Picking our Favourite Acoustic Guitar for UNDER £500 - A 30 Second Challenge!

[@DaringDan]

you all do such a great job as a store in explaining and showing off sound. appreciate the honesty from a store. it's refreshing!

[@MattyK-USA]

The Larry Carlton model jumped right out at me. Great dynamic range, and big full dreadnought low end there too. Then again, as a Martin D-35 player maybe my bias is coming out 🤔🙂

[@madgeniusmusic]

Ben's abilities on the acoustic guitar genuinely scare me. Also that Sigma sounded sublime. The Sire was nice too, but I'd have the Sigma, head and shoulders above the rest for me.

[@bryanitz8401]

Pete and Ben on a thumbnail....must open!! Thanks for putting a big smile on my face this morning in Texas!

[@thedonal]

I really liked the open sound of the Faith, but then I've played a Faith Neptune for nearly 10 years so there you go!

[@Valvey789]

I liked the Faith sound the best. Very mellow.

[@avenue6.554]

The Sire sounded best to me on video with the Ibanez a close second. It would probably come down to how the neck played for me. Great playing gents!

[@mr.deafeningguitar1547]

Couldn't agree more, Sire really sounded best!

[@rcoveyduc]

@@mr.deafeningguitar1547 The Sigma definitely booms, but it doesn't have the balance between bass and treble that the Ibanez and Sire have.

[@danparks8894]

I have an Ibanez AAD 100 OPN, an open pore dreadnought. It’s a cheaper guitar at €350 but love the easy play neck and great feel. Sounds rich without having to be.... nice to see some acoustic stuff for a change!

[@sandeeppaul6465]

1:54 ; 10:05 Alvarez AG60CE 2:52 ; 9:20 Faith Venus naked series 3:51 ; 8:36 Sire A4 4:53 ; 7:53 Sigma DM-S65 5:45 ; 7:08 Ibanez AVDI5PFR Sire is my pick, I've played one and it sounds and feels good.

[@mikeclarke4002]

Outro jam was like the Faces back in the day - how wonderful is that!

[@l1feson]

I’m a bit biased towards the Faith Naked Venus, as I own one, but just to correct you it has all solid wood, top back and sides. For the money it’s an amazing guitar.

[@jemahl123]

Yeah, I have a faith neptune that just gets better and better as it ages.

[@mr.deafeningguitar1547]

They're definitely great guitars.

[@macanoodough]

You can play Ramble On anytime your Puerto Rican heart desires... And I got the AG model from a couple years ago from Alvarez. Love, love, love it.

[@marksmith7789]

It's the Sire for me, fantastic sound and I love the finish on the Sire range plus they have a piezo AND a mic for the electrics which you can blend.

[@Love4boost]

I was all set to be the biased Ibanez owner. But I did a blind test and just listened and chose the Sire both times. I was easily able to hear the Ibanez too. I don’t even have that model but maybe something with the thermo aged tops that they sound so much alike even with mine being a 000 shape.

[@camp0017]

I also have an Ibanez (grand auditorium body shape) and instantly recognized the typical Ibanez sound. One thing that certainly stands out is the dynamic range: it sounds great both with very soft finger picking and with heavy strumming. And there's a pleasant balance between all the acoustic ranges - neither the highs nor the lows are dominant, while the mids are just a bit scooped out, which is the sound profile I like best.

[@Acroanidd]

I have a few loves in the acoustic world. Oddly I really like the Ovation stuff. But in terms of "normal" Martin is my all time favorite, but I really like the value and sound that an Ibanez Artwood provides. I used to have an AW and would pick one up if I didnt already have a nice Martin to play on.

[@TheJamison76]

Andertons needs to start supplying Eastman. Your really missing out on some top quality acoustics. Plus Yamaha is definitely missing from this video lol

[@l1feson]

I completely agree! I’ve got a really nice Eastman (E10oo) and I’ve tried a lot of the range. The PCH series blows a lot of much mor expensive guitars away, let alone the £400-£600 price bracket. Unbeatable for the money

[@TheJamison76]

@@l1feson The comparison videos between a £5000 Collings and the E10 and the difference was barely noticeable. The Chinese really know what they're doing now.

[@hunterbrown4585]

Eastman AC owner here, I second this, thing can easily stand with a $1500 Taylor

[@andiwernerful]

Yes indeed, I have an Eastman AC422 and it's just great!

[@croissantula]

+ Takamine!

[@bradleyberdahl6148]

you all do such a great job,whenever people ask me which guitar is right for them...I advise them to go to your channel,as well as go to a store and try different companys ,etc.....but ,yeah...Great Job!!!

[@mdenison2567]

my faith Venus is one of the best acoustics ive ever owned and cost me 475 new. absolute stunner :)

[@PolytheneBoy]

The Faith Naked Venus (and indeed every Faith guitar) is solid top, back and sides. I love mine!

[@brianpateman2666]

Yes, you beat me to the comment. My Faith is my go to at the moment.

[@russheath15]

Your right fella love mine I’ve got two of em 😂👍

[@paulcopsey6573]

We have 3 Faith models in our house. They are excellent. My personal favourite is my Blood Moon Neptune, the Mahogany Neptune is great, but my daughter's favourite is her PJ Legacy. Brighter, more open sound with the spruce top, but a slightly thicker neck.

[@gbenparsonsmusic]

you two are wonderful! thanks for the treat :)

[@jdgretz]

For me, it's definitely the Larry Carlton model. I own two acoustic guitars, an Andrew White nylon string acoustic electric, and a '63 Gibson Hummingbird that I've had since '64, and that is the standard against which I judge acoustic guitar tones. The Carlton compares nicely to the Gibson.

[@MrTrubadurable]

I don’t like boomy acoustics, so to me the Faith sounded the best! Most easy to fit in a mix I believe. Sire an Ibanez after that.

[@weaselpopper]

Wanted Alvarez to shine as I was most interested in but the Faith (whoever that is never heard of) really sounded best to me also.

[@Ian-bq7gp]

I had a yamaha Apx600 from 1993. The sound and playability, low action was great even if the preamp was broken. It spoke to me especially at pawnbrokers at £40

[@mr.deafeningguitar1547]

That Sigma just looks stunning!

[@TheMusicfan1996]

That was awesome guys! Could you do another one with £900-1,200 budget?

[@1960fusion]

both of you make all of the them sound like they are much more expensive guitars...great job!

[@hakankillberg6043]

Great video. The best sounding overall is the Sire. But for only fingerpicking style, the winner is Faith.

[@michaelberryman4835]

The Sire and the Alvarez for me. Would love Ben to review Ovation guitars.

[@jed1166]

Over the past 20 years, I have owned 4 Ovations. Happy to say I have broken my addiction and moved back to wood guitars. (Confession: still own a 28” scale Ovation D-scale tuned D to D. But, will soon replace it with a 27” scale Guild Baritone)... they sound ok, but not great.

[@nitinnandwani304]

I agree with you, but I haven’t yet tried the Alvarez . Have you tried both and which did you prefer ?

[@jed1166]

Bought a $400 Ibanez swamp ash Mini Jumbo, early 20 years ago... it sounded great, but only lasted about 4 years, before build quality issues arose. My daughters have long ago graduated from university, so I play a Japanese Takamine, that is wonderful. But, those many years ago, real players at gigs and open mics gave me numerous compliments on the tone of the Ibanez...

[@TheNubis99]

at this price point, Takamine is also definitely worth a look! although I have no idea if Andertons stocks those

[@johnjgibson6807]

Two Of The Best Acoustic Players And I’ll Go With That Decision 👍👍🎶🎶🎸Perfection.

[@nickwebb9290]

A great review, nice to see a different approach. The Sire gets my vote 👍

[@SpartanLaserCanon]

After hearing many acoustics and doing a shootout with some, my favorite one is still the PRS SE Parlour guitar I have. It has mid range you don't get with other acoustics. You can even plug it in, but I'd mic mine if I recorded it with DAW.

[@MacTaipan]

I have a Dreadnought at the moment, and I was thinking about my next acoustic being a Grand Auditorium, mainly for visuals reasons. But I have to admit that I prefer the fuller sound of the Dreadnoughts in this video.

[@richardsandson]

Literally no conclusion, which is fine because they are all lovely. And this is every guitarists dilemma....We want them all!

[@Smitty_Werbenjagermanjenson]

"Which one do you want?" "Yes"

[@mark.guitar]

The outro jamhas lost it's campfire and beers somewhere in the editing! Nice one guys.

[@mehmetnaciakkk3983]

I have an Ibanez (2 actually) and I love them, but my next one is going to be Sire, probably.

[@eaganlickiss4241]

More creativity in 30 seconds than I’ve had in my entire 10 years on the guitar 🙃😂

[@RechargingBatteries]

Not a single G Em C D playthrough, how am I meant to know which is right for me 😂

[@geralr]

Ben looks so healthy now! Good for you! Please share your secrets haha

[@Sagebirt]

The "Rabea" diet surely? :D

[@dadtimejamtime]

Ok, so putting my comments in at 10:36 - haven’t heard their opinions yet. For Ben the Faith and Sigma sounded best to me. For Pete I thought the Sigma and the Alvarez sounded best. Sigma had fullest sound from bass to mids to top end for both strumming and picking for both of them - but not sure if it’s just louder since it’s a dreadnaught. According to a Rhett Shull video, we perceive louder as better so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ When Ben played the Faith it really came alive compared to what was before it. More punch and mids and I was ready to buy it right then. Didn’t have the same impact when Pete played it though. And when Pete played the Alverez I wasn’t expecting much cause it sounded dull and lifeless without any resonance when Ben played it, but it really opened up and had a lot of color when Pete played it. Leads me to believe maybe Ben wasn’t angled at the microphone quite right until the faith and that’s what gave the Faith the perceived kick. So my takeaway was that the Sigma was the clear winner. 1. Sigma 2. Sire 3. Faith 4. Alvarez 5. Ibanez This was a fun way to do the video - interactive and I could play along! #gamify

[@colinohare]

One key element is always missing from the reviews . Set up. It can be the difference between a guitar you like in preference but of course I know sometimes you don't get 2 of the same guitars that even feel the same. most will probably require a pro set up if you want the best out of the guitar. Then I guess also if you a picker or a strummer will all impact the sound and your choice. Ultimately it's what's best for you. I lean towards the Sire because I have a Larry Carlton S7 FM and the quality knocks Fender out of the Park IMO . I guess you need to get your hands on them to tell for sure. Also these were Mic'd up or Di'd and no setting were altered to get the best out of a particular guitar. I guess what I'm saying is the video is not really going to help you decide you'd be basically taking a punt.

[@stevendegoodmojosmet4034]

From here the Sigma sounded grand, next the Sire, love that guitar brand , the Ibanez sounded euh cheap .. But thats personal right! Great review. Had a Sigma, have a Larry Carlton. Thanks, for this review.

[@kjd9634]

I watched the original review with Ben and the Larry Carlton, for me it looks and sounds the best.

[@tylerrosier1068]

I think the Taylor academy series has a couple affordable guitars. I bought one a while back... I got the academy 12 with no electronics. It’s a grand concert body, and I love it. It would be interesting to see them in a video

[@pdcorlis]

Love to see you do this with a selection of Fusion/Hybrid nylon string guitars...

[@butchcase6351]

The Sie Larry Carlton .....very Martin like. Alvarez is next lots of bass for a cutaway and the middle to upper priced Alvarez guitars are a great value.

[@chrisdrake447]

Nice! Would love to hear a similar demo featuring alternative Gibson or slightly shorter scale length acoustics from different price point ...Please ...

[@deborahmcalister3936]

Hey Ben, try some new cool glass frames to complete your new look!

[@davedavem]

Beautiful work gents!

[@russellwestern6997]

What a jam out! I'd love to be able to improv like that. I'm guessing its mainly a case of chord progressions right?

[@samwinstanley6820]

Just wanted to say, the Faith has solid mahogany back and sides, they age very nicely. Just hard to compare a OM body with a dreadnaught

[@bradleymunn9940]

Love seeing you guys

[@scottd.1700]

My favorite guitar that I've ever owned was a vintage Alvarez. I've got a brand new spalted maple ovation coming in. Maybe that will change.

[@kevroyo]

If anybody is looking for an acoustic around this price range, I would recommend just saving a little more and getting a Yamaha TransAcoustic. Crazy amount of guitar for the money, not to mention the addition of the reverb and chorus options.

[@Jerry_Fried]

I haven't played all those brands, but a couple of years ago at NAMM I played a few Faiths and they really spoke to me.

[@andyfaber8044]

No Yamaha, Recording King or Epi? Like a PT II with some more brands we've heard of in the US.

[@philsaunter]

Don't know how they feel, but my Winners from listening to them were the Sire Larry Carlton A4 and the Faith Venus Naked. I'd still buy a Martin Jr. 000 or a Taylor GS Mini for that budget though.

[@quentinhoy1607]

Simon and Patrick are also great guitars in that price range. They are a Godin made instrument therefore you get great sound and build quality for a good price! I bought a Woodland Pro Spruce and I'll never need anything else (mainly play electric).

[@andiwernerful]

Awesome jam at the end!

[@KimmeU]

I'm surprised that Anderton doesn't stock the Guild brand, because the "Guild D-240E Limited Edition" acoustic guitar 🎸 would probably do it well with this competition....

[@kaputme]

Nice Video! we are still waiting for all Petes guitars video...

[@Doug5524]

Great demo lads, I would have the Larry Carlton

[@BenMeecham]

I'd love a shootout of the 500-1000 range, so it compares the cheap Martins and Taylors etc against the more expensive Sigmas etc 👀

[@EnglishVeteran]

Listening to the show on my phone, connected to a small Bluetooth speaker and sitting in the sun, I can say that each time the Larry Carlton was played I listened. It looked great and, to me, sounds good.

[@zykify]

Great idea! Now do £900-1300 and then £1300 + (but take a bit more care with the mic placement) (imagine that if the mic could shot a ping-pong ball it'd hit the 14th fret and the ball would bounce away with a 90-degree angle over the soundhole )

[@cratecruncher6687]

The Larry Carlton inlays look cool and it comes with a built in maraca feature. That's got to be worth another 50 quid!

[@mrartistbill]

Pete and Ben should form a band. I don't need another acoustic as I have 2 Martins, but I watched this just to hear them play and steal some riffs.

[@wesmatron]

The Larry Carlton sounded most pleasing to me. However, I have an Ibanez acoustic and it has aged so well. These guitars won't sound the same once you have played them for a few years.

[@paulstubbs4487]

Sire for me. I thought it was the best overall and based on my Sire H7 they are great guitars. Alvarez close second.

[@davidjennings9253]

I thought the Faith sounded way the best, but it all depends on your PC sound system. To my ears the Sire sounded strangled/compressed.

[@theanswer1932]

Sire A4.... I love this guitar! Obviously it's my guitar! 🤩

[@jowyong6769]

Would've liked to see a triple-O style acoustic in the line up too. Dreadnoughts and grand auditoriums are too large and cumbersome for me...

[@NOAH96577]

Same here

[@petestaint8312]

These two goofballs are awesome! 👍

[@garytilley3217]

What is the digital counter at the back for?

[@Tsnafu]

Heavy "Rod Stewart" vibe in that outro - I liked it

[@Anthony-qh1xv]

I didn’t really watch the video for that long, but the first Alverez sounded like it was laminate to me, it sounded thin and tinny, I think it’s important getting an all solid

[@vince8081]

Love the sire and ibanez sound, decision has to be the neck shape.

[@Nikoo033]

Purely on sound projection and maybe sound quality I’d say: Sire > Sigma > Ibanez > Faith > Alvarez

[@scottsanders1960]

I agree with Pete. The more expensive acoustics have a much wider range of dynamics.

[@sesa1076]

Weird but the Sigma was the only one with dynamic range on my headphones and head and shoulders above all the others.

[@ewal8556]

Faith and Alvarez sounded fuller to me with more depth, the faith being bright and the Alvarez more mellow. For me it would be the Alvarez as I’m not a fan of guitars that are too bright. Didn’t like the sound of the Ibanez though

[@HenriksenDolf]

I love my Yamaha, my Ibanez and my Taylor. There is no best guitar. Just always one missing.

[@Big.E]

Loved this video

[@Yakitori3179]

I'm torn between the Alvarez AG60 and the AG75. I like the look of the AG60 but the sound of the AG75.

[@stewartrosser5772]

The faith is solid back and sides

[@Anthony-qh1xv]

I didn’t really watch the video that much, but the Alvarez sounded laminate, and kind of thin. I think it’s important to go all solid if you can.

[@steventhomas231]

Lovely if you have the luxury of being right handed. Id love andertons to do some reviews for lefties as well.😁

[@Henwah1402]

Just watch the vids in a mirror

[@Rockabillykid23]

Is the sigma All Solid wood?

[@lefthandguitar]

The Sire stands out!

[@thierrylorent6809]

Sire for me Thank you both Nice vidéo keep up thé good work

[@TheBullDurham]

Sire does not appear to be available. It says coming soon on their web site.

[@jameslewis2635]

I think that my initial tone favorite was the Ibanez random password generator. Seriously, it is like Ibanez get most of their product names from LastPass.

[@kitoyobeni1]

Other than the series number, everything else refers to features of that model.

[@alpeshpatel837]

Very helpful. How would these compare vs Martin X1E which is a little over £500?

[@ricciardinicolas5887]

Which stands do you use to put your guitar and preserve nitro varnish ? I have a D-28 and a D-18 and I don't use stand because I'm scared of that !

[@trashbirdie]

What scale was Ben using in the outro Jam?

[@josephriddlestone4684]

I think he was doing triads over the chord voicings, moving with the progression and some major pentatonic.

[@DrustIV]

The Sire followed by the Ibanez. The Faith sounded very thin and unexciting.

[@PapaTube-ep1nk]

Bet they have more Sires in stock to move, my choice Alvy, Sigma, Ibanez, Sire and Faith

[@chrisgoulding4892]

I've got an order in for a Sire A4 and have been waiting for a month. There's none in stock, as far as I'm aware.

[@vansongs]

The Alvarez was singing in the play out. Those guys are players, sheesh.

[@sourav2328]

Please test lag and Kepma guitars

[@chrisdunn1155]

I thought the Faith had solid front, back and sides.

[@trident1314]

Well for me the first thing I consider Is it available as a lefty... pretty underwhelmed by the sound of the faith tbh...wish sire would make lefty acoustics