I'm thinking of purchasing an adi/rosewood Goodall OM. It seems to be a lot richer in harmonic content than my Collings; just a different sound. However, I used to have a Lowden that was so rich that it almost sounded like a 12-string. I got tired of that sound and wanted something more traditional.

Anybody have any experience with the Goodalls or otherwise have any thoughts or comments?

I'm a big fan of James Goodall. I currently own 4 Goodalls, different shapes and woods. All the guitars are "modern" sounding, nice overtones, setup for flatpicking or fingerstyle. The workmanship is top-notch, materials are flawless, overall I couldn't say there's anything that I haven't been happy with in regards to my Goodalls.

Can you tell me more about your guitars -- models, woods, and your thoughts. If you don't want to post, my email is jread@fagenfriedman.com.

About a year ago, I played an adi/rosewood Concert Jumbo that was one of the best guitars I ever played. It had a huge, full bass response and I was concerned about its application in an amplified format, which I do occasionally.

Recently, I found a used adi/rosewood OM that sounds similar, but not as huge. I am considering buying it, but might hold out for a Concert Jumbo. I know that Goodall uses a lot of different woods and want to make sure I make a good decision before jumping on something. I play fingerstyle with a thumbpick, so my attack is pretty strong, but not banging.

I appreciate your response. Thanks.

Rotten, I am another big fan of Goodys. I don't own as many as Boiler does right now, but I have over the past four years.
For me, and this is purely personal, I prefer the "dryer" woods in a Goodall, and the GC body size. Goodys can be SO thick with bell tones and over tones that some can get to be too much too quckly. Taking that Goodall quality, and tempering it a bit with a more fundamental wood combination can make for one killer guitar.

In Goodalls, I prefer Walnut (my favorite) and Koa. No body does Koa like James does. I had a mahogany GC once that was exceptional as well, should have kept that one.

You are gonna have to try out some for yourself to see how they fit with your style. But if you like a really rich sound with lots of overtones you should be able to find a Goody that fits that pretty easily.

BTW, I too have found that trying to amp some Goodalls can be a problem. Again, I stick with the dryer sounding woods and no problems. My Walnut GC amps and mics really well.

Rotten, one thing I can tell you is that you will not be disappointed in your purchase of a Goodall. The overlapping "telephone ring" that some claim, is not so bad. The bell-like tone is really nice and the sustain is better than pretty much anything out there. I have an Adi/Mah GC that puts out plenty of volume and can take any attack you care to launch without breaking up (Adi perhaps). The trebles are brilliant without sounding nasal and, if you're using a thumbpick, the bass should be quite prominent. I fingerpick softly and it still is quite loud. I also have an F-27 Cedar/Eir Lowden that sounds great but not as "full" as the Goodall.

Not strangely, all the novice guitar players I've played for think the Goodall is far better than Collings because of the overtones etc. One of the 5 best guitars I think I ever played was an ugly, ugly Trad Dred Goodall with Adi/Eir. They wanted $5.5k though. One last point: the finish is very nice but not quite Collings.

I want to weigh in on the Goodals and tone. I own two, a Grand Concert cocobolo/adirondack, and a Concert Jumbo walnut/cedar. The tone is different than a Collings, as has been said. I wrote an article for Flatpicking Guitar Magazine a few years ago on flatpicking Goodalls. The Goodall tone is as precise and clean as Collings, but it has more overtones. Goodalls are definitely not muddy, as are some Martins. The tone is modern, if by that one means lush and balanced. Collings are also modern, in the sense that they produce a balanced tone. The difference between Collings and Goodalls is in overtones. And either you like Goodalls or you dont. Same with Collings.

The workmanship, here I would disagree with Cowboy, is top notch. I think James and his group are as anal as Bill and his group, in terms of finish, clean work, etc. My two guitars are flawless. Also, I like James's insistence in working only with wood bindings, and also binding every fingerboard. He, like Bill Collings, keeps his guitars understated in terms of inlay, etc.

With regard to tone, when I play my Goodalls, I have to be careful when I am flatpicking. Because of overtones and richness, the notes will run into each other. I find that I have to be more precise with my Goodalls than with my Collings. There is just more going on. The Collings tone decays quicker, and thus allows for better separation even if one isn't careful. I don't own a drier wood Goodall, but I would imagine that the notes would decay quicker tilting the tone towards a Collings sound.

If I had to pick one guitar to do everything, and I don't since I own 12 others, I would pick the Goodall Grand Concert cocobolo/ad. It will do it all. It is the loudest guitar I own, will take a hard hand in flatpicking, and yet will alow me to fingerpick if needed.

In terms of feel in the hand, the Grand Concert or OM is my favorite of the Goodall line. It is deeper than a normal OM but feels the same.

Great guitars. You cannot go wrong with one.

I have a maple/adi Goodall Grand Concert that is outstanding. The maple back makes it quite different from the other ones discussed here, obviously, but the same general adjectives apply. It is clear as a bell, has extremely nice (and rich, for maple) sustain, and is very well balanced ... probably the best recording guitar that I own. I have never played a Goodall that I didn't absolutely drool over. The Goodall necks are also perfect for me. I don't know if it's the shape or the satin finish on the ones i've played, but I find them easier to get around on than any other maker.

I typically don't use a pick with this guitar, but when I do it I'm always pleasantly surprised at how well it takes it. When attacked, it is crisp and loud, loud, loud (even in a relatively small body size) and I don't sense much breakup.

For what it's worth, the Maddie CJ at Cotten Music (with the rose inlay) is one of the best-sounding instruments I have ever played. I've almost bought it a couple of times but haven't yet managed to pull the trigger. I'm sure Kim wouldn't mind if somebody else picked it up.

Bottom line ... I highly recommend these guitars to anybody who is wanting sort of a "non-traditional" sound. The tone is different than that of my Collings guitars, but I have to say that I generally prefer the Goodall sound.

Mike

I've owned 2 nice Goodalls in the past:

an Adi/IERosewood RCJC

and

an Adi/Mahogany TMhOM


Eventually, I wound up selling both Goodalls because, for my taste, too many overtones were going on and that limited the versatility of these guitars.

Playing a 6 string Goodall is kind of like playing a 12 string (with its abundant overtones and ringing sustain).

Certain songs lend themselves to this lush, reverby, 12 string sound (e.g., Mr. Tambourine Man or Windham Hill kind of stuff). Other songs, however, have a more percussive beat and the overtones become too much as you try to create a syncopated rhythm.

Playing a Goodall is like having an chorus effects pedal always plugged in. It's great on some songs but, on others, I prefer to hear more of the fundamental notes.

That's what led me to Collings. Some overtones but strong fundamental.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: louisiana,

I own a Cedar/Koa Goodall CJ and love what this "rich" sounding acoustic brings to the table. I also had the pleasure of having a beautiful Collings Adi/ Braz OM visiting me for a few weeks. As I spent more time comparing these two very different tonal voices, it really made me appreciate both instruments for their individual unique sound qualities.
The perfect scenario is to own both....

"The perfect scenario is to own both...."

Agreed. I have a Collings CJ and a couple of Collings OMs along with an Adirondack/EIR Goodall Traditional 000. I love 'em all for different reasons.

Warren

Hope you enjoy the guitar, Mike. I called Kim about it, but was unable to work a deal due to the fact that it was on consignment. Looks like a fantastic instrument.

I own two Goodalls, and love them both, as I do my four Collings.

Thanks, Jeff. I played it for quite a while when I went up to visit in August. It's one of the best-sounding instruments I have ever played.