Well, been a while since I responded to the thread - work has blocked all vB based sites and I\'ve not had any time in the evenings to check in with one thing and another. Anyway, for those who might be wondering, I did finally get a new baby - after trying well over a dozen guitars of different makes and models.
Takamines didn\'t do it for me due to the really glossy necks, a couple of Taylors sounded nice, but weren\'t comfortable, even after a short spell. Tried a very tempting used Guild D20 which nearly had me, but then in another shop tried a new Martin D15. Putting that one down was a wrench, but I knew a store which had some higher spec used Martins. Tried another Taylor there first, but it made my hand hurt after a couple of minutes - something weird about the neck profile and spacing didn\'t suit me.
Tried a number of different spec Martin D16s, which were all nice, but ended up buying a 10 year old used Martin 000C-16GTE in near mint condition (ie one literally 1 x 1mm dink in the back of the headstock). I fell in love with it from the moment I picked it up, though it\'s hardly a classic model, having originally only been made at the turn of the millennium for a couple of years (lots more bass versions were made, but 6-strings are like hen\'s teeth which is reflected in the price, though at a grand, mine was £300 cheaper than the only other one I\'d seen for sale in the UK when I\'d done my pre-testing homework. It was also re-issued last year with a mic/pick-up blend system, but give me 10 years aging and a solid cedar, rather than "select hardwood", neck any day). Acoustically, she sounds lovely for just about every style, but when I plugged it in to a little Schertler amp in the shop... :drool: Here\'s the Martin page on the model:
http://www.martinguitar.com/guitars/choosing/guitars.php?p=i&m=000C-16GTE Like I said, the D15 was a close call - guess I may be becoming a Martin afficianado.
So, my next task is to get some amplification for it - my Peavey Classic 30 doesn\'t do it justice and howls like a mutha if I crank it up. As I\'m on a budget ($450 tops), was thinking of a Behringer ACX1800, an Ashdown Radiator or one of the new Vox AGA70s which debuted at NAMM this year. Anyone got experience with acoustic amps, especially when you have to cope with a lead guitarist\'s 2x12 Peavey valve combo? (DI into the PA is not an option as we don\'t have one and generally the places we play only have a PA suitable for vocals.)
