Acoustic guitar recommendations

pepe the prawn

Hi,

I'm looking to pick up a new acoustic six string, Any recommendations? Spending around €450 ish, Cork/Munster area. I've been out of the loop with guitars for a few years now so would appreciate a few recommendations. I don't gig or anything, just for my own home use and parties etc.

Thanks

4068ac1elhodqr

450 is a good budget, you should be able to avoid anything Chinese at that price which is my only recommendation as most of the newer brands flooding the marketplace are white-label mass-manufactured junk.

They're even named to sound like they're established e.g. a 'martin smith' guitar is very different product from a proper 'martin'.
Vintage, Falcon, richwood, sx, elevation, stella, aston etc etc all sound fancy but are all lower-end products.

If new, simply stay with good reliable well known established brands e.g. Yamaha, Tanglewood, Hohner, Washburn, Ibanez, Fender etc.
A flight case, stand and models with on-board pickup/pre-amp/tuners should be achievable also.

Could probably get close to something higher-end on the 2nd hand market also with that budget. e.g. Martin, S&P, Taylor or pro-versions of the other mid-range brands above along with accessories.

Whatever you do don't leave it leaning up against a radiator or other temperature extremes.

pepe the prawn

Called to promusica in cork today but it was literally jammed with people so I didn't stay long, had a quick go on a nice Takamine and really gelled with it, spotted a nice tanglewood also.

kifi

Callie Enough Mercury wrote: »

450 is a good budget, you should be able to avoid anything Chinese at that price which is my only recommendation as most of the newer brands flooding the marketplace are white-label mass-manufactured junk.

They're even named to sound like they're established e.g. a 'martin smith' guitar is very different product from a proper 'martin'.
Vintage, Falcon, richwood, sx, elevation, stella, aston etc etc all sound fancy but are all lower-end products.

If new, simply stay with good reliable well known established brands e.g. Yamaha, Tanglewood, Hohner, Washburn, Ibanez, Fender etc.
A flight case, stand and models with on-board pickup/pre-amp/tuners should be achievable also.

Could probably get close to something higher-end on the 2nd hand market also with that budget. e.g. Martin, S&P, Taylor or pro-versions of the other mid-range brands above along with accessories.

Whatever you do don't leave it leaning up against a radiator or other temperature extremes.

Agree with the above, however there are always exceptions. The exception to the junk Chinese brands are Blueridge - they make truely excellent guitars. Yes, they are styled after Martin, and the all solid models retail at c. €1,000 so they are above budget, but if you could find a used one, they are excellent instruments. Beware, they do have a slim neck profile though.

coppinger

I like the sound of the martin dx1 or an epiphone ej200