This is a real “renaissance” time for guitar building all over the world, and there are many great artisans who are truly bringing the craft to new heights of creativity and design in sound production. It is also a time of great re-discovery and renewal for many of the larger companies, who are really getting back to the quality work they did back in the old days, and in many cases, even improving on the old days, especially in terms of consistency. One problem that can really stand in the way is that the woods that were once plentiful have sadly been quite depleted, and are so hard to come by that there are many other strange and exotic woods finding their way into the building of many of today’s guitars.
Another problem arises from the fact that the demand is so huge compared to the “old days” that makers can no longer age their woods the way they used to when they really took their time to make these guitars in a slow and deliberate process that matched the much lower demand for guitars back in the day. It’s great to have the incredible array of choices we have today, though, and he fact that so many private individuals are raising the bar of the guitar-making art form to give us these intriguing choices.
There also is no shortage of new ideas, and the fact that some makers are inspiring other makers to push the envelope, as far as breaking new ground. There are so many to choose from these days, and as we all know, consistency aside, an acoustic guitar truly must stand on its own, and stand YOUR personal test as to its playability as well as its sound and overall quality. It’s the marriage of YOU and that guitar that truly will speak or not speak! Sometimes it definitely requires some seasoning on your part to be able to really be discerning , and to know what guitar is really right for you…….this is why you may want another opinion to help you decide. I know that I always love to take an active role in the process of helping a student choose the proper guitar. This is crucial, because 9 out of 10 beginners basically go for the guitar that looks “coolest”, but totally ignore, or don’t yet know the various criteria an acoustic guitar must meet to really be the right one! But remember, the search can sure be, and should be, lots of fun!