KVR Audio

cimoc · Post by **cimoc** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:31 pm

Guys, do any of you have any comments on this guitar?

http://www.skylarkguitars.com/skylark-e ... tural.html

I've been looking at it lately. I've read good things about Skylark (even in kvr) but obviously I can't try it out, as I am not in the UK.

I am looking for a decent electroacoustic for live playing, only (well, maybe 95% of the time) plugged in the PA, always with a band (not solo guitar), mostly greek folk kind of music.

I was thinking of maybe adding an undersaddle piezo (completely independent from the single coil). I don't care much for the single coil sound, I guess it would be too electric for the kind of sound I am after, but it might prove useful to have the option in some cases, so why not?

Obviously it won't sound like a top of the range Martin or Taylor etc, but I just want a decent (and playable) instrument for live use.

Finally the looks are fine for my taste, and the price, well, with the crisis and all, it's affordable

Any ideas?

Crackbaby · Post by **Crackbaby** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 3:44 pm

My advice is to check reviews or try it out for yourself first. Make sure fretting etc is alright so you don't have to go to a luthier and pay 2x the guitar's price to make it usable. http://www.gear4music.com has their own range of guitars and in every review they say you have to go and have someone set it up .. so cheap is not always cheap.

Greek folk music? Cool! Record some of your gigs if you can!

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 4:55 pm

cimoc wrote:Guys, do any of you have any comments on this guitar?

http://www.skylarkguitars.com/skylark-e ... tural.html

Someone earlier in this thread reported that the Skylark Classical Skeleton he received is extremely poor quality.

Obviously it won't sound like a top of the range Martin or Taylor etc, but I just want a decent (and playable) instrument for live use.

Seagull has some models that sound like top of the range Martin's and Taylor's yet cost much less. The Grand, for example, is an exceptional guitar:

http://www.seagullguitars.com/seagull_c ... grand.html

http://www.seagullguitars.com/seagull_e ... grand.html

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 5:02 pm

I think Ian really likes Skylark guitars, maybe he'll pop in

I agree with Eric about Seagull guitars, I use to sell them and they are a fantastic deal on great guitars

rockstar_not · Post by **rockstar_not** » Wed Jan 09, 2013 11:01 pm

cimoc wrote:Guys, do any of you have any comments on this guitar?

http://www.skylarkguitars.com/skylark-e ... tural.html

I've been looking at it lately. I've read good things about Skylark (even in kvr) but obviously I can't try it out, as I am not in the UK.

I am looking for a decent electroacoustic for live playing, only (well, maybe 95% of the time) plugged in the PA, always with a band (not solo guitar), mostly greek folk kind of music.

I was thinking of maybe adding an undersaddle piezo (completely independent from the single coil). I don't care much for the single coil sound, I guess it would be too electric for the kind of sound I am after, but it might prove useful to have the option in some cases, so why not?

Obviously it won't sound like a top of the range Martin or Taylor etc, but I just want a decent (and playable) instrument for live use.

Finally the looks are fine for my taste, and the price, well, with the crisis and all, it's affordable

Any ideas?

I am wary of any guitar being marketed as 'electro-acoustic'. I am a previous owner of an Applause shallow-bowl round back guitar, marketed in that fashion. This is my opinion, but I do believe it is shared by many:

Save up to buy the best quality acoustic guitar you can afford. Buy it. Learn how to play it. If acoustic guitar seems like it is your thing, then save about $100 more after the fact to buy a pickup for that same guitar. Either install it yourself (which is easy with pickups like an L.R. Baggs I-Beam), or pay an additional $75-100 to have a luthier do it for you after saving $200 instead of $100.

I will agree to the Seagull recommendation. Consider buying a Seagull that already has a pickup system in it. It will sound great, and cost about $100-150 more than the non-pickup model. But note that Seagull doesn't market their guitars as 'electro-acoustic'. You aren't going to get a good electric tone out of an acoustic, if that's what you are shooting for. If you are shooting for an acoustic guitar, that you can amplify to make the acoustic sound louder - then that's what legitimate companies will provide. The Seagull S6 is the venerable standby from Seagull - great guitar for the money. They sell a pickup/electronics system as an option for the guitar.

Just keep this in mind, a pickup can always be installed after the fact on an acoustic. Get the best acoustic guitar you can first, worry about the pickup later. There are tons of different options for pickups these days all for reasonable amounts of money.

cimoc · Post by **cimoc** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 9:31 am

Thanks for the feedback, people.
I should have mentioned that I do have a Guild D40 (had it for almost 30 years now, made in USA, great acoustic sound, playability to my liking), but:
a) I don't want to modify it by adding a piezzo (call me superstitious, but I just don't like the idea of installing something permanently and drilling holes in such a guitar),
b) additionally, I hate to take it to live shows (fear of damage or someone stealing it, it's far too common here) and
c) in most venues here, feedback is such a big problem that playing in a microphone is mostly impossible. Sound engineers get a heart attack when you say you don't have a piezzo or something.
Adding a removable system overcomes objection a, but still there is b and c yo consider.
I will definitely check out the Seagull range, though I haven't seen them in Athens.
I know that buying something like a guitar on the internet, without first trying it, is lame, but shopping for cheaper electroacoustics (whatever that might mean soundwise) in shops in Athens is really frustrating, guitars under say 200-300€ sound all the same (in a bad way).
Confusing situation, especially when money is short...

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Thu Jan 10, 2013 4:19 pm

Look for a used Variax Acoustic 300 on eBay. It's cheap (>$300), it has perhaps the best plugged in acoustic sound around, it doesn't feedback, and it's durable.

Vectorman · Post by **Vectorman** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:18 pm

Latest bass on the way. Ibanez ATK800e Premium. This was another "Ibby Impulse Buy," where I found out a new model existed and ended up ordering it less than 24 hours later. Looking forward to trying a dual-pickup ATK with the newer CAP pickups, not to mention one that is so relatively lightweight (my previous ATK's were boat anchors).

Sweetwater take better photos than I do, and their pics are of the specific instrument you'll be getting, which is cool.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 9:35 pm

Vectorman wrote:Latest bass on the way. Ibanez ATK800e Premium. This was another "Ibby Impulse Buy," where I found out a new model existed and ended up ordering it less than 24 hours later. Looking forward to trying a dual-pickup ATK with the newer CAP pickups, not to mention one that is so relatively lightweight (my previous ATK's were boat anchors).

Sweetwater take better photos than I do, and their pics are of the specific instrument you'll be getting, which is cool.

that's pretty cool looking

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Sat Jan 12, 2013 10:00 pm

Vectorman wrote:Latest bass on the way. Ibanez ATK800e Premium. This was another "Ibby Impulse Buy," where I found out a new model existed and ended up ordering it less than 24 hours later. Looking forward to trying a dual-pickup ATK with the newer CAP pickups, not to mention one that is so relatively lightweight (my previous ATK's were boat anchors).

Sweetwater take better photos than I do, and their pics are of the specific instrument you'll be getting, which is cool.

I love those.

SuitcaseOfLizards · Post by **SuitcaseOfLizards** » Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:29 pm

Vectorman wrote:Latest bass on the way. Ibanez ATK800e Premium. This was another "Ibby Impulse Buy," where I found out a new model existed and ended up ordering it less than 24 hours later. Looking forward to trying a dual-pickup ATK with the newer CAP pickups, not to mention one that is so relatively lightweight (my previous ATK's were boat anchors).

Sweetwater take better photos than I do, and their pics are of the specific instrument you'll be getting, which is cool.

What a beautiful instrument!!!

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:36 am

Apparently it's afraid to fly

Uncle E · Post by **Uncle E** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 5:40 am

hibidy, get this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271137984756?ss ... 1438.l2649

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:00 am

hibidy · Post by **hibidy** » Mon Jan 14, 2013 6:28 am

Uncle E wrote:hibidy, get this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271137984756?ss ... 1438.l2649

EEEK! That looks to be in terrible condition!

I'ma stay put in the geeeter dept for sometime anywho, I can't can't even play what I have

Your next guitar?