recommend a good USED acoustic

[RSRD]

I'm a long time electric player. Hardly even touched an acoustic in my life. But Im putting together a 3 person acoustic band for fun and want to get your alls recommendation on what kind of acoustic I can get used for up to $700. I prefer darker tones and dont forsee playing up the fretboard to much. mainly for chords. I will be playing this at live venues so I'll need some kind of pickup as well.

Thanks! oh and if you are selling let me know

Thomas

[boog204]

i love seagulls and tacoma's ac/el's at those prices... if you're looking pure dread and then adding a pickup, i had an old guild d4 that sounded better than acoustics 5x the price. i really like the sound of garrison dread's as well.

brian

[thesedaze]

Check eBay for Alvarez MF90, or MD90. MF being the folk style model, MD being dread.

Both have solid rosewood back and sides, solid spruce top, bone nut & saddle. As with most stock guitars, the tuners could use an upgrade, as well as the strings, but that's about it.

I got my MF90 Brand New on eBay, w/ a great travel case, for $500 shipped.

[Trandy]

Buy a used Martin DM....although new they're only $749.00.

Then put a Baggs Active Element pickup in it.

A good combination that won't kill your budget.

[googoobaby]

Takemine F360S - an amazing used guitar and dirt dirt cheap

[Alister]

If you've "hardly touched an acoustic" in your life, you're doing the wise thing here by asking for advice.
I recommend listening especially to players who DO play mostly acoustic, and have played that way for long periods.

I don't fall into that category, but I did just finish a 3-yr. stint backing up a singer-songwriter, which brought me into contact with lots of "folkie" players and acoustic afficionados. They have as wide a spectrum of opinion about woods and brands as electric players do.
My tidbit of advice is to concentrate on getting the best playing/sounding instrument, in itself, before you worry about amplifying and/or electronics.

[KOTR]

Check out the Larrivee 03 series with rosewood back & sides: the D-03R and the L-03R. They are nice playing and sounding solid wood acoustics. The rosewood will give you the darker tone (than their mahogany models) you're after.

They retail new for about $945 ($1349 list) so you should be able to find a used one in your price range. Many on ebay. IMO, in the less than a $1000 price category, Larrivee is hard to beat.

[opdev]

Martin 15 series used. Nice dark tone. You will LOVE it.

[jtg116]

I'm really an electric player and I have a Variax 700 acoustic. When my partner heard the acoustic sounds I recorded, he got very quiet, then wondered why his Martin doesn't sound like that recoeded. The action is more electric guitar than an acoustic(because it really is). I had it Plecked by Phil at Philtone, and he was pretty excited about it too. They have the Acoustic 300, much less expensive than the 700 phattrade on EBay has a "best offer" advertized, maybe you can bring it home for $500 and use the savings for a plek job. Good Luck

[Greg]

I think you can pick up older US-made Guilds still at that price.
My D-40 has a nice darker sound.

Greg

[QuickDraw]

i have a martin 000-15ce for sale that falls into your catagory all solid mahogany with a factory pickup/preamp eq built in

pm me if you're interested

[Caretaker]

An older Guild or a Yamaha(even new) is your best bet.