Keyboard player looking for 1st guitar

[Superace25]

Hello all,

 

I am a keyboard player looking to learn guitar, mostly because my keys weigh 50lbs each and I want to make music on the go. I'm looking for an instrument that:

 

-- is gig-worthy, both in sound and durability

-- easy to amplify, preferably with a built-in pickup

-- $300 or less, if that's reasonable.

 

I searched the forum, and it seemed that Yamaha, Washburn and Walden are popular choices. I plan to go into a store and see what they have from these brands.

 

Questions:

 

 

What should I look for when I go into the store? I know that a keyboard should have aftertouch and a flexible MOD Matrix, but I have no idea what kind of wood a guitar should be made out of.

 

Is a good built-in pickup asking too much? I've seen lots of pickup problems gigging with guitarists, but I don't know how to avoid these myself.

[guitarist21]

 

You should look for a solid wood top, basically. Walden, Yamaha, and Washburn are terrific brands for a first guitar.

 

Built in pickups in your price range are generally lackluster. Plus most of them have huge "barn doors" cut into the side of the guitar for the built-in preamp/tuner/whatever other newfangled things they're putting in guitars these days and what happens in a couple years when you want a different pickup? Can't necessarily find something the exact same size to put in there.

 

My recommendation: pick out a guitar you like- those brands are great choices- and then put in your own pickup (not hard and there's lots of different kinds. Run a search, we talk about aftermarket pickups all the time) and maybe buy an external preamp if you need it.

 

Ellen

[Superace25]

Thanks for the reply guitarist21!

 

Solid wood top, as opposed to a plastic laminate? I'll keep that in mind.

 

If the pickup and guitar are purchased separately, should I focus on one more than the other? That is, would you rather have a crappy guitar with an expensive pickup, or a mediocre pickup on a nice guitar?

[guitarist21]

 

Thanks for the reply guitarist21! Solid wood top, as opposed to a plastic laminate? I'll keep that in mind. If the pickup and guitar are purchased separately, should I focus on one more than the other? That is, would you rather have a crappy guitar with an expensive pickup, or a mediocre pickup on a nice guitar?

 

 

Plastic?! Nooo I'm talking about laminate like plywood. Avoid plastic too though haha.

 

Basically if you plan on buying the pickup and the guitar seperately, buy a guitar with an acoustic sound you love for about $100 under your price range. Then use that $100 for a pickup. $100 gives you a lot of nice options from brands like K&K and LR Baggs.

 

Ellen

[silmaneero]

 

I'm looking for an instrument that: -- is gig-worthy, both in sound and durability -- easy to amplify, preferably with a built-in pickup -- $300 or less, if that's reasonable.

 

 

It sounds like you're more interested in the amplified sound when gigging than the unamplified sound at home or the studio. Luckily, your keyboard amps should be fine for amplifying your guitar (just make sure to use the notch control on the guitar's electrics or the resulting feedback may remove the fillings from everyone in the room).

 

Many players avoid guitars with thick finishes, laminate tops and heavy construction because these are perceived, often rightly, as deadening the tone. However this is less of an issue when gigging where durability and feedback-avoidance are of prime importance. For example, many players find cheaper Takamine guitars to sound a bit dead when played acoustically, but appreciate that this deadening makes them less likely to feed back when amplified.

 

It's true that you'll get a better pickup for the same money if you buy it separately to the guitar. However, for the sake of convenience don't rule out built-in pickups either. Apart from the minimal fiddle associated with fitting the thing, it's much easier to find a store where you can try a built-in electro-acoustic than a pairing of a non-electro and a pickup.

 

So, I'd look at the perennially popular Yamaha, and also consider Takamine and Ovation if gigging is your main concern. Yamaha guitars are consistently good, and they sell millions of CPX- and APX-range electro-acoustic guitars every year. Takamines are popular with amplified players as the properties which make them comparatively poor acoustic instruments are magically transformed into positive attributes when plugged in. Ovation guitars sound like a bag of wet cement when played acoustically, but are specifically designed for amplified performance.

[Etienne Rambert]

When I was in your position 20 some years ago, I bought an Ovation Elite. Fantastic gigging guitar and extremely versatile in the studio. But maybe you want something made out of wood. Lots of good choices out there. Go play some & see which one you like. For $300 or less though, you'd have to buy a used Ovation Elite. I like Dean guitars a lot in that price range. But the Dean electronics really suck bad. So go with the ones Ellen, Silmaneero, et al suggested.

[Chicken Monkey]

In the neighborhood of your price range, I'm playing a few shows a month using a fender parlor ($170) through a Fishman humbucker ($160?). I put down an extra $20 for a hardshell case, which puts me a bit out of your range. It's a cheap, more or less indestructable guitar that looks and sounds pretty good.

 

You might be better off seeking a used guitar, and putting a Fishman pickup in it. I've not had a bad experience with an old Yamaha guitar.