Cheap acoustic...

[ChrisMG187]

Well, I'd like to buy an acoustic guitar. I'm thinking a Takamine or a Fender with onboard preamp. I really like the black ones. Cutaway is a must. Any suggestions?

[mojo]

solid top, low action, adjustable neck....the usuals.

you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta remember that a cheap guitar will sound like crap and and be hard to play. then you will think it's you and get frustrated, when it's in fact the cheap-ass guitar. don't get a cheap ass guitar! even if it says fender or whatever...make sure it's easy to play. have someone go with you n stuff that knows. unless you're in san diego, then you could go to allen's music (cuz i trust them that much).

other than that, i gotta know what your objectives are as far as playing to be able to answer much better than that.

[GraingerGuy]

Agreed....make sure that it's a guitar with low action. Takamine is a really good brand. I have one right now and I have had it for 7 years and I really like it still. :)

A g-series Takamine looks to be a really good guitar.

But yeah...I agree with mojo about not getting a cheapo guitar!

[eSDee]

More importantly, get a good looking guitar strap. Then put the guitar around your neck and stand in front of a mirror. Do various rock star poses. Determine which one looks the coolest and makes you look cool. Strum it once. Does it play? Buy it.

[BrewMaster]

Originally posted by GraingerGuy
Agreed....make sure that it's a guitar with low action. Takamine is a really good brand. I have one right now and I have had it for 7 years and I really like it still. :)

A g-series Takamine looks to be a really good guitar.

But yeah...I agree with mojo about not getting a cheapo guitar!
Takamine's are good. make sure if you buy a Takamine that it has some bass to it. my friend has a Takamine Acoustic/Electric cutway (not sure what series) and i think it sucks. it has absolutely no bass. he thinks it sounds ok, but imagine a guitar with great treble, and no bass. that's his Takamine. for the good of everyone's ears, please avoid this.

[GraingerGuy]

lol! That would stink! Yeah...my takamine has a good amount o' bass. I like it a lot!

[ChrisMG187]

I'm thinking of a Fender Stratacoustic. I don't like the huge thickness of acoustics, and that one is pretty thin. Anyoe have any experience with 'em?

[att]

those fenders sound like crap. i dont know what you think is cheap, so i cant guess at what you should buy. i would go for a low end ovation. you can get one that looks good, has the cut away, and has all the electrical details you need for $400 or less if you look for a quality used one. check out ebay. the ovation acoustic/electrics are great sounding and have excellent action.
if you are into acoustic only, look at a jasmine by takamine. they are very cheap and very decent. you'll save a lot of money on one of those.
check out harmonycentral.com for a listing of reviews on all kinds of guitars.

[GraingerGuy]

Anyone have a couple thousand they want to send me?

I want a Taylor guitar!!!:bawl:

[xsiled2]

Originally posted by ChrisMG187
I'm thinking of a Fender Stratacoustic. I don't like the huge thickness of acoustics, and that one is pretty thin. Anyoe have any experience with 'em?

i have one. it sounds pretty good, not as bad as people say, perhaps i got a good one :D.

[ChrisMG187]

yea, i noticed that when i jumped from 9's to 11's on my electric, it sounded better.

[Burzhui]

Yamaha !?:confused:

[speedracer120]

Every try a Larrivee D-02 or Parlor guitar? They're sub-$500 and sound pretty good to boot. Sure it's not a Taylor or Martin but pretty good for the money.

[chrissy]

Since you all are talking about it, but not to take away from Chris, what would you buy a 8 yr old girl that wants to learn how to play?

[BrewMaster]

Originally posted by speedracer120
Every try a Larrivee D-02 or Parlor guitar? They're sub-$500 and sound pretty good to boot. Sure it's not a Taylor or Martin but pretty good for the money.

Larivees are great. a buddy of mine has one and i think its wonderful. e might have slghtly higher end one, but i'd bet their lower end ones are good quality. i'd buy one.

[mojo]

Originally posted by speedracer120
Every try a Larrivee D-02 or Parlor guitar? They're sub-$500 and sound pretty good to boot. Sure it's not a Taylor or Martin but pretty good for the money. i'd buy one if:

1. i looked at it and found it to be of good construction. is the neck firmly in the body? are there braces where other guitars have braces (if needed...as in, if it lacks quality wood materials or thickness)? when you tap it, does it sound solid (good) or thin (bad)? are the machine heads good and smooth, or rough to adjust and flimsy?

2. it sounds good...and i don't mean alone. i mean in playing next to other guitars that are known for good sound (take it in that special room with the guitars that start at $1500). it doesn't have to sound just like those, but if it sounds pathetic...so will you (no offense...that's the instrument there...which reflects on you).

3. it projects well. same test as above. if i play without an amp, i need to be heard. if your guitar is more quiet than the next guitar, chances are that if you play for peeps, it wouldn't be heard over a lot of your audience chatter. if you play with authority (loud, but not by hacking at the strings), people will be more apt to listen than to battle with you by talking. try a light touch on the strings...it should be pretty loud naturally. if you gotta hack the strings, you'll go through strings, get winded easily, etc. if it's not loud without an amp, there's a good chance that you'll notice that it just doesn't sound so good through an amp...the subtle imperfections come through.

4. it stays in tune for a few songs, if not more. it can't go out of tune much. i'll touch the tuners to fine tune maybe every 3 or 5 songs. but if i gotta check every string after every song, or even one string after every song, i'll be pissed. you can tell which strings go out while you're playing. and if i gotta adjust it too much, then i might end up hucking the thing out of frustration and wind up with a lawsuit from the lady i whose teeth i knocked out in the front row.

5. it has good action.

6. it has a good fretboard and comfortable frets.

7. it looks good in the mirror. esdee's approach is a good way to go.


basically, try it out against really good guitars. spend time with it. there are plenty of good instruments out there that you can get for cheap if you look. better to go with a quality used guitar for the price of a new cheap guitar. a quality used guitar will still outperform and outlast the cheap one. in fact, a quality used guitar that's in good condition should perform as well as a new one of the same quality...just may not look as good. it will also retain its value longer...so it's a better investment.

[mojo]

Originally posted by ChrisMG187
I'm thinking of a Fender Stratacoustic. I don't like the huge thickness of acoustics, and that one is pretty thin. Anyoe have any experience with 'em? last time i played one, it sounded like i broke wind in a space suit. since i didn't have beans that day, or even a case of gas, i stayed away. maybe there are others that sound better, but i didn't like the feel of playing a toy or a novelty.

then again, if you like the thin stuff, maybe that's the way to go. it really depends one what you'll be playing and stuff. just remember, if you get serious, then you'll have to fight with your audience over the attention of the audience. thin instruments don't project well. see my last post on this.

[whitak24]

i would strongly advise you to stay away from any Fender acoustic or acoustic/electric guitars. while you're at it, stay away from washburns too. i have played a number of guitars from both of those companies (in all price ranges), and was totally unimpressed from a sound/tone standpoint and from a value/$ standpoint.

if you want a thin-body guitar, you are going to have to spend over $500 (my guess) to get one that sounds decent and projects well. i know that Alvarez, Taylor, and Takamine all make thinner guitars, but you have to pay a lot more $$ to find one with good enough construction that can produce a decent tone range and reasonable volume.

ovations: i personally love the balladers (sp?) and legends. some people don't like the sound -- it's a personal preference thing. they're good to play (the neck feels a lot like an electric) and even with the supershallow body, you get great sound projection (although the deep bowl bodies have a nicer, fuller, richer tone, imo). their tone is relatively harsh (esp. in the supershallow bowls), but it's decent, and depending on what sound you're looking for, it may do the job. just stay away from the celeb. series. they sound like crap (imo).

i'm partial to takamines (i have one), but seagulls are also good. i like yahamas too. sigma (martin's "cheap" line) has some guitars that i like as well. i don't know about finding an a-e cutaway there though.

also, follow mojo's advice. he knows what he's talking about, so i won't bother repeating it.