Which New Guitar?

di11on

Hi all,

I play guitar - just for my own entertainment. My style is pretty much folk finger picking with a lot of improvisation. Think Bob Dylan and James Taylor.

I currently have a Les Paul Style Electric and a semi acoustic.

I like the electric because of the close action but I've always been quite dissatisfied with the semi-acoustic because of the high action and tinny acoustic sound, although it is a nice guitar.

A landmark birthday is coming up and the missus wants to buy me a new guitar. I think it's a really nice idea and I'm thinking that this is a great opportunity to get the acoustic guitar I always wanted but never could justify to myself to buy.

I find myself playing a lot more now and I'm quite happy with my style. I'm looking for something that's going to sound nice and is good to play. I want this guitar to be that once-off purchase that you'd never make only that it was for that landmark birthday. In other words, I don't think I'll get the chance again so I want to make the right decision.

My problem is that I could spend anything from €600 to €6000 and there'd still be better out there. What I want to do is find the sweet spot. I could afford to spend maybe up to €1000 although that's not firm. Lets say I spend €600 on a guitar... how much better would what I could get for €1000 be? And how much better would a €2000 guitar be? Looking at it another way - how much do I need to spend to get something that's going to be special... that I'll be really happy with?

Some sort of guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Strings.ie

You'll get a great Guitar for €600. Up around €1000 you might pick up something like a Martin without the bling. Mass produced Guitars over that are all about bling. Once you hit €2000+ you're in hand made territory and there's some great Irish makers out there too and they hold their value. Hand made instruments really do take you to a different level, attention to detail and the response of the instrument. Again, go above €3000-4000 and you're in bling territory or rare woods.
It really depends on where you are as a player. As I say, you might find €600 is enough to get you what you need. My advice is go to a few decent shops and try them out. Acoustic Guitars are very organic, you might have 5 of the same model but one will just sing above the rest.

di11on

Thanks a mill Strings - that was really helpful

di11on

I've been reading good things about the Blueridge BR 163A. Seems like good bang for the buck. Anyone any experience?

It's €1,111 on Thomann but can be had on Amazon for around €850, apparently coming from Hobgoblin in the UK. Any catch here? Amazon's return policy is pretty reassuring?

Ravelleman

Blueridge guitars look like fairly standard Chinese-made fare. I would never pay that much for a Chinese guitar when there are American-, Japanese- and European-made options available for close to that price.

This isn't based on any prejudice; there are objectively better guitars and deals out there. Guitars made in China never hold their value as well as well selected, classic instruments.

As a point of departure your best option is to spend some time browsing acoustic fora and reading up about guitars so you get an idea of what you might like. You really have to decide what kind of body shape you want, for example, as that makes such a huge difference.

It would be worth your time going into a well stocked guitar shop like Goodwins on Capel St to try out various different guitars. Their prices for Martin guitars are very much in line with the like of Thomann - someone complained that I was wrong about this on here a few months ago but the prices have realigned.

My personal preference is for dreadnoughts and parlor guitars but you might prefer something between the two, like the Blueridge you linked.

If buying online in Europe, remember that you are perfectly entitled to return a guitar to the shop if you don't like it. It will probably cost about €60 in postage but distance-selling regulations are there for a reason.

I wouldn't buy a guitar online...A guitar is all about how it plays,how it feels,its weight..and of course,how it sounds. I think you really have to play before you buy,some guitars have thicker necks,so it depends how big your hands are.If you buy in a shop,and good guitar shop will setup the guitar to suit you.

di11on

Deleted User wrote: »

I wouldn't buy a guitar online...A guitar is all about how it plays,how it feels,its weight..and of course,how it sounds. I think you really have to play before you buy,some guitars have thicker necks,so it depends how big your hands are.If you buy in a shop,and good guitar shop will setup the guitar to suit you.

Ideally I would love to try before buying. I have been around to music shops trying different sizes to get a feel for what I like. However where I live in France I don't have much choice and it wouldn't be really practical.

di11on

Hi folks,

I went around various music shops in Ireland and in France, trying out various guitars.

In the end, having not tried it but knowing I could return it (albeit at a cost), I went for the Blueridge BR-163 000

I knew it was a risk, but my word, I am really pleased with this guitar. It's a real delight to play. It suits my finder picking style perfectly. The tones are warm and bright and the action is just right for me.

Very pleased with the guitar.