cheap ass acoustic needed. Suggestions?

[dafduc]

I'm a terrible guitarist, probably always will be. But there are tunes of mine just crying out for acoustic guitar, and finding someone to come lay down a track for me is a giant pain - mostly schedule weirdness, but also 'cos I'm way out in the boonies.

So I gotta get an acoustic - the loop disks are making me nuts. My wife's got an old one, but it's a noname, and shot to hell - a couple of the pegs are stripped, and there's a split in the back.

So if I can pick up an Epiphone or a Washburn for under $150, I think that's what I want to do. Musician's Friend had an Epi for $99, for example.

Any thoughts about sound quality on the low-end guitars? I know that if I spend more, I'll get more - but I don't think I need a LOT more. Which budget lines are the best for sound and quality of construction?

War stories also cheerfully accepted.

Thanks,

Daf

[Wide Awake]

Yamaha and Takamine make some good budget guitars. Fender too. I have never played a Washburn so I have no opinion on it.

I recommend upping your budget if you order one off the internet. Even $50 or $100 more could get you a much better instrument.

[Wide Awake]

I just looked at Musicians Friend. These might be good buys.

Yamaha FG403S- Dreadnaught with a spruce top. $199

Takamine G-240 $179 Dreadnaught

How far do you live from a city with music stores ?

[dafduc]

I'm a regular at Banjo Mart...

[guitarjesus]

If you say your a terrible guitarist then you are. Why even play, if you think of your self as a terrible guitarist.

[dafduc]

Thank you, Jesus. (Ha - always wanted to say that!!!)

I'm good enough to figure out some simple parts and bang on 'em 'til I get them right. Especially since a lot of the time all I need is some Kumbaya guitar.

For example, my rearrangement of Beautiful Still, which was my last post in the clinic, will probably go up this weekend. It's got guitar loops in it, that mostly sound okay, but I needed a B minor chord, and didn't have any minors on the "Classic Country" loop disk I was working with. I got around by using a D chord and cutting all the A's out of the loop (I let the Bass and Piano define the chord). If I'd have had a decent guitar, I'd probably have cut the track myself.

I DO have a pretty nice electric (Epi Dot 335) that didn't cost me an arm and a leg. You'll never hear me shred, or do any Kottke. But I can figure out a part and play it.

Daf

[tomleblanc]

There are a few Jasmine's, Takamine's equivalent of Epiphone in a sense, on musiciansfriend. There's a cutaway for $129 and a dreadnought solid-top for $99 (a steal)!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/57341

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/44905

Did you want to be able to plug it in too, or are you recording with mics? Samash has a cheap acoustic/electric cutaway for $140:

http://www.samash.com/catalog/showit...netodaythanks.

...and an even cheaper dreadnought for $119!

http://www.samash.com/catalog/showit...netodaythanks.

They also have the Epiphone PR-200 for $130 at samash.com, which I think is a pretty good entry-level guitar, probably about equivalent to the Jasmine. I don't know if these "Carlo Robelli" guitars are any good though. In my opinion it'd be better to go with the budget line of a reputable company like Gibson or Takamine, over the random Sam Ash brand.

[tjohnston]

Just rent one. Or better you could make one out of a shoe box and some rubberbands. The shoe box idea is pretty good but if you want a real fake guitar look into a taylor big baby.

[philboyd studge]

Step up and get yourself one of those $100 specials Esteban is selling on his infomercial. I think he's throwing in a Zorro hat and sash too.

Seriously, what you get doesn't matter much. Playability does. If it's hard to play it'll just piss you off.

[Kelly5150]

Originally posted by philboyd studge
Step up and get yourself one of those $100 specials Esteban is selling on his infomercial. I think he's throwing in a Zorro hat and sash too.

Seriously, what you get doesn't matter much. Playability does. If it's hard to play it'll just piss you off.

LMAO!!... I want a zorro hat!

[ahuimanu]

I've played one of those Taylor Big Babys and they feel/play/sound really really good (IMO). I am actually eying one up at the local Sam Ash (thank God my hometown got a decent music store in the wake of Mars).

J-