harpdude61
1037 posts
Sep 16, 2011
9:30 AM
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My son lives in a different city than I do. He plays guitar in a rock band but still loves to jam a little blues with the old man.
It is not always handy for him to have his guitar along when he visits so I would like to buy one to leave at my home for him.... and to bang around on a little myself.
His guitars are nice and I'm sure the one I buy won't be as good.
Can a decent acoustic guitar be purchased for around $300 that will serve this purpose? He complains that cheaper guitars don't stay in tune as well, among other things.
Amazon, musicians friend, guitar center? Would an online purchase be more expensive when you figure shipping?
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Greyowlphotoart
810 posts
Sep 16, 2011
9:41 AM
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I wouldn't buy one online. I think it's important when buying guitars to try them out and find out if you're happy with the sound/action and that it feels comfortable and easy to play.
If possible it would be best to look for one with your son maybe in a local store and he can give you the benefit of his experience and what would be the best you could buy in the $300 range. You might even find a second hand guitar that fits the bill.
I once treated myself to a $1300.00 dollar Takamine electro-accoustic guitar and never really got on with it. I found it uncomfortable to play as did my son. The tone was ok, but I ended up selling it. On the other hand my son bought one for about $300.00 which was a breeze to play!!
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Grey Owl YouTube
Grey Owl Abstract Photos
Last Edited by on Sep 16, 2011 9:45 AM
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HawkeyeKane
190 posts
Sep 16, 2011
9:50 AM
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I've been considering a Fender Telecoustic to learn on. They run for about 250 and sound great! You can probably find one at your local Fender dealer. Musiciansfriend has them too, but I agree with greyowl. You want to be able to play it first to make sure it's what you want.
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Hawkeye Kane
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eharp
1465 posts
Sep 16, 2011
9:51 AM
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i would have your son test drive the guitar.
you can get good deals on craigslist.
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JInx
58 posts
Sep 16, 2011
10:33 AM
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check out the new Essential Roots series from our friends at Hohner. It's what I'm wanting.
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Jim Rumbaugh
574 posts
Sep 16, 2011
10:52 AM
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"Can a decent acoustic guitar be purchased for around $300 " ....... yes
"He complains that cheaper guitars don't stay in tune as well" .... some people can complain about anything.
"Would an online purchase be more expensive "... online could be less, but maybe more
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I vote for the idea of taking your son shopping for the guitar. Tell him what you want to spend and let him choose the one he likes. To me, a guitar can be a very personal thing. Some you like, some you don't. I still like my used Yamaha f-250 that I payed $100 about 8 years ago.
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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KingoBad
920 posts
Sep 16, 2011
11:00 AM
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I would go with the Seagull entourage. It is right on your price range and you can get them at guitar center (they are usually on sale for $299). He can check it out if he has one by him.
I may be no guitar expert, but I tried out a crapload of guitars before getting mine. I am a cheap ass opportunistic bargain vulture when it comes to gear. This one had the sound of guitars much pricier. The Seagull was my obvious favorite.
I ended up getting the acoustic/electric because I wanted to be able to plug in, but they all sounded fantastic.
Seagull S6 Entourage
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Danny
Last Edited by on Sep 16, 2011 11:06 AM
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harpdude61
1038 posts
Sep 16, 2011
12:46 PM
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Thanks so much y'all. I kind of wanted it to be a surprise, but since it is not really a gift for him to take maybe I should let him help.
Lot's of good stuff..Thanks!!
and I thought it was hard to decide on a harp...
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harpdude61
1039 posts
Sep 16, 2011
12:52 PM
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Jim...my son is not a complainer...for whats it's worth , he is a better musician than myself.
I just rememeber that someone let him borrow a WalMart guitar so we could jam and it would not stay in tune. ...he mentioned it...
Last Edited by on Sep 16, 2011 12:53 PM
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HawkeyeKane
192 posts
Sep 16, 2011
1:04 PM
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"I just rememeber that someone let him borrow a WalMart guitar so we could jam and it would not stay in tune. ...he mentioned it..."
No argument here. The guitar I have is a cheap Harmony Dreadnought my mom found in the JC Penney catalog when I was in the 5th grade. It has NEVER stayed in tune, and the neck was misset so every time you tried to tune it, the string immediately broke. I had a luthier buddy restore it, but even he said it's not really a player's guitar. I now use it as a living room wall decoration.
But this is a double edge sword as well. My bandleader plays Ibanez guitars. Ibanez, right? Fairly respected brand of guitar. He has two regular Ibanez acoustics, both of which have to be tuned at least 6 times every gig. He also has the Ibanez Montage hybrid guitar, and that SOB won't stay in tune for more than two or three songs.
So, yeah cheaper off-brand guitars will consistently need retuning unless you get them modified. But some big name, higher-dollar guitars can have the same problem.
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Hawkeye Kane
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harpdude61
1042 posts
Sep 16, 2011
1:10 PM
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Whats funny is I have a friend thats come to open mics once in a while who is a world class guitar maker....check out his prices ...you would not believe what he pays for shipping and insurance...he recently won aninternaional contest
http://www.sheppardguitars.com/02prices.htm
Last Edited by on Sep 16, 2011 1:11 PM
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HawkeyeKane
194 posts
Sep 16, 2011
1:21 PM
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Beautiful work!!!!
Small world. Got a friend like that myself here in town. I'm trying to get him to consider making custom combs and cover plates out of his woods.
http://www.infinityluthiers.com/
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Hawkeye Kane
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lumpy wafflesquirt
426 posts
Sep 16, 2011
1:43 PM
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will it be played OOTB or sent off for customisation
Replacement neck, strings and body?
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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Blackbird
167 posts
Sep 16, 2011
6:35 PM
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I have 2 cents on this topic. Here they are, spend 'em as you will:
Even though I feel most guitars are overpriced nowadays, the unfortunate result is that the $300 guitars are too often lumped in the low end, as far as construction and tone.
I do know a handful of local musicians who sure ain't rich, and yet, they're professionals who need tools to work for them when they play publicly. It's nice to see the software engineers buying multi-thousand dollar Taylors and Martins and whatnot, but many of the working gigging musicians I see are playing the low to mid-end Yamaha, Takamine, and Epiphone guitars that are holding up well, and sound just fine for live acoustic or mic'd performance. I would estimate the guitars they're buying and using to be in the 200-500 dollar range.
That being said, I'm also a fan of a used guitar that cost much more than 300 - and is finally for sale at that price, because the workmanship that may have justified 800 bucks a decade ago is still there for 500 bucks less. Scour the pawnshops and craigslist ads for people who "must sell!" and 300 bucks might not be a bad price at all.
And as a kid, I've had the cheap junk guitars. The ones that wouldn't stay in tune, and for the moments that they did, they sounded like pure hell otherwise.
Decent 300 dollar guitars are out there, but they're getting harder to find, as the prices go up for name brands or too many fancy trimmings on them.
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XHarp
448 posts
Sep 16, 2011
6:56 PM
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A $300 axe can play every bit as well as a $1000 guitar. Build quality and material affect tone but set up, string selection and player fit determine the true playability. I, like many other guitar players have had high priced guitars but have since sought guitars that simply play better. I for one gave up the Gibson and dobro for my old yamaha and a chinese made guild GAD 40. To me, these play way easier then my Martin. They DO NOT have the same tone.
It's perfectly possible to find an excellent guitar for $300 but you need to go out and wear down the shoe leather to find it. I say take your son along and enjoy the day and the shopping trip. I will advise to stay away from guitar centers unless you are prepared to fend off the sale pressures from the floor people. Good luck.
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"Keep it in your mouth" - XHarp
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earlounge
357 posts
Sep 16, 2011
8:59 PM
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harpdude, an acoustic guitar is an instrument that can be cheap and still be awesome. Like an OOTB Marine Band it is luck of the draw. Luckily with a guitar you can play it before you buy it. It is just a few pieces of wood glued together and you need to find the one that sounds and plays nice. I played every guitar in all the local shops when I purchased my guitar. I chose the best one in my price range. I spent about $400 on an Alvarez with electronics. You can def find a gem out there for around $300. That kind of money will buy a guitar you won't have to worry about it falling out of tune.
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Hollistonharper
235 posts
Sep 16, 2011
9:37 PM
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I'd suggest you check out a Baby Taylor. It's parlor sized--great for the blues--it sounds really sweet, and it's right in your price range.
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clyde
145 posts
Sep 17, 2011
5:49 AM
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my two cents Don't Do It.......without your son along.
it's like combing someone eles's hair or putting their socks on for them.
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BeardHarmonica
26 posts
Sep 17, 2011
6:44 AM
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Ive got an Epiphone EL-00 and I think it's a really nice guitar for blues.
Stays in tune, solid top.
300$
Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 6:47 AM
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ElkRiverHarmonicas
726 posts
Sep 17, 2011
7:31 AM
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I second on the Blue Ridge. I have a BG60, the copy of the prewar Gibson, it is a fabulous guitar and booms right along with the D 28s
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David
Elk River Harmonicas
Elk River Harmonicas on Facebook
"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
"Also, drinking homemade beer." - David Payne
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Matzen
287 posts
Sep 17, 2011
7:51 AM
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I would 2nd the Seagull entourage. After having my very pricy Martin 000-28EC smashed on an international flight (while in a flight case!), and having the top of my Taylor rip off right around the same time, I ended up picking up two of the Seagulls (they were the best guitars I could find in a pinch in Latvia). I ended up finishing the tour with them and never had any problems. I would also 2nd having your son come along to try them out as every guitar is different!
And no offense to HawkeyeKane, but I would steer clear of the Fender Telecoustic. They may look cool, but they are not very good guitars. Plus, because of how they are made, they are very top heavy (meaning the headstock).
Blueridge (Saga Guitars), Yamaha, and Alvarez also make some decent "cheap" guitars.
Here's a crapy picture somebody took of me with one of them. I played them both all stock except for the crazy custom pickguards, the pickups and the soundhole Feeback Buster. I got a kick out of the fact that my drummer ('cuz of a sponsorship deal) was playing $5000+ (that's not even including the cymbals or hardware!) custom C&C drums, and I was playing $250 guitars! I also thought it was great when people would come up to me after a show and ask about the guitars. You should have seen the looks on thier faces when I told them how cheap they were!
"So, yeah cheaper off-brand guitars will consistently need retuning unless you get them modified. But some big name, higher-dollar guitars can have the same problem."
-There is a lot to be said about stringing a guitar up properly. In the past I've worked in repair departments of guitar shops and found that most people who have problems with thier guitars staying in tune (as long as the guitar is set up and the tuners are halfway decent), don't string them properly, and don't properly stretch out the strings. Cheap and / or old strings also don't hold tuning well.
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Last Edited by on Sep 17, 2011 9:16 AM
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harpdude61
1044 posts
Sep 17, 2011
8:37 AM
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Wow! Thanks for all the responses!
I will wait until my son has a chance to sit with me and read this thread. We'll either go out or order online.
Thanks again and thanks for posting pix matzen and Jlnx!
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mandowhacker
91 posts
Sep 17, 2011
4:03 PM
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I remember the old Epiphone ad----"Johnny couldn't afford a good guitar, so he got a great one."
That's more true today than in the 70's when the ad ran.
I carry a 001X Martin in the truck. Perfect body size for the blues. Not just my opinion, at least Robert Johnson and several other players thought so.
The X series is made up of a fancy trade word for "formica" for the back and sides and, for most of them, a solit spruce top. The neck is another fancy trade name for a (very thin layered) plywood.
Mine lives in the truck summer and winter from the everglades to the mountains and across the desert from Death Valley (Trona, CA). No problems.
It will stay in tune. I have put 18:1 Grover open back tuners on every stringed instrument with only a few exceptions---the 001X and my 800 Eastman being the only two I can think of.
The 0001X is the same critter--just a touch larger. Still a nice size.
$500 street price, with shipping--new (electronics are now included). I got mine in great (1 nick) condition for $350.
Greg
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Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
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