purchase advice

[tony denney]

I an looking to buy my first Guitar and would like advice i want something nice but not super expensive also something easy to play but not something ill have to up grade in a year any help is greatly appreciated.

[brianh]

Hey Tony, welcome to the forum! But give us some more info to work with:

 

What kind of music are you into? Any particular guitar heros, or band you'd like to emulate? That leads to these questions:

 

1. Electric or acoustic?

2. If electric, solid body or semi-hollow?

3. If acoustic, any on-board electronics?

4. What's your max budget?

 

Let us know, lots of experience here...

[tartanbeastie]

most of the major brands make reasonably priced guitars.

if its an acoustic then epi make the hummingbird and doves which are nice.

i would also suggest some of the guitars by

 

freshman

takamine

ovation

washburn

yamaha

applause

fender

 

these all do guitars in the sub $500 category, many are also electro acoustic which is also a good option.

 

if your budget is higher then perhaps brands like martin and taylor or larrivee would be more suited to what you want

[Red 333]

Inexpensive is relative. You can buy 4 excellent, but relatively inexpensive Epiphone acoustics for the price of one Gibson, and that would be the least expensive Gibson, to boot. It would help if you could tell us your budget, so we could make recommendations.

 

My BLANKET recommendation to anyone wanting a relatively inexpensive but still excellent guitar is this: look for an Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500M. They are about $500, but worth much, much more in tone, playability, and overall quality.

 

They are made with all soild wood (which as a general rule of thumb, should sound better than laminates, which some less expensive guitars are made from), are designed to sound good and project well, and are manufactured with more care than some less expensive guitars, which also results in better sound and playing ease. When buying a guitar, recognize that the time put into its making is the biggest determiner of price.

 

My other recommendation is to have the salesperson in the shop (if you are fortunate enough to have one near by) play as many guitars to you as possible, so you can hear what they will sound like once you've strengthened your fingers and developed some technique.

 

Good luck!

 

Red 333

[smips65]

but not something ill have to up grade in a year.

 

 

 

Might we also ask, what is available to try out, one store, or many? If availability of intruments to try out is limited, this would slow the process down.

 

As BrianH asked, some info on your desire would be helpful.

 

Some members here will agree, there are regrets later, parting with that first axe. Take your time.

[tony denney]

I am looking to buy my first Guitar and would like advice i want something nice but not super expensive also something easy to play but not something ill have to up grade in a year any help is greatly appreciated.

 

Sorry about the lack of info. I am a preacher that likes Southern Gospel/Bluegrass music. I'm thinking acoustic and under $500. I'm in a really small town where music stores are very limited. Should I look used? Thanks, Tony.

[brianh]

Sorry about the lack of info. I am a preacher that likes Southern Gospel/Bluegrass music. I'm thinking acoustic and under $500. I'm in a really small town where music stores are very limited. Should I look used? Thanks' date=' Tony.[/quote']

Then Red 333's recommendation for an Epiphone AJ500M would make sense. Is there a Guitar Center within driveable distance?

[peeper]

Yes look used, always look used.

[stone1281734000]

As far as Epis go, for $500 find a nice "Inpired By Texan" or Masterbilt and you won't have to worry about upgrading.

[meanstreak1281734111]

I would say if you truly, truly, truly want to play and you can promise yourself you won't give up when your fingers arebleeding and killing you and you can't figure out how to make a barred F-chord sound like anything other than a washing-machine cycle buzzer, then go for an all-solid wood Epi Masterbilt AJ-500M ($499 brand new) or maybe a solid top Hummingbird or Dove ($299 brand new.)

 

If deep down inside you know that you really want to try to learn but aren't quite sure if you will stick with it, then an all laminate Epi PR-150 ($149 new) would be my reccomendation. If it helps the PR-150 was my first guitar and I still like to play it!

 

Whatever you get, it will be worth the drive to take it to a guitar shop for a set-up in order to get the action nice and low. For acoustic set-ups most shops around the Houston area charge about $25 including new strings for the basic set-up. Just tell the guy you are a brand new player and need it to be as easy as possible!

[abbeyroadman]

Hi Tony -

 

I would concur with Red's and stone's advice - I own a DR500M, it's a gem and I got it new for under $400. The "Inspired by Texan" would be a great buy as well. With either, you should not have regrets - they are so good that you will most likely to naturally continue to play, and not having to worry about upgrading. How far you are from Kansas City or Independence? If a big day trip is possible, visit some Epiphone dealers that have models in stock. While a used guitar can be a good choice, it can be a daunting task to select one as your first guitar - you would be relying completely on the salesperson. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

Regards,

[smips65]

I am a preacher' date=' I'm in a really small town where music stores are very limited. Should I look used? Thanks, Tony.[/quote']

 

 

 

 

A small town preacher would sound a lot like a travelin job.

Is this guitar going to be traveling a lot?

 

If so....for sure, get a good case.

 

I recently owned a Martin 000-x1, they go for $499.00 new, cheaper for a used.

Made of composite, compressed materials that really do resist rapid temperature changes and the odd knocks.

 

The Takamine Jasmines are also a composite material, (NEX), that go for like a $100-125. Not a bad starter guitar.

Perhaps no need to upgrade, thinking more along the lines of 2 people playing together at a service.

Having a backup guitar never hurts.

 

 

Just a thought.....