If you've found a great guitar, should you continue to search greater?
 

2 questions here:

1.

I'm very happy with my D-18 and have either already sold off all my other acoustics just because I don't play them anymore (I always reach for the D-18).

I'm wondering, if I should make some effort to explore some of the brands that I'm reading about here like Collings and Santa Cruz (and others).

If somebody likes the D-18 for everything it is; which guitar (say under $6k) would you recommend looking into?

What if the price can be moved to $8k (my absolute limit for a guitar that I can't imagine moving beyond... but I also can't believe that I'm now thinking about my D-18 replacement... oh, if we all can know the future)... I'm afraid to ask, but if price moved to $10k?

I'm curious to see if there is a guitar that I'll like more.

2.

I found my D-18 by accident; but, once found, I knew this was the guitar for me for life. Being on AGF as much as I am, no surprise that I'm thinking about something else.

How did you find your great guitar?
If you were happy and totally satisfied with a previoud guitar, what caused you to look?

That’s my store in guitar playing journey so far.

But, I did not find any better than my OOO-18 so far… ;)

I don't know if I'll find anything better than my D-18 too. I _THINKING_ about looking around though... (thank you?, AGF)

You found this one by accident. If you find something better, chances are that'll be by accident too.

If you like a larger bodied mahogany and spruce guitar, be open to more of those and maybe adjacent woods (sapele comes to mind), but if the mechanical and material voicings (the way it's built and what it's built of) are to your liking, it's quite alright to be happy.

How curious are you? For many of us here, the answer is “very.”

There are plenty of better alternatives in the boutique space and you don’t need to spend 6k. Happy hunting!

They say ignorance is bliss... but curiosity always win...

Well Jack...

You are now kind of like Alice...standing in front of the looking glass, trying to decide whether to go through.

You know what happened to Alice...

If you are really that curious, then the very best thing you could do is spend some of that $8k/$10k up front, take your D-18 along, and go on a long weekend road trip to a super great guitar store or stores and spend that weekend trying out a big bunch of guitars in your price range...more or less even...and see what you think.

All the recommendations in the world from us here, will not help you as much as going and seeing and hearing for yourself.

Where do you live? That can help us give you great ideas for areas/stores to go to.

Be forewarned that this "search for the better one" much like the "search for the Holy Grail one" is a road that while very fun and exciting, is also ever so quixotic and fraught with confusion and frustration the longer you travel on it.

But...the only way you will ever begin to know, is to go out there and play some guitars and see for yourself...but you really DO need to go and see for yourself, not listen to all of us so much.

Best of luck...let us where you live


duff
Be A Player...Not A Polisher

I have a friend (no, really...) who, at 74, plays the same D28 he acquired in the mid 60's when it was new and shiny, just like him. Sort of. It has been his only guitar through the decades since. Only recently, owing to some some shoulder issues, has he considered another guitar. It is unlikely that he would ever part with the Martin, for sentimental reasons. But reality has set in, and he wants to explore something totally different in size. The best I could do was to loan him my Webber, which is a thoroughly different animal than the D28 - 24.5" scale and 00 size in Spruce over Koa.

We met up after a week. He wore a broad smile. "I love this guitar," he said. "I play differently on this guitar." Bingo. He wanted it all for hisself. Nope.

My point is that what made the Webber "greater" for him is the way it made him think differently about his playing. And that was incredibly exciting for him. The Webber is "greater" at what it does than the Martin, because they do different things. The Webber is something the Martin is not.

That is exactly how I have been "curating" my own stable of guitars. A Webber for its punchy voice and ultimate ease; a Merrill OM 18 for that vintage itch; a Froggy Bottom H12 for its lushness and an incoming Spohn for a modern fingerstyle fix.

So, as you chew on your options, you may find that there is no "greater" guitar than your D 18 for what the D 18 does - only different, which can be seductive (and deceiving), because it is a new sound. But, if you move beyond the D18 into a different universe of possibilities, you may find that a new body size with a totally different voice takes you in a new musical direction. That, to me, would be pretty great.

David

Well, that is a game you can never win. Whatever you have, there always might be something better. You will never be happy until you just settle for what you have.

There are tons of different sizes, woods, bracing patterns, etc.

If it's a "main" guitar, I don't mind having something similar as a backup. If it's not a main guitar, I'm good with one. I have one loud DN, which is more than enough for what I do. I have 2 guitars that have the Martin OM-ish vibe. I have a modern voiced OM and could see ordering another at some point.

If you've found a great guitar, should you continue to search greater?
 

For me, it has mostly been where my music and songwriting journey has taken me that has dictated acquiring another guitar. For example, when I started playing more Brazilian jazz years ago, I sought out a crossover nylon guitar. Played it for 7 years or so and then realized that I wanted to focus on steel string so sold that guitar. When I was traveling a lot, I went on a search for a parlor guitar that I liked the sound of. And, when I wanted a cleaner strumming sound, I acquired a German spruce and mahogany guitar that had the warmth and projection that hit that sweet spot. For many years I played the same 6 chords on one guitar but as my musical interests expanded, so did my guitar collection. :-) if one guitar works for you, it’s all good but if the music is calling you elsewhere, enjoy the adventure!
Best,
Jayne

There is always something better if you've got unlimited time and money. Why in the world would you look? You've got a guitar that makes you happy, why not just be happy for a while - actually, as long as you can.

Well, I posted a thread about it, so not going into detail...but, I was in Nashville yesterday. I recently got a Guild D-40E that is truly wonderful. I haven't had a lot of experience with boutique stuff, so I was kind of nervous that going into Gruhn and Carter Vintage might make me feel not so great about my guitar. I wanted, though, to see what the fuss was about.

After leaving and playing a fair few higher end guitars, my D-40E has nothing to worry about, and I don't feel like searching.

That, of course, may change in the future, but I don't see a need to find anything "better". Different, maybe.

“Settling” has never made me happy. I’m the curious/adventurous type. In life…and my guitar journey. :D

Excellent points made here.

Can't think of much to add. Except the minor issue of ergonomics. During your search, you may find that a certain combination of neck profile, radius, scale length, etc. may suit you even better than your D-18.