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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | Hey Fender acoustics suck and the dearmond guitars were discontinued because Fender could not sell them. |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | Just thought I would throw in my cent and a half on the Taylor discussion here....I too think that Taylor 6-strings are very vanilla....very well made and pretty, but the sound is nothing special (yes, these are NEW guitars, good point). But the 12-strings are DIFFERENT. Every time I stop at GC (which I did tonight), I play one of the 355s they have around, and I am AWED. This $1200 guitar sounds really, really GOOD. Almost as good as my 1981-vintage Glen Campbell 12-string(the ME is a different sound).
If I didn't already have two good 12-strings, I would be interested in a 355.
Roger
1976 Applause AA14-4 6-String
1981 Ovation 1118-1 Glen Campbell 12-string
2001 Adamas 1598-MERB Melissa Etheridge 12-String
2003 Celebrity CC01 Spruce Top 6-String |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | Dave, If I wanted a Taylor or a Martin I'd buy one, but I don't. I own several non-Ovations which to my ear sound better than most (no, every) Taylor I've heard. I don't know what you were listening for, but the LX's at NAMM sounded nothing like any Martin or Taylor I've ever heard, and if they did frankly I would not consider owning one. I am not condemning Martin, Taylor or whatever brand, but I have very specific reasons for owning and playing Ovations, & when Martin & Taylor meet those needs I'll consider owning a few, but I woudn't hold your breath. There are countless guitars which will piss all over a Martin or Taylor, such as Bougeois, Collings, Santa Cruz, Olsen, Bown, Goodall, and I'd gladly own any of them, but I wouldn't trade one for any of my Ovations. Guitars, tonally-speaking are all just colours, but beige just doesn't do it for me.
Nearly forgot: Dunlop 65 on finishes, Lemon oil very sparingly on bare wood. Linseed oil is too heavy & viscous. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | Al, smoove as ever.
Please, don't ever change.... |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15652
Location: SoCal | I read thru this whole thread and was going to add something, but quite frankly, Temp said it all. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 10581
Location: NJ | OK I will elaborate...
The original Fender acoustics were made by the Harmony company. It is also rumoured (UK spelling for PT) that they also built the necks and when fender got backlogged would have them build necks for the regular line. Not a stretch Harmony was the biggest guitar maker in the world at one time and ghost built for many people. Although there were some good guitars out of that factory they were few and far between, I firmly believe that building an acoustic with an electric guitar neck joint is a mistake. They also had some sort of aluminum bar in the middle of the guitars that was some sort of tone enhancer. It didn't work. There are pics somewhere of eddie van halen using a strat body with a fender villager 12 string neck . Yes boys and girls they are interchangeable.
Fast foward Fender almost goes bankrupt in the 80's (cwk why didn't you buy them when you had a chance?) and they release a new line of acoustics. these guitars are all low quality inports made in korea china and indonesia. At one point if you bought a new USA fender they GAVE you an acoustic. I don't see Martin giving away D 18s.
DeArmond was the name of the company (actually deArmond-Rowe Industries of toledo Ohio they are still in business as I understand but have nothing to do with MI) When Fender got
guild they put out a line of guitars with the Dearmond name emulating many of the old solid body designs of guild from the sixties. I believe these are Chinese or korean made instruments These were basically designed to compete with the Epiphone line which has done very well for Givsong. The guitars although kinda cool did not go over and Fender had warehouses full of them and blew them out. Victor litz had a trailer load of them and sold them so fast and so cheap it made my head spin. Good bang for the buck but not my cup of tea.
This past namm I noticed that Fender has now released the Electromatic line. This is named after the old Gretsch guitars that they now distribute or own (depends on which rumour you want to believe) I laughed with Bob Benedetto (guitar builder now designing guild built benedetto guitars) that the electromatic line was a replacement for the dearmond line they dumped a couple of years ago. Funny how things come full circle.
I have yet to find the trailer guitar that speaks to me. I may never find it but I do keep trying. Personally I really don't see why they are the guitar du jour. What fascinates me is that bob can build a guitar from a shipping pallet and then say it sounds as good as any guitar on the line and that is considered a boon. I also have issue with the finger jointed peg head. yes I understand it takes less wood may be enviornmentally more sound BUT when I go to home depot to buy lumber if it is finger jointed it is CHEAPER because it is consider sub quality. I still wish some one could explain why you can charge more for a guitar built this way. I also think that there would be less of a vibrating mass between the strings and neck but ultimately I am in the minority.
Now I bet you wish I go back to answering these posts with my 4 line minimum rule!!!! |
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Joined:
November 2003
Posts: 76
Location: LewistownPA | Hey alpep..
As for Fender acoustics I wouldn't know cause I've never had one. If you had read the entire thread you would have seen that the Fender I have is a Jimmie Vaughn strat with a mapel neck. That is why I was wondering if there was any thing different about care for the fret board and neck.
Your are quite right about the DeArmonds. They originally were pricey for Korean imports,but once Fender decided to liquidate them they became very good buys. Some of them are beginner cheapos but some of the better ones were and still are well worth the prices they sell for. They've developed their own cult following and there is a seperate forum for them within the Fender forums.(BTW they are all of course electric guitars and they have USA made DeArmond pickups.)
As for the Taylor thing,as I've already repeatedly said, when I started this thread ,in my mind it had nothing to do with brand names. It just boggles my mind as to why so many of you are so obsessive about trashing them. Does it really bother you that much for others to be happy with them? |
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Cleaning/Care Question
