# Opinions on Gibson Chet Atkins CE



## Wings of Obsidian

Hey guys, I've been looking at buying a used Gibson Chet Atkins acoustic-electric guitar for awhile now. (I want the nylon-string classical model - the CE). Super-thin body, full sounds, and very nice electronics.

I was wondering if any of you guys had any experience, words, opinions, or reviews that you would like to share on any of the Gibson or Epiphone acousitc-electric Chet Atkins models before I pull the trigger on my decision?


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## AVWIII

I would highly recommend checking out the godin multiac guitars. I've had little experience with the Chet Atkins, but they've always sounded like very primitive nylon electrics (clicky, scratchy, brittle plastic electrified tone). With the multiacs, you have a whole slew of pickup options and price points to fit every budget. My personal favourites are the grand concert (owned one for a few months. The most expensive multiac) and the new encore (played one many times. Sounded amazing and is the least expensive nylon godin makes) Sorry if you're set on a Chet, as this post probably isn't helpful at all. Happy hunting!


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## Wings of Obsidian

WOW! Those things are nice! I was looking at a Carvin acoustic/electric, but these Godin's seem to be more awesome and worth the price for having the MIDI control.


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## AVWIII

Yeah I never got around to using the synth access on my grand concert, but it definitely seemed like a very cool feature. The value to feature ratio on the godins are great. Plus they're all made in Canada/The U.S. Awesome stuff.
Those carvin nylons look cool too, but I've never had the pleasure of playing one.


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## daveferrell

I just bought a used Gibson CE on ebay. Decent ones go for $1000-$1400. The more nicks start lowering the price down around $900. Vintage guitar list them for $1100-$1400 in excellent condition. Watchout for the "2nd" or "demo" or other stamped guitars being sold. Although they are probably just as good, their original price did not start that high and they should not demand a high price most people are trying to get out them. I don't care how nice they are I would not pay over $700 for one. The one I bought is a '91 with two repaired nicks on top, otherwise in great condition for $1000. I've known pro's who have tried the Godin. They all got rid of them. My thinking was with the Gibson that if I didn't overpay for it I could always get my money back. If you look at the Godin there's a ton of them out there and they're not selling. If you can get a nice one for $750 or less you should be able to get your money back if you want to sell it. Otherwise you'll take a big hit if you can sell it.


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## rickyc

Hi - I have a Chet Atkins CE and a Larrivee acoustic. Will either or both work with my Fender Deluxe Reverb, and if so, which hole should I plug in to - normal or high gain?

The reason I'm asking this stuff is that my son passed away and I inherited them. I used to just "noodle" on my PRS and the Reverb. I am 77 and had lung cancer last year and it was on my "bucket list" to start trying the Larrivee and the Atkins but didn't know if they would screw up my amp or what.



I just want to sit around at home - no public stuff. I'm not really worried about precise sound, just good enough to enjoy.



If I did decide to get a preamp or acoustic amp, can someone suggest some good economy models?


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## yingmin

rickyc said:


> Hi - I have a Chet Atkins CE and a Larrivee acoustic. Will either or both work with my Fender Deluxe Reverb, and if so, which hole should I plug in to - normal or high gain?
> 
> The reason I'm asking this stuff is that my son passed away and I inherited them. I used to just "noodle" on my PRS and the Reverb. I am 77 and had lung cancer last year and it was on my "bucket list" to start trying the Larrivee and the Atkins but didn't know if they would screw up my amp or what.
> 
> 
> 
> I just want to sit around at home - no public stuff. I'm not really worried about precise sound, just good enough to enjoy.
> 
> 
> 
> If I did decide to get a preamp or acoustic amp, can someone suggest some good economy models?



They will WORK through a Deluxe, but I'd still suggest getting an acoustic amp. Fenders are the absolute standard for clean tube amps, but they're still electric guitar amps, and as such will color the tone more than you probably want. Plugging an acoustic guitar into an electric guitar amp won't hurt the amp, so you don't have to worry about that. Acoustic amps are designed to be more transparent, so you're only hearing the sound of the guitar itself. They're also generally designed to be like miniature PA systems, so you can plug in two guitars, or a guitar and a mic, or what have you. They also tend to have feedback suppression built in, which is a great feature to have for amplified acoustic guitar (though the Atkins should be safe no matter what). If you go with an acoustic amp, I'd recommend a Fishman Loudbox Mini or Artist. If not, plug into any jack on the Deluxe, but watch your volume and where you're sitting in relation to the amp or you can get massive feedback.


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## Wings of Obsidian

Indeed Fishman amps (love their pre-amps too) or even check out Vox amps.


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