After reviewing over 600 guitars professionally, I’ve made some acquisitions. The seven guitars that I bought embody the best of the acoustic dreadnought guitar.
Now, that’s not to say there are better guitars out there! Rather, these seven guitars represent a combination of qualities that I seek out in a guitar, and I’ll let you decide if these guitars are worth adding to your guitarsenal…
And, since we’re talking about guitarsenals…have you picked up your guitarsenal T-Shirt yet? If you haven’t seen this awesome shirt that let’s you really step into becoming a guitar geek, click here!
Besides covering the seven dreadnought acoustic guitars I bought after years of reviewing guitars, this episode of Acoustic Tuesday will feature an all-Koa wood Bourgeois Guitar, a few helpful tips to help you build your guitarsenal, and Dogwood Tales.
As always, you can catch Acoustic Tuesday at 10 am every Tuesday in these four places:
- Acoustic Life YouTube channel
- We Play Every Day Facebook Community
- Get show notes emailed directly to your inbox.
- Listen to audio-only below or in iTunes
Show Notes
Heartbreaker of the Month
See all the awesome guitars at Heartbreaker Guitars in Las Vegas — https://heartbreakerguitars.com/
Visit Bourgeois to see the beautiful guitars made in their shop — https://bourgeoisguitars.net/
Jeremy the Guitar Hunter
Visit Jeremy’s website to find more tips — https://www.jeremytheguitarhunter.com/
Check out Jeremy’s YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx2eeVX04jN3Ki1u74ehLIw
Dogwood Tales
https://www.dogwoodtalesmusic.com/ – Visit Dogwood Tales Online
https://youtu.be/77hMyoy-wDs – There Goes The Light
https://youtu.be/7bL91hRnjfY – Another Harvest Moon
https://youtu.be/hznw9BfBj-o – You Are a Blackbird
Tony I love your show. Just love it. Love the guitars and love your attitude and approach to guitars and life too!. Thanks so much. Look forward to upcoming episodes. Take care.
I have to say that the Henderson and the Santa Cruz are my favorites. But I’m probably biased because these two have been on top of my dream guitars list for a long time. BTW the Ome Juniper woody is the best sounding open back banjo I’ve ever heard on line for clawhammer/old time.
Have been seriously looking at the 517. Nice to see someone play it, and give positive comments. Saving my dollars, and praying for the end of Covid so that I can get out to local music stores and try out the Taylor.
What is the story of the Martin MMV series guitars? Played one and it was wonderful (cutaway version).
Life is short…GET THE KOA!
The last one, your trusty Martin stood out to me. A beautiful full tone. Have seen that one on various lessons and it is a stunner.
Brand new to TAC and Acoustic Life, so this is the very first Acoustic Tuesday I have watched. I first bought a guitar some 40 years ago. I have played around with it, but never actually learned to play it. I retired recently, so at the age of 70 years young, I am making it my mission to learn how to play in my remaining years. I feel confident that being one of your “guitar geeks” is going to enable me to accomplish that goal and have fun in the process. I’d like to recommend something related to the segment about having stronger nails. Last winter, when my hands got really chapped, I happened to see a quite small tube of Mane ‘n Tail Hoofmaker Hand & Nail Therapy at the checkout counter of a local (Norman, OK) farm implement store. I asked the woman checking me out if it is any good and she said it’s the best she’s ever found. I bought the tube and have subsequently bought larger dispensers ever since. The story goes that the product, as per its name, was originally produced for the strengthening and repair of horse hooves, but as the handlers began to notice how good it was for their hands and nails, the product line added marketing to humans. I have never had particularly weak nails, so I can’t really remark about it making mine that much stronger, but I can certainly attest to the fact that it keeps my hands healthy, minimizing if not eliminating (when I remember to use it regularly) my cuticles and hangnails. Other important added bonuses are that you only need use a small amount, it doesn’t have strong odor and it rubs right in without leaving a slick, greasy feeling on your hands or nails.
What happened to your Gibson J-45?
Hello, I am a real amateur at playing the acoustic guitars. My first experience with the acoustic Guitar was at sears and roebucks. I came back from VietNam and went to sears. They had one guitar in stock and I bought it. Knowing nothing at all other than putting my ear on the side and plucking the strings and drooling on the guitar a lot I decided I better learn to play it. I went to the old town school of folk music and met Ron Clark. I wanted to play the blues. He took pity on me and mentioned my sears guitar was a historical piece and to hang it on the wall and get a more current model. I bought a Guild D50. It was gigantic compared to my Gibson F hole sears guitar. ROn taught me all about the guitar lie strings pegs bridge neck front back sides and neck with frett board and so on. Finally he taught me how to play mary had a little lamb. Being impatient I told him gimme way more and way faster. Ok, I learned all the chords in the first position and the 7ths. I learned the barr chord forms and could go up and down the neck to get the right chord for the songs he presented. But I wanted more. Soooooooooooooo, he taught me finger picking. His style. Later I found out there were other styles and taught myself.
I had to move to another part of the country but before I left I bought a 1971 Martin D-35 6 string dreadnought and the reason for my note to you here. I also bought a 1968 Martin used D35 12 string.
I had no music teacher at that time but I went to the library of congress and found several superstars…Leadbelly…I taught myself. I was really bad at it and a trivial player at best. I wound up in Orlando Florida and found a bunch called, “Friends of Florida Folk”. I was a foffer for years but wasn’t getting better. I met Bob Rafkin and he brought me up from trivial to immaterial.
He passed away and left me at my current level. I am Stuck.
Two things.
one is you didn’t mention 12 string dreadnoughts and
two is there anyone in the Orlando are you could recommend as a teacher for finger picking for me as a trivial player with the desire to learn and I practice all the time.
I am sorry for the length of this tome but as a singer songwriter is is hard to control.
LEMMEKNOW…….:) Harm….
no 12 fret dread?
Surprised no Gibson guitars in your seven dreadnoughts guitarsenal
What happened to the J-45 Tony used on the videos? Doesn’t He consider it a Dread?
I loved the Koa guitar the most! Of course since I’m in Hawaii Koa has a special place in my heart.
No doubt in my mind about the best sounding of these guitars. The D-41 has so much resonance and depth compared to the others.. just awesome. My next favorite is the D-35, similar but not quite as rich as the D-41. The Thompson comes in third.. great balance. The Bourgeoise had the clearest highs but the base was kind of muted. Couldn’t really compare the Santa Cruz because it was only fingerpicked. My least favorite were the two Taylors sounded OK but just Meh. I’ve always though Taylor’s strength was in their smaller bodied guitars and 12 strings.
G’day Tony. As an Aussie, I have to put forward the Maton. Both Tommy Emmanuel and Eric Johnson, plus heaven knows how many others, play these babies. I own a Maton Messiah and it has it’s own tone very different to Gibson (J50) and Martin (OM28V). It probably sits neatly between the two. Love the show.
I’m thinking you might need a Henderson D-28 style
Love the sound of the koa, I want one.
I have a 50 year old Rodriguez Spanish. Could be older. I have smaller hands and I can finally reach my cords.
if you stopped lighting guitars on fire i think the hobby would be better off.
Great show – thanks! No Collings? 🙂
Love you show and appreciate all your great work, but what about a good dreadnought that didn’t cost a whole lot of money. Everyone has a great guitar that they purchased back in the day that just sings perfectly. Any proletariat guitars in the collection, or is that a show for a different day?
“By accident” Tony – please! On purpose – by accident. Love the show!
Wow. 12-fret, all Koa, slotted headstock… and great tone. My heart is officially broken!
Where is your Gibson J-45? How about the Martin ‘tuxedo’?
Hey Tony, Please let me know how you like the Monster Grips. I was skeptical, but now they’re on all of my picks. BTW, tried Molly Tuttle’s favorite Dunlop 207 and it’s great for cross-picking. Nice tone too, so I’m suing it fof ome jazz as well.
What do you think of Zager guitars for beginners?
Hi TONY,
Love that Koa guitar the best! Also the last Martin you played was pretty sweet. Love your show and look forward
to watching every Tuesday.
Loved being introduced to your guitar. I wish you would start each lesson or time you play with the name of your guitar, tone woods maybe a little background. I think if you can spend 90 seconds on Pat Sajack you can spend 30 seconds to advance guitar geekdom by telling about the instrument chosen for the lesson.
I’m surprised you didn’t have a Gibson in your dreadnought collection.
Well now, it shore does look to Me that just Possibly Tony Polecastro does Not ‘Answer questions here’, Huh??? Some dern Good Questions, too. But, it Seems, to Me, like his ‘Plate is just plain Full’?? Believe that ole Tony does put ‘His entire heart & soul into somehow ‘Producing’ this Big Weekly Show, uh, Every dern Week, too! Let that be ” some sort of Answer for Y’all, K ? *Hate to see a good question just Hang there, that’s just Me*, so I’m just tryin’ to provide *something* to satisfy Y’all, Eh?
Hi Tony. Thanks for the great show — it’s always fun to hook up with other guitar geeks, and I also learned a lot. I have a bit of a guitar conundrum that I hoped you might be able to help me with — and it’s one that I imagine faces many other players. I’m looking to buy a new guitar, and I’m lucky enough to be able to afford something pretty fancy, but I’m not a very good player — probably never will be — and it seems almost criminal to condemn a fine instrument to life in the hands of a mediocre player like me. I’d welcome your view on that — provided of course that your view is that I should splash out on a nice new guitar 🙂
the picking was great but strumming would give us the true sound of each guitar
Surprise on the Thompson review.
Holy Smokes Tony!! Talk about a small world…. First, I stumbled across TAC, Acoustic Tuesdays and the monthly Guitar Party earlier this year as a true beginner and have learned so much already! It’s incredible. I only wish I could make more time to play. Note the use of the word play vs practice. I sometimes feel as though referring to it as practice subconsciously takes the sense of fun out of it. Anyway, back to the small world… For 9 years I lived in Great Falls, MT when I was stationed with and retired from the Air Force. I moved out of Montana in 2011. I’ve always wanted to learn acoustic guitar but never really made an effort. Had no clue Gibson was there and now, totally regret not knowing because I would have loved to tour/visit their facilities. Next connection… when I moved from Montana, I returned to my family home in Marinette, WI. Yes, not very far from where apparently your parents live in Athelstine! It gets crazier…. My grandparents lived for many years in Beecher, just a bit further north from Athelstine. I spent much of my childhood in the woods around Athelstine, Wausaukee, Amberg, Beecher and Pembine. Just to name a few of the very small neighboring communities. I LOVE that area of Wisconsin and will always think of it as home. So as a true guitar geek, I have been watching all the previous episodes of Acoustic Tuesday, yes from the beginning. I recently watched an episode where you mentioned having family in Chilton, WI. Good lord Tony, much more connection and we may be family… LOL My Dad’s sister and her family live in Chilton and yeah, we spent a good bit of time there as well. In fact when I was very young, we lived on a dairy farm near Chilton as well… but that was just a few years ago… I believe the mid 60’s. Looonng before your time. 🙂 Love the show!! I really appreciate TAC and hope to be a long time member. Oh and one final thought. Thanks for what you do for Guitars for Vets!! I hope to become involved with the Milwaukee group ASAP.
Tony, Is there any value in adding a 12 string guitar to my Guitarsenal?
My favorite was your Dad’s Martin D-41.