AD70SC vs. EG530SC

[mgeorge]

I've been searching for a new guitar for a long time, and have narrowed it down to these two guitars.

Alvarez AD70SC (http://www.maplestreetguitars.com/Pages/acoustic-ad70sc.htm)

or

Takamine EG530SC (http://www.takamine.com/?fa=detail&mid=889&sid=69#)


My local guitar store has an EG530SC in stock, price is $410 w/o case. They don't have the Alvarez, but they can order it, $399 w/o case. I played the Tak, really great guitar, but the Alvarez has some features that I really desire (white binding up neck, rosewood back and sides).

Votes? Should I go with the one I've played and know, or order that Alvarez and get the features I want?

Thanks for any help.

[drlove343]

I've been searching for a new guitar for a long time, and have narrowed it down to these two guitars.

Alvarez AD70SC (http://www.maplestreetguitars.com/Pages/acoustic-ad70sc.htm)

or

Takamine EG530SC (http://www.takamine.com/?fa=detail&mid=889&sid=69#)


My local guitar store has an EG530SC in stock, price is $410 w/o case. They don't have the Alvarez, but they can order it, $399 w/o case. I played the Tak, really great guitar, but the Alvarez has some features that I really desire (white binding up neck, rosewood back and sides).

Votes? Should I go with the one I've played and know, or order that Alvarez and get the features I want?

Thanks for any help.



The best thing to do is to go and play them. I used to just order guitars from online, and never truly got what I want. You need to play both and truly pick what sounds the best. You could have all the features in the world, but eventually you will be looking for another guitar b/c you "just can't get that sound" that you were after in the first place.

Also, if you live somewhere near pawn shops, CHECK THEM OUT!! They price things very high, so you have to just talk it down if you find something good. I just picked up a Fender mexican strat today for $200 bucks. The thing is pracitcally brand new. They had it listed for $500, so it helps to let them know how much a new one is. So in my case I got a slightly used guitar for $150 bucks cheaper than a new. Good luck!

Peace,
Sam

[dmb6743]

alvarez is the way to go :thumbsup

[mgeorge]

^bump

[TheBigCaptain]

i like the alvarez

[eviltuna7]

go with with the one that feels the best in your hands, is the right wieght, has action that you like, and sounds the best to you. When i first wanted a guitar and had never played one i really wanted an ovation (boy was i stupid then), but then i went to manny's and played this martin that was $500. It sounded awesome. I still have it two years later and it sounds better then my friends martin which cost him about $1300. If you don't need a pickup on your guitar, then def check out the Martin DX1. I always get compliments on how good it sounds. And if u want to put a pickup on it u can do it for $50-100

[Pat M]

takamine, much better for the money.

[ChadRap127]

Taylor

[Pat M]

I love how everyone is all over Taylors and the DM3MD because Dave plays them.

[mgeorge]

ehh such a split.

Pat, I've listened to some of your stuff, you definatly know what you are doing. Could you give me your reasoning for the tak?


And yeah, sure Taylors are awesome, but I for one don't have 1200 to drop on a guitar.

[Pat M]

ehh such a split.

Pat, I've listened to some of your stuff, you definatly know what you are doing. Could you give me your reasoning for the tak?


And yeah, sure Taylors are awesome, but I for one don't have 1200 to drop on a guitar.
As far as the actual guitar goes, I'm not that smart. I did, however, do my research before purchasing my acoustic/electric. I spoke with a handful of musicians, all who have been playing for numbers of years, and they all agreed that Tak's were the way to go. The general consensus that I got was that Tak's had very good sound for the price. I know all companies say that, but it means something else when you hear it from an experienced guitarist. One of the guys (a family friend) said that some lower end Tak's sounded almost identical to other brands that were in the $1,000 orice range.

But yeah, it's all your choice. Don't get it just because I said so, get it because you like it. If you don't like it, and want the extra features, get the Alvarez.

[TheSack]

Pat,

I also have the EG334SC, but I find that it sounds a little muddy when plugged in. Certain types of strings do better than others, but I can always tell what guitar it is. I heard a recording of yours that was posted, and I thought I was listening to a recording I made.

What is your 334 setup? Strings? Nut/Saddle? Pins? Different electronics?

If you want to jab back and forth outside of this thread, email me at rs758797@ohio.edu.

-Ryan

[Rob]

Taks are great entry-level and gigging guitars. Their electronics are unmatched at any price point. However, they don't wear well at all. The ideal environment for any guitar is really room temperature with a good dose (50% or so) of humidity. Most guitars will adjust, however, assuming they're still taken care of. Taks don't seem to take as well to different temperature or humidity ranges- finish and neck problems. While neck problems are usually adjustable (good ole' truss rod) a dry entry-level Tak (drying is a huge problem when gigging under those hot lights) will be incredibly uncomfortable to play as the fret wire will bite hands at the sides of the neck. The guitar you mentioned was an entry-level to low mid guitar, so these might be things to consider.

I've never had a "good" Alvarez guitar. My first guitar was a $200 Alvarez. I suppose you get what you pay for, but the headstock should never have snapped after a month (no, the guitar wasn't abused). Alvarez customer service was totally and utterly worthless- a bunch of assholes. The shop I purchased the guitar from was much more accomodating. The playability was there (better than more expensive guitars I tried) and the sound was good.

Like was mentioned earlier- you need to play both before you make a decision. The only "opinions" you should take into account when purchasing a guitar are the experiences of people with durability, problems, and customer service issues. Everything else is subjective.

[Rob]

What are you plugging into, Ryan? Alot of times, PA's or sound card processors can make a perfectly good guitar sound, well, not good.

[mgeorge]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone. I went back to the store and plugged in both the Tak and a similar, but not the exact model, Alvarez. Tak sounded better, and since one of it's main uses is going to be for leading worship at church / school, I'm thinking it's a winner.

Thanks again everyone.

[TheSack]

When I record I plug into a Digidesign MBox. I notice it the most when I use Elixer strings. Those are the most easy to play, but sound pretty dull. The finish of the 334 seems like it's awfully hard and doesn't want to vibrate as much as it should. It's also a little more difficult to play than some of the other guitars I have. It's such a nice guitar, but I need to figure out how to get the setup right.

I have a few Alvarez guitars that I really like and are really playable. I just wish I could get my Tak back to the top of my list.

[Rob]

Do you have another offboard EQ you can use to plug into your computer? What kind of sound card do you have? You want to see what the sound of your guitar is at its rawest before any signal processing. Some sound cards (Audigy Platinum is one of the cheapest) allow you to plug a 1/4" instrument cable directly. With no internal/external EQ, most guitars will sound overdriven when played into the computer like this. Your Tak has an onboard EQ, so any recording will be direct (assuming you're using a bare bones recorder, like Windows Sound Recorder, or have all the signal processing features turned off in something like Sound Forge or Cool Edit) and overdrive free. Do a recording like this, everything from a quiet fingerpick all the way up to a full blown frenzy, and see what your raw signal sounds like, and work from there. You can get signal processors that will help you achieve the sound you want (Eurorack makes good cheap processors) without spending a ton of money setting up your guitar.

[TheSack]

Yeah, I'm pretty good with the recording stuff. My brother is also a recording studio tech, so I've had his help for plenty of things. It's not my computer or sound card, but I think rather that it's the pickup. This sound is present in my old soundcard, my new setup, and any amp I've plugged in to. I was thinking of changing out my current pickup (which I damaged, then soldered) to something else, but I don't know what to put in because it has the preamp set into the side of the body. Hmmm...

[Rob]

Ouch... For the cost you could end up w/ a new guitar ;)

[younggjd]

I have an alvarez ad90sck (600 with case), and I feel it plays and sounds better then any taylor, tak or martin in that price range. It also has alot more style with gloss finish, white binding and a sharp cut away. The electronics are great with a built in tuner and dual source pick up (saddle and mic)
I would check out this model if you could.
Greg D.

[Rob]

Good guitar, but beware of the electronics- the mic has some serious low-end issues.

[Pat M]

Hey Sack, do you have a recording I could compare with? I'm interesting in seeing how your sounds.

[TheSack]

I haven't recorded in a while, but I'll see if I can find something. I don't have an Internet connection at home, so we'll see how it comes through. I'd like to compare them too.

It's not looking good, but I'll try if I have some time.