Acoustic Guitars

[Divider_of_zero]

I literally have searched so many brands and models and yet cant find anythiung that suits me! If any of you have suggestions of a nice acoustic guitar tht wont break the bank that would be awesome!

Heres what I'm looking for: Cutaway, Solid top of either spruce of cedar, solid back of either rosewood or mahogany, sides I would like to be solid but from what i have heard they dont do too much to the sound so laminated sides are just fine (they also make it a hell of a lot cheaper!), a ebony fingerboard but rosewood can also work, some abalone, nice craftsmanship. Although thats what i'm looking for i am open to ANY good acoustic guitar.

Thanks for any input guys!

[Opa John]

Some people have large bank accounts, some don't. What's your definition of something that "won't break the bank"?

You mentioned acoustic, but you also mentioned cutaway. Most cutaways are acoustic/electric, so I'd start by checking these out.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/6-string-acoustic-electric-guitars/yamaha

[Divider_of_zero]

Well I would prefer it to be cheap, dirt cheap in todays economy BUT Its my birthday soon and im getting 550 today. so i would say at most 800 And if I can buy it used then i sure as heck will! If it hasn't hit ya yet, I am a very cheap person!

[Opa John]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

Well I would prefer it to be cheap, dirt cheap in todays economy BUT Its my birthday soon and im getting 550 today. so i would say at most 800 And if I can buy it used then i sure as heck will! If it hasn't hit ya yet, I am a very cheap person!

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So am I. So, in that case, the Yamaha FGX730SC would be my choice. Yamahas are better guitars than a lot of guitars priced the same. Hard deal to beat......or even match, usually. Add a nice case to the deal and you're still right at about your stated budget of $550. Go for it. You'll like it.

[Divider_of_zero]

Okay thanks! Ill really considar that more now. One thing i saw was their A3 acoustic thats all solid too, do you think that buying that used mught be even better?

[shammond]

It's easy to go too far in seaching for a guitar - after a while your brain turns to mush from all that's available.    Perhaps one of these Breedloves.  I bought one of these for myself a couple years back.  Great sounding and not too fancy.   I would find a place to play 2 or 3 of them as in all guitars they may vary. 

http://breedlovemusic.com/instrument-archive/passport-plus/plus-c250-sbe

[DeepEnd]

I've no idea where you are but I'd check my local CraigsList or equivalent. I found the following on the local (St. Louis, MO) Craigslist:

Taylor 114ce with hardshell case for $665 (all solid)
Seagull Maritime for $500 (laminated back and sides)
Takamine EG540SC with case for $400 (laminated back and sides)
Crafter htc24eq with hard case for $389 (can't find any specs but Crafter has an excellent reputation)

All of these are in your price range and any of them would suit you well.

[Freeman_Keller]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

I literally have searched so many brands and models and yet cant find anythiung that suits me! If any of you have suggestions of a nice acoustic guitar tht wont break the bank that would be awesome!

Heres what I'm looking for: Cutaway, Solid top of either spruce of cedar, solid back of either rosewood or mahogany, sides I would like to be solid but from what i have heard they dont do too much to the sound so laminated sides are just fine (they also make it a hell of a lot cheaper!), a ebony fingerboard but rosewood can also work, some abalone, nice craftsmanship. Although thats what i'm looking for i am open to ANY good acoustic guitar.

Thanks for any input guys!

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First, lets be a little more specific - exactly what guitars have you tried and what was wrong with each of them. 

Second, your specs are very general - manyguitars today will fit them.   The cut limits your choices - that tells me you are an electric player that wants to play up the neck.   Most guitars that come with a cutaway also have built in electronics - how important is the plugged sound?   I'll add that in your price range most guitars will have solid top, not to many will have solid b/s.   Opinions vary, but back and sides are far less important to the overall sound, and if you will primarily be plugged in they matter even less.

I find it more helpful to find out what kind of music you play, what style (strum, fingers, flat pick), guitars that you own or have played and what you like/dislike about them.  

[Divider_of_zero]

Plugged in doesnt matter at all, i could care ledd for it. Its the acoustic tone/sound i'm after. I've tryed many yamahas, ibanezes martins taylors etc... and none of them fit the bill. I just recently (last half hour) contacted my local guitarcenter and they have a used washburn from the 80's im gonna take a look at.

[Freeman_Keller]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

Plugged in doesnt matter at all, i could care ledd for it. Its the acoustic tone/sound i'm after. I've tryed many yamahas, ibanezes martins taylors etc... and none of them fit the bill. I just recently (last half hour) contacted my local guitarcenter and they have a used washburn from the 80's im gonna take a look at.

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Just remember that most cutaways also come with electronics.   Very few people who play unplugged ever go above the 12th or 14th fret.   Also, be aware that acoustics tend to intonate badly - if you do play above 12 check that carefully.

It is interesting that among those very highly repected brands there isn't something that fits your bill.  Again, what specific guitars have you played and what don't you like?

Lastly, when you start shopping for a used guitar, particularly one 30+ years old, be aware of the things that can go wrong.   Neck angle, in particular, but also all the other little issues - structural, frets, setup...    I have worked on  couple of older Washburns (one was the subject of a setup thread on this forum) - they can be very nice guitars, but shop wisely.

[DeepEnd]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

. . . I just recently (last half hour) contacted my local guitarcenter and they have a used washburn from the 80's im gonna take a look at.

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Frankly, I wouldn't recommend it. A guitar "from the 80's" is going to be 25-30 years old and probably have issues, some of which might be expensive (i.e., neck reset).

[Opa John]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

Plugged in doesnt matter at all, i could care ledd for it. Its the acoustic tone/sound i'm after. I've tryed many yamahas, ibanezes martins taylors etc... and none of them fit the bill. I just recently (last half hour) contacted my local guitarcenter and they have a used washburn from the 80's im gonna take a look at.

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I'm having trouble figuring out what you're really looking for, but I guess I'm not the only one.

I really don't think I'd buy a 30 year old guitar unless it had been thoroughly checked out and approved by someone who was NOT the same person who's trying to sell it to me. A saleman is usually the LAST one you wanna believe. However, go play it, and if you like the sound of it you'd be money ahead to buy a new one instead of one with a lot of age on it.

Here's a new Washburn WD10S for $249 (and, I've seen them cheaper than this) that would be a better buy than what you're going to look at at GC. I'm sure GC will have one of these in the store. Check it out.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/washburn-wd-10s-dreadnought-acoustic-guitar

[Turbojet]

Have you tried any Seagull yet?

They have several models that fit your description:

http://seagullguitars.com/guitars.html

They are Canadian-made from top quality tone woods and a great value.

I own two: a top-of-the-line, custom order Mahagony Folk with L.R. Baggs Duet II (now 12 years old and going strong - solid cedar aged beautifully) and Coastline S12 Cedar - the loudest guitar I have ever played.

Highly recommended to anyone interested in a great sound and quality at reasonable price.

Good luck with your search!

[Freeman_Keller]

OJ, the only problem with that Washburn is that it only meets a few of Divider's specifications - its got a solid top and rosewood fretboard, but otherwise its a lami with no cut....   Your Yamaha FGX730SC is a little closer, it has a cutaway but is still laminated (and has electronics which he apparently doesn't want)

And the more I think about his specifications, the more I can can't think of one guitar under 800 bucks that meets them.    It will be interesting to see what he comes up with.

[knockwood]

Specs are rather non-specific. Wide open.

Ditch the cutaway and buy a Yamaha LL6. $500 out the door, excellent case included. Or if you absolutely must have a solid b/s, go for the Yamaha LL16 @ $700... But IMHO, having owned an LL6 in the past in addition to many other guitars, the extra $200 simply is not justified. I'd rather have the LL6, and not just to save money.

Here's the thing with cutaways. Unless you really, really need one - like you spend a ton of time way up the neck, you are just sacrificing $ and quality for a labor-intensive feature you don't really need. In general, if you let go of factory electronics and cutaways, you get a lot more guitar for your money. Some people really do need the cuts. Most of us do not.

Honestly, what I think immediately when I hear something like, "30-year-old Washburn" is "Oh shit..."

[Divider_of_zero]

Thanks you guys for the input! Ill check for those problems on the washburn also! From what i see so far and have heard it doesnt have any problems with the bridge or neck angle, after hearing that would you reccomend it? (its not a cutaway but ill sacrafice that for tone any day, its an all solid guitar) heres some pics of it if you guys can spot anything on it (if anythings wrong ill go with that yamaha fg though, my friend has one and its great!)

http://imageshack.us/g/11/wd618.jpg/   <--- 8 images of it.

[Divider_of_zero]

I see what you're saying man, Its a washburn d61 if i haven't said so yet (im forgetful) and some pics of it are in a reply i just posted a few minutes ago. I've learned to agree that the cutaway u=isnt necessary for me and I feel kind of stupid now for thinking I needed it. Thanks so much though! I'll take a loot at that LL6 when i can, the only thing is it has laminated back and sides.

[Freeman_Keller]

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Divider_of_zero wrote:

Thanks you guys for the input! Ill check for those problems on the washburn also! From what i see so far and have heard it doesnt have any problems with the bridge or neck angle, after hearing that would you reccomend it? (its not a cutaway but ill sacrafice that for tone any day, its an all solid guitar) heres some pics of it if you guys can spot anything on it (if anythings wrong ill go with that yamaha fg though, my friend has one and its great!)

http://imageshack.us/g/11/wd618.jpg/   <--- 8 images of it.

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The first picture scares me.   There are two ways to measure the neck angle - the old yard stick on the fret board and looking at where it hits the bridge (should be just touching the top) OR I look at the saddle and action.   The angle is OK if you have acceptable action (your definition) AND you have at least 1/8 inch of saddle sticking out of the slot.    That first pic doesn't look like that much, but its pretty hard to tell.  

The reason for both conditions is that in the future when you need to lower the action there simply won't be enough saddle to do it - thats when you need the reset.    Btw - I'm not opposed to buying a guitar that needs a reset (five of mine have had them) - but you should factor that cost (about $300-350) into the deal.

Instead of worrying about solid back and sides, I would personally be more concerned about the guitar fitting your playing style.   I put a lot of attention in nut and saddle spacing, body size, scale length - plus dropping that criteria will open up a lot of great options.

[Divider_of_zero]

That is true, I think ill hold off the washburn now that you opened my mind. I didn't know that before and now that i look I can see what you mean. I think I'll save up for one of the newer yamahas that these guys have been recommending, Thanks!

[GW348]

Sounds like your in the early goings of the eternal tone quest.  Most of us start with Yamaha.

Give 'em a try