A Goodall model I do not se mentioned here at all is their 000-12 fret, I highly, highly recommend them, they are unlike any other 000 out there. They are deeper (physically and tonaly) than any of the more traditionally made 000-12 fret guitars by Martin, Collings, SCGC, etc. I traded my first one in (Coco/Adi) for the same guitar with a custom neck profile 1& 11/16" nut and thinner profile, and will never let it go.

Jeff

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

A huge Goodall Koa/Sitka Standard, old design details, was my personal intro to the boutique guitar world. An wonderful combo of overtones and balance with a big, big sound. I miss that guitar.

I've been tempted twice-
one an EI Rosewood & Adi (I think) concert Jumbo, the other a Baritone (don't remember the woods). I think the Baritone consigned at McCabe's might have belonged to one of the "Mighty wind" boys (was before that though); was very close to pulling the trigger.

They certainly have their own sound, huge & ring all over the place. In the doses I've heard them they've sounded great.

But your concerns cannot be entirely dismissed either. I've read a number of posts of people who have sold their Goodalls saying that they got tired of the sound. They also complained about low resale prices when they sold.

Obviously not the guys here.

I am, at the moment, Goodall-less (as part of a rather large restructuring plan I've been carrying out over the past month). Having spent a few months with them, the thing that I ultimately wasn't in love with was the trebles. They always ended up sounding too bright for their intended applications. I liked the sound strummed, but it didn't completely agree with me fingerpicked.

Such is life.

They're incredible instruments and wonderfully built. But I ended up viewing them as more disposable than a few of my others.

I've owned a AAAA Koa, Sitka Standard for 10 years. It is a huge guitar in every way - sounds like a grand piano. It's sound is "mystical", rich, complex. Perhaps not the best guitar for someone who owns just one acoustic and wants a guitar that can do everything. For that I'd get a Collings OM or SJ. I use it for freeform Indian classical/blues oriented noodling. I would never sell this guitar. It is simply amazing, unlike the guitars made by any other luthier. But it is completely different from a Collings. People who don't like Collings describe them as "tight" sounding. I would call them focused, precise, fundamental. If that is your preference you wqon't like Goodalls at all. But why would anyone who could own several guitars want them all from the same sound family? That is about as goofy as the banjo players, who nearly all jump into line to sound exactly like Earl Scruggs' prewar Gibson Granada.

I recently bought another Goodall Standard from Guitar Gal - a rosewood cutaway. I thought it would sound very different from my Koa. But it was nearly identical and not quite as fine so I returned it. My point being that James makes his guitars to sound like Goodalls. If you like that sound as much as I do you will never be without one.

I own 4 Collings and 3 Goodalls plus other guitars. I have the Goodalls because they are not Collings. They sound different. I agree with Nick. If you like the Goodall sound, you won't be without one. If you don't, well you won't have one. I would not compare the sound between Collings and Goodall. Both guitar makers are at the top of their field, but they make two different sounding guitars. Collings has a more traditional sound, but not as traditional as Martin. Goodalls sound is open, round, overtoned, and yet clear.

I like both Collings and Goodall, hence own both.

I totally agree with most opinions that goodalls tend to have a lot of overtones, no matter what type of wood is used. When I was first looking for a quality acoustic, I thought that rich overtones and lots of sustain was what I wanted. I loved the Goodalls and the Sobells that I played but they were too expensive. I ended up getting a collings OM-2HG with indian rosewood and a german spruce top, and it too had lots of overtones and sustain, but it still had that focused sound and sharp trebels that colligns are known for. A great guitar, but guess what, I got sick of all the overtones, and the endless sustain, which all made the guitar have less note separation and clarity, although it was not muddy. That is why, now I know that Goodalls are not for me, and that is not to say that they aren't great, but I have come to realize that I wanted the strong fundamentals, high headroom, and note separation that Mahogany and Adi had, so I got a Martin OM-18GE.

I think that if you just want one guitar that does it all, a goodall may not be for you (this is a total generalization, I know). Just understand that endless sustain and tons of overtones can be annoying for certain applications, but I do like having a lot of sustain, but just not so much that it clouds up the chords while strumming.