Anybody play guitar?

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FightinIrish

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I just picked up playing guitar last month and I'm looking for a guitar. I lke acoustic. I have a cheapo that I picked up on Craig's list but want something that sounds good. My budget is not more than about $500. I play mostly like blues, country stuff. Any suggestions?
 
There's no shame in playing a cheapo! :). At least for a while. What make/model is it? My favorite electric guitar I have is an Ibanez RG that I bought in 1995 for $90 new. I have probably sent less than $400 maintaining it over the years.

There are some decent guitars out there for $500 or less. I suggest going and playing them in the store. Even if you only know how to strum a few chords. What feels right to you may be completely different than what feels right to me.

I have 2 "cheap" guitars that I love. One is a small bodied Alvarez. Bought for approx $120 in 1998 and it JUST got cycled out of my regular rotation of guitars when the SWMBO bought me 2 new ones last xmas. All these years later still feels ad plays great with minimal maintenance. I've done many gigs on that guitar.

The other is a full body Seagull. I feel that seagull makes decent quality guitars and they're usually pretty cheap.

But go play some guitars and get a feel for what you like. That will help you make a much more educated decision.
 
I have a number of both electric and acoustic guitars but love them all too much to sell any. I recently got a great deal on a Takamine acoustic at American Musical Supply. Never heard of them before but a friend got an email and I got a $675 guitar for $330 shipped free! It is amazingly awesome,especially for the price. No longer on sale but check them out anyway.
Also, Guitar Center has some used guitars so check them out as well.
As with brewing, I say get the best you can afford. If you plan on sticking with it, it'll be worth it.Best of luck to you.
 
You should be able to find a very decent new acoustic guitar for around $500. Maybe not fancy, and maybe not a studio quality piece, but a guitar of good quality and nice action with good sound.

TBH, a friend bought a cheap guitar a couple of years ago and I was surprised at how decent a $200 guitar can be nowadays.
 
Longtime player here..

For acoustics under $500, you really can't go wrong with an Ibanez. I have an AEL-20E, and before that one I had another Ibanez acoustic/electric. They are solid, great-sounding guitars that will take a beating... and because you didn't drop a grand on one, you don't mind if it does take a beating.

My next acoustic/electric will be one of the Ibanez "Exotic Wood" (EW) series. I bought one for my ex a number of years ago, and that one sounded even better than my AEL...

Regardless...

One man's treasure is another man's trash. I STRONGLY advise AGAINST buying a guitar from an online retailer. Go to your local music store and try out all the guitars in your budget. You will find one that feels and sounds right to you, and that is the one you need to get. Hopefully you've got a "mom and pop" music store nearby and not one of the big box stores... if I never set foot in another Guitar Center, it would be too soon.


My two cents... your mileage may vary.
 
worked at MARS selling guitars and have some advice

the brands mentioned here before: Takamine, Alvarez, Ibanez are all good guitars

other brands to consider: Yamaha, Martin & Taylor (tho, it would be difficult to find a Taylor as low as $500)

BEST advice I could give, is spend as much as you can afford. find a way to increase your budget. the key to spending $ on a guitar is how long it will last.

you can buy a decent guitar for $100 and it will last a couple years. spend $1000 on a guitar and your grandchildren will be playing it.

you will not regret spending more on a guitar, you will always regret spending less
 
Another option to at least explore is taking the instrument you already have to a professional and have them do a little work on it. A truss rod adjustment, new frets if necessary, maybe lowering the action, etc. can go a long way toward making an instrument sound/play better. You can get a lot of work done on an instrument for $100 - $150.

I make sure to keep on these things fairly regularly and my 'cheapo' guitar sounds and plays MUCH better for it.
 
If you are going to keep playing and may spend up to 500 bucks, check out Fender, Gibson and Ibanez. You get what you pay for, but 200 -400 bucks gets you a nice guitar.
 
I have a electric acoustic made by Takamine (a EG531C) It's great for my skill set, and I think it was right around $500 bucks. I've had it for 10 years or so and it's always served me well. I've played on a lot newer and more expensive guitars lately, and now I really want a Taylor. Ugh. They are sweet!
 
+1 on going to a store and playing a bunch. You might find one you like that's cheaper than 500..If your just starting out, you could spend less and be happy. Be careful though, you can get addicted and start collecting them.. I was collecting Gibson Les Pauls for a long time and slowed down when I started brewing... Brewing is a little cheaper too...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=128515&stc=1&d=1371223048
 
I've been playing for about a decade now

I agree with playing stuff in store. I've had this bad boy for about 6 or 7 years and I've loved it for what I need it

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-dr-100-acoustic-guitar/518569000001000

I primarily play electric but that guy gets good sound holds it's tune pretty well, and does it's job. Of course with any guitar you shoudl play it, as no 2 are exactly the same.
 
I inherited a Fender (don't even know the model) that I was told my brother paid aroun $200 for. I like it so much that I parted ways with my Taylor 110. Is the Fender a Taylor , not even close, but I'm not gigging and I enjoy beating around on the Fender. You should be able to find something good in your price range.
 
I wouldn't worry too much about the brand at this point, $500 is going to get you a nice guitar. Like others have said, more important is to find one that feels right, which means going into a store and putting as many as you can in your hands. Some necks are wider, some are narrower, some are thinner, some are thicker, some have higher action, some have lower. I have no idea how big your hands are or what's going to feel right to you.

Fwiw, I've been playing for ~30 years, some of them professionally, a couple music degrees, taught at USC, blah, blah....
 
I have five guitars (they're like kids - always room for one more.) The best deal I got was a Silver Creek D-170 for $250. The key is to find a straight neck that plays true an fits your hand. For that reason, I'd first buy locally.

There are a few tricks that can make a mediocre guitar sound really good. Don't fight the guitar - find a luthier to adjust the action. I play the best strings I can - Martin SP4100s and the coated SP7100s. Corroded strings don't ring - I change 'em once a month. Humid wood sounds better - if it's dry where you live, consider getting an Oasis case humidifier.
 
I love a fresh set of strings. Nice and vibrant. I play both electric and acoustic, and you can find really decent-good guitars in the $500 dollar price range. Epiphone acoustics can be inexpensive and sound great.
 
I picked up a used Taylor 110 for around $500. It was in near perfect condition and sounds fantastic. I play it more then my Martin or my les Paul. Definitely worth buying if you can find one. I used to see them on Craigslist a lot.

Good luck.
 
Bulls Beers said:
I'm the opposite. I like fresh new strings.
Click to expand...

I used to be a fan of fresh strings until I got broke and decided to stop buying strings and only get a new set when one broke. I play a lot of bluesy type of stuff and there's a certain sound I enjoy from a "dead" string. Doesn't work all the time and you have to keep on top of cleaning them or you'll cut yourself but I find the tone a string gets as it ages to be nice.
 
Wow, thanks everyone for the replies! The cheapo that I have right now is a no name laminate top guitar that I got from some dude for $10. It plays well enough for me to start on but I don't think it's decent enough to put $100 into. I will definitely go get my hands on as many guitars as possible before picking my new baby! Thanks for the help!
 
That's an interesting take on it... Never heard that one before.

I tend to let my strings go longer than average, but I'm definitely a fan of new strings. If I have a gig or even friends coming over and want to sound good ill trying up a fresh set the night before or a few hours before.

hoppyhoppyhippo said:
I used to be a fan of fresh strings until I got broke and decided to stop buying strings and only get a new set when one broke. I play a lot of bluesy type of stuff and there's a certain sound I enjoy from a "dead" string. Doesn't work all the time and you have to keep on top of cleaning them or you'll cut yourself but I find the tone a string gets as it ages to be nice.
Click to expand...
 
I like Fender super bullet 9's myself. They ring clearer longer. i haven't touched a guitar in the better part of 8 years or so. some of my wires,pedal boards,etc got flooded out a few years ago in a flood we had in our area. gotta rebuild the peadal board for my Fender Rock Pro 1000 half stack. Has a switch for either tube or solid state as well. I love the tube sound myself.
I don't have acoustics,but def spend the most you can to get one with a neck that feels right to you.
I even have an old Japanese dinky that Sears sold in their catalog when I was pretty young. Pop bought it & I got from him when he got old for $100.
A guitar shop in westlake got nervous & excited when I let them check it out.
They think it's a Kay. Tobacco sunburst with white toggle switches. You had to switch the soap bar pickups between solo & rythem. Try to play a chord in solo mode,& it's shuts off. Really weird. I remember the first song I learned to play on that. It was Rocky Mountain Way,the slide parts. It nailed the sound.
 
:off: is now a good time to hijack the thread?

let's see 'em!

I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it
005 copy.jpg
 
I'd have to get some pics of mine. I've got 4-5 guitars,2 of them bastardized frankensteins, the rock pro 1000,& a demarzio I think it is. Gotta get new wires & such after that darn flood.
 
unionrdr said:
I'd have to get some pics of mine. I've got 4-5 guitars,2 of them bastardized frankensteins, the rock pro 1000,& a demarzio I think it is. Gotta get new wires & such after that darn flood.
Click to expand...

mine's a Frankenstein.

'97 California with a JB Jr in the bridge & Lil '59 in the neck.

with the custom-painted pick-guard in the pic, I had shielded it better, re-wired the tone knobs to the mini-humbuckers and used push-pulls for a split coil option

new pick-guard on it now, with a Toneshaper in it
 
GrogNerd said:
:off: is now a good time to hijack the thread?

let's see 'em!

I know, it's only rock and roll, but I like it
View attachment 128357
Click to expand...

Nice. Looks like an 800 and a 900?

I have an '84 JCM 800 and a '78 JMP that I run through a Mesa 4x12 with Black Shadow Celestions. No pedals, no effects, just straight tube distortion. The most beautiful sound in the entire world.
 
Guitar playing and beer drinking are a great match. Here are my recommendations:

Electric: Gibson Epiphone series. Good value in lower price ranges.
Acoustic steel: Washburn used $200-300
Acoustic nylon: Yamaha used $300

Personally I prefer the tone of the acoustic steel string but the nylon string is handy when other people are around and you want to be quieter. Or, get an electric w/ headphone amp.
 
Yeah,my Rock Pro 1000 on the tube setting has a smoother distortion to it.
I have an '89 strat knock off my wife bought me for sweetest day. Sperzel tuners,semor duncon hot rails in bridge & neck positions,filed down frets,adjusted trus rod & bridge,lowered action. Black with layered black & white pick guard. I also have a Gibson flying V built on my birthday in '83. Blue abalone fret markers,EMG active humbuckers,repainted with satin natural neck finish. The other guitars are basically stock,including a '62 SG knockoff from Epiphone in cherry finish like Iomi's. I also have a Porta Studio MK4 that's analog with digital controls.
 
Oh yeah,Angus Young! One of these days I'm gunna get some monster cables to replace the messed up ones. gotta find my stuff to resolder the wires & such in the fender pedal board for the Rock Pro. Damn flood...
 
My next guitar will a Gibson ES-335. LOVE those guitars. Right now I'm playing a Les Paul Standard. I'm definitely a Gibson man.
 
TheZymurgist said:
My next guitar will a Gibson ES-335. LOVE those guitars. Right now I'm playing a Les Paul Standard. I'm definitely a Gibson man.
Click to expand...

I miss my LPs. maybe that's why I put the mini-humbuckers in my strat, because I miss the LP sound.

had 2 of them, both pawned, got one back. that one was stolen twice, recovered once. was a beautiful natural finish, no -burst on it at all

only have a one pic of it, a colorized B&W

les paul.jpg
 

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