Light & Resonant Guitar

[1after909]

I second the work of Rob Elhers (RIP) I used to play them when I was down in Encinitas or Carlsbad ( Ca) When Buffalo Bros we’re dealers for him. And Nort I’ve lived here most of my life but not familiar with Tim Lauglin’s instruments..very nice! And both you and Bosko seem to be local guys…Greetings neighbors! 🤠👍 and good luck on the search…

[R22]

Hey Bosko,

You said you wanted to find one local. Is San Diego local enough?

Doug, at Guitars San Diego, has a beautiful used Huss & Dalton 00-14 that I think would be worth checking out.

I've played it, and seriously considered it, but it's a bit out of my price range.

[R22]

Almost forgot. Doug also carries Iris.

Not sure what models he has in stock, but the small body OG or CH also fits the description of what you are looking for.

Fyi, I have zero affiliation with Guitars San Diego.

[sstaylor58]

My Martin OM 15 custom from LA Guitars is very light and extremely resonant. Rings forever, and won’t break the bank.

[dirkronk]

Originally Posted by Bosko

I'm wondering what's out there that might be similar in a 00 or 000 size steel string without dropping a fortune or is this just a unicorn hunt?

This is the proviso that creates difficulty. Probably the lightest, most resonant NEW guitars I've played have been Santa Cruz 1929 models (0 & 00) and, as someone else mentioned, a 00 size Huss & Dalton. And those were enough years back that their prices (which frightened me then) today seem reasonable. As it is, assuming you could find one available, none of these is going home with you for less than several grand, so...

Unicorn hunt!
(Hey, you never know.)

Good luck. Play everything you can get your hands on and report back!


Dirk

[KevinH]

I too appreciate a responsive guitar. But, feather weight isn't necessarily a requirement for being responsive. My Bourgeois 00 weighs in at 4.1 lb and the notes nearly jump off the fretboard. Likewise, my Huss & Dalton FS is 4.4 lb and is super responsive. But they aren't inexpensive.

You might also look at a Breedlove Concertina (00 size). Mine is very responsive. I can feel the body vibrating when I play it.

Optimizing a guitar's response means spending some time tweaking an individual top, as opposed to machining them all to a standard. Breedlove tunes the tops on their Made in Bend series. Certainly Bourgeois, H&D, Collings etc do that as well, but they carry a higher price tag than Breedlove.

[Aspiring]

My Ted Thompson T2 fits the mold that you are describing. I'm very pleased with mine.

I was fortunate to get a go in Kevin's Bourgeois OO that he mentioned above and was very impressed with that guitar in that size range.

[perttime]

See if you can find a Breedlove Revival series guitar, to try. Second hand only, I'm sure. My 2008 OM Deluxe is light and responsive.

[mcmars]

Interesting that the waterloo WL-K comes up a few times here as that was my first thought. Mine vibrates my left hand and arm to my shoulder, it is quite something to experience. My WL-K is 2.8 lbs of resonant bliss. But a tough one to find now on used market.

[Shaneh]

Santa Cruz 00 1929 is crazy light. If you want inexpensive then look at the Yamaha Csf series. Most are a bit over 3lbs

[Gchord]

My 1998 Martin 00-16DBC is very light and resonant ... in fact it comes with a warning (etched into the internal bracing) to only use light gauge strings. I don't know if this common with Martins of the era, or if mine is unusual.

[Corndog]

My 00-15M weighs 3lbs 7oz.
It is super lively and resonant. Lovely guitar.
$1.4k

My 00-18 weighs 3lbs 9 oz.
Also very responsive and loud. Heirloom guitar.
$2.6k

[00045]

Originally Posted by Bosko

Back in the day (way back) I played a very light, resonant vintage Martin that you could feel in your body when you played it and the sustain was amazing. I'm wondering what's out there that might be similar in a 00 or 000 size steel string without dropping a fortune or is this just a unicorn hunt?

I had a Ehlers SJ that came close and put my Collings on the shelf permanently, sadly I sold it.
Thanks,

Since you haven't established your budget, I would highly recommend the Martin 000-28 CAA 1937 Style. They are very light, resonant guitars and a great value for the price compared to the regular Authentic's. I actually preferred them over the Authentic's when I was purchasing my D-28 CAA.