What is a decent acoustic guitar these days??

[jadm]

What is a decent acoustic guitar these days??

as tastes change and brands come & go I have lost track of who is hot these days?
I would like to stay in the $250 to $350 range and would like to get the best instrument I can for the money
brand/ model is considered a good buy for acoustic guitar these days??

[jadm]

I wanted to edit my post but no edit button!

I would like to remove the dollar amount as there are probably good acoustic guitars for under $250
and I would like to consider the lesser priced guitars as well. sound , quality of build & play-ability being
what I am looking for

thank you

[Deluxe Strat]

Good luck
thats what I set out to find also
I ended up with an $850 taylor 114ce

[GnLguy]

Ibanez has a mahogany acoustic for $200 that has a solid top instead of laminate. I played one a few weeks ago at Sam Ash in Cincy and it was louder and more clear than some guitars priced at $499. Model number is Ibanez AW54OPN

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-aw54opn-artwood-solid-top-dreadnought-acoustic-guitar

If that one doesn’t strike your fancy, I suggest that you look at Yamaha guitars. Yamaha has a lot of different models in that price range and has always been known for providing a good quality guitar

Even though I initially suggested a mahogany guitar, typically guitars with mahogany sides & back doesn’t ring out as loud as guitars with rosewood. As you are trying guitars, take note of the construction materials. The Ibanez mentioned above is the only exception to this rule that I’ve found

Since we have the Labor Day Weekend coming up, this is a good time to buy. Many of the online vendors have sales running throughout the weekend

[Maradonagol]

Hi Jadm, there are a lot of very good, even great guitars under $400. I’m not a big acoustic player so I didn’t want to spend too much, I did a lot of looking and playing and ended up with a Yamaha FG730S which is listed on many guitar sites as a “best guitar under $300”. It is really excellent quality all sitka spruce top and rosewood the rest of the body. $299+tax, no case. I added a hardshell case. Amazon has some great combo deals sometimes. Alvarez, Luna, Fender, Epiphone and even the big names in acoustics have interesting lower end offerings now. Lots of video demos out there to check out.

In my case, in the end , I made a mistake, not with the guitar brand chosen, but my requirements. It is a dreadnought and I am uncomfortable with the size and realized this even more when I saw Brian playing his Alvarez parlor….I had never seen a parlor or never paid attention, tried one, along with a Fender Roy Emory Parlor and realized that playing mostly electric my whole life, this was the right size for me to play acoustic blues. So my Yamaha sits unused waiting for me to decide to sell it. So learn from my mistake and make sure you buy the right tool for the job.

Good luck and enjoy the search.

Roberto

Roberto

[Steve J]

Ive had more expensive guitars,, but a Seagull dread, and a cedar top folk seagull,, are what Ive ended up keeping. Nice nut width and string spacing, and about 3/4 inch shorter scale than the martin style copys . Im sure you can find a new one,, or one in the used section of GC, and have it sent to your closest store. and have time to check it out good. this is what works for me, were all different though. but this is what I tell folk good luck, Id get a cedar top, seems like slightly less volume than spruce, but warmer and a bit richer.
Steve

[Tim Lee]

I have a Yamaha APX4A which I bought in the 90’s and it is a beautiful guitar and plays just as well now as when I bought it. It always stays in tune and is an electric/acoustic so you get the best of both worlds. Highly recommend the Yamaha APX line of guitars. Good luck!

[john Major]

Seagull S6 is a really good guitar for around 350$. All solid wood. Ive tried a lot of guitars and this one really got out of the bunch.

good luck

[charjo]

I would second the Seagull recommendation. I tried one at about a $300 price point that sounded great and was very playable. I think you hit $250-$300 (Canadian$) to get a solid spruce top.
John

[rockingringo]

I have a few acoustics – gibson J45, martin d28 etc but I just love the taylor gs-mini. The taylor is not quite a full size but it feels great and plays really well. I use the taylor more than anything these days and they not particularly expensive – well worth a try. I think the gibson and martin are overpriced but they each have a unique sound hence what you pay for I guess.

[jadm]

does any one have an opinion on ovation?

[ranja]

I have an ovation 12 string that found me. Nice look and sound, very nice action for a 12 string. But the round back just won’t hang in my belly. Keeps scooting out from the bottom. Also not crazy about the plastic back. Don’t know if they’re still made that way.
I second on the Taylor!
Ron

[OCEANROD]

Good point there maradonagol , I have a Texan epiphone and it kills my shoulder sometimes, was also looking at the Alvarez parlor guitars .

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