Is this a regional thing?

Taylors seem to dominate the solo acoustic performer market around here, followed by Yamaha.
 
Gary Blanchard said:
Oddly, I don't think I have seen anyone playing a Yamaha around here, even though they are nice guitars.
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You don't see em cause the old Yammie FG is their couch guitar. It probably needs a fretjob and doesn't have a pickup in it. They bought it as their first acoustic, or just as likely, inherited it from somebody. Way more older ones(70s,80s) than new ones. Just about every guitar player I know has got one, or has had one at some point.
But I agree, you don't see performers out with em much.
 
Wyatt said:
Growing up in bluegrass country, Dreadnoughts were the only thing with enough volume and punch to sit in a mix with a banjo. By default, that crowned the Martin D-28/35 king. Some high-end boutiques were around as well, but only the handful that could boom like a Martin D-28 ... Froggy Bottom, Henderson, and a few others. Like a muscle car or Harley, there is something "all torque" and no finesse about a D-28 and I don't think I can name a Dreadnought made in the Western U.S. that successfully broke into that market.

Move into a solo act, or a duet of players, singer-songwriter, folk, etc., where the sizes drop down to Concert, Auditorium and Grand Auditorium, then people's tastes open up a lot more, and you see a lot more Taylors and others brands.
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Don't forget the venerable D18. A good 18 can cut thru a banjo roll and a mandolin chop like knife through butter.
Probably the best strictly rhythm Bluegrass guitar Ive been around and actually played was a 60s D41. Fancy, lol. That thing just BOOMED, but had that sweet rosewood top end.
Ive only played one Taylor in my life that had the "torque"(great description!). It was a high end 800 series dred that hung in my local shop for about a year back 15 years ago. I cant remember what the back and sides were, it was some exotic wood but it basically sounded like a really sweet, punchy, and loud D28.
When I bought my D28 Standard back in 1985 the HD28s with the herringbone trim and scalloped braces had just come out and was commanding a $300+ premium over the Standard. But I couldn't be more pleased with how Standard turned out. She was loud and in your face new. Still is, but has sweetened up quite bit over the past 35 years.
 
Here it’s sort of an even split between Gibson/Taylor/Martin.

Gibsons seem hot with the alt country/Americana types. Taylor prevails with the self-consciously singer-songwriter folks doing more modern stuff. Martins seem more popular with people who are into vintagey stuff or who are vintage themselves. A few nerds play Guilds.

There’s also a fair number of Fender acoustics on stage with weirder/DIY type acts. As well as the occasional gussied up pawnshop/catalog specials. And a fair number of folks locally will use electrics as a substitute for acoustics on singer songwriter gigs or similar. Chicago’s network of clubs and music bars have notoriously shoddy sound situations (everywhere has a house PA and the sound guy situation can be anything from a total pro behind the board taking it seriously to “twiddle your own knobs and maybe get electrocuted for your trouble”). Good live acoustic sound is mostly unobtainable for non-national acts here, so...
 
If we do ever have acoustic gigs again, and maybe open (bring your own) mic, I would consider a Volto powered board with an an acoustic IR pedal. Then the "soundguy" doesn't need to do anything.
 
I have the LR Baggs preamp for the Macrae, so I can dial in the sound. The sound guy still wants to up the treble on his end. I didn't do many open mics anyway, but it was usually frustrating.
 
Gary Blanchard said:
Before I had a pickup in the guitar I found a few sound folks with no clue about how to mic the guitar.
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True, but if YOU do, you got a lot of eq control between guitar/air/mic/postition of mic to sound hole, etc. And there's no direct signal for the soundman to screw up. But if the venue/audience is loud and the room sound sucks, you're screwed.
 
Living on the West coast in the 90s there were Larrivee's everywhere. Now I live in Nashville and its Martin Gibson and Taylor and about a billion Takamine's.
 
Peen Simmons said:
Here it’s sort of an even split between Gibson/Taylor/Martin.

Gibsons seem hot with the alt country/Americana types. Taylor prevails with the self-consciously singer-songwriter folks doing more modern stuff. Martins seem more popular with people who are into vintagey stuff or who are vintage themselves. A few nerds play Guilds.

There’s also a fair number of Fender acoustics on stage with weirder/DIY type acts. As well as the occasional gussied up pawnshop/catalog specials. And a fair number of folks locally will use electrics as a substitute for acoustics on singer songwriter gigs or similar. Chicago’s network of clubs and music bars have notoriously shoddy sound situations (everywhere has a house PA and the sound guy situation can be anything from a total pro behind the board taking it seriously to “twiddle your own knobs and maybe get electrocuted for your trouble”). Good live acoustic sound is mostly unobtainable for non-national acts here, so...
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Can confirm. Play guild. Am nerd.
 
Pine Apple Slim said:
You don't see em cause the old Yammie FG is their couch guitar. It probably needs a fretjob and doesn't have a pickup in it. They bought it as their first acoustic, or just as likely, inherited it from somebody. Way more older ones(70s,80s) than new ones. Just about every guitar player I know has got one, or has had one at some point.
But I agree, you don't see performers out with em much.
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My beater couch guitar is a Taylor I bought for $50. I don’t even really like the sound of Taylors but if you rarely change the strings it doesn’t sound like a Taylor anymore. I try and save the strings on the guitars I gig with. They usually get wiped down after a gig and stay in the case till the next one.

See more Martins around here than anything else.
 
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