getting an acoustic

[kidtwist]

Hey guys. I've been playing a strat for a few years (started playing a friend's squier but got my own fender a few years ago), and I decided it's time to get an acoustic. At first I was thinking about just having another guitar to play around with different tunings especially when messing around with slides, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it'd be nice to have to just play straight (actually I swing my eighth notes ). So this week I went to my guitar shop to see what they had for a used acoustic and found out they didn't have much used but they had a lot of new (a few used, not that the price or condition showed it) Taylors and Martins. Of course I sat down and played some of them and found out I forgot how nice an acoustic sounds (my strat sounds great through the blues junior but since I live in a college dorm I play unplugged a lot, plus acoustics just sound better anyway ).

So, my problem (sorry for the long story): Do I get a low end ($400-$700) Taylor? Or a Martin of similar price? (To achieve this price range both brands, especially the Martin, would be used, but they could pass for new) Or am I being stupid and should get something cheaper?

I'd rather spend a bit more and get a guitar I'll be happy with in 8 years than go cheap and want a new one in 8 months, but I'm not that good (though even to my poorly trained ear the acoustic fender I played in the shop sounded pretty bad especially compared to the taylors and martins) so I don't wanna waste money on guitars that I'll never be able to play up to the skill they deserve.

Thanks for the input!

[Strummer07]

Hi Kidtwist
always difficult to give advice on guitars , especially an Acoustic as its such a personal thing , both the feel of the guitar, its shape and looks.

Normally I would say , get the best you can afford.
But this is a first proper Acoustic , so you might want to start with something affordable , if you really get into it ... you can upgrade it in 5/6 years ( easy with e-bay or part -ex)
Also, if you are still using Dorms and in College, travelling / moving about etc .. both security, space and volume might be an issue.
Stick a Martin in your room, its a very tempting guitar if someone has light fingers !!
.
Also you perhaps wouldn't want it getting too beat up .and that often happens with school college and things ... people possessions are often not respected as they should be.

I think my advice would be to try out some of the slightly cheaper brands , Yamaha, Fender and Takemine make great guitars at all levels ... and cheaper does not have to mean sound quality suffers,
Look at smaller body guitars .....the 000 size is good, The Yamaha APX series are also small body (with pup's) .......a Dreadnought in your dorm room would be great , (I bought a Gibson J45, Fab guitar !!! early on when I was learning and it was too loud to play at home in the evenings, especialy by a learner ) .......but not for your Neighbours !!

Plenty if time for that limited edition Martin 000-28EC when you settle down and have your own space or are famous !!

But ..............at the end of the day .......buy the one that makes you heart skip a beat when you look at it and play it.

Good luck

[VikingBlues]

Also, if you are still using Dorms and in College, travelling / moving about etc .. both security, space and volume might be an issue.
Stick a Martin in your room, its a very tempting guitar if someone has light fingers !!
Also you perhaps wouldn't want it getting too beat up .and that often happens with school college and things ... people possessions are often not respected as they should be.

Very good point - hadn't even noticed the reference to "college dorm" Good job others were paying attention.

Something to be said in those circumstances for a "decent" second-hand guitar that can be resold at the same sort of price when you can upgrade to a real good one when it can be kept in safety.

[LzyBlue]

Being in college, I would imagine you are on some kind of budget. Decide how much you can spend, then buy the best you can for that budget....be it new or used. You have to be happy with the tone and the way it plays. Try out a bunch at stores, pawn shops and anywhere else you can.

I bought my daughter a Martin DX1 when she went off to college. I feel it was a very nice compromise (tone, playability vs. price).

[BadBluesPlayer]

You might want to play some short scale (24-3/4")guitars to see if you like the feel of those guitars. They play differently than regular scale (25-1/2") scale guitars. I prefer them.

Most guitar manufacturers only make a few short scale models, so they can be hard to find. Martin makes some high end models - 000's and 00's. Taylor makes a few also. I had a Taylor 412C and I sold it because I didn't like ths sound. I have an Epiphone EL-00 - its a pretty nice guitar but nothing fancy.

One thing to keep in mind is that different acoustics have different fretboard widths. You might prefer a fretboard that's the same width as your electric so that you don't have to adjust your playing every time you switch guitars.

[12bar]

!

Most good advices have already been given, most important is try before buy. I've got a 500$ Fender years ago, still sounds great for it's price. Don't forget the strings - a new set can make a guitar sounds much different, more than on an electric. And if you plan to play some solo lines, consider a guitar with a cutaway. Maybe an acoustic with pickup is your choice, so you can amplify/record if needed.

[kidtwist]

Hey guys thanks for the advice. I'll probably look used and get the best I can in my price range. I'm not too worried about it getting beat up, because I'd get a good hard case and stash it under my bed. That's what I've done with my electric and no one's touched it yet (though maybe that's because I'm so fanatical about no one touching it ). Still a good thing to keep in mind though. It's part of the reason I'm gonna avoid really breaking the bank too bad. I do have one concern about keeping it my dorm though. I know temperature and humidity can really mess with an acoustic. The temp in my room is pretty constant and mild, but the humidity is another story. My strat has gotten a bit dry from staying here since late august, and I'd hate to invest in an acoustic just for it to get ruined. Any suggestions?

[MojoJim]

to the site.

I've got a nice acoustic and I just keep a guitar case humidifier in the case. I also keep a humidity meter in the case. I check it every several days to be sure the humidity level is staying at the right level in the case. This system has worked great so far.

[12bar]

Most guitars are more rugged than expected. All my guitars always stand next to a radiator (absolutely forbidden, drying wood ), my kids regularly "play" them, but they are still pretty much playable and in tune.

[Bluesidae]

Not to create confusion, but have you considered an archtop? These guitars go back to the roots of the Blues. I play mine when I want to get that early Blues sound. I have a Godin Kingpin and it has two P90's. This gives me the best of both worlds. I can play plugged or unplugged. Check it out:

http://www.godinguitars.com/godin5thave ... pincwp.htm

[kidtwist]

I'd love a semi-hollow (can't wait for that one day when I strike it rich and get an ES-335 ). I'm gonna check out a Godin. I looked on their website, and their 5th Ave series has some appeal, though I think I'd prefer something with humbuckers since I have singles on my strat.... Plus I've been having this fantasy lately of sitting by a fire strumming my new acoustic. Dangerous mix of anxiously awaiting summer and GAS attack! Also, in my very limited experience, a semi-hollow doesn't have the rich tone of an acoustic (unplugged at least). We'll see what I go with though... Unfortunately it's gonna have to wait til the end of the semester.

[DeaconBlues]

You might want to look into Epiphone's Masterbilt series. If I remember correctly they are priced new in the $400-500 range. My wife negotiated a new one down by $100 when I sent her guitar shopping. She has a much more sophisticated ear than I do...no really. Used they should be 50-75% less expensive.
I preferred the sound of mine (AJ 500M Masterbilt) to a Gibson Songwriter Deluxe that I had at the time. So much so, that I sold the Gibson. Be aware though, this is a loud guitar(As Strummer pointed out with his AJ45 post).