Recommenations for Small Bodied Electro Acoustic

[Sammy]

I am currently having to sell my Cole Clark FL2AC as since I had a shoulder operation last year its just too big for me now and starts to impinge on my shoulder after a short while of playing.

I recently bought a lovely Collings OM2H but just don't want to put anything on or in it so therefore want a good small similar size body electro acoustic I can take to open mic nights and also use in our band and not worry too much if I get the occassional small ding etc which we all know happens! Couldn't bear that with my Collins!!! :eek:

Anyway my Cole Clark plugged in sounds superb so I need somthing that will sound and play just as good live but in a smaller package and not cost a fortune. Cutway model, same as FL2AC with higher fret access would be preferable but would consider other models if sound and playability came up to spec.

Any recommenations would be most welcome.

[Joseph Hanna]

The Godin's are great live acoustic rigs and fairly easy to manage (small).

Just my two cents :) but I've never understood that mentality of "babying" a guitar. We covet vintage Martin's and Gibson's mostly because they've lead a long life of use and are better because of it. As an example of holding up...look at Willie Nelsons guitar.

For me I'd rather play than polish. I could drop dead tomorrow only to leave a shiny, un-nicked, un-played guitar behind. That Collings is built to provide a lifetime of playing......it'll hold up.

I say get it out and about and wretch it around. Make some music. You and the guitar will be better for it.

Just my two cents and of course YMMV :)

[Sammy]

The Godin's are great live acoustic rigs and fairly easy to manage (small).

Just my two cents :) but I've never understood that mentality of "babying" a guitar. We covet vintage Martin's and Gibson's mostly because they've lead a long life of use and are better because of it. As an example of holding up...look at Willie Nelsons guitar.

For me I'd rather play than polish. I could drop dead tomorrow only to leave a shiny, un-nicked, un-played guitar behind. That Collings is built to provide a lifetime of playing......it'll hold up.

I say get it out and about and wretch it around. Make some music. You and the guitar will be better for it.

Just my two cents and of course YMMV :)

I understand what you are saying, I have used, whether new/old &/or expensive all my previous, mostly electric guitars live throughout the many many years in all sorts of places and whilst I try and do look after them really carefully everyone has had some scratches, dings etc on them to some degree or another, thats part of being a semi-pro poor rock star :banana Lol .

The thing with taking the Collings to open mic nights etc many don't respect other peoples guitars and they get knocked, picked up, moved, etc without the person even asking, believe me I know! Therefore for once I would like to keep my beautiful Collings in as pristine condition as I can, until I ding it, not some idiot who can hardly play and picks it up and starts strumming wearing his leather coat with a nice shiney zipper on the front!!! :mad:

Anyway I assure you it will be played by me regularly and friends are welcome as always to use it, but until I have put a few little dings/marks on it myself, which I know I will sometime :eek: I will take another acoustic out live! Also as previously mentioned at this present time I don't want to put any sort of pickup system in it and just keep it purely acoustic.

[Billy Penn]

I have a Larrivee Parlor model that sounds great. The small boydy makes it comfortable to play and with the internal pickup through a PA or acoustic amp it just sounds excellent. These are cool little guitars and totally worth checking out.

[Sammy]

I have a Larrivee Parlor model that sounds great. The small boydy makes it comfortable to play and with the internal pickup through a PA or acoustic amp it just sounds excellent. These are cool little guitars and totally worth checking out.

Which model is your one, I see they do several models and did it come with internal pickup?

[Beagle1]

Anyway my Cole Clark plugged in sounds superb so I need somthing that will sound and play just as good live but in a smaller package and not cost a fortune. Cutway model, same as FL2AC with higher fret access would be preferable but would consider other models if sound and playability came up to spec.

Have you considered a Maton? The guy who started Cole Clark used to work for Maton and helped design their pickup system. The Maton EBG808 is a small-body guitar and their pickup system is great.

http://www.maton.com.au/acoustics/ebg808-artist-te.html

Tommy Emmanuel plays a Maton and he always gets a killer sound with it live. TE's signature model does not have a cutaway, but you can request a special order with the cutaway, or check out the Michael Fix signature Maton, which is similar to the TE but comes standard with the cutaway. When setup to TE's spec, these guitars play like butter. Acoustically, they are not too lively, but they really do sound great plugged in.

[Sammy]

Have you considered a Maton? The guy who started Cole Clark used to work for Maton and helped design their pickup system. The Maton EBG808 is a small-body guitar and their pickup system is great.

http://www.maton.com.au/acoustics/ebg808-artist-te.html

Tommy Emmanuel plays a Maton and he always gets a killer sound with it live. TE's signature model does not have a cutaway, but you can request a special order with the cutaway, or check out the Michael Fix signature Maton, which is similar to the TE but comes standard with the cutaway. When setup to TE's spec, these guitars play like butter. Acoustically, they are not too lively, but they really do sound great plugged in.

I have tried several Matons in the past year in one of the shops in Denmark St and was not impressed with any of them.
Interestingly last Monday I went to a pub to have some food and a duo were playing, acoustic electro guitar and double bass. The guitar player was really superb plus had a great voice, after they finished I went to compliment him on his sound and playing and enquire what guitar he was using. He pulled out this small OM sized Taylor, made from a stunning wood, can't remember what wood it was now, but it was one of their special series. He told me he had never like Taylors but then told me how he came to get it.
He originally ordered a Maton( I believe the same model as you mention with in built pick up system) as he thought they must be quality ie T.M playing them etc, when he got it he said it was the worst guitar he had ever played it sounded like a cardboard box with strings were his actual words! As he had ordered by mail he took it back to the shop and asked for his money back, they were a bit shell shocked and said Matons are great guitars etc and it must be him, anyone once he showed them he could play they stepped back from saying anymore!, he then decided to have a look around at some of their other guitars and came across this special Tayor which he thought was stunning, which he bought and he said he would never touch a Maton again.

Well after his experince and my own trying them its not a mft I would really want to look at again and quite honestly in comparrison to the ones I heard, the sound of my Cole Clark blows them away, maybe the quality has dropped since he left and set up Cole Clark!

[Beagle1]

I don't own a Maton myself, but have heard a few complaints from some about the consistency of Matons...some really good ones, and a few that never should have left the factory. However, the ones I've tried at the Broadway Sound booth at the Chet Atkins convention are always really good. Like I said, the acoustic tone of these guitars is nothing special at all...they don't come alive until you plug them in. Also, I think some dealers like Broadway (in Knoxville) and Haworth (in Australia) that specialize in Maton will do a proper setup on their guitars (very important with Maton) before they get shipped to customers. The Maton owners I know who have bought from Broadaway or Haworth have been really pleased with their guitars.

I'm guessing the small Taylor you saw was one of their "grand concert" style guitars (312, 412, 512, etc). The grand concert size is supposed to be comparable to the Martin 00 size, but in recent years I think Taylor revised their grand concerts and they are now comparable in size to the Martin OM/000...although I seem to recall playing some older Taylor grand concerts (maybe from 2000 or earlier) that were smaller than that, more like a 00 in size. In any case, yes the Taylor x12 series are nice guitars...easy to play (like most Taylors) and sound bigger than they look. My only issue with Taylors are the ES electronics system, which I've never liked. But you can order a Taylor with no ES and then install whatever system you like.

[Mark EL]

+1 on the Larrivee parlor for a quality solid tonewood acoustic in a small size. I like the RW models a lot more than the mahogany. would love to run in to a maple one! $6-700-ish should get you a decent one, maybe less these days.

[Sammy]

+1 on the Larrivee parlor for a quality solid tonewood acoustic in a small size. I like the RW models a lot more than the mahogany. would love to run in to a maple one! $6-700-ish should get you a decent one, maybe less these days.

As previously asked do any of the models come with in internal pickup! :huh

[Sammy]

Has anyone got or tried the Cole Clark 'Angel' AN2AC!

[Sammy]

Anyone tried the Angel :(

Also any other suggestions! Thanks

[Jon C]

I second using what you have -- something like a Fishman Rare Earth soundhole pickup w/ external cord & jack; you can remove it when not needed if you want.

as far as open mics, I never leave my guit out of the case there where others can ding or mar it, if I'm not playing it, it's in the case.

[Sammy]

Still looking any other suggestions! :)

[coldfingaz]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the internal pickup option coming stock. There's tons of great small bodied guitars out there, and you could have whatever pickup you prefer installed. I'd suggest a Guild F30, F40 (from the 90's), a Martin 000-15, 000-16 or a Larrivee OM-03.