A little help with electro-acoustics, please. ;)

[Nadz1lla]

My cousin has recently got engaged to her fella and wants to get him an electro-acoustic as an engagement present. She's asked me to help find something fairly decent, and I have an idea of the kind of thing I would go for if it were me. The price range is around £500, I don't think she'd be able to go over that. She wants a hard case for it too.

He's a complete rocker and likes his music hard and heavy usually, think Zakk Wylde etc, so I was thinking something along the lines of a black Faith Saturn or similar.

Could anyone suggest anything along these lines? I've never owned a decent acoustic so it's not really my area of expertise.  :?

I thought maybe Faith, Fender, Ibanez, Takamine and Gibson might be alright as far as electro acoustics go.

[maverickf1jockey]

You couldn't go far wrong with an Ovation style acoustic so I would look out for good copies (especially since they tend to play similarly to electric guitars.).

Also look into Yamaha or Vintage perhaps.

[Nadz1lla]

Oooh, yeah forgot about Ovation! Odd looking things but I've heard good stuff about the way they sound, must be that bowl-shaped back.  I'll keep an eye out, cheers!

[sgmypod]

Don't forget Seagull and simon and patrick

[WezV]

i hate ovations with a passion - but i think that may just be a guitar builder thing

[38thBeatle]

Yamaha are dependable and a good all rounder. Compass series. I have never played a duff one. I have a Takamine and I prefer the Yamaha.

[Lord Blakers]

I bought a Yamaha APX500 a few months back for less than £250. A lot of guitar for the money - it sounds great plugged in and is very easy to play. It's very quiet acoustically tho, but Yamaha's CPX series are a slightly fatter version of the APX which might be worth looking into.

I've played a few Corts too, which are awesome. Especially this one, the most brutal acoustic money can buy:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/cort_evla6_bks.htm

[mikeluke]

My guitar-repairer friend hates Ovations too...

I have one and there are pluses and minuses - very easy to play as action is not that far from an electric - difficult to play sitting down - so not great for impressing girlies round the campfire... Expensive new - much more reasonable second-hand. Still might struggle to hit £500 though. I'd go with Takamine/Yamaha. One of my mates picked up a Takamine EF261SAN (Made in Japan) in fairly mint nick for under £400 -nice guitar

[sgmypod]

nah hate ovation only sound ok if plugged in and then sound like every 80-90's rock ballad

[mikeluke]

Can assure you that my 1977 Legend sounds great unplugged!

[sgmypod]

have tried lots....just not liked any

[mikeluke]

Have to say that a mate bought one brand new in the mid 90's - it had a V-neck and the sound was cr@p in comparison with mine (unplugged) - he hated it and so did I - chopped it for a Taylor - it sounded very harsh and brittle - mine is quite mellow

Mike

[ToneMonkey]

Don't get him a bowl backed Ovation if he's a chunky monkey.  I bought one off a BIG FAT guy and he couldn't rest it on his leg properly, something to do with the round back and the round belly pressing into each other and only one of them was going to move (not the belly).  Really quite funny to watch, but looked difficultt to play.  :lol:

I can't remmeber, but is it Freshman that are getting a real good reputation?  Threw out the bloody mag the otehr day, otherwise I'd have a look.

[MrBump]

+1 for Simon & Patrick.

When I got my Spruce 6, I tried a load - Ovation, Takamine, Yamaha, all in the £500 bracket.  It was the S&P that really stood out, in terms of sound and playability.

Mark.