Best Sounding Guitar vs Most Comfortable

[TheIntermediate]

Thread title says it all. Is your "best" sounding guitar also your most comfortable to play?

Out of 10 guitars, I feel like my fingers can dance on my J-45TV and D-18 like none of the others I own. And I do love the way both sound. But, to my ear, my Huss and Dalton DS is the cream of the crop tonally speaking.

Something about the tone of that guitar just blows me away. And I do love the way it feels too, but just not quite as much as the others I mentioned.

I'm splitting hairs, but that's what we do best! What about you? Is your best sounding AND most comfortable guitar the same one?

[JohnCambo]

I love to have "a perfect neck" and good action but body size does not come into the equation for me. I'm comfortable with any body size and prefer a chunky neck with low action. Comfort first, sound second. If I can't jive with the neck, I'm gone.

[Treenewt]

Best sounding and CLOSE to best playing: my D18.

Best playing in both neck shape, action, and body size: Eastman E20 OM. Most comfortable guitar I've ever owned.

[handers]

Originally Posted by TheIntermediate

Thread title says it all. Is your "best" sounding guitar also your most comfortable to play?

Out of 10 guitars, I feel like my fingers can dance on my J-45TV and D-18 like none of the others I own. And I do love the way both sound. But, to my ear, my Huss and Dalton DS is the cream of the crop tonally speaking.

Something about the tone of that guitar just blows me away. And I do love the way it feels too, but just not quite as much as the others I mentioned.

I'm splitting hairs, but that's what we do best! What about you? Is your best sounding AND most comfortable guitar the same one?

A good point and often a problem. My day player and my best playing steel string is a custom ordered Froggy H12c (000) with 1-7/8" nut, 24.9" scale, 12 fret to body and very lightly braced top. It is perfect in my hands, sounds fabulous and is ideally responsive to finger style attack. Shown below:



But my Froggy F (0000) was made in 1992 with german spruce cut in the 1890s which Michael Millard bought in the 70-80s. Incredible unobtainable quality wood and very high quality, dark and lovely flamed koa back and sides. It sounds the best of all my steel strings and has such a rarified and noble voice. Crystal but warm, just punchy and tight enuf to be impressive but light to the touch and highly responsive. But the scale is 25.24", the nut is 1-3/4" and it was built 14fret to the body. The string spacing is slightly narrower. It's a great guitar, never to be sold with a voice that I find unique. But it just isn't as easy to play as my H12c. That F is here, the boy playing it is my son some years ago (now producing music for pop stars):

http://froggybottomguitars.com/model...ic-guitar.html

I have often wondered if one could consider replacing the neck on the F with one more akin to the H12c and then I realize how foolish that would be. The two guitars are built to be different instruments. I need to be able to adapt. The subtle differences are not defects, just my own limitations.

So my best sounding steel string guitar is not my easiest playing guitar. But that is specific to me and another person might feel the opposite.

hans

[Dru Edwards]

Of the guitars I own, my two best sounding guitars are also my two most comfortable.

[brencat]

Originally Posted by JohnCambo

I love to have "a perfect neck" and good action but body size does not come into the equation for me. I'm comfortable with any body size and prefer a chunky neck with low action. Comfort first, sound second. If I can't jive with the neck, I'm gone.

Wow, this is me to a tee ^ ... playability comes first!

I have 3 Collings with basically the same rounded mod-v neck and an OM-15 from Ted with the slightly fuller MLO. All are a joy to play.

[TheIntermediate]

Originally Posted by brencat

Wow, this is me to a tee ^ ... playability comes first!

I have 3 Collings with basically the same rounded mod-v neck and an OM-15 from Ted with the slightly fuller MLO. All are a joy to play.

I also have no issue with body sizes. I've got square and slope dreads, a 00, 000's, and I get along well with each. "Comfort" for me is almost completely about the neck.

[StephenHD35]

Best sounding and very comfortable? Martin D-28A '31. Great sounding and most comfortable? My MFG Martin D-18GE 12 fret.

[roylor4]

Hard to answer for me.

My most versatile guitar is my e6OM but hen I pick up my ac522 it always makes me smile.

FWIW - OM guitars are the best fit for my body.

[clintj]

My Guild is both comfortable to hold and play, and my best sounding. I have to give the nod to comfort first though; if I didn't have some hand discomfort playing it I would probably have kept saving up towards a Martin OM-28V.