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opinion needed on an acoustic guitar (craigslist)

iamme

iamme

Lifer
http://detroit.craigslist.org/msg/50842849.html

i need an inexpensive starter guitar to practice/learn on. i came across this on craigslist, but i can't seem to find anything about it on google. any thoughts?

the seller offered to have me come and test it out. seeing as how i'm just a beginner, what should i look for? or should i have someone come with me?

-----------------------------

here's another guitar: ibanezpf5 dreadnought for $180.

how does this guitar look?
 
if you have never played the guitar before, I'd advise to bring a guitar savvy friend. If it passes his test, then you try it out. If you like it, then buy it.
 
i can tell you now that I hate Fender acoustics, but that is my experience.

Anyways, for $99, you cannot go wrong. However, this is yoru average sub $200 guitar (non solid top). What worries me is that the guitar was made in teh lates 80's early 90's. I would not expect this to be in the best condition. If you get there, ask him how he took care of the guitar. If he just says he left it in the case for years with out touching it, then don't buy it.
 
how about a washburn d10 for around $100?

the guitar is 5 years old. what should i ask about the care during the 5 years?
 
A couple things to check for which kinda go hand-in-hand are
a) Make sure the neck is not warped in any direction. It should be straight.
b) Test the strings to see if you get any buzz when you pluck them. If you have absolutely no experience playing, this might take you a while and it could be caused by poor playing on your part.

It is also likely that the guitar might not keep the strings in tune. All strings fall out of tune over some period of time but if it happens in an hour or something like that, it might be too long for you to notice in your demo.

I would recommend heading to a music store and testing out some decent quality guitars and getting a feel for the difficulty in pushing a string to the fret, the distance of the string to the fretboard, the sizes of the frets, etc. If you get a feel for what you like in the store, it will help you when you test it out to see if this is worth your money.
 
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Can't you get one on sale at guitarcenter for $100?
Click to expand...

you mean a guitar in general?

i'm really not too sure what to look for in a guitar. i've spent some time with my friend's Alvarez guitar (not sure how good it was) and i have to give it back now.
 
I've played both models (not sure if it is the EXACT Fender I've played, but I think it is) and I would go with the Ibanez. Of course Fender is a better brand guitar, but not on their el-cheapo models. I found that Fender very hard to play for more than a half hour at a time. It's really rough on your hand. JMO.
 
Originally posted by: iamme
Originally posted by: SuperTool
Can't you get one on sale at guitarcenter for $100?
Click to expand...

you mean a guitar in general?

i'm really not too sure what to look for in a guitar. i've spent some time with my friend's Alvarez guitar (not sure how good it was) and i have to give it back now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my advice would be to go to a Guitar Center. They have used Guitar's there, and you can ask someone on staff to help you make a purchase. Even the used one's, I'm sure are in decent enough to shape to learn on.


EDIT: Detroit Location




KeyserSoze
 
quick question: i hear that a solid top is something to look for. does "spruce top" imply a solid top?
 
This question gets asked like once a week. You need to go try it out. Guitars come in all shapes and sizes- it's up to you to find the one that fits. The more comfortable it is, the more likely you're going to stick with it.
 
Originally posted by: iamme
quick question: i hear that a solid top is something to look for. does "spruce top" imply a solid top?
Click to expand...

Yes. Stay away from laminate. You know what happens to laminate furnature over time, don't you? 🙂
 
No, what Fritzo is saying is partly right and partly wrong. If it says "spruce top", it could be SPRUCE LAMINATE. If it doesn't specifically have the word SOLID in there, it's a laminate of some type. You are going to hit the near 200 pricepoint to get a bottom-line solid spruce top guitar.

My wife just got me a Fender a few weeks ago for my birthday. We made sure it had a solid top, ($199 price point, and the text was "solid spruce top"), and it also came with a bag, extra strings, picks, and a cheap electronic tuner. Also a DVD on learning to play (which was EXCELLENT, by the way!) Don't be turned off by a Fender. Just make sure to play it and make sure it feels comfortable to YOU.

Randy
 
Take a friend that plays. Even the sales personal at these mega music shops will burn you with a bum guitar if they get the chance.
 
i have some time this afternoon, so i'll probably stop by guitarcenter.

i most likely won't buy today, but i'll try out a few to see if any stand out 🙂
 
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