Which is the best small bodied Maple back and sides guitar you've played?

[jpd]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

I had a Recording King RNJ.25. Beautiful looking Gibson-style L 00 deep body "Nick Lucas" type. All solid, maple b/s. sitka top, very pretty sunburst nitro finish.

I am very fond of mine. I use monels on it and find it to be a joy to own and play.

[bho]

My Greven OO. It has a lutz top and flamed maple back and sides. Very articulate as you'd expect from maple, but also rich and loud as you'd expect from a light Greven build. It's a magical guitar.

[jpbat]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

I had a Recording King RNJ.25. Beautiful looking Gibson-style L 00 deep body "Nick Lucas" type. All solid, maple b/s. sitka top, very pretty sunburst nitro finish.

Bit of a plank... Even after about 6 months of playing and Tonerite.

Sold it cheap

(It was still the best (OK, only) one I ever played..

Mine is quite an interesting piece of guitar, so… it depends, as in any industrial made instrument. Luck is a significant criteria.

[ronbo]

Originally Posted by Long Jon

I had a Recording King RNJ.25. Beautiful looking Gibson-style L 00 deep body "Nick Lucas" type. All solid, maple b/s. sitka top, very pretty sunburst nitro finish.

Bit of a plank... Even after about 6 months of playing and Tonerite.

Sold it cheap

(It was still the best (OK, only) one I ever played..

I've owned two of these, sold the first one in a fit of GAS to try to get something better, and ended up repurchasing one recently. Mine is a great playing and sounding guitar with a nice, clear maple tone and plenty of volume with decent bass for a small guitar. Really excels at fingerpicking blues, much better player tone-wise than a number of Gibson LG-types and Martin 15 series I have played. Definitely not a lot of harmonics or complexity to the sound, but great fundamental tones that can really cut through the mix, and I occasionally play it with a local bluegrass band, especially when we have 2-3 dreads and it gives some nice tonal variety. Mine will likely be with me for a long time, but it has made me GAS a bit for a bigger bodied maple guitar, and I'm currently considering a Guild F47M...

[downtime]

The Gibson Nick Lucas Reissue L-00 deep body is a really great sounding guitar, It handles all styles well but excels at fingerpicking.

In my opinion this is the best looking Gibson model made. It has everything a Gibson should have without being over the top:
full sunburst on top sides back and neck
Nick Lucas pearl fretboard inlays
fleur-de-lis pearl headstock inlay and script logo
bound body, fretboard and soundhole
firestripe pickguard

and of course, flamed maple back and sides. Cool factor is off the charts!

[lizzard]

The Doerr Trinity in my sig. No doubt.

However, at a much lower price-point, I was favorably impressed with a recent Taylor GA Maple/Sitka (yes the cooked top)

I'm a maple convert!

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by downtime

In my opinion this is the best looking Gibson model made.

Except they still can't get the firestripe pickguard right. Looks like somebody drizzled caramel on a sheet of plastic.

[Coastman]

A Weber round body w/ cutaway. Maple b/s and Englemann top. Owned it for a little over a year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Stunning sound, balanced. GAS caused me to sell it - kind of wish I still had it. Oh well.......

[lalowdwn1]

My Larrivee P09-FM

[Johan Madsen]

Originally Posted by Ed-in-Ohio

Thanks. CJ = Compact Jumbo. Jumbo shape, but smaller body. I'm pretty sure it's smaller than my 000-15. Lower bout is 14-7/8" and the body depth is 3-1/2" to 4-1/2".

Ok sorry! Didn't know about those compact jumbo sounds cool!

[BrunoBlack]

I don't know which one is the best, but I sure like the one I own.

[ikravchik]

Taylor 614ce 2015

[Steve DeRosa]

My wife's '80s Guild F-20: bubble maple sides/back, low action, fast-as-heck 1-5/8" neck, projects like an archtop - IMO the perfect acoustic lead instrument...

[blindboyjimi]

My Kopp NL. It's not that red/orangy in real life.



Not mine but similar tone and you can see the actual color of the alcohol sunburst.
VVVVVVVVVVV
http://www.blue-g.com/stk/detail_mov...pid=07201&no=1

[HHP]

Got to try a Martin 00-16DBFM and really liked it. Really fine looking wood. Be pretty rare as it was the least produced of the Women and Music series.