Recommend a guitar

C

Core

Veteran XV
Ok so I've been back into playing guitar for about 7 months now, and I've played three gigs. Pretty much from the start I've figured if I was going to see this through, I'd need a new guitar. My current one is a 25 year old Yamaha, which cost me about $150 back then. It's nothing special, the neck needs work and the action is too high even though I've filed the saddle.

So I'd like to buy a new acoustic/electric guitar for the happy hour gigs I'm doing. We do a two man, two guitar mildly amplified happy hour thing, usually two sets. I'd like something with a built in pickup and eq, maybe a cutaway neck but I'm not sure that's really even necessary. My price range is $400 to $500, maybe a little more. I've dome some looking but there's so damn much to choose from it's hard to know where to start.

I have yet to go to my local music store and try their guitars. I probably will at some point but I don't know if I'll buy from them as they are the only game in town, they know it, and their prices are ridiculous.

So please throw some recommendations out there for me. Thanks!
 
The Epiphone Masterbilt line is pretty nice, and in your range. This one is $549 on Musician's Fiend.

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I've always had good luck with Takamine as well.

However, why not have a really nice guitar? Spend upwards of $1500, and you'll have a quality instrument, made in the USA, that you can pass on to your kids.
 
I went to the store today and they don't carry Ovation or Takamine. I tried an Alvarez, two Yamahas, a Martin, and a Taylor. The Yamaha was an FJX med-jumbo and impressed me, but I'd still like to try an Ovation and a Takamine. Didn't really like the Martin or Taylor cuz they didn't have tuners in the electronics.

Wish I had that much cash to throw at a guitar o_s, but it ain't there with two kids in college. I feel frivolous enough considering spending this much money.
 
I know what you mean! Well then go for what you can afford.

Allow me to relate a personal observation: I have a very nice USA Gibson acoustic, which I added a piezo pickup to. It sounds okay. My wife, on the other hand, has a $300 Takamine. The Gibson, unamplified, sounds amazing - not boomy, yet there on the low end. Amplified, it sounds kind of flat.

The Tak sounds like shit unamplified, but sounds awesome hooked up to a PA. Who knew? The damned thing plays great and sounds awesome too. So what if I'm playing a $300 piece of crap? It gets the job done.

The Gibson lives at home.
 
The guitar that i played that had the best tone and feel was the fender squier.
They can be a bit expensive but are worth every penny.
Seriously, best guitar i ever played, ever.
 
Atolicus said:
Tonally they can be pretty cool, but build quality-wise they make me cry :{
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Try them again.
I just bought an Indian one and the thing that strikes me as cheap is the nut.
$350 - so they are cheap.
But the quality is pretty damned good. Surprised the heck out of me.

But I thought the op was looking for an acoustic?
 
guitar is one of the few products you just CAN NOT buy from the interweb unless you try out in the store first and even then the one you buy on line could play totally different from the one you played in the store.

When I buy a guitar (and its been a while) I make sure its suits me perfectly.
 
I do not intend to buy online. I plan to go to Bill's Music outside of Baltimore in the next week or two. It's somewhat of a mecca for musicians in need of equipment. What I'm doing here is compiling a list of guitars I want to try out when I'm there. I already spoke to the manager of the guitar section and asked him to order that Fender under no obligation for me to buy, which he agreed to. So when I hear from him, I take a ride.
 
Tantric Rex said:
guitar is one of the few products you just CAN NOT buy from the interweb unless you try out in the store first and even then the one you buy on line could play totally different from the one you played in the store.

When I buy a guitar (and its been a while) I make sure its suits me perfectly.
Click to expand...

Disagree. I have purchased several guitars over the internet (some new, some used) and have not been disappointed. If you can't make a guitar play correctly, you need to learn.

I purchased a Line6 Variax for $180. I filed off the fret ends, adjusted the saddles, restrung and reintonated, and it plays fine.

I purchased a new Agile PS900 from Rondomusic for $290. Did the same kind of work on it and eventually strung it with extra heavy strings and tuned it BEADGB. It plays great, sounds great.

I purchased a used 1983 Strat Elite off Ebay....no problems, classic guitar. New strings and intonation were all that were necessary.

I guess the message is that *any* guitar can be made to play properly given that there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it - bent neck, broken hardware etc. - even acoustics.

Core: I'm not a fan of Fender acoustics. Their, erm, core competency is the electric guitar :) I would stick to Epiphone, Takamine, Ovation (not Applause!), Ibanez. One of my bandmates just got one of the "rare-wood" Ibanezes and I am extremely impressed with the sound, workmanship and playability of the instrument, for $400 new, with a case. Go check 'em out.
 
I agree with old_skul in regards to Fender acoustics. The few that I've played had a clunky feel to them and pretty crappy tone. I was actually surprised how bad they were. Takamine's are great.
 
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