Jumbo Steel String Guitars

The SJ 200 is an acoustic guitar from Gibson. It has a Fishman Aura Ellipse Pickup system. The body is a bound jumbo size made from curly maple, and the top is a solid Sitka spruce piece. The neck is made of mahogany, and the fretboard is rosewood. The inlays are a nice crown design, and the bridge appears to be ebony with a neat "mustache" shape. The pickguard has some nice flower designs on it, and the Gibson tuners are gold. UTILIZATION Aside from being a wonderful instrument, I this is one of Elvis's favorite acoustics! Gibson has updated the SJ with a very modern Fishman pickup system, and it works well here. The guitar plays very well, and has incredible workmanship. The only reason why I'm marking this a 9 instead of a 10 is because the giant body can make it a tad uncomfortable to get the picking arm around it. It is not the most ergonomic acoustic guitar out there... SOUNDS ...however, that lack of ergonomics is due to the giant size. And that giant size makes the guitar sound INCREDIBLE. I have never heard an acoustic guitar with more power and impact than this one. The dynamic range is excellent, and this guitar will get as loud as the loudest singers can strum, and then some. The low end is gorgeous and rich, and the mids are bright and focused. This is mainly a strummer's guitar, but sounds great fingerpicked in low tunings. The Fishman system is flawlessly integrated into this and sounds very luscious and detailed. OVERALL OPINION I know, I know - the sound is amazing, but the size is a bit off-putting. And the reason for both is the same reason - it is big simply because that design sounds great on this. This is a wonderful instrument, but that comes at a steep price - street on it is under $4000. Try one out if you have the cash.

This is a unique acoustic guitar. It's made in Ireland, which is interesting, and it actually sounds perfect for many Irish folk tunes. It has a rosewood neck and fretboard, a rosewood back and sides, and a cedar soundboard. It has 21 frets, and is acoustic, so it has no pickups or volume controls. UTILIZATION The last few frets on this guitar are hard to reach, but it's almost definitely more of a rhythm guitar anyway, so that's not a huge issue. Getting a good sound on this guitar shouldn't be too difficult for anyone. It isn't too heavy or too light, and it isn't an awkward guitar to play by any means. It certainly plays like a dream, very smooth and gentle without requiring too much brute force to play. SOUNDS I personally think this is a fantastic guitar. It's incredibly smooth and warm for an acoustic. There is never any unnecessarily high or bright overtones coming out of it. I think as a guitar, it's perfect for folk musicians, be it American or English folk. I also think, as I said before, that it would be great for Irish music as well. If what you are going for is more along the lines of Neil Young, this might not be your thing, as it really isn't twangy at all. However, the sound is beautiful. I've noticed that when I strum it hard, or fingerpick it gently, it responds well to dynamics. This is especially helpful in recording, as each dynamic level sounds relatively consistent. This has been an issue for me in the past. If anyone is familiar with the acoustic guitar playing of Richard Thompson, the tones you get are somewhere in the ballpark of his sound on songs such as "1952 Vincent Black Lightning". OVERALL OPINION I can't say there's much I don't enjoy about this instrument. It's very much a smooth and full-sounding guitar. It plays beautifully and is very versatile. I think it's a very expensive guitar, but this is because the Lowden company is smaller and devotes more time to detail. I think that there aren't many other acoustics that are very comparable to Lowdens, they are in a league of their own. I would highly recommend at least trying one of these guitars to anyone.

I ordered this guitar specifically for playing Celtic finger-style in DADGAD tuning and its intonation is superb. Also, for the same reason, I ordered a 650mm scale length. The design of the guitar means it has a 'cylinder' Italian spruce top and double sides (you can read about this on his website: www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/handmade-acoustic-guitar-model-c/ ).This design is supposed to produce a very clear, resonant sound. Does it work? Absolutely, unequivocally YES. The sound this guitar produces is as clear and resonant as a bell. The sustain is incredible. The lovely thing about this instrument is how versatile the dynamics are - if you want to play loud and clear, that's what you get; if you want quiet and warm then that's there too. The workmanship and finish is up there with some of the best. If you want a guitar with fancy inlay work then you probably won't want a Forster. Nigel goes for a quiet, understated appearance and his guitars are probably bought because of how they sound.

This AJ220s is in Natural. Also available in Vintage Sunburst. Although it is called 'Advanced Jumbo' it is really a round shouldered dreadnought. It is the same guitar as the AJ200S, except that it has a satin finished neck. Made in Indonesia. Acoustic is my go-to instrument. Beatles, blues, and classic rock are my mainstay. I'm a long time hobbyist, never in a band. This review is actually of three examples of this model, and much of this information can be applied to the AJ200S and AJ200SR, also. I previously owned an AJ200SR and needed to replace it, but it has been discontinued. (And that's a shame). I made my purchase from Musicians Friend, for $199. <a href="http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-AJ220S-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=423939">http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-AJ220S-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=423939</a> Solid top. Satin neck. Good construction. Most of these AJ models have a great sound. (Although they do tend have a little of the typical dreadnought 'boom'). Excellent value. These tend to come set up too low. I've seen dusty hand/finger prints under the finish on some. (Not real noticeable). Without going into a lot of details, let's just say that there are some quality control issues. But Musicians Friend will make it right, should you get a lemon. Epiphone should think about making this guitar available in an all satin finish. Overall construction is good. It's well put together, with even the inside looking smooth and neat. All but one that I've seen have well dressed frets. And it isn't bad. The edges are just a little rough. I'm actually keeping that one because of it's fantastic tone. The satin neck plays great, even if it does look a little odd on a gloss body. If you avoid the lemons you can have an amazing solid top guitar for just under $200. I am basing my overall rating on the fact that this guitar is quite inexpensive. Some will need a set up. <img src="http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/regular/8/1/8/683818.jpg" /> This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides for $499! I have a 1960s Martin and was looking for a beginner guitar for my son that sounded good. I tried many $300-600 guitars including the Taylor 100 and the Martin DX1 and both sounded pretty good but both have no bracing and only laminate backs and sides. The Epiphone Masterbilt has great volume and brightness and actually better bass than the Taylor. It sounds pretty comparable to my 1960s Martin! The workmanship on the Epi looks great and its all solid wood. Its available in either mahogany or rosewood ($100 more), and in Jumbo, Dreadnought, and a smaller size similar to Classic/Grand Auditorium. I really think that its one of the best buys in this price range. $499 from Sam Ash. This was the only one in the store to try! Solid wood for under $500! The volume brightness tone are great for the money. The action is good and no buzzing so the factory setup seems good. I think they used to include a gig bag and no longer do. The Grover tuners are open, not sealed. Solid wood construction with either mahogany or rosewood back and sides. If you are looking for a $500 guitar, you must at least try an Epiphone Masterbilt! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I was given the yamaha cj-838s by my mother who inherited it from my uncle who bought it for 1000 dollars at steves music store in toronto. I like the smooth looking light brown body of the guitar. And it has a beutiful sound just like a martin. it is a jumbo so it has a louder yet calmer effect. I dislike the size because it is hard to lug around from place to place. I also dont like the name cj 838s is kind of a borring name to give a sweet sounding guitar. The wide bodied yamaha is pretty well in the same shape it was when it was bought other than few miner dings from taking it out of the case. The yamaha cj 838S is a beutiful sounding instrument that will last very long and the sound will always be remembered. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Walked into guitar shop and saw this baby looking at me like a puppy pleading me to take it home. Loved the tobacco sunburst, the dark brown tortoise pick guard, the thumbnail fret inlay, the gold tuning pegs. Everything about this guitar suggested craftmanship. Played it and it was the guitar I have been searching for for years despite having had many takemines and Yamahas. Did a straight swap for my takemine ESF10C Santa Fe but price was going at £475. Plays beautifully. The neck is a perfect shape for ease of playing with great action on the strings. I have not needed to set this guitar up. There is non of the common problem with quiet strings. The bottom strings are as audible and bright as the top ones. No EQ but the sound through an acoustioc amp is awesome. Once again there is nothing lost in the varying strings. The fact there is no EQ suggests Gretsch's confidence in the pickup. The antiquated look makes for a very unique appearance that grabbed me immediately. Nothing The guitar is very well crafted, I bought it 2nd handed 4 yeas after it was born and there are no structural flas on it. I have found my soul mate in this guitar. It lends itself to any music style. it looks cool and plays beautifully. Feels like a very very expensive guitar and in my opinion you'd be hard pushed to find a guitar of similar quality at around the £800 marks. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar new from Soundslive in Newcastle for £390, complete with a fitted flight case, two packs of strings and a capo! I wanted a jumbo acoustic and had been looking at Gibson/ Epiphone but the guy in the shop reckoned that the yamaha was better than the epiphone and was £300 cheaper! The build quality is superb- you would think that the guitar was more expensive as it really is beautifully made. Tonally, it is quite bright for a jumbo but sounds brilliant. I recorded a demo with it and recorded it sounds great- a real Neil Young acoustic tone! Obviously the access to the higher frets is problematic, but I believe that if you're looking at a guitar like this then you aren't getting to play above the 12th fret much anyway! Other than that, the string spacing is superb and the neck is much more reminiscent of an electric guitar than an acoustic-it reminds me of the neck on a Les Paul I'm not overly keen on the colour- I wanted a blonde guitar but this model only comes in a violin sunburst finish so its a little darker than I wanted. However, the quality is that good that I forgot about the colour. Besides which, everyone else seems to like it! As I've said, faultless really. It truly is a wonderfully well made guitar and I would recommend them to anyone. Having also played the epiphone version I can say that I do prefer the Yamaha and it's half the price. The Yamaha feels really sturdy but has a great kind of worn in feel when you pick it up. It's really playable and sounds great. If you're in the market for a jumbo acoustic then I strongly suggest that you check this out. It's over a grand cheaper than the gibson and it's half the price of the epiphone- other than those models jumbos aren't all that common by anyone else (and certainly not within what most of us would call a realistic price bracket). My first impressions when I played it was how I thought they must have put the wrong price tag on the guitar because I caouldn't believe that it was only £300! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased used through eBay auction - $700 and another $25 to ship. You have to love the tone and sustain. This guitar was an upgrade from my old Yamaha laminate guitar that always sounded a bit muted to my ears. The difference is just amazing, and I felt very encouraged by how much better I sounded on this guitar. It has a slightly wider nut, so is good for finger-style - and it strums nicely, too. Can there be too much sustain? Maybe - so it does require you to work the strings and strums a little differently. Overall, I'd say this is a terrific guitar. Solid spruce top, solid mahogony back and sides, rosewood fingerboard, grover tuners. Slim neck - easy to play. Simple and beautiful. Highly recommend this guitar. If you feel a little stuck on your old 'beginner' guitar, this will really pick you up! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This was my first REAL guitar. When I first learned to play, I had a show guitar, one that you hang on the wall or shove into your closet; not made for playing. After a while, I was sick of it. I finally realized what a terrible guitar I had when I went into the local Guitar Center and tried out several various guitars. I set my eye on a classic Cordoba 3/4. I didn't even look at the steel stringed guitars, because I was sure I wanted a classic. To make a long story short, I went into the Guitar Center with the money to buy a guitar a month later, and they had sold the Cordoba. However, I could play the show guitar no longer. I tried out this Takamine G-230, and my delusions of classic guitar playing immediately vanished. I came out of Guitar Center that day $200 poorer but one great guitar richer and happier. This guitar has an amazing brassy sound. Not exactly enchanting, but it definitely has a great folk song kind of feel to it. The action is perfect, and the body curves perfectly to fit my knee. It's like this guitar was destined to be played by me, and I become one with it every time I sit down and strum out a song. In short, I am in love with this guitar. I want to marry it and have little guitar children. As you go down the neck, the frets get smaller. That sounds naive, but I mean really small. By the time I capo up to the fourth fret, I'm already having trouble playing a G. This guitar is also moderately difficult to tune. The strings change pitch rather drastically, rather quickly. The keys are easily knocked out of place, as well, but they will never slide out of place by themselves. It doesn't take a genius to see that this is somewhat of a beginner's guitar. What can I say? This is high quality handmade at it's best. The only thing that prevents me from giving this guitar a 5 is the fact that I know that, with this guitar costing only $200, there must be SOME difference in quality between this and the guitars that cost thousands of dollars. The 5 spot should be reserved for exceptional guitars like those. In my opinion, there are far too many 5 pick reviews on this website. But I'm getting off topic. Anyway, your experience with this guitar may differ from mine, if only slightly, because no two Takamines are the same. This ends my review of the Takamine G-230. If you have any questions, comments, interpretations of strange dreams, theories concerning the meaning of life, etc., email me at furryanimalme@hotmail.com. No worries! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I aquired my EJ-200 From Musicians Friend in October 2002. With the case, my Blonde wonder came to just under $500.00 It's a decent instrument for the price. The fit and trim is quite good. I record with Condensor Mics. The EJ-200 has a bright sound that doesn't require much EQ There have been problems with the as delivered set up. There was plenty of buzzing at the 12th fret. I didn't play it for about 2 weeks at one time. I picked up the guitar and the bridge saddle bottomed into the slot. The problem was corrected by shimming the slot with several small pieces of photo paper. I ended up fileing several of the frets between the 6th and 10 frets then compounding them. I've been around guitars all my life so I know where I'm at.I just think that closer attention should've been paid during construction. Fit and finish is great considering what the USA made J-200 costs new. Great binding and the clear coat is flawless. The machines are quite nice. I think we're going to be great friends. She is called; "Marilyn"; "Blonde and Curvey"!! Overall; I like the guitar. It's still breaking in. A solid Spruce top would've been nice. It's a good buy for what I spent. It's not junk. If you record, this sweetie likes big Condensor mics. It suits my needs and I don't feel that I've been taken. Sometimes I wish I had larger hands! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid $530.00 a the Shelby Music Store in Shelby, NC. The Washburn rep was in the store the day I bought it and he was terrific. He even adjusted the neck himself and put on a new set of string for me. The guitar itself is just beautiful to look at. The blonde wood curly back is a sight to see. The sound of the guitar is terrific, just right, not too loud or soft. The tone is as mellow as any guitar I have heard. The play ability of the guitar is what sold me. I like the low action that was set by the Washburn rep. Everything is great. The guitar is terrific, the Washburn rep was wonderful and the music store staff were very helpful. Hand selected solid spruce top. Quilted natural maple back and sides. Rosewood fingerboard. Absolutely first rate quality!!!!!! Gold Grover tuning machines. If you are looking for a quality and beautiful looking and sounding jumbo, the Washburn is IT! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com