Buying a new acoustic guitar - recommendations?

Deedsie

Hi, I am looking to buy a new guitar. I have been practicing on a cheap oakman guitar. I want to look out for a better guitar now. Any suggestions?

Ravelleman

If money is plentiful, get a Martin D-28.

If not you could look at any number of different Takamines, Seagulls and other brands.

Have you thought about your budget and what kind of body type you want? This makes a big difference, obviously so you should think it through.

Ironman76

Get the Vintage V300. Great sound off it. But get decent strings too.

Deedsie

I was thinking about ~ €300 + anything I could get for my own guitar? Can you get a good quality guitar for this price? Or do you really have to invest to get the best sound? I'm not buying it tomorrow so I can save for a while! I just want to make sure I get the best for my buck!

Ironman76

Deedsie wrote: »

I was thinking about ~ €300 + anything I could get for my own guitar? Can you get a good quality guitar for this price? Or do you really have to invest to get the best sound? I'm not buying it tomorrow so I can save for a while! I just want to make sure I get the best for my buck!

Youd get a V300 for under 200 quid. Great guitars. Google it. I got mine off eBay.

MetalDog

go on Adverts and have a look there, you might find a good guitar that's being sold on, also would reccommend Yamaha acoustics, any of the FG Series are solid and affordable. Vintage is also good, as are Takamine.

BigBabyTaylor

You can get a baby taylor for around 300. I have a big baby taylor (hence the name) and love it

sarkozy

In threads like this, you'll always find people recommending the guitars they themselves own.

That's fine, because the guitars we own are generally the guitars we can recommend.

Truth is, there are many different types of guitars out there (makes, sizes, woods, etc.). It also depends on what music/styles you want to play. The rule of thumb is to decide how much you have to spend on it and go try every guitar you can, within your price range and beyond it (so you know what to compare to). When you get one you like, you'll know.

As you're doing that, read widely. Read guitar reviews, see if there are any patterns in what people say.

For what it's worth, buy wood, not extras like built-in pick-ups. You can always add those on. But the difference between a €300 'semi-acoustic' (actually 'electro-acoustic') and a €300 acoustic can be enormous all because you would spend the extra €100 on wood rather than for some electronics you can always add on later.

goblin59

i just got this
http://www.thomann.de/ie/cort_sfx_e_nt.htm

its a really nice guitar to play and has great tone. not too much low end and not too much high end.

Trevor Kent

sarkozy wrote: »

In threads like this, you'll always find people recommending the guitars they themselves own.

That's fine, because the guitars we own are generally the guitars we can recommend.

Truth is, there are many different types of guitars out there (makes, sizes, woods, etc.). It also depends on what music/styles you want to play. The rule of thumb is to decide how much you have to spend on it and go try every guitar you can, within your price range and beyond it (so you know what to compare to). When you get one you like, you'll know.

As you're doing that, read widely. Read guitar reviews, see if there are any patterns in what people say.

For what it's worth, buy wood, not extras like built-in pick-ups. You can always add those on. But the difference between a €300 'semi-acoustic' (actually 'electro-acoustic') and a €300 acoustic can be enormous all because you would spend the extra €100 on wood rather than for some electronics you can always add on later.

THIS

Great advice above. The choice is so vast these days that recommending one or two guitars to someone at any price range is useless.

Try as many as you can and dont be drawn in by a big name. Choose the one that feels the best for you.

Deedsie

Thanks for all the advice everyone ESP sarkosy. What's the best music shop in Dublin to try out a selection of guitars?

sarkozy

Well, there's 'The Strip'. I just named it that! Exchequer St. (between Grafton St/Wicklow St and George's St) has a few shops stocking a fair range of brands, high, medium and low-end. Start at either end but visit: Perfect Pitch (Tanglewood, Taylor, Martin), Music Maker (Tanglewood, Ibanex, Gibson, Epiphone) and Guitar Centre (Cort, other weird (good) brands). I also recommend you call into Goodwin's on Capel St, They have a nice selection of Martin, Yamaha, Tanglewood.

That would, at least, give you a very good range of different options to try out.

I wouldn't jump into getting a guitar instantly. Try everything, let your experience settle, go back, test your favourites, think about it, zone in, try again, then when you get that feeling you've found the one you want, go for it.

And come back here with any questions you want.

Deedsie

sarkozy wrote: »

Well, there's 'The Strip'. I just named it that! Exchequer St. (between Grafton St/Wicklow St and George's St) has a few shops stocking a fair range of brands, high, medium and low-end. Start at either end but visit: Perfect Pitch (Tanglewood, Taylor, Martin), Music Maker (Tanglewood, Ibanex, Gibson, Epiphone) and Guitar Centre (Cort, other weird (good) brands). I also recommend you call into Goodwin's on Capel St, They have a nice selection of Martin, Yamaha, Tanglewood.

That would, at least, give you a very good range of different options to try out.

I wouldn't jump into getting a guitar instantly. Try everything, let your experience settle, go back, test your favourites, think about it, zone in, try again, then when you get that feeling you've found the one you want, go for it.

And come back here with any questions you want.

Thanks for that, I think I am just gonna restring my own one for the time being and have a look around at other options over the summer. Do any music shops do trade ins on guitars? Like my own guitar is in good shape, it's just a cheap guitar!

Trevor Kent

Deedsie wrote: »

Thanks for that, I think I am just gonna restring my own one for the time being and have a look around at other options over the summer. Do any music shops do trade ins on guitars? Like my own guitar is in good shape, it's just a cheap guitar!

Your better off keeping it TBH. You're not going to get much for a cheapy on a trade in so it prob worth your while keeping it as your beater/practice guitar.

Deedsie

I haven't had any chance to call into any music shops with work etc it's hard to get in. I was wondering, is there a danger in buying a guitar secondhand? As in do guitars go dull over the years? Am I better to buy a secondhand guitar on adverts than a new guitar in a shop?

sarkozy

Deedsie wrote: »

I haven't had any chance to call into any music shops with work etc it's hard to get in. I was wondering, is there a danger in buying a guitar secondhand? As in do guitars go dull over the years? Am I better to buy a secondhand guitar on adverts than a new guitar in a shop?

Many guitars actually mature over the years. If they're made well and from good wood, that should be fine. What you need to look out for is a guitar with a solid top and solid back and sides.

But you should do research first about what you like the look and sound of and how easy you feel it plays. If you find a second-hand you like the sound and feel of, and you know it's quality, go for it.

The usual makes apply, most of them mentioned in this thread.

Ravelleman

Yep, the general consensus is that laminate woods do not mature with age, something which affects the vast majority of classic archtop electrics too.