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Author Topic: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.  (Read 1744 times)

jibidy

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Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« on: August 26, 2008, 09:50:46 PM »
I am considering buying a new acoustic guitar. I wouldnt mind a nylon (classical) but i would consider buying any kind of acoustic if it plays nice and sounds good to me.

The main thing i am worried about is playability, i would like it to play easily under my fingers. sound for me comes second.

I'll be looking at spending around 300 pounds ish. I'll wont be using it for live situations so things like size and ergonomics dont really matter to me.

Just looking for advice, like things i should look out for or if any one has had good or bad experiences.

All replies appreciated.

FELINEGUITARS

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2008, 10:07:54 PM »
Tanglewood are a good starting point, also Faith are good too.

If for just playing at home look for one without a pickup - plenty loud enough unless you're needing to gig it.
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jibidy

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #2 on: August 26, 2008, 10:10:35 PM »
Year i definatly wont be playnig it live just at home for recording and project work. I've just got the urge to buy a nice acoustic after buying Martin Grechs march of the lonely. Any one heard of 'im?

Simon D

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2008, 10:15:11 PM »
For good quality acoustics at around the £300 mark, you've got a hell of lot of choice. One thing I was told when I was searching for an acoustic was to go for something with a solid soundboard if at all possible - it can make a big difference to the overall tonal quality of the guitar - try one with and one without and hopefully you'll notice the difference - I certainly did.

Yamaha would be a very good place to start though - there's something in the range for more or less all tastes - electro, non-electro, small bodies, dreadnoughts. I've had my APX4A electro for getting on for 10 years, and a friend recently bought the updated version - the quality control doesn't seem to have slipped an inch. They're all very well built and sound excellent for the money, as well as having a good setup straight from the factory. They're pretty hardwearing too.

I can honestly say I haven't had a single problem with mine. I've played it pretty extensively too - it's done a lot of open mic nights and acoustic gigs over the years, and been lent to some fairly heavy-handed players without incident!
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Ted 'N' Leo

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #4 on: August 26, 2008, 10:35:21 PM »
I would highly recommend the Ibanez Exotic Woods series. I've got the padouk one and i can't recommend it enough. B-Band Pickup, SLR out and a great sound.
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WezV

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #5 on: August 26, 2008, 10:37:51 PM »
+1 on the solid top thing.   solid topped acoustics will age and settle in the more they are played  so if it sounds good from new it will get better the more you play it. laminated ones dont change as much.  back and sides are less important in this respect but an acoustic with solid back and sides is more desirable... but also possibly pushing your budget..  

but the top is the most important thing for tone, Antonio de Torres made a classical with a paper mache back and sides in the 1800's that apparently sounded pretty good -unfortunately that guitar isnt still playable but does still exist

thats why i am not sure about stuff like the ibanez acoustics... good for stage but not as good in the purely acoustic sense

Matt77

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2008, 11:27:57 PM »
Takamine G series used to be about £300. Don't know if they still do them off the top of my head.
One of my friends has has one for a few years. It sounds ok rather than great, but it is very easy to play which I think is important. Don't do what I did as a kid which was pick the one that was easiest to play in the shop not realising it was tuned down to help the playability.

jibidy

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2008, 08:50:02 AM »
i'll probs be looking to try different tunings but i will be handling that myself. Is there anything in particular i should look out for if i want to try different tunings? Or is any acoustic generally capable of tuning changes. i've found that pretty much any electric can change easy but ive heard nasty stories about acoustics snapping in half :?

Buddha

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Re: Advice and Tips needed for buying my first acoustic.
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2008, 10:23:15 AM »
I have a faith acoustic, and i love it. Yamaha are also good from what i tried  :)