Budget, decent acoustic

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bluesmouse

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Hi everybody,
Just recently I've been looking for a modest priced acoustic guitar, something that sounds okay but that I can also take out on the street, to festivals etc. without going crazy if it gets a few dings in the finish.

I guesss price-wise my maximum limit is around £140 ($254) I'd like something that plays decent for both slide and standard tuning stuff and that is fairly loud with a nice tone too. It would be great if it had a nice natural finish of cedar or spruce too. Yes I'm asking a lot for my money!

I have read of a few recommendations for the Fender DG14S
and the Freshman range look good for their money. Any input on these two please? Any other recommendations?


Thanks in advance for all your recommendations.
 
I didn't care for the tone of the Fenders that I played in that price range. A lot of them are those weird composite material that sounds like its made out of a shoebox.

I bought an Alvarez Regent that was on sale for $200 w/hardshell case. It was a birthday present for a friend, and I played several of its competitors in that < $200 price range. The Alvarez had a laminate spruce top, a great solid sounding low end, and very nice action. Lifetime warranty, to boot.

I've never played a Yamaha in that price range, but I hear great things about them.

Maybe spend a couple of saturday afternoons scouring the pawn shops in your area and maybe you can score something for a good price.

Good luck!
 
For that budget, your best bet is probably going to be a Yamaha. The quality of guitar they make for the money is truly remarkable. You will never mistake them for a high end guitar, but they do a really good job for the money.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
A company based in Quebec(canada) make acoustic guitars called "Seagull". IMO these are excellent sounding guitars and relitively inexpensive(In your pricerange). The thing is these are not 'budget' guitars. They are inexpensive but the quality is there.

Fender acoustic?? RUN! FAST! I have played 3 fender acoustics in the last 2 months.(3-500$) and lets just say, in grade 5 i made a guitar out of a tissue box, a broom handel and rubber bands and....
 
Whatever you get make sure you go solid top. It will sound better longer than laminate. Also, get a guitar with a good top. Find the model you want and then look at each individual instrument to get the best value for your $250. I heard some really special Slamaha's in my day, the Seagul's can be good too.
 
What does anybody think of Johnson acoustic guitars? My almost-16 year old daughter wants a guitar of her own and I found one in the classifieds for under $150. I figure if it sounds decent I could use it myself.
 
Yamaha

I spent an hour last week playing every budget acoustic on the wall at GC and the Yamaha was by far the best in the $150 to $199 price range. Fender I would have to say was the most dissapointing.
 
I have 2 "A & L" acoustic guitars and love them. The Art & Lutherie guitars I have were $200 bucks each, made in Canada. Check them out!
 
I have a cheap Accolade guitar that actually sounds pretty good
 
A couple weeks ago I purchased a Yamaha acoustic guitar. Though it cost me only $160 dollars the sound is excellent and stays in tune very well(I tuned it once on the first day and haven't needed to since). I would definitely say that that or something similar is the guitar for you. I got it off of the Sam Ash website. Hope that helped.

~Clove
 
Thanks for the info guys!

Light, Gvarko and CloeWC- What model of Yamaha are we talking about please? -The F310?

Guitarraine- Which model Seagull do you refer too?, there are a lot of models on the website but no prices (it's hard for me to get prices on them here in the UK).

Takk- Ditto on the Art & Lutherie, which models in particular do you refer to please?

Thanks again,
Bluesmouse.
 
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I would opt for a used Alvarez. I have a Yamaha and the Alvarez and the tone is better from the Alvarez.
 
bluesmouse said:
Thanks for the info guys!

Light, Gvarko and CloeWC- What model of Yamaha are we talking about please? -The F310?

Guitarraine- Which model Seagull do you refer too?, there are a lot of models on the website but no prices (it's hard for me to get prices on them here in the UK).

Takk- Ditto on the Art & Lutherie, which models in particular do you refer to please?

Thanks again,
Bluesmouse.
Click to expand...


Any of them which are in your price range. Their build quality is just really good.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
I agree with the Yamaha. I paid $180 for mine over twenty years ago and it still is a fine player.

rpe
 
Good Cheap Acoustic

Yamaha FG403S is the best bet for your price range. You can typically get them for $200. At that price you can get yourself a hard case too.

It's a solid top & has a great sound, but get some better strings. The ones that come stock go dead pretty quick.

Tell your GC guy you'll take it only if he throws in a set of decent phosphor bronze strings & watch him run for the strings counter.
 
I bought my Yamaha FG335 back in 1977 and it sounds even better now with age. I can honestly say it's tone blows away any Martin or Taylor under $2,000 and is equal to (or better than, depending on the individual) just about anything above that range. I thought I was just lucky to find a "diamond in the rough", but my brother-in-law's Yamaha FG180 (circa 1972) sounds just as sweet... and it only cost $150 used!

Both of our guitars are 100% original and have withstood the test of time as far as durability goes. Not even so much as a re-fret... despite a lot of playing time on both of them. This is quite common with these old Yamaha's. They just last and last.
 
I've heard that red label yammies are better than the black label. anyone know if this true. this may have been in older used models.
 
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