Advice On Buying An Acoustic Guitar

Theremin

Hi there,

I need some advice on buying an acoustic guitar please.

Price limit: 1000 euro. To be used as rhythm guitar in a band playing regular shows.

Requirements:
- built-in pick-up
- good sound for a live environment. Style is rock/pop.
- ability to take a considerable amount of punishment without reducing quality of sound or shelf life
- not having to remove strings to change pick-up battery
- as thin a neck as possible

Is it necessary to spend big on a Martin or something or would you be better off with a Takamine or mid-level Fender, considering the style of music and the bashing it's likely to have to take?

Cheers

fitz

Entry level Avalon with a pickup fitted should cost you less than 1k.
Also check out what you can get second hand...

Eoin Madsen

Yeah, Avalon if you're shopping new. I wouldn't touch a Takamine in that price range. Or a Fender... ever.

Kenny_D

Second hand takamine would be good for live use. Try www.chrisguitars.com . I got my takamine off him and it sounds fantastic plugged in. He has one or two nice ones which you could get delivered for a total price of about €1000

fitz

GStormcrow wrote:

I got my takamine off him and it sounds fantastic plugged in.

I have never heard a takamine that sounds fantastic live or otherwise.
Takamine are very reliable and consistent in a live scenario.
The sound a certain way, and always will.
You don't have to do a lot to get the them to sit in a mix or behave themselves on stage.

But that's because they're dynamically pretty flat, and have a fairly narrow voicing.

They do the job they set out to do, but they're not a unique sounding guitar, nor do they sound particularly exciting or distinctive.

If you like the sound of a Tak, buy a Tak. Just be aware that you're gonna sound like every other Tak out there.

Meh.

Kenny_D

Consistency and quality in live sound is surely something to give credit for. Sounds like he needs a stage guitar and Takamine arent famous for their live sound for nothing. Sure you can spend a lot more and get a wonderful McIlroy (Found the Avalons to be terrible in a price/performance ratio to the McIlroy) but for a €1000 you can get a pretty decent second hand Takamine/Taylor that would be perfect for what he needs it for

Fingers Mcginty

saw that guy from the frames play down in Dingle with a takamine acoustic. The sound was superb. He was using just the piezo from the guitar yet it sounded like a miked up acoustic. Then again i've heard other takamines at singer songwriter nights sounding like the old rubber band syndrome. There have been lenghthy articles/forums on acoustic guitar amplification and in itself probabaly warrants a seperate thread here. I've tried a **** load of different pickups and have never been happy with my stage sound. I've settled on a sunrise due to it's feedback resistance but it ain't the holy grail

Eoin Madsen

The renowned Takamine stage-sound comes in well after the €1000 mark ime.

Kenny_D

Eoin Madsen wrote:

The renowned Takamine stage-sound comes in well after the €1000 mark ime.

I'd say thats spot on... IF you're buying over here. More so if you buy new. My takamine has a RRP of $2072 and lists for $1600 on the american retail sites. I got it imported through Chris and it came to €1000 incl all taxes. The guitar would prob cost me over €2000 if I were to buy it in MusicMaker for example. The sound isnt what you'll get on a handmade guitar such as Lowden or my personal fave, a McIlroy but for €1000 its a fantastic sounding guitar and even more so when plugged into a decent amp. Until I can afford the McIlroy I'm more than happy with my Takamine. It's even curbed my GAS for a McIlroy :eek:

Maccattack

Listen to me and listen well.

I know of a guy selling a Maton EBG808.

Check out the Maton website and have a look at this guitar. And buy it from this guy.

I can put you in touch.

I have one and would never ever sell it. it is magnificent.

Don1

Here's my two cents. This here is an Ibanez AEL40SE. Exactly like the one I have. To me it sounds class. Plus Ibanez build quality. Played it plugged in and was amazed. The tonal variety is sweet. Okay I was playing through an AER but there's was none of that "dodgy one man band" sound. On board tuner. Standard jack plug or the mic stlye one. Battery on the tail. Flat rotary controls are great too. None of that slider stuff. Only cost €429. Only problem I see is the "gold" on the machine heads wears off.