Any of you "cats" play guitar? I got $1200 to spend and need to buy one.

[Nutdotnet]

Before I say anything I am looking to buy an ACOUSTIC guitar preferablly with some sort of pickup installed so I can plug into a PA if need be.

Um, pretty open to suggestions. I got $1200 to spend on a Guitar and it needs to come with a case.

Plus I would like recommendations on where to look to buy.

THANKS!

 

[Nutdotnet]

What, no one here plays guitar?

 

[DAM]

damn dude, thats a lot of doe, well, ive heard that the takamine guitars are some of the best, I was gonna buy one for 400, but decided to get something less expensive. what i did, was went to every guitar shop in the area and drilled the people there about options and stuff like that.



good luck dude.



dam()

 

[Nutdotnet]

Yes, yes it is a lot of money, but not a lot of money when it comes to guitars...hehe

 

[xraymongral]

Do you have a good guitar shop near you? If so, then go there and play a bunch of them and see what you like...for that kind of money, any of them will be good, its just what you like. And you can find a nice guitar for half that, just wont ave all the fancy inlays is all.

 

[konichiwa]

Get a Martin. I love mine, top of the line baby!

 

[DesignDawg]

Dude, YES IT IS a lot of money when you're talking about guitars. I'd say ANY guit. in that price range should do you fine.

(BTW, been playing for 12 yrs. --Took lessons for 4)

I have owned 5 and one bass. Currently, I have a Dean electric and a Washburn factory prototype acoustic-electric.(one of a kind....never went into production.) That guit. is my BABY. I like to think it was special made for ME. It cost Washburn a LOT to make that guitar, since they only made one, and they put a lot into it. All the finest materials, and it has a high and a lo-Z output. -One for plugging in for gigs, one for studio recording. Anyway, I got that a few years ago for a decent price (~800) so I just can't imagine telling you you'd have to blow that WHOLE WAD just to get a decent guitar.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[Nutdotnet]

xraymongral- Actually there are A LOT more differences in a $1200 and a $600 guitar, not just inlays. Bracing style, quality and types of wood, quality of electronics (if any), and really the overall quality and sound of the guitar.

I had a Guild D4 ($600) and actually just returned a Tacoma DR-38 that was $1150 (awesome, just not quite what I was looking for after continued playing). They Tacoma is MUCH nicer than the Guild in just about every category, but much more importantly sound.

And DesignDawg- NO IT ISN'T (hehe, just pokin fun). It is a substantial sum, but it isn't really a lot of money when you are talking about Acoustic Guitars. Sure, there are a ton of sub $1000 guitars but the majority of them are machine-made in a Korean plant. Granted, there are a few that are great for the money under a $1000 but when you want the "beautiful" true acoustic sound you really need to think about making an investment.

I have already played guitars that are in my price range, and trust me some of them are just plain "lacking" to my ears. Personally I am thinking of picking up a Larrivee or even possibly a Taylor Grand Auditorium (I don't like the sound of their Dreads.) I was just curious what you guys would buy.

 

[The Stigenator]

dude, $1200 for a acoustic?? your crazy.
You probably want a Semi Solid (semi electric)
Best suggestion is go to a shop like "Gutair center" or "mars music" and see what you like.

 

[Nutdotnet]

huh? Being crazy to spend that kind of money on an acoustic? I can't stand electrics man, anyone can make an electric sound "good" with enough effects. I am actually a bass player, but am buying a guitar for songwriting.

I have been to the local guitar centers, and they do have some nice guitars, but it is REALLY hard to sit down and relax and play them when there are a bunch of other people around you playing to.

 

[KaBudokan]

<< dude, $1200 for a acoustic?? your crazy. >>


Wrong.

Someone said Martin, which are great if you find one you like. The mother of one of my friends has 3 of them, one which was a custom made one (about $5k) and two &quot;regular&quot; ones. One of those was a D-28 which was about $2k, and when you played the thing, it was like angels were singing. It sounded SO much better than the $5k one with the inlays. (Which sure was purty though... )

Other than Martins, I would suggest looking at Taylors, whihc are awesome, and a slightly lesser known brand, Larivee. Larivee's are made in Canada, and they're just beautiful. I spent an afternoon in Guitar Center one day playing all the acoustic guitars (including some of those $4-5000 ones) and my absolute favorite was a Larivee which ran about $1800. They're really sweet. I also know a few people who play Taylors, and they swear by them.

Play a bunch of them, and also, if you have a store that has some nice used guitars, don't be afraid to pick up a used Martin or something like that and play it. Some of those 30 year old acoustics just play themselves and sound beautiful.

Edit: Oops... Just saw your second post about the Larivees and Taylors. lol Good call on either of them. Like I said, my favorite out of about 30 or 40 I played that day was a gorgeous Larivee.

 

[The Stigenator]

ask for the sound proof rooms.
By the way I agree there is a distinct differnce between
a $14000 acoustic and a $6000 or a $1000 acoustic.

Edit:
Assumed you are a new player.. sorry.

 

[Nutdotnet]

hehe, nope not a new player, just sold my first acoustic (cheap-o fender) and am looking to get a SERIOUS guitar.

Well Guitar Centers &quot;fancy&quot; acoustic guitars are kept in a seperate room which is pretty sound proof. The problem is is that people go in the room ALL the time and there are usually at least one person in there already. Not to mention that almost every guitar I play there seems to be out of tume, hehe. Although I really do like that they have a 30-day money back garauntee and they price-match.

Edit: Yes Larrivees are BEAUTIFUL, I am heavily leaning towards the D-09E (Dreadnought body, Fishman Electronics, Rosewood Back and sides, 1 11/16&quot; Nut Width) or the L-09E (Same as the D-09E except the body is the &quot;proprietary&quot; Larrivee Body style, basically a smaller Jumbo body, and it has a 1-3/4&quot; Nut Width.)
The local Guitar Center has the D-09E for $1650 :Q . Way too much, I am waiting for an e-mail from a couple places that a few people recommended to me that they said the price was MUCH lower, just have to see (the I can pricematch ). Or I may end up driving to Vancouver BC myself since another person told me he was able to buy a D-09 (w/o electronics) for $980 US!!!

 

[tinneric]

Put some thought into an ovation.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Ovations? No way man, they are some good guitars for live stuff, but for strictly unplugged you can do much better.

 

[Mark]

Why not get an electric? You can get a kickass Jackson Soloist for that price.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Because I can't stand electric guitars. Anyone can play one with enough distortion. I am not a metal-head.

 

[Windogg]

Dad plays guitar. He tells me the best place to buy guitars is at pawn shops. Why? Kid buys much expensive guitar and can't afford to eat. Time to take out a &quot;loan&quot; to pay the rent.

Windogg

 

[Triumph]

I trust you aren't a beginner...no beginner should ever be spending 1200 dollars on a guitar.

that being said, I can't help much. i don't play acoustics

 

[Nutdotnet]

No, if I was a beginer I would spend around $300 for one.

 

[Bignate603]

Talk to my friend who plays in a band and prefers acoustic to electric, he's fallen in love with some of the taylors but can't afford them. He also said it's alot your personal choice. The guitar that you like may be a 1500 dollar one or a 600 dollar one just because it feels and sounds right. We gave you a couple ideas on what you might like, you got to figure out what works best.

 

[Suicidal]

One word... Carvin. Check out their acoustics and electro-acoustics, you will not be disappointed.

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

[qI can't stand electric guitars. Anyone can play one with enough distortion.[/i] >>

Tell that to Eddie Van Halen

 

[Harvey]

I play both acoustic (1970 Martin D-28 with a voice to die for) and electric (Les Paul, original black face Fender Deluxe Reverb and Twin Reverb amps).

Start by learning about different makes and models. If you live in a decent size city, you should be able to find a reasonable assortment in a local music store. If you're lucky, you have a friend who is a reasonably experienced player to point out the differences and help you pick the right instrument.

If your friend is really experienced, check out local pawn shops, too. I got my Martin that way for far less than its street value. The extra experience is necessary because you have to know how to check for flaws (warped neck, etc) and damage (hidden cracks) there may be
with a used instrument and to know how much work it will need (new frets, bridge work, etc.)

A good instrument has to sound good, have a straight neck for good action and it must play in tune up and down the neck (intonation). Hands on is the only way to buy a guitar.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Well, actually this was on older thread that someone revived so I figured I would respond. I already bought my new &quot;toy&quot;. It is a Larrivee Acoustic Electric and I got a SMOKIN good deal on it.

Knoxville- I think you misundertsood when I said that. It is a lot more difficult to get a &quot;good&quot; sound out of an acoustic when a beginner starts out that with an electric. Now this is just my personal opinion. But think about it. Anyone can pick up an electric and play a power chord and with enough distortion sound just like their favorite guitar player. Try doing that with an acoustic, playing a G power chord on an electric is a lot tougher than playing a G chord on an acoustic and making it sound rich and full.