jblue212 Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I go to the beach every weekend in the summer and I don't want to bring my Gibson with me but would like to have a guitar out there for practice on the weekends. What do you guys use for travel/knock around guitars? Do you have real cheap ones or are even the "beaters" higher end? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I'd look at used Rainsong carbon guitars on the GC website.Second, cheaper choice: stop off at a pawn shop on the way to the beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moparguy Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Just a cheap , used if possible, acoustic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 My "beater" acoustic is a 50's Silvertone archtop. Sold for about $35 new, and I paid $50 bucks for it as a "basket case". Of course, by the time I rebuilt the whole guitar, including the dovetail neck joint, added the pickup and controls, made a TRC and pickguard, new tuning machines, and bought a case for it.... it's certainly no longer a $50 guitar, but it's still my beater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I don't take it to the beach but anytime I'm asked to drag a guitar along to parties or whatever I take my R0. I suppose it's my 'Beater'. The others are all in considerably better nick. I suppose if I was living next to a beach I'd buy an acoustic, though. There seem to be loads of lower-end Yamaha dreadnoughts going (used) for around the £70 / $110 mark. Well-made; solidly-built; they play nicely and have a good tone. P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I bought a new Fender acoustic at GC for $200, sounds and plays great... Model number is CD140SCE NAT. I wouldn't really call it a beater but for the price it's an amazing guitar. I would also look at a used Ovation Celebrity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 What do you guys use for travel/knock around guitars? Do you have real cheap ones or are even the "beaters" higher end? my 78 Alvrez Yari, (it's not really a beater, but I opt to take this to gigs and when we are heading to the beach for a few days) Solid spruce top, gorgeous Indian rosewood back and sides. great action, and very nice tone. had some restoration work done last year, and updated the pickup to a new Fishman. it's a rock solid acoustic, very resilient to weather/climate and is really a fantastic all around work horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblue212 Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 I can certainly buy a really cheap acoustic but after playing both my Gibbys, it doesn't excite me to pick up a piece of $40 laminate. But I guess if it's just for practice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Another nod for the Yamaha dreads. But I flip flop between my Yamaha and my Tak. Whichever has the fresher strings. They have both seen plenty of campfires. One night out at my buddies lakefront cabin, we had a couple of boats out on the water sitting out there listening to us. We were even applauded..lol... they obviously had no idea how full of rum we were. They must have been just as full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 We were even applauded..lol... they obviously had no idea how full of rum we were. They must have been just as full. There's that old saying I used all the time during my club gigging days.. "Remember folks, the more you drink the better we'll sound!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I use my Martin D-15M bought used from a guitar center in "good" condition. Bought specifically for beach use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I'd recommend checking around for a decent used acoustic in pawns etc. I had a similar situation... I wanted an acoustic to leave at my mother-in-law's house to play when we visit. I didn't want to spend a heap, but I have standards. My problem was solved by this Epiphone (by Gibson) PR350S which I found in a pawn shop in her town for $99. It has a solid top and sounds great. Now I actually look forward to visiting her (sorta) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tman Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I had a D-15 and gave it to my stepson for a grad present. That is still a pretty nice beach guitar. I think it's a great guitar. The finish is pretty dull but no big gouges or anything and I take pretty good care of it so in that sense it's a "beater" like Pippy's R0 is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 I got one of these Pignose travel guitars... they are SERIOUSLY cool... Very nice to play and has a built in amp that distorts from like 6 or 7 upwards :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqlLjhDQzTU Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Seriously cool… Do they make those now? How much do they run?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Seriously cool… Do they make those now? How much do they run?? Yup... I bought mine ohh about 15 years ago and it was £180 :) http://pignose.myshopify.com/collections/specialty-guitars Ohh and look at that £188 now ... that's a GREAT price.. I mean they are really nice little guitars. A lot of fun to play http://www.gak.co.uk/en/pignose-pgg-259-guitar/5314 actually that was the "custom" one :) the sunburst is still £180... very cool http://www.gak.co.uk/en/pignose-pgg-200-vintage-sunburst-/40612 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblue212 Posted June 19, 2014 Author Share Posted June 19, 2014 That is a really cool guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 That is a really cool guitar! Ohh yes and it has another probably accidental feature..... you can plug an MP3 player into it and it will play through the speaker allowing you to jam along :) (near the end of this vid). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 That is a really cool guitar! Haha.. check this out.. just found it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblue212 Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Well I just ordered an Alvarez AP66 Parlor guitar to be my beater/travel. Blemished, so got a good price on it, and wanted the small body. Really, what I want is an LG2 Americana, but that would hardly be a beater, now would it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Nice score Jblue,, I'll take the Blems all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamGuy Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 For a long time I was a one acoustic kinda guy but my Gibson J-60 Traditional was really starting to show some wear... finish checking, rapidly aging hardware, etc. Being my one and only gigging acoustic it was time to get a dedicated camp guitar. I got a cheap Yamaha acoustic, smaller than a dreadnaught, and being so used to my Gibby's lush tone... I really could't learn to love it. I ended up selling it after a year or so and buying a blemished Washburn Lakeside jumbo. It was a pretty good deal, right around $300 and it sounds great... not the cheapest "beater" but cheaper than replacing my Gibson! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I am wondering what is most important for a beater. The most obvious characteristic would be "cheap" obviously. But what's next most important?Sound.... Sturdiness..... Playability/action.... Electronics..? Something else?For some one comfortable with "better" guitars, a "beater"'will always be a disappointment, but I think "playability" is the key.If looking for a outside guitar, with a budget below, say, $400, I think you have to assume your audience will not be looking for anything other than "guitar-like" noise. They won't know or care if the strings are new or older than them. Or if it looks great, or what brand it is. But if you can't play it without buzzing due to bad action, they'll notice. So, if I were getting a beater,mid make sure the nut and neck were very close to my Gibsons'. So, I guess I'd look for a used Epi Masterbuilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EastEnder Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Deleted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblue212 Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 I picked up the Alvarez AP86 Parlor a few weeks ago. Perfect beater, but as with all my guitars, it's hard not to treat it with kindness. EE How do you like it? (and I'm sure I'll treat it very nicely too. It just won't CRUSH me if it gets dinged up.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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