Choice of 2. Any advice?

xSkarloey

Had a look at Takamine? (Something Japanese made).

crunchman

Just had a look round.  These might be worth a look as alternative options at the kind of price you are looking at.  Seagull are normally pretty good value for money and might get you more guitar for your money than the Epi and the Yamaha in the price range you are looking at.  There is also a Martin from the lower end of their range:

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/left_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14021717381232

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/left_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14100213521258

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/left_guitars_detail.asp?stock=14032016195432

shsam75

Not keen on those seagull head stocks. The martins is interesting but it says the sides are high pressure laminate where as the yamaha has solid rosewood. Much difference? Incidentally, was in Lincoln on Saturday and wandered down to music room assuming they'd have a RIGHTY yamaha just for me to look at and hold. Low and behold they had the lefty epi in stock. Had a play around but and quite liked it. Didn't sound as nice as the tanglewood I currently have but it certainly looked good. Impressed by the price of it but I now think the yamaha at £250 more SHOULD be miles better sounding. They didn't have many yamahas in. Did mess with a thr10 though. Me likey!

ICBM

shsam75 said:

Not keen on those seagull head stocks.

Nor am I, not just because they're ugly but because they have a tendency to part company from the neck.

I'm not sure exactly why because the design seems fairly normal, but in my experience Seagull/Simon & Patrick/Art & Lutherie (all the same company really - Godin) headstocks are the second most commonly broken after Gibson, and noticeably more than you would expect from the number out there compared to other brands.

shsam75 said:

The martins is interesting but it says the sides are high pressure laminate where as the yamaha has solid rosewood. Much difference?

You can't easily compare a Martin with HPL to a Yamaha with rosewood because the rest of the guitar is quite different as well. Rosewood should sound better than HPL, so *probably* the Yamaha will sound better, but in my opinion Yamahas don't sound as good as Martins overall, so it may be closer than you'd think.

shsam75 said:

Low and behold they had the lefty epi in stock. Had a play around but and quite liked it. Didn't sound as nice as the tanglewood I currently have but it certainly looked good.

Really, just avoid modern Epiphone acoustics - you've nailed it exactly, they look the part but sound extremely average.

BigLicks67

Don't forget you can go for a Yamaha LL6 which at £380-400 is nearer the budget of the Epiphone Texan.

I think Martin's are pretty consistent these days - about 12 years ago when I bought mine they were all over the place. Luckily the advent of Taylors gave them a much needed kick up the backside.

I played about 10 martins recently across the price range and the all had a consistency of sound and set up. 

Don't the HPL one's have those horrible stratabond necks though if so I'd avoid.

shsam75

I don't think the ll6 comes as a lefty. Still looking at Taylors online. Birthdays end of April so still a few weeks to decide

xwoozor

For £600 you could be picking up something like those in a cash sale out of ebay (only had a quick look).  Id consider used at that price range.  You will then get a great guitar for life.  Unlike an epi or yamaha.

martin
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Left-handed-Martin-GPCPA4-/141606980669?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item20f86f0c3d

or stonebridge
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Left-handed-Stonebridge-DS34-SR/141606975345?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIC.MBE&ao=1&asc=20140122125356&meid=18b6525c650d47dc80491ea34e5112c7&pid=100005&rk=1&rkt=6&sd=141606980669&rt=nc

crunchman

@woozor just reminded me about Furch/Stonebridge.

This is probably a better guitar than anything new mentioned so far:

http://rguitars.co.uk/collections/stonebridge/products/furch-stonebridge-d20cml-acoustic-guitar

BigLicks67

Here's a lefty ll16 on fleabay :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAMAHA-LL16-LEFT-HANDED-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-HARD-CASE-/331506123494?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4d2f4e02e6

.

woody

That stonebridge is an absolute bargain.. different league to most of guitars being mentioned..to my ears they are better than martin d28, s(much tighter better defined bottom end) and can give the santa cruz and collings of this world a very close run for it..

crunchman

If you are talking about the Ebay Stonebridge I'd take a 34 series Stonebridge over any Martin short of the Vintage Series (or whatever they have renamed it now)

shsam75

Update: I got the yamaha ll16. ) I officially get it this week but it arrived a few days ago and I've several sessions with it before I decided it was a keeper. It's set up great for me straight out of the box and I have to say the finish is sublime. I'm really blown away by its looks and feel. For the price it's incredible. Sound wise it's loud and clear and nice and warm. No buzzing or anything. Ordered straight from yamaha music London. Asked for a mint one rather than a display model and they dispatched straight from yamaha themselves as they only had one in the shop. Really good service.

BigLicks67

Good Choice.

Basher

The only guitar I still have from my teens is a late-70s/early-80s Yamaha L25a. I bought it at a time when solid timber acoustics were very rare where I lived. It's a lovely thing - heavily built but very even sounding for a dreadnought sized guitar. Definitely not boomy and plenty of refinement so just at home with fingerstyle, flatpicking and out-and-out strumming.

As with @Skarloey it was the Bert Jansch connection that pushed me into spending a few quid more than I had on it. 

Enjoy getting to know it and here's my L series...