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vicevursa
New member
I am looking for a acoustic-electric guitar, something like the ovation line. Are there any decent ones in the "under $500" range? Thanks in advance...
Vice
Vice
Sonic Misfit
New member
For that price you might want to check out a used guitar. There are some used Ovations around in that price range. I use a Ovation 12 string for live play and it ain't bad. Don't care much for it as a recording guitar since the mic in it is a little noisy.
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savageblues
New member
This suggestion may be a little unorthodox but check out Dean. I really like my Performer DSE. Others to consider in my opinion would be Seagull, or Yamaha. Stick with a solid top (not laminated) and you'll likely have a keeper.
Leeking
New member
Check our Cort guitars as well... handmade, good wood, Fishman preamp and awesome price!!
I just bought one and I love it!
I just bought one and I love it!
Leeking
New member
savageblues said:
errr, what is solid top? how can I tell? what's good about it?
I know my Cort is solid top.... based on the brochure....
Buck62
噛んでくれ
Yamaha and Seagull are excellent choices.
If the sound of fingernails scraping across a blackboard pleases you, buy an Ovation.
If the sound of fingernails scraping across a blackboard pleases you, buy an Ovation.
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savageblues
New member
Well, this could be a matter of opinion as well, but in general a single slab of solid spruce (Engelman or Sitka commonly) or cedar cut in 'bookmatched' fashion is considered to be a higher quality guitar top than a 'plywood' top.
'Bookmatching' - Usually a top has a joint right down the centre-line of the guitar. If you imagined taking each side of the top and folding them together along this axis - this is how the original peice of wood was cut - right through one slab to make two peices. The grain is nearly equal and opposite when you look on either side of the centre joint of the top, because those two surfaces are on either side of where the blade cut.
Really low cost guitars often use a plywood top rather than a solid sheet of wood, although some companies would have you believe this is an improvement over a more expensive solid top. It is possible that a ply-top is stronger, but that is not the ultimate goal of an instrument...its tone.
A solid top is what is used on nearly all high quality guitars (and many not so high quality). It ages nicely, yellows nicely, and if Im not mistaken, will 'mellow' in its tone with years of proper use and storage. Nearly all high quality stringed instruments (like violins, cellos, etc) use solid wood tops - usually spruce as well.
Seagull use solid tops, as do some of the Yamahas. Look at the edges of the sound hole on the top. If you see grain continue from the top,its solid. If it looks like plywood, then it is. If it's painted its hard to tell, could be either. You will have to ask specifically.
Having said all this, I supose its still the ears and hands that should do the deciding.
Hope this helps!
'Bookmatching' - Usually a top has a joint right down the centre-line of the guitar. If you imagined taking each side of the top and folding them together along this axis - this is how the original peice of wood was cut - right through one slab to make two peices. The grain is nearly equal and opposite when you look on either side of the centre joint of the top, because those two surfaces are on either side of where the blade cut.
Really low cost guitars often use a plywood top rather than a solid sheet of wood, although some companies would have you believe this is an improvement over a more expensive solid top. It is possible that a ply-top is stronger, but that is not the ultimate goal of an instrument...its tone.
A solid top is what is used on nearly all high quality guitars (and many not so high quality). It ages nicely, yellows nicely, and if Im not mistaken, will 'mellow' in its tone with years of proper use and storage. Nearly all high quality stringed instruments (like violins, cellos, etc) use solid wood tops - usually spruce as well.
Seagull use solid tops, as do some of the Yamahas. Look at the edges of the sound hole on the top. If you see grain continue from the top,its solid. If it looks like plywood, then it is. If it's painted its hard to tell, could be either. You will have to ask specifically.
Having said all this, I supose its still the ears and hands that should do the deciding.
Hope this helps!