Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

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Pigfarmer Jr
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Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

I've got about 850 US... looking used most likely. Cutaway wanted, Electronics a near necessity. Got any recommendations? I'll likely be driving to St. Louis or Kansas City to check out and acquire specimens and would like y'all's esteemed opinions, if you'd care to disseminate them.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by ken »

if you are going to actual guitar stores, play everything in and around your budget. The right guitar will speak to you. At your price point, I would be looking at Takamine guitars, where $850 is in the higher of their range. If you get into the Gibson, Martin, Taylor you are looking at the bottom of their range if you are lucky, likely even for used. Epiphone Masterbuilt could also be a good option for you.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Caravan Ray »

I would 2nd takamine in that price range. When shopping around last year they seemed better value than lower end martins and Taylor’s.

I got a Maton - but they are probably not easily found in USA.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by fluffy »

I'd also check out Ovation. My favorite guitar is an Ovation roundback made of composite material and it cost around $800, I think.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Jerkatorium »

Any additional practical advice for buying an acoustic guitar online for $600 or less?

30 years ago I borrowed an Applause acoustic guitar from a family member, and I just returned it a couple of weeks ago. One of the main reasons I returned it was because I wasn’t happy with the tone, especially after noticing how much better the acoustic guitars of other SongFighters sound (PFJr in particular). Returning the guitar has given me an excuse to buy a different one.

Normally my advice to anyone would be, “Never buy a guitar that you haven’t played,” but I’ll be very reluctant to go test drive a bunch of guitars until there’s a vaccine, and I don’t think I’ll be able to function without an acoustic guitar for that long, so I'm compelled to buy something online. I don’t want to spend over $600 (I know I could get a decent new PRS or Yamaha for that much). I blame the plastic back of the Applause for its sub-par tone, so I’m not interested in an Applause or an Ovation. Here is the advice that I have received so far, but I don’t know how much of it is good advice and how much is false rumor:

Don’t buy guitars made in Indonesia (I was told it doesn’t get dry enough there to properly treat/cure the wood… is that even true?).

Don’t buy any Fender acoustic guitar that is less than 17 years old (Fender allegedly made some sort of allegedly unholy deal with Guitar Center that allegedly led to a terrible decline the quality of their acoustic guitars... also not sure whether that's true or not).

If you’re buying a used guitar, don’t worry about superficial dings or chips, but don’t buy a guitar with any neck or bridge irregularities. Any guitar with a crack or separation at the heel of the neck is bad. If it looks like the truss rod plate has ever been tampered with then the guitar has neck issues so don’t even think about it. If a used guitar is marketed as a “good slide guitar”, that means the neck is badly warped.

Good acoustic guitar brands (with decent models under $600): Yamaha, PRS, Takamine, Gretsch.
Maybe not good brands(?): Epiphone, Washburn, Mitchell, Ibanez.
Haven’t heard anything about: Alvarez, Luna, Guild.

The previous posts have me thinking mostly about Takamine, but my brother recommends Yamahas. Since I'm buying online should I only buy new, or should I also consider buying a used guitar? There's too much to choose from, it's difficult to focus.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

Firstly, I like most Yamaha guitars I've played. If I were buying sight unseen that would be on the list of acceptables.

Secondly, I'd recommend Eastman acoustic guitars. They have a bunch in the 300-600 range and my favorite local music shop carries them. One has been okay, the rest have been very good for the money.

Thirdly, the best thing to do is what Ken said, if you can, and play as many guitars as you can (even if it's a trip into a larger city to visit a guitar center) and then pick the guitar. Worst case scenario, you then order it on line. Of course, if you aren't near a GC or other metro area that presents problems which I'm assuming is why you asked the question the way you did.

Fourthly, I have a similar opinion of applause and some Ovation guitars, but there have been a couple of lower priced Ovations that sounded damn good to my ears. I probably wouldn't buy without playing first, though.

Fifthly: I've had good luck with Alvarez guitars (not to be confused with Yairi Alvarez) and they are most not bad for the money, but might be a bit hit or miss. I've heard good things about Luna but the ones at the local shop are all bottom price models and while okay for the money, I don't think they'd be what you'd want (based only on their pretty slim selections.)

Lastly, and off topic, you (or maybe it was Chumpy or someone else) asked about how I got my acoustic guitar tone and my answer was basically that my guitar sounds really good. And it does. I was lucky enough to find a used Yairi Alvarez for under $500 and she's beautiful. Great sound, plays well. She's a little touchy and likes to buzz if you play too hard, but she's worth the kindness and consideration that it takes to play her. But that doesn't really answer the question:

I typically use a small diaphragm condenser microphone (Supralux s241) between the soundhole and the 12th fret pointed toward the headstock. More or less parallel to the fretboard but angled slightly toward it. I'd say four to six inches away from the guitar or maybe a couple more if it's a fun song to play and I move around a lot. Basically I start there and then adjust for tone/sound. Also, the newer the strings, the better the tone. Mine are beyond dead right now and it's noticeable. (Although I did have a fairly bright yamaha that slightly dead strings actually sounded okay, if not taken to an extreme.)
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Pigfarmer Jr
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

re: Used, I have no problem buying used. But it kind of depends on where you are buying them from. Also, it helps to know exactly what you want and then find a used model. Always include the price of a good set up from your trusted, local luthier/guitar tech and shipping in determining if the price is a good one. I've found about half the time, a used acoustic guitar would benefit from some attention I can give it, even if it's just a slight truss rod adjustment or a good looking over.

If you're buying open box from a big store like Musician's friend then it's a little less of a worry as you can return the guitar if need be and only be out maybe shipping one way (depending on the company) but you often only get store credit back if you didn't like the guitar. Some guy on FAWM mentioned that he ordered three or four different guitars, played them all enough to pick one and then returned the other three. I guess that's one way of doing it.
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Sober »

Find something used local. Cruise craigslist, OfferUp, LetGo, Facebook marketplace, etc. until you find something that seems right for you/not a scam. Meet them in a parking lot if you must - 45 seconds of strumming outdoors should be plenty to determine if it's a complete lemon or not, and is probably safer than your average trip to the grocery store right now.

There are a million options out there - it's easy to fall into analysis paralysis. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the million options, you should first decide what you want most in a guitar. If you want something with a chunky strum that sounds like the wood it's made of, then you might like a Martin. If you want a clean tone that sounds great plugged in, then a Takamine, Taylor, or Seagull might be good. If you want a plastic abomination that you can't play sitting down, then Ovation is for you.

Bottom line, we need more info about you. What albums/artists do you think of when you imagine a great acoustic sound? What guitars seem cool to you?
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Jerkatorium »

Thanks a ton Pigfarmer Jr and Sober for all of that info and advice. I think you're both right, I should look for safe opportunities to try guitars out before buying, since I'll be living with whichever guitar I choose for several years.

I looked into craigslist, but most of the sellers seem to be seriously overvaluing their gear - I could buy most of those models new for the same price. I heard that haggling is more-or-less expected, but I hate that. Also I think I prefer a situation where I can easily return it if I'm dissatisfied (maybe not quite like PFJr's FAWM guy anecdote though).

I may as well limit my scope to Takamines and Yamahas (and maybe Eastmans if I see any), though when I imagine a great acoustic sound I think of Pigfarmer Jr's guitar tone so I'll also keep my eyes peeled for a deal on a Yairi Alvarez. I hadn't heard of Yairi Alvarezs before, but they appear to be universally loved and lauded. And pricey.

Also I'd assumed that Martins were beyond my budget, but there are some used ones out there in purportedly good condition in the $400-$600 range.
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Pigfarmer Jr
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Re: Acoustic Guitar Recommendations

Post by Pigfarmer Jr »

I've been impressed with the lower end Taylor guitars, too. Not too many for under $600 even used, but if you see one then you should at least try it out.
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