Favorite Guitar (Excluding the "Big 3")

[AVLguy]

Kevin Ryan makes great guitars. My ‘99 Mission Grand Concert cedar/EIR, with its dings and scratches, is my pinnacle. ‘66 Guild F-30 was my first guitar, which was stolen and it took many years to find another, a 1965.

[Tleek]

Yamaha FS5.
I have an lr baggs hifi in mine and it’s great but in hindsight I’d had gone with the fsx5

[Kh1967]

There are a lot of wonderful builders out there. I have tried many of them and as great as they have been, I always come back to Collings. Specific “off the shelf builds” I really like; OM2H, OM1, D2H, and the JL. Each one, very consistent builds and to my ear, usually excellent.

[Slothead56]

I’m a 6 string Martin guy. But I do own a Gurian.

Indulge your curiosity and get your mitts on a Gurian sometime…if you can find one. Everything you hear is true.

[Foglander]

I'm much into Yamaha, but to be honest one of my favorite guitars is my LAG t77 that I got used for a hundred bucks. I'd never expected such a cheap guitar to have such a beautiful sound. I never got or even tried another LAG, they're somewhat uncommon, maybe mine is just a "lucky" guitar that has been built with an especially good top, but I must say that unplugged it has the best sound in my guitar rack.

[Jim Owen]

Gurian.

Every one I’ve played has been special. Admittedly, I’ve played fewer than a handful. I bought mine new. Now it’s vintage. So am I.

[Aspiring]

Well, I have a number of guitars and not a single one from the big 3 in the mix.

I have two Ted Thompsons that I picked up in that under 3k price that blow away anything I've seen from the BIG 3 anywhere near their price point.

If I had to have just one guitar it would likely be my Emerald x20. Not because it is better than everything else but because it holds its own tonally and has amazing ergonomics and can sit out on a stand with no worries.

When I tried Breedlove back to back with. Martin and Taylor I chose the Breedlove as the one I liked the best of the 3 in a similar price range. (It was also the least expensive)

I also have an Avalon D300a that I chose over a Gibson J45.

My Hanika Classical gets a lot of love as well and there is nothing from the Big 3 in nylon that has any appeal to me.

[rollypolly]

The Huss and Dalton 000 I owned was the best I’ve had. Miss it a lot but it was also just too nice for me to own. I have a couple Recording King 000s that I’m happy with and can leave them on the floor or outside side without worrying. Maybe I’ll get another H&D when the kids fly the nest.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

The Huss and Dalton 000 I owned was the best I’ve had. Miss it a lot but it was also just too nice for me to own. I have a couple Recording King 000s that I’m happy with and can leave them on the floor or outside side without worrying. Maybe I’ll get another H&D when the kids fly the nest.

Wow, going from a H&D to a Recording King must be tough!

[Pickcity]

Alvarez/Yairi, Yamaha, Guild and several boutique makers.

There are lots of great guitar makers, but those are the ones I have the most experience with, outside of the big 3, both onstage and in the studio.

I wish I had the time and resources to try every brand mentioned in this thread, and then some. I am sure I could find something I really like from any one of them.

[Bookstorecowboy]

I have a Taylor 414 -- lovely guitar, bought in 1999 or so. But I also have an Avian Songbird 2A, a mahogany guitar, and it is by far the easiest to play of my many guitars and is unbelievably well-built as far as I can tell. Beautiful sound. It has an unusual design (see pictures) that makes it easier for me, the player, to hear when I am playing. It is the cheapest guitar in their line, or was when I bought it, but it was my favorite (I tried them all at the factory's own shop).

I don't use a pickup. I use a mic. But I might get a pickup installed after the Baggs company releases their new internal mic next month.

https://avianguitar.com/collections/...ucts/skylark2a

[k_russell]

A Guild D40c built in 1979. I tried the Martins and Gibsons that the shop had to offer, that day and brought home the Guild. Taylor guitars do not impress me at all.

The Guild is my favorite steel string guitar. My overall favorite is a classical guitar built by Steven Walter.

I think both are better than any of the "Big Three's"

[icuker]

I have an old Mossman I really like. My favorite guitar overall. I do have a Martin and a Taylor, which are both really nice too.

[bobster7]

I love my Sigma guitars and especially my all solidlimited edition solid Adirondack/Madigascar rosewood dreadnought. I love it so much I’ve made more than one thread about it! With Thomastik 12-59’s (yes 59) it sounds perfect to my ears and it’s the most versatile of all my guitars. Plenty of warm bass, great midrange and sweet trebles, perfect for Townes, Bert jansch, Nick drake etc etc. Of course my Collings, Dave King and H&D are great guitars as well but more niche instruments.

[Rosette]

Tie between Santa Cruz and Lowden for me.