guitar recommendation por favor

[hazineju]

Given all the great information provided so far unless you want a pick-up for live work do you really need one at all?
You were willing to spend 700 bucks on a guitar with a pick-up in it but would you consider doing a few things to make your studio space usable for recording.
Maybe you don't need to build a cabinet for the computer [ and overheating is a worry there, hence my friend opening and closing the door].
The use of gobos goes back a long way for isolating different sound sources. These can be placed strategically around a computer. Basically a bit of particle board with some absorptive material on one side [or 2] and Bob's ur uncle!
Couple that with a reflexion filter around the mic and you could get decent results with vocals and a variety of acoustic instruments.
Just worth a thought?

hey Lesmac,

yes, i'm already planning to get the SE Electronics Reflexion Filter Pro next month for my mic. i'm psyched about that and it's high time! my computer is a macbook pro. if it gets really noisy i stick a pillow over it while recording but it's not a great solution, so maybe i'll spend some time googling how to make a cabinet type thing for it. i do think the reflexion filter will help a lot though. thanks for the suggestions.

Check this out!

http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/irigacoustic/

thanks HowlingUlf, i like the price on that

Replace case fans with quieter ones. They're inexpensive and easy to change out.

that's good to know, Len911. is that the same for laptops, too? i'm guessing not, but i'll look into it.

Just for the heck of it... check out one of these...
most of the big instrument Internet companies carry these;
around $300, but you'll need/want to get a good case?, which is additional

Epiphone EL-00 PRO Acoustic/Electric Guitar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHZHVEf-Uo

good luck; and good playing.
hth, cheers.

ed. NOTE: in the video, the guitar is plugged in, using its built-in electronics; plus the use of a stand-alone external mic.
Gives you good-sounding options at a very reasonable price.

thanks for the recommendation, funsongs. i watched the video, it does sound good and really is a reasonable price.

Pickups for acoustic guitars are primarily for stage work, because they compromise the sound; whatever's coming off the pickup nearly always needs a lot of massaging to even resemble an acoustic guitar. It can work in a mix, but when your guitar is alone, naked and afraid, it needs the room around it to sound right; room reflections are part of what makes it sound 'acoustic' and no pickup can provide that, by itself.

That said, there are a few pickup systems that are less of a compromise than most. Taylor's Expression system combines several different technologies to represent your guitar's natural sound (including an 'invisible' magnetic pickup under the neck) and it works pretty well; as close to plug and play as it gets, IMO. (and they come that way from the factory) Fishman's Aura pickup/ preamp system does a really decent job as well, but you have to tote along a stompbox anywhere you play and because it uses convolution technology it really does sound like a guitar, just not necessarily your guitar. Prism and B-Band's "condenser" P/U tie for about third, though Prism's multi-sensor approach requires a lot of trial and error, results are superior to the B-band when you get it just right. I have a Baggs Double Barrel installed in my dreadnought; it features an under-saddle piezo and a mini omni condenser mic and requires a stereo cable and separate signal paths/preamps for best results and as you may have already guessed, I STILL prefer a mic, (or three) when I'm recording. Personally, I think you're best off with a quality guitar, a remote for your DAW and a long mic cable, if fan noise is the issue. At least with the Taylor, you have an axe that's worth miking up, and the pickup sound won't hurt your ears. (though knowledgable folks will still be able to tell it's a pickup. There are also some soundhole pickups that are easy enough to self-install/remove, IF your soundhole is standard size and not an oval. Fishman's Rare Earth magnetic/mic combo is among the best sounding, as is the Sunrise soundhole magnetic, if you can find one, but it requires a custom preamp installed within the guitar body or a goofy looking box hanging off your endpin jack.

wow, lots of stuff to think about there, mojo, thanks so much! yes i'd like a Taylor! and i know that plenty of people agree with you that recording with an external is the best route. i just like the idea of plugging it in and not having to worry about the room acoustics, the fan noise, my breathing, headphone bleed, etc, but maybe i'm just trying to find an easy way out. great suggestion about longer cable and remote, that's something i can manage very easily and is a good starting point until i'm able to get everything else sorted out.

Thanks again to all you guys, i really appreciate your thoughts and help

[eeoo]

No way other than to be blunt about this so here goes: I hate direct acoustic guitar. I don't really get why one would play an acoustic guitar if they are going direct with it, at that point you're not playing that instrument, you're playing what ever is amplifying the signal. I understand in live situations it's often a necessary evil but for recording, the second I hear an acoustic guitar going direct, unless it's for some kind of effect, I'm over it.

Sorry for the bluntness but I assure you I'm not alone in having a strong opinion about this. I would WAY rather hear some funky room noise through a mic than a pickup in an acoustic guitar going direct.

Posted with the best intentions and I hope it helps

[Len911]

that's good to know, Len911. is that the same for laptops, too? i'm guessing not, but i'll look into it.

I couldn't find any silent ones for macbook, only refurbished and oem.

[mojobone]

You could try silicon washers under the fan's mounting screws; it's surprising how much that can help, in some cases.

[funsongs]

Hey Juliet...
Just yammering - 'cause I like yammering about acoustic guitars.
To date, I've only recorded with the 2 dreadnoughts I own - and, like EO, always preferring mic-only capture of the instruments' true sound; no plug-in. An in-tune acoustic is all you need.

Wanting a smaller body guitar - i.e. sorta Parlor-size, I just found a good deal on a used
(probably some dings & wear&tear to the cosmetics)
Takamine G406S New Yorker; thanks to eBay.
Waiting for delivery as I type this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DI5B2nRabrA

If you're willing to buy used gear, and have a good luthier near you to check for structural integrity and get a good set-up... you probably can find something that sounds, plays, and records great; and be well within your budget. The acoustic/electrics give you options for live performance when mic'ing is either problematic, or unavailable.

Hope you'll post a report & the results of your search.
Cheers.
Peter

[mojobone]

That new iRig Acoustic thingy looks interesting, but you won't have a lot of mic placement options and fan/hard drive noise could still be an issue unless you record to a solid-state device, like an iPhone or iPad. Which reminds me, there's yet another option; you could record to a smart card with any solid-state portable recorder, and then transfer the files to your computer, though if you're relying on your DAW or its metronome for a timing reference, you'd have to first offload guide tracks from the computer to the device, which would have to feature simultaneous record/playback. (unless you incorporate a mixer, LOL ) Many solid-state recorders have this feature, some include a mixer, as well and most are significantly cheaper than a new guitar. Maybe all you need is a longer cable between your audio interface and the computer, but longer mic cables and a wireless keyboard might be the cheapest option.

[joematzzie]

Regarding electric - I'd say go to the store and try to get an american Fender Stratocaster and if you can't find one under $600 then get an Ibanez.

For acoustics you can get a Martin for less than $600. Those fudgey brown ones that look like they're unfinished wood, or the Martin backpacker guitar. It won't be killer sound like mine is, but it will make you sound like those beautiful TV commercials with the acoustic guitar.

Joe

[hazineju]

No way other than to be blunt about this so here goes: I hate direct acoustic guitar. I don't really get why one would play an acoustic guitar if they are going direct with it, at that point you're not playing that instrument, you're playing what ever is amplifying the signal. I understand in live situations it's often a necessary evil but for recording, the second I hear an acoustic guitar going direct, unless it's for some kind of effect, I'm over it.

Sorry for the bluntness but I assure you I'm not alone in having a strong opinion about this. I would WAY rather hear some funky room noise through a mic than a pickup in an acoustic guitar going direct.

Posted with the best intentions and I hope it helps

but how do you really feel, Ethan? ok i hear ya loud and clear, thanks for the weigh in. it made the decision not to buy a new guitar with a pick up an easier one

Hey Juliet...
Just yammering - 'cause I like yammering about acoustic guitars.
To date, I've only recorded with the 2 dreadnoughts I own - and, like EO, always preferring mic-only capture of the instruments' true sound; no plug-in. An in-tune acoustic is all you need........

If you're willing to buy used gear, and have a good luthier near you to check for structural integrity and get a good set-up... you probably can find something that sounds, plays, and records great; and be well within your budget. The acoustic/electrics give you options for live performance when mic'ing is either problematic, or unavailable.

Hope you'll post a report & the results of your search.
Cheers.
Peter

hey Peter, yammering is always welcome in my book i had to google "luthier" - thanks for teaching me a term i hadn't heard before. i am pretty sure there isn't a good luthier near me, but i'll double check on that. in the meantime, i've ordered my Reflexion Filter Pro, and a longer headphone cable. think i'll get a wireless keyboard, although i see there's an app that may work for remote control recording, too. so i think for the time being i'm all set. the applause ovation i have isn't the most stelllar guitar on earth, but it's been good enough for broadcast quality thus far, and so for my needs at this point i guess i will stick with it for now.

Regarding electric - I'd say go to the store and try to get an american Fender Stratocaster and if you can't find one under $600 then get an Ibanez.

For acoustics you can get a Martin for less than $600. Those fudgey brown ones that look like they're unfinished wood, or the Martin backpacker guitar. It won't be killer sound like mine is, but it will make you sound like those beautiful TV commercials with the acoustic guitar.

Joe

thanks Joe, i've jotted those down. great stuff

thanks again everyone, looks like i'm all set for now, you guys really helped me out!