Not a NGD but a (nearly) first time mention - Norman B20 dread satin

[Nate the Skate]

I have a Norman B20 dreadnaught in satin finish with no electronics. It has a very nice solid sitka top and Godin's special cherry laminate back and sides. In any case, I think it's a good choice for a campfire guitar, or a new guitar under $500 that you wouldn't about dinging up. Plus, it's built like a tank (I know some people will see that as a negative, but in a sub-$500 I don't mind a bit of thickness.)

Norman Encure B20

Demo:

Norman B20 Presys Demo:

I got mine last fall sight unseen and it took about a month to re-humidify and get it comfy to play. Now I enjoy it on occasion ... when I don't want to take out a guitar that is more expensive or more fragile. I don't consider the Larrivees to be fragile, but I am more wary about getting them marked up than the Norman. It's nice to have a decent guitar you can be confident playing in any situation, which I think the B20 is. My campfire guitar.

I would say the sound mostly comes from the high quality solid sitka top, the full dread size, the "tight" build. The cherry lam b/s are like an average maple(?) The b/s are not very colorful, but they also do not dull the above-average sound from the sitka top. I like the sound of the guitar, obviously. When I get more computer-guitar know-how figured out, I'll post pics and sound clips.

[chitz]

Congrats Nate!

[Pitar]

I had the B20-12. Very bright, very loud. Don't think I would consider any wood guitar a campfire instrument. I'd get a composite for that. But, they're expensive. I hope Yamaha breaks into the composite market sometime soon. They're bound to be cheaper than what's available otherwise. I'm cheap when it comes to guitars these days.

Anyway, here's the B20-12. Hold your ears.

https://app.box.com/s/bfw6w1e2l8c0avbalco8