Austin Douglass Touch Guitar on E-Bay

[TheEclectic]

Never heard of this brand. The picture is not a very good one, so it is hard to tell how it is made.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Austin-Douglass-Touch-Guitar-Like-chapman-stick-or-warr_W0QQitemZ200218023315QQihZ010QQcategoryZ2384Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The add will probably get pulled soon because of the use of Chapman Stick in the title.

[Nightmare Music]

Austin Douglas is the budget brand Warr Guitar, kinda the post-cursor to the Warr Raptor

http://www.austindouglasguitars.com/

[warrplayer]

They are good little instruments. I have an ADG 8 string. If you don't particularly care for playing a $3000+ instrument they do the trick.

[PhoBucket]

I have heard that the ADGs have very good construction guality, but just have fewer options and a less costly design than the Warr guitars. RJGoos had one at one time, although it was a dual pickup version. Seems like a good deal. Wish there were better pictures.

[K Rex]

Goos, what happened to your ADG? Didn't you just buy that thing last year?

k

[PhoBucket]

And what happened to the one on ebay? Anybody have it on their watch list?

[lwclaypool]

I have an 8-string Austin Douglas and a 10-string Warr Artist. (Pics of both available over in the guitars section at www.lorenclaypool.com (http://www.lorenclaypool.com).) My 8-string is tuned in 4ths from D. The construction is no frills but rock solid. I've had the instrument since 2000 with no issues. The electronics on the ADG are passive and I use it mostly for basslines and mid-range "guitar" parts; it does a fine job for me in those spaces. It also growls up nicely when overdriven. I enjoy the instrument and, even with a 8-string Warr Artist on order, have no plans to part with it. It's been good for me and what I do and it travels easily.

[rjgoos]

Originally posted by K Rex
Goos, what happened to your ADG? Didn't you just buy that thing last year?

k



The ADG-10 is a fine instrument in every regard. I play it every day. The sound blends nicely with my wife's nylon-string acoustic guitar, is comfortable to play seated (with a lap bar attached to the strap buttons), so it is my main axe for duet gigs with my wife. The neck pitches away from me when I play standing with a strap or a slider strap, but if you use one of Traktor's straps*, or a slider strap* with a second strap to bring the neck back, you can position the instrument in a mostly-vertical, rock-solid position for tapping. Very comfortable.

As far as I know the price for a new one is still only $1395 inclusive of gig bag, and (AFAIK) turn-around is just a few months. Jim Wright is a pleasant person to work with. I got mine used for $800 on eBay, which was a steal because it had a second set of pickups. The guy had sort-of mislabelled the eBay listing, so I was the only bidder.

Regarding the specific instrument on eBay now, you might need to re-work the nut to use it with a radically different tuning (inverted 5ths, etc.). You'd have to ask Jim if the Barts were wound special or installed in a different way for the "non-inverted" nature of the tuning.

Sorry that I haven't been around much. Too many flame wars.


*Strap locks strongly recommended

[K Rex]

Sorry about the flaming, RJ. We're working on that.

Glad you still have your ADG. I'd love to hear a sample if one is available (wink, wink).

Om,

Kev

[rjgoos]

http://homepage.mac.com/tap6/bc-3rd.mp3

http://homepage.mac.com/tap6/cowboy-lulaby-5.mp3

http://homepage.mac.com/tap6/god-rest-ye-merry.mp3


Nothing special about these recordings, just one or two instruments processed mono through a cheap Zoom pedal and plugged into an old iMac. The only piece of sound equipment I've bought since 2001 was a 4-channel mixer that runs on a 9-volt battery, that I got for something like $80. I guess that makes the mixer was the only new piece of equipment I've purchased since getting into touchstyle in 2003. All of the instruments I have were either bought used or made myself. The various manufacturers haven't made much money from me, I guess.