Jumbo v. Dreadnought

[SigXer]

What are your thoughts comparing a jumbo body style to a dreadnought. I know that jumbo's tend to be good for rhythm playing, but are they also well suited to playing leads and flatpicking? The only jumbos I've been able to spend much time with are the Gibson SJ guitars, but I'm more a fan of the Larrivee, Breedlove, and Taylor sound. The Gibsons I've played tend to be very bass heavy without much top end sparkle, but this might have also been due to dead strings. I've played quite a few dreadnoughts and I like them, but I've been curious how a jumbo from the same company would compare. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[JSeth]

Funny - I'd say that a dread' is better for strumming and flatpicking... a jumbo and/or concert/auditorium shape is better (?) for fingerstyle/jazz/single-note lines. IMHO, the jumbo/auditorium shape is far more versatile; I have learned to strum and flatpick my Mark Angus (Guild F-40 shape), but there ain't nothing gonna get the boom out of a dread...
Just for the record - I have NEVER heard a J-200 that sounded really balanced and good... they have all sounded very thick and heavy to my ears. I would not own one.

Good luck in choosing yours! Check out the RTaylor line... very nice instruments...

 

[Big White Tele]

Ive got a Martin J40, its not a huge jumbo like a Gibson. A beautifull balance of bass and top end. Great for all styles. By the way, I also have a D40, D35, D18, HD28 and a Gallagher. The J40 is the most used of them all.

 

[Beauhooligan]

What are your thoughts comparing a jumbo body style to a dreadnought. I know that jumbo's tend to be good for rhythm playing, but are they also well suited to playing leads and flatpicking? The only jumbos I've been able to spend much time with are the Gibson SJ guitars, but I'm more a fan of the Larrivee, Breedlove, and Taylor sound. The Gibsons I've played tend to be very bass heavy without much top end sparkle, but this might have also been due to dead strings. I've played quite a few dreadnoughts and I like them, but I've been curious how a jumbo from the same company would compare. Thanks for your thoughts.

I have a small time bar band and play a Strat. Occasionally we play a nicer venue like a winery or a big party and we go acoustic. On those occasions I play two Taylor guitars, an 810 dreadnought and an 815 C jumbo. The 810 is the love of my life; all I found in my Martin D-28 with a neck like a Strat. I tend to flatpick, as I come from a bluegrass background, and the 810 is excellent for that mission. I bought the 815 C to be a strummer, but found it to be a great flatpicker with a bigger voice when played as hard as I can with a really heavy pick. We're talking major boom job. So, for me, I could just take the 815 C to play acoustic, as it will do it all, but I still love my 810.

 

[Mark EL]

You should check out the Collings SJ and dreadnought lines. Also Bourgeois. Try to A/B with similar body/wood of the Gibson/Taylor/Martin lines.