiple guitars played at once.
A pair of freshly made parlor guitars with a growl and bark perfect for fingerpicked blues and ragtime, conjuring up vintage sounds of the Mississippi Delta and the American South.
I’d been intrigued by Waterloo guitars ever since seeing Julian Lage play his WL-14 on an Acoustic Guitar Sessions video episode, but never seemed to be able to audition one. Due to the high demand, Collings had none for review and a new Waterloo was announced on the website of…
PRS’s Angelus SE A30E has got a lot going for it: top-notch playability and an agreeable voice that reproduces well thanks to its high-quality electronics.
Some skeptical guitarists might see phrases like “thermally cured” and “hide glue” as mere marketing tools, but there’s no denying that the J-45 Vintage has a full, rich voice with excellent definition and note separation. When I play it in the Carter style, I’m struck both by the depth of the bass notes and the crispness of the chordal accents. When I pick some G runs, I’m taken with the string-to-string balance and the thickness of the single notes.
When I first played Breedlove’s new Journey Concert, I was reminded of the depth of sound that a set of Brazilian rosewood back and sides lends to a steel-string acoustic guitar.
This 14-fret Orchestra cutaway model—a total winner for the price—has an easy playability and a tight, focused sound that lends itself equally well to strumming and fingerpicking.
These all-solid instruments are anything but whimsical. All three models feel and sound robust: more appropriate choices for the stage or studio than the beach.
The 00L-17 sounds every bit as awesome as it feels. It’s got a lovely, uncluttered sound, heavy on fundamentals but with shimmering overtones and a nice natural reverb. The string-to-string balance is excellent, as are the projection and sustain. It’s definitely a more powerful instrument than would be expected of one of its size and scale length.
How do you choose which guitars to review? Our writers are guitar fanatics, just like you. They’re always on the lookout for new or updated offerings to recommend. We’re sometimes asked why we don’t publish negative or one-star reviews – there are so many great guitars being produced today that we’d rather share our balanced opinions on the instruments we do think you should consider.
Do companies pay for you to review their instruments? No. We are proud of the firm separation between advertising sales and editorial coverage that we’ve held strong since our founding in 1990. We only accept endemic advertising – meaning, you won’t see ads for products or services unrelated to making music with an acoustic guitar; inevitably that means we’ll review products made by companies who advertise with us, but you’ll see just as many reviews by companies who do not. We have never (and will never) take money or gifts in exchange for a favorable review.
What’s up with affiliate links? There is no billionaire owner or mega-corporation behind Acoustic Guitar – your support keeps us independent and in business. When you shop for gear using one of our affiliate links, a small percentage of your purchase gets shared with us (at no cost to you) for being the one that referred you. This is one way you can support our work (learn about more ways here.) We do not select products to review based on the availability of affiliate links.
