good acoustic for ~$350? is it possible?

[sftsyh]

seagulls seem to be the best bet for me. thoughts?

[moctzal]

Yamaha FG700/720/730S, Alvarez RD20S and Washburn D10S are all worth a look/try.

Pick whichever feels best.

[matterday]

I thought the cheaper Yamahas were great values.

[Samilyn]

 

Yamaha FG700/720/730S, Alvarez RD20S and Washburn D10S are all worth a look/try. Pick whichever feels best.

 

 

+1, especially to the Yammies.

 

Seagull is a wonderful git. The cedar-top ones are especially warm and woody sounding, though perhaps a bit quiet for some people's taste.

[larry50]

 

Yamaha FG700/720/730S, Alvarez RD20S and Washburn D10S are all worth a look/try. Pick whichever feels best.

 

 

+1 from me too. Can't beat Yamaha at that price. But try a bunch and pick the one that feels and sounds right to you. Don't believe what you read, believe what you hear.

[Bubbalou]

If you have a Guitar Center nearby see if they have a Seagull S-6 and a Yamaha 720. Play them and compare. Both seem to be liked quite well from reviews here and elsewhere.

[zenbu]

yes it is...buy used.

[bigald18]

Just purchased a Seagull Entourage Mini Jumbo Rustic and I am impressed with the sound and playability.Has a solid cedar top with a lamination of wild cherry, mahogany, and wild cherry wood in three layers for the back and sides. I'm not fond of laminations but the wild cherry wood gives this instrument a unique tone, not as bright as maple, but brighter than mahogany.Tuners are first rate, neck is silver maple, fretboard is rosewood and nut width is 1.72. Plays very easily and I like the sound. Price is $329 at Musicians Friend.

 

bigald18

[DeepEnd]

yes it is...buy used.

+1. And if you want something new, Yamaha and Seagull are both good bets, although they're very different guitars. The 1.8" nut on the Seagull is wider than average and might make one better suited for fingerpicking. Alvarez and Washburn are good choices too. And since they haven't been mentioned yet, try to find a Walden dealer.

[outdoorgb]

I do love my FG730S for $300 - it's a dread and although it can be played fingerstyle...there are better choices.

 

I do love my Seagull Mini-Jumbo Entourage at about $300...the Yami sounds a bit better but at 1.72" nut it fingers better...I belive the S6 Seagulls are a good alternative to the Mini-Jumbo however...

 

But, I do love my Larrivee's and they, my friend, are not $350

[Bitt81]

I just posted in somebody's thread asking for info about Carvin Cobalts. They are currently on sale. They have their spruce top basic dread and cedar top dreads on sale for $299. Add the hardshell case for another $70 and that's in the price range. I think that's a pretty good value. I have one of their jumbos and like it alot.

 

Just letting you know that there are options out there in addition to the Yammies and Seagulls.

[ChiyoDad]

SYU (Seagulls, Yammies, and Used)

 

That's the "when in doubt" advice that's most likely to get the greatest satisfaction for the dollar at a higher level of confidence. Every instrument needs a proper set-up but my experience is that both the Yammies and Seagulls are almost good-to-go out of the box (i.e. you can postpone that set-up until you have a specific idea of how you want your instrument to feel).

 

That said, there are other bargains that can be had in new guitars if you're willing to take the time to evaluate individual units (buy and return until you get a good one) and invest in a good set-up. I think the Johnson Carolina/Petaluma (aka Silver Creek, aka Recording King) lines have potential but you need to pick a good one and have it properly set-up by a good tech. These are selling for $300 at Costco.com. All solid woods.

[WashburnGuy]

There's lots to pick from in that range......Washburn, Yamaha, Epiphone, Alvarez, just to name a few.

 

Seagulls are nice and revered by many on this board. But beware! The neck width tends to be a little wider than most and can be somewhat awkward for a beginner. I had one of the original S6+ and, while a nice guitar, I just couldn't adjust to the 1.78" neck width so, I traded it for a Washburn that I'm VERY happy with. Since then, my Washburn family has grown....take a look at my signature and my avatar.

[outdoorgb]

 

There's lots to pick from in that range......Washburn, Yamaha, Epiphone, Alvarez, just to name a few. Seagulls are nice and revered by many on this board. But beware! The neck width tends to be a little wider than most and can be somewhat awkward for a beginner. I had one of the original S6+ and, while a nice guitar, I just couldn't adjust to the 1.78" neck width so, I traded it for a Washburn that I'm VERY happy with. Since then, my Washburn family has grown....take a look at my signature and my avatar.

 

 

 

Yes on the Seagull neck size. The two Larrivee's I have are both 1.75 nust, wider than the Seagull at 1.72...yet the Larrivee's are much easier for this noob to bring that thumb over the top.

 

just a little more info...

[DeepEnd]

 

Yes on the Seagull neck size. The two Larrivee's I have are both 1.75 nust, wider than the Seagull at 1.72...yet the Larrivee's are much easier for this noob to bring that thumb over the top. . . .

 

I have no idea what model Seagull you have but most have a 1.8 nut. That said, it could also be a matter of neck profile: i.e., the Larrivee could have a thinner neck measured from the fingerboard to the back of the neck.

[Schultzie]

I have no idea what model Seagull you have but most have a 1.8 nut . That said, it could also be a matter of neck profile: i.e., the Larrivee could have a thinner neck measured from the fingerboard to the back of the neck.

The S6 Slim and Entourage series both have 1.72" nuts.

[maximuskatana]

I love my alvarez rd20s, solid spruce top mahogany laminate back and sides. Bought mine locally for 229, so thats my recommendation.

[Minitruth]

I got an absurd deal on a Seagull perfoermer Q2 at GC. $399 OTD w/HSC.

Next to my wife, it's mah pride and joy.

[Misha]

Don't forget to look at other guitars made by Godin, i.e. Seagull but also Art & Lutherie, Norman and Simon & Patrick.

 

Crafter makes some nice guitars too.

[burkedajerk88]

 

Yamaha FG700/720/730S, Alvarez RD20S and Washburn D10S are all worth a look/try. Pick whichever feels best.

 

 

+1 on the yamahas. You can save money and still get a good guitar.

 

I also like the washburn d10s b/c it comes with a hardshell case.

 

If you're looking into seagulls, go for the seagull s6 "original".

 

either way, you can't go wrong with any of these guitars--they all just cost different amounts, so depends on what you want to pay.

[freetime]

 

I just posted in somebody's thread asking for info about Carvin Cobalts. They are currently on sale. They have their spruce top basic dread and cedar top dreads on sale for $299. Add the hardshell case for another $70 and that's in the price range. I think that's a pretty good value. I have one of their jumbos and like it alot. Just letting you know that there are options out there in addition to the Yammies and Seagulls.

 

 

Carvin guitars blow

[bcc5025]

Seagull is 100% the way to go. I bought one when I went to Canada one time and it's a dream. Mine had a burst finish and an electric input (with EQ) and it was like $500 Canadian. A steal.

[Brokepick]

.....That said, there are other bargains that can be had in new guitars if you're willing to take the time to evaluate individual units (buy and return until you get a good one) and invest in a good set-up. I think the Johnson Carolina/Petaluma (aka Silver Creek, aka Recording King) lines have potential but you need to pick a good one and have it properly set-up by a good tech . These are selling for $300 at Costco.com. All solid woods.

 

+1 on the Carolina/Petaluma/Silver Creek/Recording King guitars. The Silver Creek solid spruce/hog dread I bought at a ridiculously cheap sale price from Musician's Friend has become my favorite player. I must have got a good-un on the first try. It does have some warts, but if properly modified and set up, it's a great git for not a lot of cabbage.