Finding The PERFECT Acoustic Guitar | This One Blew Me Away
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- Опубликовано: 26 сен 2024
- In this video, Ben Calhoun from Righteous Guitars takes us through the best way to find the perfect acoustic guitar for you. I try out some popular body styles and end up with one Huss & Dalton guitar that blew my mind.
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How much did you pay for the guitar in the video?
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Honestly Rhett, you should try a piezo guitar. I saw a p90 equiped music man axis on the atlanta craigslist with a piezo recently. I can vouch for the fishman piezo system, and music man has really great craftsmanship. It probably won't beat your novo, but it might be worth trying out.
That Huss and Dalton had an intimation issue…big time
I guess some folks don't worry about "playability"--nut width, fretboard radius, neck profile, scale length, string spacing, action, etc. Having smallish hands, playability is always my main concern.
I've only seen a couple of lowden guitars live, but every time they have blown my mind. The tone is all encompassing.
I love the way Ben just casually spills all this knowledge I've never heard before, like the characteristics of the different woods. Great vid, great visit.
Absolutely, I've never even thought of the speaker analogy, which makes perfect sense.
I was seriously excited to see Ben Calhoun again. Thanks for continuing to go back to him. He adds a lot to this channel.
The best acoustic I've ever had the chance to play was an early 2000s Huss and Dalton D style.. so pure... played amazingly.... but the tone was unreal. Loud, clear, full, even.
Checked the price here in the UK for the Huss & Dalton guitars-from £3,000-£7,000 through authorised dealers...and the lower price is for used! Meanwhile on planet Earth...
I looked em up start at around $3000 up.to.$8000 love to see one in person but I would have to give up fishing to buy one.
They’re located 20 minutes from where I grew up and thought it’d be great to own a homegrown guitar... until I saw the price tag!
The explanation of body size, woods, "scooped" and treble/bass - forward guitars in the first 5 minutes of this video is probably the best concise explanation of these subjects I've ever heard. Well done.
Nice demo! I love guitar safari.
In '99 when I was looking for my desert island guitar, I played H&D, Santa Cruz, Bourgeois, Kline, Breedlove, Larrivée...
All shapes and sizes. I fell in love with a rosewood/engleman Collings OM, and kept coming back to it. Your experience with the H&D's resonance into your body is exactly what I felt, plus a shimmery sparkle in the tone that was like the auditory equivalent of sunlight reflecting off a maintain lake when the breeze kicks up just right.
It came home with me, of course. 🙂
" I love guitar safari." LOL
that Huss and Dalton sounded so ridiculously good even compared with the D-41.
Agreed
D41 sounded pretty poor tbh.
That Huss really blew me away, and it was the cheapest guitar in the whole video. (Definitely NOT a cheap guitar though)
@@RhettShull, but...WOW! It was the only one that made me feel like I was there in the room. Your playing seemed more inspired as well. IMO, that's what it's all about.
Huss and Dalton is supposed to be the jam on bread.
The first time someone put a Huss & Dalton guitar in my hands, I had a similar reaction. It felt alive! I've owned Martins, Lowdens, Santa Cruzs, Bourgeois, Gibson, as well as several vintage guitars. But H&D is what I keep coming back to!
One thing I started doing years ago is taking a ZOOM portable recorder with me to the music store, arranging some private time in a demo room and recording the guitar paired with my voice. If you are a singer who uses the acoustic as an accompany instrument this experiment may blow your mind when you play back what was recorded. I found that was straining my voice the louder the guitar and that some guitars seem to sound better and make my voice sound better at the same (here's looking at you Gibson J-45).
Very good remark! Have had the same revelations numerous times. A guitar can sound "great" in whatever sense of the word, but do lousy things to your voice, or make you sound too tinny or too bassy. The frequency distribution of the guitar should complement and not overwhelm your voice. Great idea to take along a recorder!
I hope more people do the same. I’d love to walk into Guitar Central and see 20 to 30 people recording themselves.
C. Mike Smith Yeah, just perhaps not at the same time, in the same room, eh? 😉
Scott Becker, 😄exactly.
Despite the complication in schedules it might be a good idea to take a friend who can listen and perhaps record on a phone you playing, and playing and singing. Testing plugged in and unplugged. I do not sing, and value songwriting as much as performing so the personal sound is important as the projected sound for me.
This was an incredibly useful video for anyone guitar shopping. Plus Ben was probably the most professional, knowledgeable and insightful sales associate I've ever seen. Keep those videos coming, Rhett.
Always love the content Rhett! If I'm ever in the Atlanta area, I'm definitely going to Righteous Guitars and asking Ben for advice. He's a guru!
I've owned 32 guitars and always favored the Martin HD-28. I've had 3 and this Huss & Dalton REALLY has me intrigued. Even through youtube it sounded pretty awesome. I'm into "even" but "warm".
I gather it's a pre-WW2 antique, so good luck finding one.
@@tyrssen1 The Huss Dalton is a brand new guitar. The wear on the guitar is from the manufacturer giving it a Relic finish.
@@hkguitar1984 Wow, that's bonkers. Thank you. IMHO, if ya want your guitar to look "reliced," play the dogshit out of it for 30 years. Anything else is ... well, fake.
I made the mistake of buying an HD28..Watching all of the bluegrass players on yt...sold it after 6 years and bought a D28 ...also sold my D18 i had for 15 years when I picked up a Gibson J45 for the first time....i am much happier
@@joemamma4324 J45 would be welcomed in my arsenal. The ones I've played didn't have quite the tone I was looking for. Seemed a bit lacking in the mids, like the D35's I've played, (except one.) but I probably didn't play enough of J45's. It's all subjective of course. I think the reason that I love that Martin sound is because of the influences. (Fogelberg, Young, Crosby, Gallagher, Stills, Mitchell, and others.
I loved how you had that moment with the guitar where you felt it ringing. That and the general tone connected me to my guitar, too. Yes, the guitar is a thing, but you definitely make a connection when it feels right.
I also liked that you stayed open to the professional suggestions and talked about playing style, expectations and the way you put your physical energy and size into playing. Definitely important points beginners e.g. may not think about.
Immediately in love with the sound of that Martin.
aye, it is hard not to.
I just watched your last video in the studio with Noah for the second time. The slide parts at the end on the Les Paul gave me the willies. I've noticed that your playing seems to have gone up a level. Nice. My wife (who wrote the book on cool) bought me a Taylor a year ago. We did the same thing. Went to the shop and A/B'd a bunch of different acoustics. Walked out with the Taylor.
I must say the Huss & Dalton blew me away. The sound just pulled me in. I own a HD-28 and a Bourgeois Country Boy. I pick up my Country Boy a lot more than I do my Martin. It talks to me. But I really liked the sound coming from that Huss & Dalton...it was talking to me too. Thanks for sharing.
Wow. A guitar dealer who knows more about guitars than most of the players walking through the doors, pros included!
its been 20 years since I bought my main acoustic, but one thing I thought was helpful was to have the sales person sit and play the 2 guitars I was down to choosing. I guess the mic does that to an extant, but playing it sitting down and also listening from in front, you get a better overall idea.
Very educational!! So awesome!!
Tomo!!
@@sergedenovo2389 Thank you~
@@TomoFujitaMusic hey tomo your the man! I love your videos I’ve been playing guitar for 5-6 months what video would you recommend for someone who isn’t playing in time should I use a metronome?
@@jakespencer431 Look "Practice Routine" videos at my channel. Thank you! Only need 10 minutes a day!
Tomo so nice to see you here, you rock.
#1 thing to know about buying an acoustic. Do NOT leave the store without having someone--friend, employee, fellow customer--play it in front of you. Way too many people buy an acoustic only hearing it from behind, and some of them sound radically different from the front. Doubly true for pickups if you're planning on using them--you can go through more money than you spent on the guitar buying preamps until you finally figure out it's just not going to work a year down the road--don't ask me how I know.
No, this is why you bring an expensive recording rig to mic the guitar and listen through high end headphones. Geez, everybody knows that.
@@JWhitneyInc If only my kids didn't keep asking for all that damn food!
@@danielwatkins877 I know, right? Like, didn't I feed you yesterday?
Very good point.
Good advice. Thanks.
I'd request "how to find the perfect bass for recording", but we all know it's just going to be an old Fender P Bass. :-D
Anthony Dratnal i considered posting “How to find the perfect bass” but i knew there wasnt a better bass than a P Bass.
A Pbass is definitely in the arsenal... but its true that there is no one perfect bass. Which is why I have 4 basses.
If you can't afford a Sadowski. They win an A-B against anything on the planet. Hope I get to play one some day 😊🤙
@@NRG2 Absolutely, there are some really fantastic boutique basses out there, Sadowski, Fodera, etc! But I've heard more than a few top-shelf custom basses played for a song or even an entire set and sound fantastic, until the bassist grabs his old beat-up Precision which blows the boutique out of the water. It's just THAT sound.
@@anthonydratnal1870 I would hve the same sentiment until recent years of Sadowski... Unless the perception of nostalgia is in the way... The ol basses do not sound better... It's just like vinyl where people prefer the sound for other reasons 🤙.... it not just the boutique thing because I used to think Foder was the greatest but naaah...I do prefer the old magnets to every EXCEPT Sad... Idk what they're doing in the low end but it's never been done before. Imagine what a vintage Sad will sound like... Fender can't possibly hold a candle... 😳
Yep... that was a great guitar. I spent last summer trying to find my acoustic, and for me and my budget, the J-45 Standard worked-I couldn’t get that tone out of my head. It’s interesting how everyone connects with different instruments and how much those instruments can inspire and inform the music. Great video as always.
All very nice. My current guitar is a Seagull S6. Beautiful sound, beautifully made. Not the same price point as what's shown in this video but for someone who plays for pure enjoyment i'd recommend.
Agree with you there... I play Seagull Entourage. Love the playability.
Good lord, that last guitar was BEAUTIFUL. What a sound. ❤️ In my world, I landed what is probably the best Martin DR ever made. It has the most complex overtones I've ever heard and it just makes me smile any time I play it. Love.
I greatly appreciate your content. My wife and I stopped by Righteous Guitars a couple of weeks back and we were blown away by the customer service and selection. You won't meet a kinder, more informed group of people. Got a look at the PLEK machine as well, making me want to bring my guitars down when i have the chance. Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
Yes, this is what I discovered myself: The only way to find out what you like is to play it. The name on the headstock is likely to surprise you. Also never mind about tonewoods. You don't need to consider them if you actually play the guitar.
Would be interesting to know the prices asked for each of these. And rarely do you get a salesman that recommends a good used guitar to a customer seriously considering new high-ends. I had to try a LOT more than 5 acoustics to know what I wanted, but when I finally found it, there was no question. It was 15 years ago and today there is still no question.
Also, size does matter: for those who crave that big full dread tone, no small size or even an OM will be enough.
Based on your sound samples, I would have chosen the same. The Lowden sounds great but not warm enough for my taste. The Martin is warm enough, highs slightly too jangley when pushed hard, and probably too expensive for a utility player. The H&D sounds quite good with fingerpicking and phenomenal when strummed.
@@lowellcalavera6045 If you'd actually read what I wrote, you could have saved the lecture. I never wrote that tone woods don't matter. I wrote that you don't need to worry about them as long as you play the guitar yourself, so you can hear and feel the tone directly.
@@NeriKafkafi whoops
Yes that Huss & Dalton was the right one. Big sound & tone was perfect.
Absolutely! The Best!
OUTSTANDING, Mr. Shull. I currently have 6 guitars, ½ and ½ acoustic and electric, including a boutique Rod Schenk I paid 8k for 6 years ago, But of course I need JUST ONE MORE, and thanks to you and Ben I'm going to deep-dive for one more for myself - ain't going to say which one. I've been playing for 50 years, non-pro only, and have been actively looking for purchase information for my nephew now for a few months - some of them have been quite helpful. But this upload of yours blows 'em all away.
Just tried a Brazilian Rosewood Huss and Dalton I'm totally in love with it. The sound is so rich and unique there's nothing else like it.
I love Huss and Dalton! I'm ordering a custom guitar with them next week and am going to document the process.
„Oh yeah you can do that slight thing“
I think that‘s the most impressive and Creative answer i‘ve ever heard by a Guitar Seller
I made my first visit to Righteous Guitars right in the middle of you filming this video...so sorry about that I'm the a-hole talking in the background during your initial interview with Ben. Really appreciate all your content...keep it up! Also, nice job selecting the Huss & Dalton. Try it out with a Blue Chip pick and you'll push that top even harder...you've got a great sound already and certainly that instrument will take it to new heights!
I remember my first go on a Huss Dalton back at the Guitar Shop in D.C. in '97. It was from their first or second year of production I reeeeaaally regret not purchasing that guitar. Same with a Froggy Bottom they put in my hands a year later.
Froggy Bottom does a lot of the slotted headstock variety, which I have a great weakness for. ;)
Right away the Firefly would be a perfect complimentary guitars to any of the other acoustics, but not as a main acoustic. I bet its great with a capo finger style, because of its lack of low end.
It would also be great in any mix that needs the acoustic guitar to cut through a lot. Would be great for blues solos etc.
I have Wee Lowden (their small body), and that's really where those small bodies shine is the fingerpicking, especially with a capo.
@@DannyJamesGuitar Yep. I thought it was the one that sounded the best of them all for my tastes. I mainly play blues/folk stuff on acoustics. I was kind of shocked when Rhett seemed disapointed with the guitar
For a beginner you want to look at a Yamaha as being the guitar you should not buy but you have to play it in the shop to judge others. A nice upgrade to that would be an Aria which has much better wood quality feel and tone. If you can find a Norman, built in Sherbrooke ,Quebec. You will see right away the quality of a small shop . When I started playing back in the day, after the beginner level, I went to Ovation mostly because the shop was out of the Hummingbird I wanted. I got use to it and it became my standard daily guitar. All of that said, I believe in brand names for resale value and quality. You pay more on the front end but Gibson and Martin are always in demand. It's a savings account with strings.
That dread. Exactly what I hear in my head too. Utter class.
Tony Brooks I think the main things are spruce over mahogany, and it being a dreadnought, I think you can get pretty close with those things
Rhett, I played that Huss & Dalton last week at Righteous and it blew me away as well. I wish I would have had the funds to buy it before you did but hey it's in the proper hands now. I can't wait to hear more from you playing it. Great videos
What were they asking for it?
@@powellsaA pair of panties
STEP 1: HAVE BUDGET
me: F A I L U R E
Yep, me too! Almost 4k for that guitar!
Lol... Just here to get strings. Leaves with D18
Look at Eastman's Traditional series. I own three of them - they look and sound great without breaking the bank.
This guy really flexes on us with his gear 😂. But he's a recording wiz though ngl
My budget is always can I buy something that's not a piece of crap. It usually ends up being a very polished turd that I can afford.
7:37 Santa Cruz Firefly - I like this sound for the size.
8:24 Santa Cruz OM Custom "Lighthouse" - Not convinced
9:05 Martin D41 - Very nice - at a price
9:40 Lowden 050C - I knew lowdens from 90s, nice guitars, sound really good.
If Ben isn’t the greatest salesman ever then I don’t know who is
He's excellent. Quite knowledgeable. He knew, for example, the philosophy of Richard Hoover and his Santa Cruz instruments. Full disclosure: I have a Santa Cruz H-13.
The best salesman I ever heard of was a character in a "Far Side" cartoon from about 30 years ago. His name escapes me but the caption underneath the cartoon read something like : ( Whatever the guy's name was)King of All Salesman, and the cartoon was a guy in a rowboat, rowing away from from an iceberg ,waving goodbye to several Eskimos on that iceberg. They were standing next to a bunch of refrigerators. Love that Santa Cruz.
Ben's smirk when Rhett said "You did it again" is just priceless.
@@kennybluet5527 I can't resist: Greatest Salesman Of All Time. Kid gets a job in sales at a Fred Meyer or something similar. His boss tells him "Don't worry about quotas, it's your first day. It'll take time to get into the swing of things." Later that day, the boss asks him "so how did you do?". Kid says I sold $166,000 worth of stuff. (this is the much-condensed version). The boss doesn't believe him, so the kid explains. I was helping him pick out fish hooks and asked what he had for bait. Once he had the bait figured out, I got him into a new tackle box. I asked him how old his rod was and had he heard about the new carbon fiber deals with the high-precision balanced reels. Then I asked him how deep was he fishing and took him over to look at trolling motors and helped him pick one out. I asked him if he'd seen the latest alloy-hulled flat-bottom six-seater boats and found him one he liked. Then "I saw you pull in in that little four-banger import pickup truck. You're going to needs something better than that to pull this baby around in, so I sold him a grand Cherokee. Boss says "Bulls**t. You sold a Grand Cherokee to a guy who came in looking for fish hooks? Kid said "no, he came in looking for tampons, so i said Your weekend's shot, might as well go fishin'."
Ive tried Martins, Taylors and high end brands but I always end up back at Yamaha, especially for the money I think Yamaha acoustics are underrated by most.
I first started playing acoustic guitar is dad's 1968 FG 300. Plays and sounds amazing.( It's Yamaha's version of a Gibson Hummingbird.) I think it sounds and plays better than a Gibson Hummingbird. And it's probably cheaper. But Yamaha makes great instruments that will last forever.
Not underated.....overlooked is a better description.
What makes a guitar great is the balanced harmonics!!...
i seem to wind up with a lot of yamahas also. for beginners i highly recommend the F-310. Amazing quality for a beginner. Always tunes up and will last 25 years or more. $175
Yamaha and Alvarez are amazing for what you get.
I have 2 Huss & Dalton DM Customs, an '07 and a '05. Adi tops. They changed my whole approach, damn things are alive. Hahahaha
Had the '07 ("Huss") about 9 years. Best dred I ever played and decided to find a twin for a backup. Found the '05 (Dalton")on Reverb about a year ago and it blew away the 1st one. Geeze.
I agree about the tops waking up. Dalton was raised in the studio and was a bit dormant from not being played regularly but within a week or two passed Huss. After a month his bass really woke up during a jam and I thought a brace let loose or something. Hahahaha
He's only gotten better a year later, wow.
So awfully glad you found some magic. 👍
I've never been in a music store that has someone this knowledgeable, it's usually the high school kid or the disgruntled former 80's hair band guy.
As partial as I am to Martin guitars, I fell in love with the Lowden. The only other Guitar that impressed me that much was a Mossman dreadnaught.
Rhett I had the exact same (or at least pretty close) experience. Took my Larrivee OM-40R (which I still love) over to Righteous for some fret work before Christmas and decided to ask (Jeff in this case) about some possibilities for that next guitar. I went in thinking about maybe a Santa Cruz or Bourgeois (both obviously excellent) and had always lusted after a Collings. After some questioning and conversation Jeff pulled an OMPW and a (thank God) pre-owned Huss Torrefied Red Spruce TOM-R they had just gotten in on trade for me to pick on. I had heard a little about Huss & Dalton but had never really been exposed to them much less seen or played one. I was immediately blown away. Thought about it (and consulted with management) overnight and decided to buy it the next day before someone else got it. My angelic wife even went over to pick it up and wrapped it up for Christmas morning for me. Letting that sit for two weeks was not easy. My heart and ears ‘stupid grin’ every time I open the tweed case...and I love supporting such a committed and excellent small shop. Mark and Jeff and Kimberly and the team up there are a special group of musician/artisans...and the Righteous dudes are awesome. Now just working hard at getting better to live up to this amazing instrument (and all the people behind it). Hope you’re doing awesome. Should have taken you up on those lessons before you got too busy! Come say hi when you’re back in the neighborhood. :)
ah, Collings are NICE!
1:12 General Kenobi
;-)
🤘🏼
Yes!
R/prequelmemes
I agree for sure, the H&D sounded the best in the recording environment with your own mike. Cheers
Huss and Dalton or the D 41. Most of the time I would say the Martin but in this case it was the Huss.
Great video as usual.
Great point about overpowering certain tops and guitar sizes and you have to add the effects of adrenalin in a live situation to the equation.
IMO the best way to find the perfect acoustic is to only try them with older strings, fresh strings on an acoustic guitar tend to hide the true quality of the tone, too much zing and not enough wood. One thing about truly great vintage and some of the best new is that they don't necessarily have the most volume or overtones, quite the contrary, loud does not equal good tone and the correct balance of the overtones is what separates the great ones from the rest. Most modern guitars can only approximate that elusive balance between airy dryness and strong fundamental without too much overtone fuss.
Dude, I will love you so much if you do finding the Perfect Bass. It's my favorite of the bunch, and different basses definitely give off different results!
Its the P Bass
as a guitarist that wants to start faking it on bass - sign me up too
10/10 would watch that
I’ll get Philip from Good Trouble to help me with that one.
@@RhettShull Awesome!
I have a 2018 Reimagined D41 and it’s a fantastic guitar, but my favorite acoustic I’ve ever played is my Bourgeois Slope D “Banjo Killer” Custom Adirondack over Mahogany. It’s unreal.
Rhett - You better have bought that Huss & Dalton. It fits you perfectly, and sounds amazing!
Picksalot I hope you brought the right budget for that Huss & Dalton. It was built for you. Buy and play that guitar. I could see warm and fuzzy all over your face when you played it. Go home with that guitar. Texas
I would play used guitars for years looking to connect with an acoustic. Wasn’t expecting a sitka spruce washburn D to be Cinderella . Keep an open mind, forget brand or color and play a lot of em. You’ll be glad you did . $220 1990 bucks.
That wife at the guitar store look, haha
Huss & Dalton is my next acoustic. As soon as he started playing it, I was like "WOW!" Amazing sounds.
The Huss and Dalton sounds like all the gorgeous guitars from the singer/songwriters of the 1970s that I love so much. SOLD! Greetings from Memphis.
Lowden excels in strumming and fingerstyle, it may have a bit too many harmonics for strumming if you are looking for a classic western folk style.
Martin D41 excels in strumming but not so much in fingerstyle (probably needed to be picked harder with the fingernails).
Santa Cruz OM, excellent on fingerstyle, it gives something to the Martin in terms of power when strumming.
The little one was boxy and way behind all of the above in anything.
The last one is that sort of gem you find that feels right for you. When you have that feeling, make sure you have your credit card ready and do not let that go.
And left handed acoustics in the house?
Yeah, there's one in the back row.
Great, I'll take it!
On the bright side, we finish sooner, “plenty” for us means we have to try two guitars.
Lol shoulda played drums, everything is lefty-enabled
It's so hard to make a judgment based solely on the sound. The feel, the way a guitar vibrates against me, the way it sounds differently based on where I position my ears - these all matter. But putting all that aside, I gotta say that my favorite was that Lowden. I love Lutz spruce, and I think that guitar did an admirable job of showing Lutz's potential.
13:48 That moment when your ring puts a little dent in the neck wood. 😖
This is the best rundown on how to evaluate I’ve seen. My voice is thick, low register and I chose the Collings CW Rosewood/Adirondack because it sounds incredible and has a pocket for myvocals. Only downside is matching key is easier when guitar fundamentals overlap with your voice’s register.
I have a 95 Gibson Gospel nicely aged that sounds incredible!
Love Righteous. They took my dream Les Paul Custom and took it from zero to hero. Always the best support and service even for a timid kid like me.
There’s just something special about a well built Mahogany Dread! Good choice!!!
The best playing, sounding and feeling acoustic 6-string I ever played was a Huss & Dalton dreadnought. It was a custom wide neck, mohagony neck/back/sides, sitka spruce top, ebony fretboard and saddle. Phenomenal. It cost $6000+...
I was like "Oh that Santa Cruz OM sounds AMAZING! I want one". Googled. Checked price. Cried. Picked up my Taylor GS mini. Happy again.
lol. I tried a Martin OM-16 at GC one time. I left the store confused. Some minor surface issues, but not too concerning. Got all the way home and (again PrI$e) I just got crazy. Determined to get back in the morning and take the plunge. Wouldn't you know, by the time I got there - it was GONE. Oh man that left a hole in my heart for awhile. BTW, about SantaCruz I played a dred in McCabes one time. That was one unique and special instrument. Made my heart race. Highly recommended.
First thing I do, when I walk into the a acoustic section, is walk around and do a single strum on each one. There will always be two or three that stick out and sound amazing! Alas, inevitably, they’ll be the vintage/high end/expensive ones that are out of my range haha but it does work! After that, if Im actually in the market (which Im usually not) for an acoustic, them I start narrowing it down for sound and playability. LAST concern is budget, but it IS still the deciding factor, as most times Ive gone in looking to buy, Ive left with nothing. In fact, every acoustic I own is a vintage one, and nearly all are Elgers lol along with a 30s Gretsch Model 35, a Guild D25, a 70 Epiphone 6512, and two old Harmonys. Ive never bought a new one, as any Ive genuinely liked were outside my range, at the time.
I really liked the Lowden 050C. I feel like that one would suit me personally well. I liked the thought process of looking at the guitar in terms of a speaker. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for another great video
9:40 holy crap that louden is INCREDIBLE. no wonder richard thompson plays them.
Every single Lowden I've played has been a masterpiece, any body shape, any wood combination ...
I have played a few dozen over the years and they are insanely good.
@@cityslacker6221 I really love their design and finish, as well. It's not American style - glossy, but not totally matte, either. It ages nicely. My friend has a cedar top jumbo that keeps getting better with age.
Very good guitars but just a little on the expensive side.
I had a Louden guitar that I paid 3k for and traded it in for the love of my life ( not a guitar) and it only cost my affection. You pick your winner, I'll pick mine. YMMMV. A 40 dollar guitar may be the one.
Wow! That Huss & Dalton was the clear winner! Even tho dreads are usually the louder of the guitar styles, I see what you meant about the tone of that guitar, it was definitely the epitome of what an acoustic should sound like! Would love to stop by Righteous when we’re clear of this darn virus!! Cheers!
That Huss and Dalton is the sort of instrument that can haunt you for the rest of your life if you can't swing the purchase. Unlikely that one will hang around the shop for long. Thanks for another great video.
Huss & Dalton was amazing. For me it's not about brand. It's sound, feel and playability. I'm gonna have to check these guitars out for sure. Next, how to find the perfect amp head and cab. Yeah, that should be next. Because honestly most people have no idea about what fits them. They just know what their dad had when they were a kid, or theirs buddy had this and they played it. And that's all they know. So yeah. Amp head and cab should be the next video in the series. Love the videos Rhett, very informative and entertaining. Keep it up.
Bolt on neck. Well, one might say, so what? Fender=bolt on neck right? I just want that dove tail neck joint because of tradition or something. It sounded great with Rhett playing it. I'll take the D-41
@fartpoobox ohyeah Ok, so they are high end guitars. Not like I don't have a few of those, as many off us do. It sounded great, so if I can find one near where I live and be able to physically play it and see if it's something I like. Well, I guess that will be the hard part. I'm not too much worried about the price of it. I'll just do like I have since I was a kid and save my money. If it's worth it them I'm ok with whatever it costs.
I'd actually relegate tech stuff to secondary importance. If a guitar catches your eye, pick it up and see how it feels, and how it sounds. Go from there. My personal preference? A Yamaha FG800, described as an "entry level" guitar (at $200.00) but I love this one all the way around -- and I've owned a few guitars since 1972, both six string and twelve. If I were still playin' gigs, I'd use this one with pride. A much "bigger" and fuller sound than you'd expect from a mid-size Dreadnaught style. ... Never heard of Huss & Dalton (did I get that right?) but you're right -- serious WOW.
I agree. Ben Calhoun is a great advisor on guitar selection. and there are others. Chris McKee at Alamo Music, San Antonio helped with my selection of the Taylor Academy 12 as my first guitar, as my daughter's FG730S (the first guitar I bought, the second was a Seagull for her sister, at $300 each) just felt too big. A music store display model 12e (at $400 inc. shipping) was too good to pass up, and "Wow!" playable right out of Taylor's gig bag and the reused wall mount LED fireplace box. Reverb was very, very good for me on that! I'll take the 12 to Cole Music Co. for their Taylor Silver setup as Washington opens for non-essential travel, and spend more time checking out the custom guitars and pickups they build. The Academy Series provides great products for beginner/intermediate players, and there's little difference in internal volume between dreadnought 10 and grand concert 12 sizes, so the sustain is amazing. So I plan to hang on guitars #3 (the acoustic) and #4 for a while...
@@charlesbranch4120 I, too, always loved the twelves! Played an Alvarez, and later an Ibanez, through the '70s around the Detroit coffee house circuit. After an argument with a drill press, I no longer had the strength in the left thumb to handle twelves (or some sixes, for that matter) and just got into fooling around now and then on one of several cheapie electrics. Doesn't take much pressure to push the strings down on a Strat! Now I've gotta build my calluses up again, but, oh well! ;)
He’s a great salesman. So knowledgeable
Ben is like a walking guitar encyclopaedia and seems like a really sound guy as well. Seems genuinely helpful no hint of pretentiousness whatsoever very refreshing. Would love to have a beer with him and talk guitars!
When I bought my forever acoustic I played almost every one in the store and surpassed my budget by a couple thousand. The only guitar I liked the sound of better was a $5k Yamaha but it was solid black so I didn’t like the look of it compared to the Taylor I purchased. I had to put it on layaway but it was worth it and I’ve had it for 13 years now and it sounds as good as the day I bought it.
You got a $5k Yamaha!????? omg
Daniel Ho no, I bought a $3500 Taylor. The Yamaha sounded better but I didn’t like the look, or the price tag.
@@roj3originalg562 ah ok, that's nice. but is that yamaha 5k????
When Rhett strummed on the Huss & Dalton for the first time he and I both out loud said "oh yea.." That guitar was head and shoulders above the others.
The Martin had the most pure, clean sound, but that is not surprising - they are legendary.
In my opinion, the smaller Santa Cruz guitars sounded very sweet and this transferred to the recorded tones. The Lowden didn't transfer to recorded tone as well, the D-41 sounds exactly as you would expect and the Huss & Dalton was beautiful. However, if given time the D-41 may sound just as good as the Huss & Dalton with the torrified top, which out of the gate is a big advantage.
The Huss & Dalton sounds amazing.. I was thinking, how cool, an off brand , sounds amazing, probably an affordable price, so I looked it up... the first thing you said in the video was to have a budget... lol.... If she’s in your budget, you have considerably more money to spend than I do... 😞. love the sound, ... way out of my price range.. If Ben could find me an acoustic that sounds like that for about 3/4 of the price tag, I would order it in a heartbeat
Huss & Dalton isn't really an off brand though - more of a boutique / small builder / and priced like you might expect - i didn't notice the price anywhere - does anyone say what the $$ ?
That’s a great store and helpful salesman right there! I’m a heavy hitter and always loved dread style acoustics. The last 3 were all great but that Huss and Daulton had the perfect blend of volume and balanced tone for strumming and picking.
Well, the Huss and Dalton was the only one that was perfectly balanced, EQ-wise, and it made me kinda have wood myself. 🤷🏻♂️
HUSS & DALTON! I used to work in a studio in Nashville. I went to Artisans Guitar, in Franklin, just for fun. I saw a beautiful Huss & Dalton, so I played it. It was the only guitar i ever teared up playing. That was 2012, and nothing has come close to the sound that still resonates in my head, until 2017, when a local shop had a used huss & dalton. They nailed my quintessential acoustic sound, just not my budget...
Never heard of Huss and Dalton. It sounds amazing. Guess I need to start saving.
Huss & Dalton are greatly underrated, and I'm glad they put one in your hands. I, myself, settled into a cherry back & sides Seagull jumbo, mainly because of the full, lush projection. One thing I'd add for the viewers is that one should always find the acoustic guitar that sounds great to their own ears, and then add quality electronics for stage afterwards. There are far too many AE's that sound good unplugged, but also sound like ass when plugged into their cheap on-board electronics. I went for the L.R.Baggs Lyric, and I've been happy ever since.
There's a lot of gold quality/price-wise with Godin acoustic brands. My Norman ST-40 Folk (it sounds kind of between a 00 and a 000) is incredibly resonant and nuanced for a factory guitar.
The Huss & Dalton is definitely the sound I have in my head as well!
The guy from The shop was extremely knowledgeable. One of the best and accurate explanations of how woods transmit tone..I’m from NY but I’m buying my next acoustic there.Excellent video.
The H&D is insane. The voice of those guitars is kind of nice as well, like a Collings but with a bit of that Martin element. No voice is as nice as a Martin to me, though.
Agreed
Hands down that Huss and Dalton!! Wow!!
Every store needs a guy like Ben who knows what to ask to get you exactly what works best for you. It's something you rarely find in retail today, but it's nice to see that level of service hasn't completely disappeared.
most important tip: never buy a brandnew one. Wait, til the used one in good condition comes along. 30% off and pre-loved with opened woods....
Before even hearing you say what guitar it is, I can tell it's a huss and dalton by the bridge shape. They have a very special technique for loading the top deflection in the top. They are the shit. Lots of boutique builders that are amazing. Lots of popularity among bluegrass pickers like myself. Check pre war, Preston's Thompson, Santa cruz, bourgeois, collings of course.
It’s coincidental that you uploaded this because I’m actually in the market for another acoustic guitar. I haven’t settled on anything yet but I really do love how koa sounds as a tonewood, especially on grand auditorium guitars.
I went through a long list before I settled on my last ever guitar.
1 3/4" nut was a must.
Wanted forward shifted bracing.
Adirondack top, even though it may take several years to open up.
Brazilian and/or Madagascar were beyond my price range. Preferred rosewood.
No special frills. I'm not good enough of a player for a fancy looking guitar.
Prefer a good bass whump sound but clarity across all the strings.
I finger pick mostly now. 2 5/16" string spacing proved terrific for me.
I couldn't afford a Martin D-42 Turbo Custom but I wanted a sound close to that.
The Martin Authentics did not have an adjustable truss rod... a must for me.
I bought a used 2008 Martin D-28 Marquis and use medium gauge 13/56 strings.
This is the one for me. Each to their own.
That last guitar was simply epic.
FYI, Huss and Dalton is a smallish boutique guitar shop in Staunton VA. They started up in the 90s.
My perfect acoustic comprises 5 of them lol, I love them all there is no best... I disagree completely with his wood explanation not one of my guitars follow his explanation, my most balanced guitar is Sitka spruce and the brightest is Koa and mahogany, Koa has solid bottom end with scooped mids... spruce has a little less bottom end at least my collection works that way... that Lauden is great sounding but GIGANTIC lol... never once played a guitar that took minutes to open up, calling BS on that, wood does smooth out after a year or two and maybe more after decades... I will say it does take playing any guitar for a couple weeks before it sounds it’s best, not because the guitar changes, but because your fingers learn how to get the tone out of it, they are all different and require a different touch to get them to perform at their best...