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For any guitarist worth his salt, a decent acoustic guitar is not a luxury, but rather an absolute necessity. Whilst making a mighty rock and roll based racket with an electric set up is always alluring, the power of the acoustic lies not in its volume, nor in its ability to shake a room, but in the subtle nuances that make being a musician genuinely enjoyable.

The higher end of the market, at £500-plus, is home to a mix of well established and popular brands – the Martins and Taylors of this world – alongside a growing number of up-and-coming manufacturers determined to stake a claim. So, here in all its glory, is the cream of the crop of the acoustic market at the moment. Enjoy…

MARTIN/RECORDING KING
Home to arguably the best known name in acoustic guitar-land in the form of Martin, Westside has plenty to offer those looking to spend their hard-earned ash on a new instrument. The return of the popular 1 Series, first introduced in 1993, is sure to prick up a few ears. Four new models are available, with the intention being to provide affordable solid wood guitars that reflect the spirit of the Style 15 and Style 17 instruments that were first introduced by Martin during the Great Depression. Sitka spruce tops with hybrid scalloped bracing sit alongside rosewood fingerboard and bridges, bound and inlaid tops and backs and a hard shell case for good measure, with RRPs starting from £999.

Further developments at Martin include a collaboration with Roland that has resulted in the production of a new preamp, the Roland AP-1, which will now be available on several new Martin models including the 00C-16DBGTE, DC-16OGTE and the OMC-16OGTE. The AP-1 utilises Roland’s advanced Composite Object Sound Modelling technology to produce three body-specific tone variations designed to emulate that of a miked guitar, and includes a programmable seven-band eq, anti-feedback control, digital chromatic tuner, digital reverb and LCD display.

Elsewhere at Westside, Recording King continues to perform well, with the Classic II Series proving especially popular. These guitars are the most authentic pre-war style acoustic guitar available, with everything from the select woods to the vintage-style bevelled pick guard. Featuring a solid Engelmann spruce top, solid back and sides in mahogany or rosewood, and a one-piece mahogany neck, each guitar is handcrafted and has a loud, expressive acoustic tone.

MARINER
Mariner, a new brand and brainchild of Ken Achard, looks set to do a good job for Music Force as the company seeks to establish its new identity with some striking new product. The L-6N Super Jumbo is a Korean luthier-built super jumbo from Mariner’s Archive Series of premium acoustics. The range, which starts at £685, includes dreadnought, auditorium and drop shoulder jumbo models that feature the Open Arch mahogany swell back. With solid mahogany sides and selected Sitka spruce tops, maple bindings, mother of pearl inlays and Grover Rotomatic tuners, these instruments meet the high specs one might expect of a pro guitar. The L-6N sells for £710 RRP, complete with Deluxe shaped, plush lined, hard shell case.

At LIMS 2009, Mariner unveiled new and updated models in its Masthead and Eso series. Of particular note is the all-new Eso E-6AR, an auditorium style, top-end model featuring book matched solid Indian rosewood back and sides and AAA grade Sitka spruce top. Figured maple bound and purfled with abalone, a mahogany neck, centre spliced with maple and rosewood and topped off with gold Grover tuners, it’s something of a feast and well worth checking out.

FENDER
With a number of big names including Taylor and Takamine now under Fender’s ever-expanding wing, it’s no surprise that there is plenty to be found in the company’s lines.

Takamine’s 2009 range aims to offer performers a mixture of good looks and classic tone. The LTD2009 features a NEX, small jumbo body with solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. Finished in a gloss Vintage Sunburst, its top is intricately decorated with a MOP inlayed pick guard and abalone rosette. Other noteworthy features include an ebony fretboard with deluxe shell inlays, ivory cab fretboard binding, mahogany neck and rosewood pin bridge. Electronics are powered by Takamine’s award-winning and state of the art CTP-2 Cool Tube preamp, and a hard case is included.

At the very high end, Taylor continues to dominate as one of the biggest acoustic manufacturers in the world. Its 814ce Grand Auditorium Cutaway, retailing at a mighty £3,189.99, showcases perfectly what the company does best, bringing together an unmistakable rosewood tone, Taylor styling and the versatility of the of a Grand Auditorium body. A Venetian cutaway and Expression system pickup complete a desirable picking package.

TJ BADEN
First becoming involved with 440 Distribution in the wake of Arbiter’s collapse, TJ Baden is a name that, although unfamiliar to some, looks like it will make itself known very soon. The company was established by Baden, an ex-Taylor employee of 18 years standing, who set out to establish a company to build modern, clean looking and sounding guitars that offer great margins for dealers.

These designs are handmade in the old school way – all solid, with nitro-cellulose finishes, bone nuts and saddles, with individual attention paid to every guitar and each one shipping in a hard shell case. There are two body shapes available, five wood options and two pick up options in the form of the Fishman Aura and Matrix Infinity. Prices range from £759 to £1,649.

VINTAGE
There are only a few Vintage acoustics that sneak over the £500 mark, but those that do are of an extremely high spec and offer excellent value at this level.
One brand new addition is the V1700VSB Jumbo, with solid spruce top, solid flame maple back and sides, Indian rosewood fingerboard & bridge and a Vintage Sunburst finish, which clocks in at £579.00 RRP. A natural finish is also available at the same price.

The other is the remarkably popular V1800N, which features a solid spruce top, solid rosewood back and sides, flame maple binding with abalone purfling and a slotted headstock design for a snip at £539 RRP.

FRESHMAN
The Scottish firebrand has plenty to offer in this area of the market, beginning with the widely acclaimed 350 series. Solid Canadian AA graded Sitka spruce tops, solid mahogany back and sides, rosewood fingerboards and Grover Machine Heads with black buttons and a satin Finish make for a high spec first entry into the £500-plus area, with an RRP of £599.95.

Next up is the 500 series. The choice and combination of high grade timbers, married together with care and attention, have produced lovely looking instruments that sound quite equally impressive. The guitars in the 500 Series are individually hand sprayed for a perfect gloss finish, with ivoroid binding and herringbone purfling to add subtle finishing touches.

TANGLEWOOD
At the top of the tree for Tanglewood is its MasterDesign range, designed and built in collaboration with renowned Scandinavian luthier Michael Sanden. Sanden builds luxury boutique guitars at his workshop in Sweden and has designed a range incorporating some of his most functional and stylistic handcrafted features into six models – three mahogany and three rosewood – which have all been made to a precise Sanden blueprint. They include the famous Sanden Ebony Japanese brushstroke bridge, the delicate rosewood face unbranded headstocks, the zero fret to offer precise intonation, and the charming and tasteful ‘T’ emblem fashioned in green abalone on the 12th fret of all models, the only visible sign of branding on each instrument.

Each guitar is quite unique in its handcrafted manufacture and the understated elegance of MasterDesign by Sanden really is worth taking the time to check out, with prices starting from £1,199.

IBANEZ
Ibanez has some interesting acoustic models in this price bracket, including the Ibanez Artwood Studio range, which delivers strong, resonant tones. The finest craftsmanship, state-of-the-art electronics and new features such as FAST (Fast Action Set-Up Technology for easy neck adjustments) and Flying Top construction make the Artwood Studio models some of the highest quality acoustic instruments Ibanez has ever produced.

The Flying Top construction was developed by Swiss luthier Lukas Brunner, and this construction has been applied to Brunner’s own unique instruments. Instead of an X-bracing pattern, the top is reinforced with a thin piece of spruce that is graduated towards the edges, and supported at a single point by a ‘flying brace’ attached to the sides. This provides an ideal combination of strength, weight, stiffness and flexibility. The Artwood range starts from £765 RRP.

WASHBURN
Sound Technology has plenty to offer players looking for their next acoustic. First up is the Washburn Cumberland Jumbo Series, which is made up of three full-bodied jumbo models, each with various options. The solid spruce topped J28S DL is available in both six and 12-string configurations, and features a quilted maple back and sides. The J28SCE DL adds a cut-away, B-band A15 preamp and the option of a standout transparent black finish. The J27CE is a striking looking guitar with Java Ebony top, back and sides, and is sure to catch roving eyes with one hand on the wallet.

The latest Festival Series model – the EA21HM (Heavy Metal) – is aimed squarely at the metal connoisseur who demands the same pointy looks from their acoustic guitar as they do their electric. It features a Florentine cut-away, six-a-side slanted headstock and B-Band A15 preamp. The EA21HM is available in Black, White and Trans Red.

LARRIVEE
Larrivee is also available from Sound Technology, with a range that includes the USA made, ‘Larrivee’ shaped L-10, featuring a solid Sitka spruce top and stunning Indian rosewood back and sides. Deluxe abalone inlays decorate the ebony fretboard and bridge. Abalone also enhances the purfling around the soundboard and sound hole, and all models are available left handed at no extra cost. Various electric options are available including both LR Baggs and Fishman Aura preamps, whilst all come with hard cases.

YAMAHA
Yamaha’s £500-plus acoustic guitar line-up features a number of models from the APX, CPX and L-Series ranges, with the biggest news for the company this year arriving in the form of the new NX series. Billed as ‘nylon string guitars for non-nylon players,’ the nine model range (£575-£3,135 RRP) features a choice of models, including the ‘crossover’ NTX with an APX-style body, 48mm nut width (slightly wider than a steel string but narrower than a classical) and radiused fingerboard.

There is also the distinctly more traditional NCX model with its flat-radius 52mm nut width and ‘CG’ style classical body, whilst the entire range benefits from a nylon-specific two-way ART pickup system using Yamaha’s proprietary contact pickups.

Yamaha is positioning the series to appeal to guitarists across the board, way beyond the traditional realms of the nylon string players. “We’ve seen a growing trend for people playing crossover nylon string guitars – that is using nylon strings way outside of what convention says nylon strings should be used for,” says Yamaha’s Julian Ward. “The NX design was very much about crossing the line between steel and nylon strings,” continues Ward. “We looked at it from the point of view of a long-established classical guitar manufacturer but also having the perspective of one of the leading performance electro-acoustic manufacturers thanks to our massively successful APX and CPX ranges. And our ART system is incredible for nylon.”
 
FAITH/PATRICK JAMES EGGLE
Faith has become an important brand for Barnes and Mullins, representing a foot firmly planted in the world of high-end acoustics. Patrick James Eggle has teamed up with one of the finest European workshops around to create three models that use only the finest AAA-grade tonewoods, and meet with his own guitar-building mantra of ‘Quality over all’. The Signature concept was launched at the recent LIMS 2009 show, and is sure to win fans quickly. Prices start from £1,850 for the Orchestra model, rising through to £1,999 for the JMB.

”For a guitar to carry my signature I have to be completely confident in its ability to perform,” comments Eggle on the range. “When Faith asked me to create three models that would go head-to-head with the most prestigious guitars around, I decided to keep to what I know the best – the quality of tonewood and meticulous craft. I have spent my whole life building guitars for some of the most demanding musicians around, and I would have no hesitation in recommending Faith Signature guitars to every professional I know.”

SEAGULL/SIMON & PATRICK
Two key brands for EMD fit into this category. First up is Seagull, which with its S6 has a bone fide award-winning guitar that is well regarded by a number of top flight players. A solid cedar top, wild cherry back and sides, silver leaf maple neck, Indian rosewood fingerboard and bridge plus a semi-gloss lacquer finish are all part of the package at £509.

The second important acoustic brand for EMD is Simon & Patrick, which with the Showcase series has a genuine top flight contender. With an RRP of £1,289, you would expect a top quality guitar, and that is exactly what you get. With a compound curve design, and solid spruce top, this is a guitar that screams quality all over and is well worth a punt for players looking for something away from the usual names in this part of the market.

COLLINGS
Regarded as some of the finest flat tops out there, Collings has an extensive range of tonally wonderful guitars that are built to exacting standards. The 12 fret 00 series, with its dimensions similar to a typical classical guitar, slotted headstock and small pyramid bridge, certainly has resonance with a certain type of guitarist.

The comfortable size and timeless appearance of the Collings 00 is matched by the ease of playing a wide neck and shorter string scale affords. The tone is balanced and precise, and it has been adopted by players for a wide range of playing styles from simple vocal accompaniment to ragtime solos. A versatile performer indicative of the high quality throughout Collings’ ranges.

TIMBERLINE
The Timberline brand gives Strings & Things a toe in the acoustic market, and it is doing a solid job. One need only take a look at the 80 series, which, starting from £839, offers both quality and value for money. A solid Engelmann top with abalone edging is complemented by an ebony fingerboard and bridge and all gloss finish, not to mention a rather dashing Timberline hard case.

BLUERIDGE
With Blueridge, Gremlin has a brand that is extremely alluring to players after guitars that have the look, feel and tone of  pre-war instruments, but don’t want to have to re mortgage the house to afford one. The GR5240 is a great example: a parlour bodied guitar with a solid Sitka spruce top, solid mahogany body and a slotted headstock. It’s a connoisseur’s  guitar from an era when they really knew how to make them, and retails at a pretty affordable £699.

The ‘50s-styled, slop shouldered BG-140 is another Blueridge guitar worth a look. Its vintage sunburst finish, Dalmatian tortoise pickguard and exclusive ‘Century Wreath’ peghead and fingerboard are nicely complemented by a carved mahogany, low profile neck. Complete with a short scale and solid mahogany backs and sides, this is an awful lot of guitar for its £699 RRP.

NORMAN
Straight out of Quebec, Canada, Norman Guitars is one of the big names in Active’s catalogue. Comprising of three series – the Protege, Studio and Encore – Norman’s guitars offer straightforward, clean designs which utilise high quality tonewoods and aim to provide players with a guitar that will only improve with age. The B18 features a semi-gloss polished finish and a select pressure-tested solid cedar top. The back and sides are a three-way cherry laminate, whilst the rosewood fingerboard and Graphtech nut and saddle finish things off nicely. It has the option of Fishman Classic 4T electronics and a case, and is of course designed and manufactured in Canada.