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Need help in buying an acoustic

wak5700wak5700 Posts: 22
edited August 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
I want to buy an acoustic that's good but thats still under 500 dollers. My guitar teacher tells me that seagulls are excellent, but that's what his store sells and my friend tells me that he personally likes alvarez. I've been playing my friends alvarez for about 2 months now(I plan on giving it back to him at some point). I don't really have any reference and I havent been playing long enough (7 months) to really know the difference between guitars and all that shit. Help would be appreciated
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
    go to a guitar store and play em all. Whatever one feels the best and calls your name (you will know :)), get it.
    "I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

    "Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

    "I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Seagulls are pretty good guitars. Others in that price range worth looking at: Alvarez, Yamaha, Takamine, Tacoma, some newer Fenders, Epiphone.

    Acoustic guitars vary greatly from instrument to instrument... two identical models from the same manufacturer can be night and day difference. It all depends on the quality of the wood used... unless you spend $1,000 or more, you kinda take a risk on how good the quality control is.

    The biggest thing is to find a model that's right for you. Find one that feels comfortable, the body fits you right, the neck feels good. You'll want to decide what body shape you want, too... dreadnaught, parlor, auditorium, jumbo... whether you want a cut-away or an electric/acoustic. Beyond that, check and make sure it has a good, strong body, good neck, good neck joint.

    Once you get a few models in mind, check:

    http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/#man

    Search for the manufacturer, then the model, and see what other players have to say about it. Harmony Central is a great resource for buying new gear, especially when you don't know what you're getting into.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • nick1977nick1977 Posts: 327
    1. Look for a guitar with a SOLID WOOD TOP. Only these guitars will sound good for an extended period of time. You can find one in the $500 range you mentioned. DO NOT pay $500 for guitar without a solid wood top.

    2. I like Alvarez. I have had mine for 10-12 years. It still sounds good. It has a solid wood top, and still plays good.

    If funding were not an issue, a solid wood back and sides would be preferable also, but these guitars are much more pricy (such as Taylor and Martin).

    I hope this helps, but I cannot reiterate enough how you want a solid wood top.
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