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Which ONE is the best?


Taffeety

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Hi everyone, I want to start playing a guitar or just a ukulele.

I don't have much of a budget but of course I prefer a brand that will last longer.

Been searching online and found several reviews like this one,

https://musicadvisor.com/best-guitar-brands/

 

but I still want to hear the opinion of those who really plays.

Can anyone suggest what is good to buy?

:p:p

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Welcome to the forum. Please don't take what I'm going to say wrong, but I read the article and came to two conclusions

 

1 - they don't say anything

2 - everything they say is true

 

Tell us a whole lot more about Taffeety - what kind of music you want to play, what you aspire to, what your real budget is, why you think you want a brand that "will last longer" (ie - is this an investment)? You'll find lots of knowledgeable folks here - we often like different things but there are some things that we agree on.

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When I first started driving, just before the last Ice Age, my parents were going to help me get a car for college. My mother suggested a few really low end things. My father commented that "beginners need a reliable car more then experienced drivers. They have enough to worry about without wondering if the brakes are about to fail." I think that advice carries over somewhat into the guitar world.

 

You don't need $300 to get a decent starter, but a $29.95 guitar isn't going to help. It will be a struggle to play because of sharp frets, bad tuners, terrible action, etc. Buy used if possible, checking out pawn shops and Craigslist for example. You will get a better guitar for your budget. When in doubt, you can look at the user reviews of guitars here on Harmony Central. I would offer that a reasonable starter could be had for $100-150 dollars.

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/reviews/category/guitars

 

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I'll add another comment - your article reviews five fairly high end manufactures and concludes " the clear all around winner is Fender". You are posting your question on an acoustic forum, I assume you are somewhat interested in an acoustic guitar. In my humble opinion (I get to work on a lot of different guitars so I get to see what is wrong with them) - in my opinion Fender makes the worst acoustic guitars of those five companies. If you want to play loud amplified electric rock and roll, then Fender might be one of the best (I happen to like Gibson and Epiphone electrics more, and frankly, Taylors electrics are kind of cool)

 

But to put it in perspective of your original post, if you "don't have much of a budget" the clear winner are the entry level Yamahas.

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Any decent brand will do nicely as long as it's in decent shape. Yamaha gets a lot of love but Alvarez, Epiphone, Takamine and others also make a nice low-end guitar. I happen to have an Ibanez that I like, even though they don't get much respect. The first thing to do is set a budget; if you can't find something decent for $200 you're probably in trouble, and you can often find a perfectly reasonable guitar for $150, less if it's used. If--and that's a big *If*--you know someone who knows guitars, you can take him/her along and look at used ones. If not, you're on your own and you need to proceed with caution. Here's a guide to things to look for: http://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/how-to-buy-a-used-acoustic-guitar/.

 

Your profile just says "Arizona." Since Arizona covers about 114,000 square miles that doesn't narrow it down much but the climate tends to be fairly dry. In general, dryness is the enemy of an acoustic guitar. Here's a guide to symptoms of a dry guitar: https://www.taylorguitars.com/support/maintenance/symptoms-dry-guitar. Excess humidity isn't good either but I doubt you'll need to worry about it.

 

A guitar that you like the looks of might encourage you to play but in the end it's all about tone. Avoid a "pretty" guitar with fancy woods or a cool-looking paint job; they're often a sign some corners have been cut somewhere else, especially in a budget guitar.

 

While you can go to pretty much any Guitar Center or pawn shop, some of us like to support mom and pop music stores. CraigsList is also an option but you won't get to spend as much time with the guitar before you buy.

 

If you find something you like, strum it and see how it sounds. You should get clear, ringing tones; a note that sounds like "thud," with no sustain, is a sign that either the strings are in very bad shape or the guitar has problems. Fret each string up and down the neck; you shouldn't get any buzzes, although it's sometimes hard for a beginner to get a clear tone. That's when a guitar playing friend comes in handy. You can also ask a sales person to play or just strum the guitar. Most other guitarists can make my guitar sound much better than I can. ;) If you're in doubt, move on to another guitar, if necessary another store. If you have any other questions, come on back. We're here to help.

 

Once you find "the one," let us know. We like New Guitar Days. And be sure to post pictures. :thu:

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That article is terrible. Forget everything it says. Yes, Fender electric guitars CAN be great, but they can be dogs, too. And their acoustics are outstandingly unimpressive. And - Yamaha and Epiphone? They can be okay, but best buys? Good grief!

 

If you're torn between uke and guitar, you probably want an acoustic instrument, right? If you're undecided, keep in mind that it's much better to start on an acoustic guitar than an electric, because if you want to switch later, it's easier to go from acoustic to electric than from electric to acoustic.

 

Why? you won't need to buy or learn to work amps and pedals, and you'll develop stronger muscles than you would on an electric. (People who start on electrics have a notoriously hard time moving to acoustic.)

 

If you want a cheap but well-made acoustic guitar, I'd do one of two things:

 

1. Buy a used guitar. Have a friend who knows about them help you. Old US-made Guilds are a great buy, as are the newer US- and Canada-made Larrivees. Both are grossly underpriced. I have a seventies Guild D-35 and a seventies Martin D-28. They're both play and sound great, but the Guild cost a third what the Martin did.

 

Check out www.Reverb.com to get an idea of what's out there. For answers to questions about Guilds, the good folks at www.LetsTalkGuild.com are hugely helpful. Larrivee has a forum, too: www.larriveeforum.com.

 

2. Buy a Canadian guitar. www.SeagullGuitars.com and www.ArtAndLutherieGuitars.com are both better than their Pacific rim competitors at similar prices. So you can keep your money out of the Asian sweatshops and have an good instrument at the same time. They're both keepers, even if you decide to get another pricier instrument down the line.

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1. Yes and no. Buying a used guitar works if you know what to look for in one. If you don't, you're better off buying new.

 

2. Canadian guitars are good for the money and have the advantage of not being built in sweatshops but "better than their Pacific rim competitors at similar prices"? Not in my experience. I'm particularly not a fan of Art & Lutherie, although Seagull, Simon & Patrick, and Norman (all also Godin products) are very good.

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DeepEnd -

 

Yup, absolutely! That's why I said that for used guitars, it's good to take a friend who knows guitars.

 

Yes about Norman and Simon & Patrick, too, but my impression is that they cost more than the other two. For entry level, I think you're likely to pay less for Art & Lutherie and Seagull. (And get what you pay for.) But I haven't browsed any of their prices for a while, so it could be they're affordable, too.

 

Good points! Glad you chimed in.

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In my opinion when selecting a guitar, especially an acoustic, the most important thing is how the specific guitar plays and sounds. Comparing overall brands would be a generalization. There's various models within each brand, sometimes copies of the same model can vary in sound and quality. I would recommend going into a store and physically try at least 10 different guitars until you find one that clicks with you. Also, higher price doesn't necessarily mean its better. Ironically, my main acoustic guitar (Greg Bennett brand) which I bought 10 years ago for about $250 played and sounded better than all the $2000 guitars in the store.. lol.

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1. Fender

2. Gibson

3. Epiphone

4. Yamaha

5. Taylor

 

Those are the (ordered) 5 best guitars in the article.

 

Article fails the test for expertise, IMHO.

 

If it plays and sounds right, it is right. It could be any one of those 5 brands for you, or none of them, so don't go putting your research time in articles like that one to steer you. They aren't going to help you any more than coming here and asking for recommendations will. Most, if not all the people who post to this forum, learned that way. We were all playing and had bought what we liked before the internet came along as a pretense for saving people the task of doing their own ground work. Get out and play some guitars.

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In case you didn't know, Greg Bennett is the name Samick is currently using for their guitars. They're the largest maker of guitars in the world and they can make a good one when they want. I'm not surprised you like yours.

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Welcome to the forum. Please don't take what I'm going to say wrong, but I read the article and came to two conclusions

 

1 - they don't say anything

2 - everything they say is true

 

Tell us a whole lot more about Taffeety - what kind of music you want to play, what you aspire to, what your real budget is, why you think you want a brand that "will last longer" (ie - is this an investment)? You'll find lots of knowledgeable folks here - we often like different things but there are some things that we agree on.

 

sorry for the late response, been busy lately.

Anyway I am not sure what I want, since I just want something that will keep me busy like taking off my mind to different problems.

regarding the budget I was hoping to just spend at least $300-$400, if there is such one.

 

I haven't bought one yet, I want something that is sturdy and and will last long. Everything for me is an investment I mean of course if you will spend on something better choose the one that will really stay with you for a long time. smiley-wink

 

 

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As others have mentioned, Yamaha is pretty much the go to brand but it isn't the end all and be all. There are plenty of decent guitars in your price range. Go play some guitars and see what calls out to you. You might find something for $400 or you might find something for $200. There are probably several decent music stores in Arizona. One might be near you. Pick one and go play some guitars. If you don't find what you want go somewhere else. If necessary go to the next town. Repeat as needed. If you find something you like but you're not sure come back and we'll help.

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Build quality is more important for acoustic than it is for electric. A bad acoustic sounds thin, almost toy-like. My brother-in-law bought my niece a new Galveston brand acoustic for more money than I've ever spent on an acoustic. It weighed about half of what my Yamaha weighed, and it sounded awful!

 

I didn't have good luck with my Ibanez acoustic. It sounded thin to me. I also disliked the tone and overall feel of my Fender acoustic. On the other hand, I love my Yamaha 700S and my Washburn WD10S. I was able to get each in pristine condition for 50% of retail.

 

Admittedly, I do have the advantage of living in an area with high population and low cost of living. I'm lucky to have a huge selection of used instruments available at low prices.

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Yamaha FG720S is what I'd get if you said "get me an acoustic guitar" in that range.

 

While you can still find used 700 models, it seems Yamaha replaced them with the 800 family. The FG 820S retails for $260.

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Scour through the local Craigslist, and look at Yamaha, Ibanez, Alvarez, and on occasion, one of the Martin "X" series pop up for the 300 range. Greatest ever? hardly, but great for a basic beginners guitar. I have an Alvarez Yari I paid 300 for, that to me, is just simply one of the most amazing guitars I have ever played. (35 years experience.) An Ibanez thin line classical, with electronics, I picked up at a pawn shop for 50 bucks. Hunt, there are good ones out there.

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