Guitars.

Are you wanting an electric or acoustic?

 

I like my acoustic electric because you can plug it in or play it unplugged and still hear it, which is great for group songs.
When I sold guitars many years ago it seemed you couldn't get one that played or sounded good for less than $300, but today the $200 acoustics sound good. I played a Yamaha acoustic at Sams that played well and it was around $200. Technolgy has improved tremendously.
For the price Seagul acoustics are really nice.
Alvarez makes a real nice electric acoustic cutaway that is around $500.
When you get into the better woods, etc.. you can pay $2000, but I dont think its worth it, especially for your second guitar.
There are so many that are real nice, it come down to what feels good to you.
Go to a store and play several and see what feels good to your hands because they neck widths and action(string height), fret size, are all different.
One of my old youth kids bought a ovation that was around $399 that was real nice. It sounded better plugged in than my $1200(in 1987) ALvarez Yairi.
Its due to the fact that my Alvarez is an 1986 and the electric pickups are so much better now.

 

Or could go a acoustic and get an acoustic pickup for it if need to plug in later. I use a Dean Markley ZH-7 pickup (...an unpaid ad ) in my acoustic guitars.

Or just keep the old dog guitar and put a set of Markley Formula 82/R (another unpaid ad ) on it

[ January 22, 2005, 05:09 AM: Message edited by: Pete ]

 

I would get it with the pickup built in. I added a Dean Markley Tahoe pick up with sounds good, but doesn't have a volume control.

I would probably spend a little more now and get a little better. I have a Washburn D21 that I have had for about 12 years. I almost bought a Taylor last year, but didn't want to spend the money. I played a Yamaha that was about $500 or so and it sounded great ... until I played the Taylor. But the Taylor was about about $1500 .. Now, I don't want a new one unless it is a Taylor.

But you can get decent ones for around $500 or so. Play a lot, talk to a lot of different people, and listen to someone who is good play. In the end, it is a lot about personal taste. You can also get good ones used which gets you a better model for the same price.

[ January 22, 2005, 09:49 AM: Message edited by: Pastor Larry ]

 

I have a Martin that has a pickup in it, but it sounds better miked up, than plugged in. I also have a pure acoustic, a Bourgeois Ricky Skaggs, that blows the Martin away. I know not everyone wants to spend that kind of money, but those guitars have been very good to me.

 

My advise is to test drive lots of guitars and one willconnect with you. The best are going to cost you so before trying the HD28 martin keep that in mind.

 

If you are looking for an acoustic and want to spend anywhere from about $700 and up, look at Martin, Huss and Dalton, Larivee, Blueridge, and Guild.

If you are looking at spending less than that, then you should check out the "economy" brands.

Of those, I would recommend Washburn. Some of the others that are very reputable are Yamaha, Takamine, Epiphone and Alvarez.

In either case, play as many as you can and pick the one that sounds the best to you, and that just "feels right" when you play it. Its hard to describe, but you will know when that happens. Some people call it picking the one that "speaks" to you.

Some things that are important are that the strings are low enough that it can be fretted easilly, the neck should be straight, and the tuners should be good ones, as opposed to cheapies.

(the strings can be lowered by a reputable guitar shop at minimal cost if a guitar meets all other criteria but the strings are a bit high. The place where you buy the guitar will probably set the strings for free if you buy it from them)

I dont know what level player you are, but if you are pretty much a beginner, try and arrange for an experienced player to go with you. He/she will spot things that you might not.

Good luck,

Mike

 

I have a Ibanez PF10, they don't sell that one any more, its a great starting out Guitar, good tone, easy to play, beautiful finish (transparent black)

It is only acoustic, but my brother used to play it with a dean markley pickup in it and it sounded Good, he upgraded I think to a takamine acoustic electric 12 string.

A friend of mine who is highly skilled had his buddy who is a luthier custom make him a guitar, I have never heard a more clear pure tone from a guitar, even when a not so skilled player picks it up. You might not think those extra few bucks are worth it, but on any wooden stringed instruments the quality makes a huge difference. I thought about a Martin or Gibson till I looked at the price.

My daughter got a new violin this year and the difference in tone from her previous one is so obvious even someone with no music experience would think she got a lot better, when it was really just a much better quality instrument.

 

Hey Kayla,

Depending on what type of music you play I would get a Martin Acoustic. Some people don't like them because they are a little more expensive and are used more for country type stuff but they sound great. I have a friend that has one and I make a special effort to pick it up every time I go over to his place.

If not, get an acoustic electric. Make sure you plug it in before you pay for it so you'll know if you like the sound or not. However, don't rely too much on what it sounds like in the amp alone because you can have a junky amp that could make even the best guitar sound bad.

In Christ,

Brooks

 

Oops...this is what happens when you open up too many windows at one time ane reply in the wrong one!

 

OK THIS WILL REALLY, REALLY REALLY HELP YOU OUT. AND YOU CAN TRUST ME, IM AN EXPERIENCED GUITAR PLAYER.

GO TO www.musiciansfriend.com YOU CAN SEARCH ALL BRANDS, ALL PRICE RANGES AND ALL STYLES OF GUITAR.

SENSE YOUR JUST NOW GETTING SERIOUS I WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING YOURSELF A NON ELECTRIC ACOUSTIC.

TAKAMINE AS WELL AS MARTIN AND TAYLOR

 

And Kayla, I've discovered this axiom to be true. I've purchased many an inexpensive guitar to try and and see if they would give me what I was looking for, but I've come to the conclusion that "life is too short to play cheap guitars". I've weighed 'em in the balance and have found ALL of them wanting!!

 

How could I forget

Last guitar I bought was old dog acoustic from hock shop for about $US35-40 Something gives it a buzzy/distorted sound on E-A-D strings...and I love it Leave the thing sitting near my computer

 

Try out a lot of guitars before you buy and buy the best one you can afford. If you go on the cheap, you will regret it and end up some time in the future buying the one you wanted in the first place.

You will have wasted the money you spent on the first one.

Been there, done that.

MR

 

I have a Yamaha AEX 500 with a New York mini humbucker pickup at the neck and a piezo pickup at the bridge. It's a hollow body job so I can practice unplugged but still hear it. Hooked up to an amp with a couple basic FX (reverb, overdrive, chorus, and delay) I can get sounds from acoustic to jazz to blues and rock. It's light weight with one of the best playing necks I've tried. For strings I've found Ernie Ball slinkys "11's" to work the best. They are heavy enough to strum hard and use a thumbpick and fingers but light enough to bend the blues.

Of course it doesn't have the twang of my Tele or the brassy zing of my resophonic but for an all around guitar for about 500 dollars it's hard to beat.

 

Poncho,

I'm a bluegrasser primarily, but your Yamaha sounds a lot like my Washburn EA20 electric acoustic. I love it...it plays great and sounds so nice. I dont like those skinny string sets though. 13-56 on acoustic, a 12 1st on the electric/acoustic. Only on straight electric do I go with a 10 or 11 for the 1st.

But I'm interested in your comment about having a resophonic. I'm actually playing more dobro than guitar with my band these days. What kind of dobro have you got?

God bless,

Mike

 

You'll see a lot of people list Takamine with the "bargain" guitars, however if you get one that is not a "g" series (i.e. not made in Taiwan or Korea, but Japan) you are getting a professional series guitar. Look at how many country stars are playing Takamine. I bought a Takamine AN-16 (solid spruce top, solid rosewood b/s gloss) on e-bay for $405.00. It is new, but a second. One tiny crack in the binding that you can barely see on the top of the guitar saved me $600.00. So do not assume that you have to get one of the big name "American" brands to have a guitar of that quality. I'd put this guitar in the same quality and sound range as a martin d-28... no exageration! It is actually in my opinion a little more balanced in sound than a d-28 (and consequently a little less bassy) but similar in sound. If you can find a takamine an10 (solid cedar top, solid mahogany b/s satin) on e-bay they are great guitars too. As you can see I am a Takamine nut, so if you need any questions answered about them feel free to pm me.

Chad

 

gopchad,

Dont get me wrong with what i am about to say. I think highly of Takamines. They make wonderful guitars. Just excellant.

But what you posted can be a bit misleading. Takamine is big on "artist endorsment" contracts. My understanding is that they are more agressive in that regard than many other companies.

These artists are contracturally obligated to be seen playing Takamines on stage, in commercials, in videos, etc. That doesnt necesarrily mean thats the "guitar of choice" for them in their personal time.

Again, Takamine makes very good guitars, and I have no doubt that many people do play them as their "guitar of choice". But with country/rock/pop artists its many times the case that they are paid to be seen playing a particular guitar.

God bless,

Mike