Looking for good acoustic-electric.....

  • Thread starter Thread starter elenore19
  • Start date Start date
elenore19

elenore19

Slowing becoming un-noob.
Anyone have any suggestions?

My price range isn't too bad...under 1000 bucks would be preferable. I'm looking for a pretty nice guitar.

Thanks for the help!


I've looked into cheaper Takamine's (Spelling?)
But I don't really know what to look for.

Thanks again!

-Elliot
 
Lots of choices in that price range.

Guild, Breedlove, Taylor, Martin...

But I believe the Larrivee 03 series is still the best value in the market--very, very nice guitars.
 
Ideally you'd want to look into some of the martin's and taylor's. To get a decent one, you may have to go a little bit out of your price range, but I would look used if I were you. Most people that buy guitars like these are serious players that respect quality. They take care of their stuff. Ask anyone that bought an instrument that cost over a thousand bucks... and I didn't say mommy and daddy bought their 13 year old this stuff, I'm talking about real musicians that spent their own hard earned cash on this stuff. It's kind of like buying a car with 5000 miles on it. It's just like new, but since it's not, the price went down thousands of dollars.
 
Get a good playing/sounding guitar first and worry about the electronics later. When ya get out there and start testing whats out there, dont be tricked into buying an inferior box with all the bells and whistles(bulit in tuner etc.). You can get a nice undersaddle for around $100 and preamp it externally.
 
Flamin Lip said:
Get a good playing/sounding guitar first and worry about the electronics later. When ya get out there and start testing whats out there, dont be tricked into buying an inferior box with all the bells and whistles(bulit in tuner etc.). You can get a nice undersaddle for around $100 and preamp it externally.
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Yes.

My viewpoint as well.
 
What is the intended function of the guitar? Live, recording, home use? That will make a big diff in your choices. I record with one of my guitars but play live with an Ovation. Something about spilling beer on or getting cigarette burns on a $3500.00 instrument!...whether I built it or not! The Ovation sounds like a tin can when recorded but I wouldn't shit a brick if I dropped, smashed, burned, or otherwise destroyed it. I just like the word destroyed for some reason....
 
My advice is to find an acoustic you like, and add a pickup. And I would strongly suggest NOT getting a Taylor with an Expression System. To say they have a reliability problem is like saying Vesuvius droped some ash on Pompai. It's true, but it doesn't come close to relaying the size of the issue. I think we are averaging three or four ES repairs a week, at least. I will grant that Taylor is exceptionally good about the customer service aspect of fixing them, but I can't tell you how many customers come in after their pickup fit the shit in the middle of a show.

And then there is the guy whose battery compartment turned into a little rocket launcher inside his guitar.

Seriously, they are a problem.



So, for about $1,000, I would probably go with a Martin D15 and a Fishman Matrix for a pickup. Best of both worlds, for the price. But the real trick is to simply find a guitar you like, and then get a pickup installed.


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M.K. Gandhi
 
Flamin Lip said:
Get a good playing/sounding guitar first and worry about the electronics later. When ya get out there and start testing whats out there, dont be tricked into buying an inferior box with all the bells and whistles(bulit in tuner etc.). You can get a nice undersaddle for around $100 and preamp it externally.
Click to expand...



Well, it really is better to have an internal preamp, but you do NOT need any controls on it.

You see, the impedance of a piezo element is high.


Really high.

Duck hunting with a rake kind of high.



The problem with impedances that high is they are extremely susceptible to capacitance in the cable, cable noise, and RF interference. By using something like a Fishman Matrix, a Highlander or similar system which has a preamp built into the end pin jack, you keep the high impedance cable length as short as possible, which is a very good thing.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
If I were in your shoes, I would visit a guitar shop that has high, mid, and low end guitars under one roof. Find the guitar you like the best, regardless of price to use as a reference, then search in your price range to find one that comes close to "your" best. Things that will stand out to you are playability, sound, looks, feel, electronics, etc. It is also a good idea to have someone else play the guitar you have selected so you can hear the guitar. Often the sound the player hears is different than the sound the listener hears.

If at all possible, try to have an open mind concerning brand names during your selection process. This could save some $$$.

Good luck

Charlie
 
cnix said:
If I were in your shoes, I would visit a guitar shop that has high, mid, and low end guitars under one roof. Find the guitar you like the best, regardless of price to use as a reference, then search in your price range to find one that comes close to "your" best. Things that will stand out to you are playability, sound, looks, feel, electronics, etc. It is also a good idea to have someone else play the guitar you have selected so you can hear the guitar. Often the sound the player hears is different than the sound the listener hears.

If at all possible, try to have an open mind concerning brand names during your selection process. This could save some $$$.

Good luck

Charlie
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Best advice you could get. Don't concern yourself so much with brand (although different companies have different reps regarding build quality, customer service, etc - so its good to still do your homework), and just play as many as you can.
 
cnix said:
If I were in your shoes, I would visit a guitar shop that has high, mid, and low end guitars under one roof. Find the guitar you like the best, regardless of price to use as a reference, then search in your price range to find one that comes close to "your" best. Things that will stand out to you are playability, sound, looks, feel, electronics, etc. It is also a good idea to have someone else play the guitar you have selected so you can hear the guitar. Often the sound the player hears is different than the sound the listener hears.

If at all possible, try to have an open mind concerning brand names during your selection process. This could save some $$$.

Good luck

Charlie
Click to expand...


Although I mostly agree with this advice, if someone wants a nicer $1,000 guit I do recommend they buy a name brand. IMO you will be hard pressed to find less known guits that can compare with a Martin 15 series or Larrivee 03 series (just two examples--and they hold their value).

I'm sure it's been done, but I have never heard someone say they were sorry for buying a Martin (at lease not a 15 series or up).

Of course, my opinions are those of a guitar slut. :D
 
Buck62 said:
I used to have one of these and it was awesome!!!.....

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/prod...25SR-Plus-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar?sku=512403

I could shoot myself for letting it go, but I needed the money at the time. :(

Best $1,000 guitar on the market, bar none!!

Prettiest guitar, too... check all the pics!
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I was going to recommend the Breedlove Atlas series as well....nice guitars for the bux. An earlier poster mentioned a Larivee for under $1000....The one Larivee I've played was $1600, but was totally blew me away. Great action and tone. If you could find one in your price range, check those out too.

have fun!
 
I played a D15 and it was amazing. Granted, a lot of budget guitars can actually sound pretty good, but nothing sounds as "authentic" as a truly well built guitar. The D15 surprised me and this is coming from someone who's really picky and must have played about 50 different acoustics at the shop.

I'd also advise to forget the electronics and go with one that has a great natural acoustic tone. Then worry about a pickup.

If you go that route, you'll have a nice guitar for the studio and also for live playing.
 
danny.guitar said:
I played a D15 and it was amazing. Granted, a lot of budget guitars can actually sound pretty good, but nothing sounds as "authentic" as a truly well built guitar. The D15 surprised me and this is coming from someone who's really picky and must have played about 50 different acoustics at the shop.
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The mahogany tops certainly make them sound different than a spruce toped guitar, but they are really WAY above the field in terms of sound, and their fit and finish may be cheap, but it is done well (that's how they made the price point, after all). Also, Martin is as good as it comes for warranty service, though you do want to make sure to send in your warranty card. In all fairness, I do have to say that Taylor's warranty service is just as good, but I don't think they make anything which stands toe to toe with the D15s.


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M.K. Gandhi
 
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