Easiest-playing guitar

[SalFromChatham]

Two guitars that stand out as the easiest I have ever played are a J45-TV with a Brothers Music setup, and a brand new Taylor AD17e.

I’m actually picking up my old trusty D15 tomorrow from its five week vacation getting fixed up a little. I hope it will play similarly as the others.

[s2y]

Mine are all about the same. A competent setup guy should be able to make most guitars place nicely. Some might require more work than others. Don't ignore technique and neck shape. The "wrong" neck shape for the wrong technique can be painful. For example, I play a mostly classical fretting hand technique and V necks are a hard NO for me. A thumbover player might be a lot more comfortable with a V.

Out of all my guitars, my Taylor 12 fret is the easiest playing. Very low action, shorter scale length, and shorter reach make for a guitar I can play all day and all night.

[Dru Edwards]

My Lowden F-25 plays itself. Setup perfectly for me.

[GoPappy]

My Taylor 522e, which I attribute to a combination of a perfect setup, the 12-fret short scale design and Elixir strings.

Edit to add: I bought this one used, so I don't know if the setup is the way it came from the factory or if the original owner paid to have it professionally set up. (I think it came this way from the factory because he didn't mention a setup when we met.) In any event, the setup is perfect.

[cliff_the_stiff]

Every Collings guitar I’ve played has been superb.

[rollypolly]

all of mine are pretty easy because I've spent time setting them up.

right now the easiest is probably my GPC-15 which is funny because I didn't have to set that one up except for a tiny bit off the saddle. It's one of those guitars that when I bought it I could tell I was playing better on it. It's just really easy to move around on the fretboard.

[boombox]

Up until the summer, I'd have said my Avalon L32c and Collings C10, both of which I paid to have set up (though in fairness, I should say that the Collings only cost me 20 quid as there was really so little he had to do). Best non-setup guitar would be the C10 or my Taylor 12-fret. I’ve tweaked the setup on all three of my Faiths with some success - the Mars 12-fret is particularly nice to play now. However, my used Stephen Kinnaird has knocked them all into touch - not sure whether it was the shop setup or just that it's just the right guitar for me in terms of design and construction, but I can get lost playing it for hours.

[Hey_day]

No contest, Dan Roberts minstrel.

[Brucebubs]

Originally Posted by hubcapsc

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Zager!



-Mike

[Sugar Bear]

All of mine are easy players, once I'm done tweaking them.

Get a good book on doing your own setups. You'll be glad that you did.

And who knows? Perhaps you'll find, as I did, that you like the repair tech/luthier side of the guitar hobby.

Then you can get yourself a Sawz-All, a four pound engineers hammer, and a hydraulic Port-A-Power and go crazy!

Okay, before the freaking out starts, that was a joke. But it really is satisfying to work on your own guitars and improve them, and it might lead to building one eventually. Try it, you'll like it!

[Pdubs76]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

all of mine are pretty easy because I've spent time setting them up.

right now the easiest is probably my GPC-15 which is funny because I didn't have to set that one up except for a tiny bit off the saddle. It's one of those guitars that when I bought it I could tell I was playing better on it. It's just really easy to move around on the fretboard.

Funny you mentioned your GPC 15 being easy to play because my GPC 11e is by far my easiest playing guitar. I was wondering if that whole GPC lineup was similar or if I had just lucked out. How do you like the tone on yours? I was thinking of looking into the higher end models for a bit of improved tone.

[TheGITM]

My Alvarez-Yairi WY-1. It is the only guitar that I immediately bonded with as soon as I played it.

[DBW]

Of my acoustics it would be the Larrivee (lowest action). All of my electrics are pretty easy to play. My guitar instructor and I have set the action on the ones that needed it so now they all have nice low actions. If I had to say which one was easiest it would be the Heritage H-535. I didn't have to do a thing to it.

[Songbook19]

Originally Posted by GoPappy

My Taylor 522e, which I attribute to a combination of a perfect setup, the 12-fret short scale design and Elixir strings.

Yep, my Taylor 522e is the easiest to play. My Martin 000-18NB is a close second, also a 12-fret, short-scale.

[Mr. Jelly]

Originally Posted by Troubador

What is the easiest-playing guitar you have ever owned, or played?

Waterloo WL-S and WL-S Deluxe.