Help! Small-bodied / thinner acoustic that sounds good?

bluechargeboy

Help me out here! I am fairly small and I have got into a situation wherein I am playing dreadnoughts all the bloody time in my band. After 3 years of it I am suffering with "golfer's elbow" on the right arm, which I believe is caused by pressing the top of the dread against my torso so I can reach around the other side to where the strings are! I have dropped the strap a fair way, to see if it helps......but maybe I can throw money at the problem!

So what is smaller or thinner, has decent access to upper frets (so no 12-fret non-cutaway parlours)? Preferably sounds decent plugged in or is compatible with soundhole pickup.

I am hoping there something a bit nicer than a Stratacoustic.

Any ideas?

Winny_Pooh

Taylor GS mini

John_P

Taylor 312ce  might work.  

bluechargeboy

Cheers guys, I'd love something the size of a GS Mini with cutaway! I have played a Baby Taylor and they are frickin loud things.

barry2tone

Recording King ROM-06-CFE4 OM?  Tried the 12 fret non-electro recently - good for the price, if a bit glossy. 
The Tone Station have one in, maybe others.

ICBM

John_P said:

Taylor 312ce  might work.  

Excellent guitar, and small. I had one for a few years and it was very good for what it did.

Yamaha APXs are good if you avoid the entry-level models too, if you're on a tighter budget.

bluechargeboy

@ICBM so the APX1200? I am a "Takamine guy" as I like the plugged-in sound, does the Yamaha do a good job, not too plinky?

The narrow body of the APX guitars (90mm) appeals, because when I look at photos of me playing, I am hunched forward to allow my arm to get over the edge of the guitar....

barry2tone

I've a fan-fret on loan from a pal, which comes with a Ryan-type forearm bevel.
After a couple of weeks playing it, I'll not be buying any acoustic without a bevel in the future.
Should be standard, one day hopefully down the budget. Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics.

bluechargeboy

barry2tone said:

I've a fan-fret on loan from a pal, which comes with a Ryan-type forearm bevel.
After a couple of weeks playing it, I'll not be buying any acoustic without a bevel in the future.
Should be standard, one day hopefully down the budget. Ergonomics, ergonomics, ergonomics.

Interesting that is, @barry2tone, I was eyeing up the edge of my guitar today with that thought in mind! Washburn do forearm-bevelled acoustics, no idea if they are any good.

barry2tone

Don't know if they're any good, but they're probably comfortable. 

ICBM

bluechargeboy said:

@ICBM so the APX1200? I am a "Takamine guy" as I like the plugged-in sound, does the Yamaha do a good job, not too plinky?

If you like Takamines you should get on with the APX, yes. The earlier and cheaper APXs could be very shrill and tinny, even plugged in, but the modern ones are excellent, especially further up the range.

They'll never have the thick tone of an old Martin or Gibson obviously, but that's not really what they're about...

bluechargeboy

The APX sound-tailoring modelling SRT preamp thingy might be very useful on a guitar that is fundamentally compromised by its physical size.

Cheers guys, I am going to try various ergonomic adjustments first, but I have some GAS research I can do now!

xSkarloey

bluechargeboy said:

Cheers guys, I'd love something the size of a GS Mini with cutaway! I have played a Baby Taylor and they are frickin loud things.

Purely my opinion:

The Baby is good but to my ear sounds a bit plinky plonky. 

The Big Baby sounds okay and feels good.

The GS Mini has its own look and its own sound. It is a really, really well executed design. 

Evilmags

Lowden LS 1. (Or whatever they call it these days). And by a distance 

bluechargeboy

@Evilmags Ooooooooooooo! Although that's quite a few gigs to pay for that one!

Now called the Stage Edition by the way. Nice.

Evilmags

Worth it. Seriously good. Had mine 24 years. 

bluechargeboy

I've seen a few Lowdens being played live and they just crush all the opposition.