New ALD is AWESOME!

Charles Meadows

Thanks to all who offered advise on the purchase of a new GJ guitar. I ended up ordering ALD Original through Michael here and am very pleased. It has absolutely amazing tone! It is also unbelievably loud. It put my adirondack topped varnish-finished Collings dreadnought to shame in terms of projection! Might end up changing the bridge to lower the action at some point - but plan to keep it 3mm for now.

Bohemian

Congrats !!

Saying it rivals the Collings is quite a compliment.

Bernie

You're going to loose some of the power with a lower action. 3mm (if at the 12th fret),seams okay to me. It is an acoustic guitar...And a GJ guitar too, don't forget.
It does sound great on the video. I'm thinking of getting one too. Anyone knows if a 2008 Original would sound different from the newer ones?
Regards, Bernie.

MichaelHorowitz

Bernie wrote:

I'm thinking of getting one too. Anyone knows if a 2008 Original would sound different from the newer ones?
Regards, Bernie.

There would be similarities in tone, but there have been numerous design changes since then which have a noticeable impact on the sound and performance of the guitar. One of the biggest changes is in tuning of the top which is now optimized for maximum clarity and resonance. The difference is really noticeable to me, this latest batch has quite a bit more projection and clarity than previous builds.

Thanks,

M

roch@rochlockyer.com

HI,
My two cents..I got to play a new ALD and they are a world class guitar worthy of any comparisons. Beautiful build and easy to play...Louder than my Dupont Md50b.

Bernie

Hi Michael

Many thanks for the expertise of this answer. Not sure I quite understand this "tuning of the top" thing, but I can hear something that really appeals to me in this guitar...
I suspected some genuine changes, then I'm not really surprised. I had a 2008 in view, but I'm less enthusiastic about it now. I'll check it out if it turns out possible though.
Regards, Bernie.

mandocat

I got a 2012 Original from Michael last year and I love playing it. I've been working on the Daniel Givone exercises that go pretty far up the neck and I think the action on mine is good. It's a great guitar for the price. I believe Michael described it as having a relatively "wet" sound, and maybe other people would prefer a dryer sound (less overtones?). Anyway, I like everything about it.

Bernie

Hello Mandocat
Makes me wonder if these changes happened before or after your guitar was built. Maybe meanwhile...You'd have a prototype then...I guess these guitars must have been good for a while already. The guy I might buy one from doesn't seam to be anxious to sell it anymore...So wait and see...
Keep enjoying your guitar you lucky one. Thanks for your comments.
Cheers, Bernie.

mandocat

Bon jour, Bernie. I'm not sure where my 2012 Original stands in terms of ALD changes. I didn't know anything about the ongoing design changes until this forum discussion. You could compare the 2012 and 2013 Youtube recordings from Michael (the 2012 is my guitar) although as I just read in the dialog between you and Michael, his recording technique has recently changed. I personally can't tell the difference between the 2012 and 2013 but there is a difference in the 2011 ALD Original video due to the recording process (not knocking your videos at all Michael - I appreciate getting a good idea of what the guitars sound like and it's great that you've optimized the recordings).

Right after I bought the 2012 I found out that a friend of mine sold his 2011 on Djangobooks. I was kicking myself because being a cheapskate, I was thinking I could have gotten the same thing for less if I knew he was selling it. But maybe mine is the new, improved model!

Bernie

Hey mandycat
You've probably made the right move if these changes are very recent. Your guitar seams to sound pretty much the same as the newer one. Maybe your friend's guitar was not as good as yours...Would you feel like selling yours? No,then you might very well have the answer to the dilemma. The one I have in mind is a 2008 model, then it ain't the same. Still good I should imagine...I'll check it out I think.
Bernie.