Acoustic Guitar, advice / tips Options

[Hanyo]

Hi all,

Anyone own an acoustic guitar or play an acoustic guitar professionally?

I'm looking to get a beginner guitar, and like always I research the hell out of it before I put out money.

Right now I am eyeing the Yamaha fg700s guitar from guitarcenter for around 200 bucks.

I know the Solid top matters with sound and also the wood its made of determines how good it sound. But this is what i need help with:

I see used guitars sell for 50-100 bucks like the Ibanez SGT130 SAGE, is it worth the savings?



And will i get a better-bang-for-the-buck if i buy a 300 dollar guitar compared to the fg700s?

everyone says test out the guitar before you buy because same model guitars will play differently even when they are brand new. So what am i looking for? I've played other instruments before but that was a very long time ago, so basically i know nothing.

I know i want low action (distance between the strings and the frets) and an adjustable neck. Anything else?

thanks alot.

[presure2]

seems like your on the right track, everything you mentioned is what your looking for.
as far as new vs used, i definetly wouldnt buy a used guitar without a thorough inspection, then playing it.
you can definetly save some cash that way, just a matter of being paitent and finding a good deal.
good luck!

[lagos]

I have a Martin DM that I just love.
New they go for around 900$ but Ive seen a few on ebay within the 3-400 range.

Definitely spend some extra cash for a nice guitar. It will inspire you to play more.

Your average yamaha, fender, etc... acoustics are pretty much junk. You want to look at something like a Martin, Taylor or Takamini. I recommend you find a local SamAsh, or GuitarCenter, and go in there to play their guitars. That will be the best way to narrow down what works best for you.

[Taskbot]

If you're just starting, honestly, look for something with a thinner radius neck, if you can. You'll thank yourself later.

Then again that's really dependent on what you want to play.

I learned to play bass before I played guitar but when I started playing guitar I started on a Stratocaster and I later got myself like a collection of guitars. The most comfortable guitars for me at least have a thinner radius and are designed for jazz, however that's just my style. For acoustic guitars I have a Ovation Celebrity and I have a Classical Guitar. The Ovation is good for when you want to plug in and have that twangy electric/acoustic sound, think "Make it wit chu (acoustic)" by Queens of the Stone Age, its on the Era Vulgaris Double Disc.

A lot of folk players prefer large radius necks simply because the neck is fatter and its much easier to chord on, they're not playing so many scales and solos. So "real" accoustic guitars like Gibsons and such have massive necks.


So, what's your style? What do you want to get out of playing an acoustic guitar? What sound do you want to achieve?

Maybe I'm complicating things too much. Also a good guitar is determined by the money you put into it. I've never played a guitar that was not worth the asking price, like there's a substantial difference in playability between a $3000 Gibson Les Paul Silverburst Reissue and my $380 Squier Stratocaster.

[DEATH]

I love my Ovation but I wouldn't call that a beginner guitar

[gt_driFFter]

Bump!

Hanyo, what did you end up getting? I'm looking at some Taylors but want to stay under $600, which isn't easy to do with Taylors

[Akimbo]

I love my Takamine. You can probably find a Jasmine for cheap.

If you get frustrated (like i did learning) it might not be you. It might be the guitar. When I got a new guitar I got quality strings and made sure the new guitar had lower action. This did wonders.

[richee3]

You can't go wrong with a good Taylor or Takamine, as everyone else here has said before me. But price is often a problem, especially when it comes to Taylor's. I had an Alvarez RD20S which was a pretty good acoustic, and a Fender DG-8S. Both are dirt cheap beginner guitars, in the $200 range. But the Fender runs circles around the Alvarez, so I just sold it. However, that's not saying the Fender makes a better cheap guitar than Alvarez. You said it yourself, some guitars are just better than others. When you are looking for a cheaper guitar, don't buy one without playing it first. But now I'm just reiterating what everyone else has said. Basically, find a guitar you like before looking at the price, because that $1200 Taylor is going to put my Fender to shame. But as far as price goes, you can't beat either of my acoustics.

gt_driFFter, if you find a Taylor under $600, I'm driving to your house and shaking your hand. Then I'm robbing you

[MaskedMan]

Hey Hanyo, you live in the bay area right? Well I play guitar and I believe a few other members up here are learning or want to learn how to play too. So if you want to get together sometime to practice, then that would be cool.

[gt_driFFter]

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds: Live at Radio City.

EVERY acoustic guitar lover (or any kind for that matter) needs to see this. Tim Reynolds is amazing.

This post has been edited by gt_driFFter: Jan 22, 2009 - 11:06 PM

[95CelicaST]

I think I paid $450 for my Oscar Schmidtt electric/acoustic bass, and it has surely paid for itself. I could have easily picked up the inexpensive cheap guitar, but I wanted something that will last, and something that resonates well. Sit down with a higher end acoustic and a cheap one and play them both. You'll see/feel/hear a major difference.

[gt_driFFter]

gt_driFFter, if you find a Taylor under $600, I'm driving to your house and shaking your hand. Then I'm robbing you

Their 110 model is $600 brand new. A friend just bought one but I have yet to check it out.

[richee3]

gt_driFFter, if you find a Taylor under $600, I'm driving to your house and shaking your hand. Then I'm robbing you

Their 110 model is $600 brand new. A friend just bought one but I have yet to check it out.

I'm going to have to look into that myself I want a Taylor so bad, but I'm on a budget FTL.

[FreddyTheOthaMea...]

[PR3M4TUR3D3T0N4T...]

the besit advice i can give you, since you are a beginner, look for a cheap accoustic that sounds good to you- with easy action- meaning strings are close to the neck, making it easier to play (my first guitar was a yamaha eterna i got for $200 at sears and is still the best sounding guitar i own and i have a fender and an ovation), and like someone mentioned before, a thin neck- as those strings will turn your fingers to hamburger meat- i reccommend Elixer strings with Nanoweb cuz they have a coating that makes them softer to the fingers and they last a while- but start simple, as you might find guitar is not the right instrument/hobby for you- and if you do enjoy it, then start investing money in name brands...

[tonytutino]

hey man i sell guitars for a living.

you should definitely play what you want to buy prior to purchasing it. make sure it ''feels'' right to you. take the time and see how the neck feels and if its comfortable or not, they vary in size.

buying a solid top guitar means the wood is actually going to age and sound better the longer you have it. (more resonant tones).
every guitar has an adjustable neck so thats not something you have to worry about, but you can raise/lower the action with a general setup after you buy it.

used guitars are a toss up, if you leave your guitar in extreme hot or cold for a short period of time it can cause permanent damage. The temperature can warp the wood and melt glue joints. so who knows if the person took good care of it or not? i'd save yourself the trouble and get a solid-top guitar that sounds and plays good to you.

[celica9110]

what ever you do dont tune it to drop a sharp
thats what i play the electric in...and i had down time on her because i popped a string =[

but anyway if u tune an acoustic that low its a biatch to get it tuned to standard

[DEATH]

but start simple, as you might find guitar is not the right instrument/hobby for you- and if you do enjoy it, then start investing money in name brands...

X2 - took me years to figure out I was much better suited to the Bass guitar than the 6 string. Now I'm super happy with the bass and much more comfortable playing it and stretching my abilities with it - with the 6 string I was much more rigid. In other words for me the bass just flows out of me rather than being an effort.
If any of that makes sense

This post has been edited by DEATH: Jan 26, 2009 - 12:28 PM

[Hanyo]

I owe you guys an update.


I ended up getting a used v200s from Ibanez. Its a solid top acoustic guitar with a built in tuner. The original price of this guitar was $200 and I bought it used from a kid for $60.

At first I knew nothing about guitars, I didn't even know how to put my hands on the strings or how to strum. I was using home made guitar picks cut from old credit cards (that was how little I knew.) Yes, it was very very elementary.

As I learned more, I put some fresh strings, bought tortoise picks, and adjusted the action. This made a world of difference. It felt like a brand new guitar again. The guitar was singing! (i dont think the strings where ever changed)


After playing this guitar for 6 months I finally know more on what to look for in a guitar. Cheap guitars buzz real easily and require you to fret PERFECTLY. They buzz even more when you play the guitar loud. Cheap guitars are quieter and don't sound as full on the low E string. Which makes you pick the low E notes harder which gives you more buzz. (all of this is not from my action adjustment, it only happens when you mess up) The last difference I notice was cheap guitars don't sound as rich and vibrant.

So anyone out there new to guitars, those are somethings that you want to take note of.


Do I regret buying my POS guitar?

Not one second. I considered it a 60 dollar guitar lesson. I've screwed around with the action on this guitar like there is no tomarrow. I've banged the neck of this guitar countless times and scratched the hell out of it with my picks.

In the end, I would stay away from a cheap acoustic guitar if your serious about performing with a guitar. With that said, I would feel terrible if I scratch an expensive guitar or worse cracked the wood because of lack of care. I would never take a $1000 acoustic outside my house to play at the beach or at the park. Which brings me to my next point. Unless your performing professionally or to other music enthusiast, the average joe would not be able to tell the difference between a $500 instrument and $2000 instrument. I personally would not be able to tell the difference on how they sound if they both where played outside at the park. There would be too much outside noise that would cancel out the subtle difference in the more expensive guitar.

I'm still a beginner in playing guitars, I've learned to bar cords properly. Now i'm working on muting strings. Anyone know any easy to play songs that require muting? I would love to hear about it.


Thanks guys for all your help.

[Ruroniarc]

That's good that you're learning on a POS. That's how I learned, and now when I play an expensive guitar my music sounds good. =P If you're looking for a really nice - semi reasonably priced guitar, get a Taylor 310CE. (I think?) It's the one I'm looking at, and it sounds BEAUTIFUL.