Good secondary to my Gibson J200? Ready - GO!

[Sam Perry]

Thanks for your input!

[azslacker]

If you are still singing, an 814ce. With ES-2

[TaylorGirl]

Maybe a little more information would be helpful. What type of player are you, what sound are you looking for, etc. It might give you some better suggestions. Otherwise, you may get ideas all over the board.

[Sam Perry]

Good suggestion about more information... I sing a lot with the guitar.  It's mostly modern worship music.  Sometimes I get to sit in and gig with some friends at different venues.  I'm a strummer mostly.  My first instrument was the drums, so I kind of play that way.  Pretty rhythmic...hammer notes, percussive in nature.  My picking has gotten better, especially in the last couple of years.  Having said that, no one in their right mind would hire me to come pick on their record.  I'm looking for a full rich tone.  I love my J200 sound, so I'm not looking to recreate that.  But I don't want a thin sound either. 

[timfitz63]

Well, since you're a vocalist who accompanies himself on the guitar, a guitar with Rosewood back/sides is going to probably be the best choice for the body wood; that puts you into the Taylor 700/800/900 Series of guitars.

Based on the information you've provided so far, I tend to think a Spruce top will suit you better (and tends to be my preference); but Rosewood paired with Cedar seems to be highly regarded on the forum, and would give a 'warmer' sound, if you want something to further distinguish this as-yet theoretical guitar from your J200.  If you happen across a Build-To-Order (BTO; i.e., custom) Taylor with a 'Sinker' Redwood/Rosewood pairing, you might explore that as well; it will be similar to a Cedar/Rosewood pairing.

Body shape.  Well, strummers like you (and me) seem to gravitate to either the Taylor Dreadnought (DN), Grand Auditorium (GA), or Grand Symphony (GS).  The Grand Orchestra (GO) is another option you might try, but I've personally not been impressed by the Rosewood GO's I've played; I just don't think the body suits the wood very well...  Plus the GO would be pretty similar in size to your J200, so again, you might be looking to distinguish this theoretical Taylor from that guitar.  While I tend to prefer the GS body only on Taylor's 12-string offerings, you might find the 6-string versions appealing for your driving, rhythmic playing style.  The Taylor DN body is also worthy of consideration for your style of play.  The GA will work equally well for strumming and picking, and is the Taylor body style that I prefer; but if you're as heavy a strummer as you've described, the larger GS will probably work better.

So, all that being said, I think you're looking for a 700/800/900-Series (or possibly a suitable BTO) DN or GS Taylor:  so a 710/810/910 or 716/816/916...  Caveat:  if you think you might get into more finger picking in the future, you might give the 714/814/914 GA bodies a closer look.  While the DN and GS bodies can be quite successfully finger-picked, the GA is the best dual-purpose (strumming/picking) body shape in the Taylor line.

Good luck!

[TaylorGirl]

Now that's good information, Tim. Told you you came to the right place, Sam.

[Sam Perry]

Tim - thank you SO MUCH for all that information!  So appreciate it!

[timfitz63]

Now that's good information, Tim...

Tim - thank you SO MUCH for all that information!  So appreciate it!

Glad to help, guys!

[krugjr]

welcome, Sam.....since you don't want to duplicate your J200, how would you describe it's overall sound....then what would be the changes in tone you're looking for with this next choice?  I went through 15 Taylors in the last couple yrs looking for particular tones and playability ...and I have played a percussive rhythm style for 40 yrs plus....maybe I can help....I also play gospel and sing....

[Sam Perry]

Thanks krugjr!  I love the big, rich, round sound of my J200.  And frankly, it's a God-thing that my guitar sounds like it does.  3 years ago, I had left it on stage after a Sunday morning.  On Monday morning, we arrived at the office to find we'd been burglarized and vandalized.  The person destroyed 6 computers, took a group of mics, a large motif keyboard, 2 electrics and my J200.  We found it and a Nash electric in the field next door, in their cases just laid open in the rain.  We put the 2 guitars in a sealed room with a large humidifier for 7 days.  The Nash was ruined. Mine has made a return over time.  For about a year, it sounded like a dark Martin - which is what I don't like about them.  Slowly over time, it has brightened up.  It's almost like it used to be, but it's better than it's been since it happened. 

So what I'm looking for as a secondary is something with good clarity, and something with good rich punch.  A guy on my staff has a Bourgeois and it's great.  Love it's sound both acoustically and through an Avalon U5.  It doesn't have to have as much bottom end as mine, but I don't want a thin weak tone.  Make sense?

[Sam Perry]

One more thing - I wouldn't mind a cutaway.  Frankly, I think it's more just for the variety.  My 12 is a 655ce.  Love the sound, but just don't play it enough.  Eventually I will sell it to fund my next 6.  All to say, I'm interested in a cutaway.

[krugjr]

Sam, I sent you a PM

[Sam Perry]

krugjr - pretty sure I responded to it.  I'm new to the forum, so I've clicked the wrong thing a time or two.

[michaelw]

So what I'm looking for as a secondary is something with good clarity, and something with good rich punch...

i'd suggest test-driving one of these
https://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/614ce
i've tried a few examples, including a first edition with adirondack bracing, &
to my ear they are consistently superb tonally, as well as playability & build quality

if a cutaway is not a necessity & if you prefer aftermarket electronics, a 614, no c no e,
with the HP package (adi bracing, gotoh 510s & bone nut & saddle) may be just the ticket

[donlyn]

Hello Sam,

I have a small guitar list, but it includes a J200, so I'll put in a couple of cents worth.

First off, I will presume that your J200's body is probably a maple/spruce combination as that has been the standard production model since the 1940's. Working off that assumption, and also your statement that you like the sound of your 655ce, I would start with trying out a few 616 GS models. While not all guitars of the same model sound the same, the tonewoods should put the sound in the same ballpark. I also had some limited experience testing rosewood GS's over the last couple of years, and liked them very much (I was looking for rosewood), almost buying one (probably should have). While smaller than a J200, the GS felt very comfortable to play and sounded great. I also made the presumption that your 655ce is maple/spruce, and that the body size is very similar (just not as deep) as your J200. Like Tim mentioned, you should also try out the other models, Dreadnought/Grand Auditorium/Grand Orchestra. I would try the same maple tonewoods to get a 'sound' comparison on the body shape that best speaks to you. Then maybe branch out to other tonewoods with a better idea of what model you want.

Having recently done what you are about to do, I will give you a quick run-down of my search. May help you in yours. My J200 is rosewood/spruce and so I started with that as a guide to what I wanted, since I like the sound. And the body shape is very comfortable to me. I also have a 355 12 string so I knew I would be pleased with the right Taylor. I tried a few Taylor rosewood jumbos, but none really did it for me. And they were being discontinued. As I mentioned, I almost pulled the trigger on a rosewood GS, and kind of regretted not getting it. Finally settled on an 818e GO late last year, and am very happy with it, in both tone and body size. The body shape is kind of a cross between a DN and a GS, and is not as big as a Gibson jumbo, but nearly so. (I put a lot of measurements on another thread.)  The biggest difference which you should take into account is that I don't strum that much, but mostly play fingerstyle using my nails as picks. And the rosewood suits me extremely well, no matter what stuff I am playing. Some contributors have mentioned that they didn't like strumming on the GO, so if you do check one out and like it, you have company. I like the fact that I get a great sound whether I play softer or louder than 'normal'.

Feel free to PM me if you want a deeper story.

Don