accoustic guitar help

[MoMack]

Anyone have advice on where to get an accoustic, preferably used, for a decent price?

How much am I looking at spending?

Any suggestions for brands on the low but okay for a beginner?

Thanks all.

[Booche]

for a decent price?

An answer from you to that question would help alot. As well as where you are located.

Craigslist?

[paisley]

make sure the fretboard doesn't buzz no matter where you're playing on it... bend some strings while noodlin around, see if it stays in tune... see if you like the way if feels in your hands, and obviously that you like it's sound

try and take a friend who's comfortable with guitars when you go out to help gauge the condition and value with ya if you can... worth springin for a couple of beers to have an advisor on hand

pawn shops are worth taking a look in first if you have someone who knows a bit bout guitars with ya

found a kick ass Norman in a pawn shop for $230 that I advised a buddy to pick up (maple neck, truly wish I'd had the money myself at the time)... there's sometimes sweet deals due to somebody who had to move a quality ax that was collecting dust so they could make the rent

[Booche]

Yeah, keep an eye out for those Canadian guitars like Normans and Seagulls.

[Jakis]

Art and luthiers are made by the same company. Great beginner guitar. I got one for 200 dollars new when I first started playing guitar. Sounds and plays great.

[Schwa.]

I got my Aria for 250$ and couldn't be happier with it for a beginners guitar.

[bouche]

make sure the tag is spelled it "acoustic" when you buy it.

[boiler]

If you're really serious about learning the guitar, I'd recommend not buying a "beginners" guitar. Either look for something used and in good shape or fork out the extra couple hundred bucks on a Mid level guitar. It'll last you longer. I recommend Yamaha. For the dollar, you may not find a better guitar. The advice about the Canadian made guitars is good too, awesome guitars.

[Schwa.]

i find the action a little high on Yamahas in general...but that can be fixed. Great guitars, several of my friends have one

[MoMack]

Thanks for the tips -

I'm in T.O. There are a couple shops near me, with the brand names I should be okay...

...and my cc button sticks...

[Velvet]

I absolutely recommend a Norman, specifically the B-20. Normans are made in Quebec by the Lasido company, which also makes Simon & Patrick and Seagull acoustics, La Patrie classicals, and Godin electrics. The Normans are very similar to the Simon & Patricks, and not dissimilar to the Seagulls, but I think the Norman is the best of the three.

The B-20 has a solid spruce top (most agree that a solid spruce top is a must in any acoustic guitar) and cherry back and sides. They sound great and play great and cost around $350 new. A Yamaha on the same specs will put you back around $650 or more I suspect. Frankly I think the B-20 is the best guitar for the money available in Canada.

I've been using mine as a workhorse for the ten years I've owned it. I teach with it, gig with it, and use it as the cottage/festival guitar. I've logged 15,000 hours on the thing at least and aside from getting the neck replaced free under the warranty in the first month of owning it, it's been 100% all the way. I have no intention of hanging it up anytime soon.

And try lots of them! Every guitar is unique, even more noticably so with a solid topped instrument.

[Schwa.]

I need me a solid top gitter. (shudders at the thought of buying my last guitar ever Martin D-Series...probably 18)

This won't be for several years btw

[Ms.Huxtable]

I know so little about playing guitar and guitar brands that I am certainly no authority on the subject. But what I do know is that I have always wanted to play guitar, and have tried several times to get the hang of it. Because I was using less-than-stellar guitars or guitars that didn't suits my hands, I gave up very, very quickly and made no progress.

Then one day I picked up bouche's Seagull, and because it felt so comfortable and I didn't have to strain as hard, I found myself able to play it for hours at a time (plus it sounds so good that even I can make it sing). So I've been playing for over a month now and am proud of my progress.

Find a guitar that fits you. One where the strings aren't too far from the board so you don't have to press so hard which can hurt the muscles and tendons that you are not used to using. If you hurt, you won't play.

Good luck!

[Jaimoe]

Both Steve's and Long & McQuaide in Toronto carry a big selection of Norman and Seagull acoustics. You can get a new one, satin finish, starting at $250. Songbird on Queen has a good selection of used, but I find them a little to a lot overpriced. Buy a new guitar. Nickle and diming doesn't make sense.

[Jaimoe]

Also, beware the "off-shore" Martins, Taylors and Gibsons. If the guitar brands I've mentioned are surprisingly cheap priced, then they ain't made in the States.

[boiler]

And try lots of them! Every guitar is unique, even more noticably so with a solid topped instrument.

This is true, a buddy of mine and me have the exact same guitar and we both agree mine sounds better (he's a better player though).

I think I went to every Guitar store in Toronto, trying tons of guitars before I got down to a choice between two guitars, a big Epiphone and a Yamaha. Thankfully they were both in the same store. I ended up getting the Yamaha because it sounded great acoustically, had pickups and a cut away body. Anyone who has ever played it, has loved it. You're right, I payed a little extra but it's been worth it. That being said, my next one will be a straight up acoustic with no electronics, full body Seagull or Norman.

[Jaimoe]

Another great Canadian-made guitar (from Newfoundland) is Garrison. They just got bought by Gibson, but they are excellent solid-wood acoustic guitars. A guitar shop in Port Credit is the Ontario dealer. I've played a few and they are excellent and are priced starting from around $300.

[Schwa.]

are those the ones with the injection moulded, 1 pc inards? (instead of assembled wood pieces) I read an article about them once and was curious how they performed.

(a bit of Googling later...)

About Garrison Guitars

Long before the plant, the employees or the processes... Garrison Guitars was a dream and the Griffiths Active Bracing System a rough sketch on an airline napkin. In just over six years, that first crude design has evolved into a more intelligent way to build acoustic guitars. Our new technology had to be tested, re-tested and yes... tested some more! Garrison Guitars unveiled its prototype guitars and the revolutionary Griffiths Active Bracing System at Winter NAMM 2000 in Los Angeles. The response was incredible. Compliments were received from manufacturers, distributors, dealers and guitar enthusiasts worldwide. Having proven its market acceptance, all that was needed was the space, tools and people to make Garrison Guitars a reality... The factory... In just six months Garrison Guitars has evolved from an empty warehouse to one of the largest acoustic guitar manufacturing companies in Canada... no small accomplishment...

Garrison Website

[jonyak]

recently bought a takamine guitar, can't recall the make of it right now.

Its a single cut with a pickup and preamp onboard. it was only $500 and plays just incredibly and sounds just as good as a taylor. I know because I sat down with a very expensive taylor and this guitar and played them back to back. There was a bit of a difference in workmanship but not enough to convince me to sink $2000 in the taylor over the takamine.

I went to every guitar shop in ottawa and peterborough to find the one I wanted. I must have played around 40 guitars. In the end it was between a norman, a taylor and the takamine. The takamine was the best vs cost out of all three for me.

[Jaimoe]

I've never been a fan of buying acoustics with pick-ups already in the guitar, especially for beginners. For one thing, the pick-up will jack-up the price of a cheaper guitar. I always recommend buying a better guitar for the same money you'd buy a guitar that already has a pick-up. You can add the pick-up of your choosing later.

[LXQ42]

I agree with the Takamine. You won't find a better guitar for $500, and it'll last you through the learning process and keep on going for many years.

[jonyak]

ya normaly I am the same way about buying one with a pickup in it, but it really was the best deal I could find... I haven't even used to pickup yet, but I do do some home recording every once in a while and its gonna make recording acoustic much easier.

But for a beginner there's no point really. The built in tuner is pretty cool though.

[Pablo Sanchez]

Also, beware the "off-shore" Martins, Taylors and Gibsons. If the guitar brands I've mentioned are surprisingly cheap priced, then they ain't made in the States.

There are no "off shore" Taylor or Martin guitars. If it says Taylor on the headstock it was made in El Cajon California, if it says Martin & co. on a Martin it was made in PA.

Both of these companies actually have some AMAZING guitars at the lower end. (I say lower end, but they are both high end companies so its not in the Norman range)

Martin has a guitar called the DX1 that we sell for $599.00, solid top. and you know what.. it actually sounds great.

My favourite would be the Taylor 110 between the 2. The Taylor plays and sounds fantastic. They go for $629.00

If you're looking at the 300-400 range I'd recommend a Norman. But get one with a spruce top and not the cedar(B-20 spruce, B-18 cedar), because the finish is so thin and cedar is so soft that I can guarantee you'll hack through the top in two years.

[Pablo Sanchez]

regarding Garrison,

I've seen so many of these in our shop for repairs. I don't buy the ABS plastic bracing. Wood breathes and plasitc doesn't. This means that the top will contract and expand with humidity changes and the braces won't move. This can lead to cracked finishs (see ovation) or rattles from the top becoming separated from the bracing.

The big thing you'll get if you buy from a more well established company (and more so with north american made, even more so with higher end brands) is proper wood selection and proper drying of the woods. This is huge. If the wood hasn't been reduced to the proper moisture content (made in china) then what is going to happen is that your guitar is going to decide that it is still a tree and move in another direction. This could be the neck, could be the top. All that you'll notice is that it feels impossible to play or its impossible to get in tune (more than one chord).

ok... time to stop

[Booche]

Also, beware of anything Jaimoe has to say about anything.