Members mnmamma Posted November 21, 2005 Members Posted November 21, 2005 So I am new here, and to guitars.I am actually looking to buy for my husband this Xmas, and I can spend about $300 (not a lot, I know, but what do you do??) I saw this one, and I was wondering what more experienced people think about it http://www.guitarimports.com/sc-solid-guitar.htm Do you have any suggestions for me other than this one?What are the advantages/disadvantages (except for the obvious one!) of acoustic.electric vs just acoustic? A little note that might make a difference, my husband doesn't have super long fingers, so I was thinking a smaller neck for him? Any advice would be stellar!
Members JasmineTea Posted November 21, 2005 Members Posted November 21, 2005 Seagull at Elderly These guitars get good reviews around here. Never heard of the one in your link. For someone starting out in guitar, electronics are'nt necessary. The pics in the Seagull link don't represent the real color. It's not bright red.
Members Johny Posted November 21, 2005 Members Posted November 21, 2005 Mmmm if he has small fingers he might find the seagull neck not very confortable, it is a pretty massive neck. Just my 2 cents
Members catdaddy Posted November 21, 2005 Members Posted November 21, 2005 Originally posted by Johny Mmmm if he has small fingers he might find the seagull neck not very confortable, it is a pretty massive neck. Just my 2 cents Its true that the Seagull neck is a bit chunky. Simon and Patrick guitars(made by the same folks that make the Seagulls) are available in virtually the same models as the Seagulls but with a slimmer neck profile. The Peal guitar in the link is one I've never seen or heard of. Says its built in Korea. Not necessarily a good or bad thing but I'd be wary if it turns out that no one on this forum has ever played one before.
Members kwakatak Posted November 21, 2005 Members Posted November 21, 2005 Good for you! I hope he's equally as thoughful! Apart from the size of his hands you don't offer up much information to provide a truly informed decision. How long has your husband been playing? What type of music does he listen to/interested in playing? DOes he plan on performing for an audience or is he just interested in it as a household hobby? My first impression would be that you shouldn't buy something without knowing more specific inormation. In fact, maybe you should just make up a homemade "gift certificate" for $300, present him with it on Christmas morning and let him choose for himself. I can easily sympathize with your husband's potential point of view. My wife offered to do something similar for me for my birthday a couple of years ago. To make a long story short, I didn't get a new $300 guitar. What I already had was better but just needed to be repaired and I recognized that I had a lot to learn about shopping for guitars.
Members WashburnGuy Posted November 22, 2005 Members Posted November 22, 2005 In the $300 price range, you've got several options. Being somewhat biased towards Washburn, here's a suggestion: go to www.musiciansfriend.com and find a Washburn D10S. The guitar has a solid spruce top and a Lifetime Warranty to the original owner. Add a MF guitar stand, a Korg electronic tuner and a MF hard shell case. The total should be less than $300 and, at a minimum, you'll have set him up with everything he's going to need for the next couple of years. If he decides down the road that he doesn't need to "trade up", he's got a guitar that will continue to sound better as it ages due to the solid spruce top. Along with that package you'll also get free shipping. Others will give you their opinions so, listen carefully and decide what works best for your situation.
Members Whalebot Posted November 22, 2005 Members Posted November 22, 2005 Buy a nice Blueridge, they are a great, affordable guitar.
Members braif Posted November 22, 2005 Members Posted November 22, 2005 Howdy mnmamma!! I found these reviews on the Harmony Central Reviews page of this very guitar. http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/Data4/Peal/SC_Solid_Top_Series-1.html The majority of responses don't seem to be real complimentary of it's unplugged sound, but overall not bad ratings. Personally, I don't have much use for an acoustic guitar that does not sound good unplugged...it really depends on what your husband would be doing with it.
Members mnmamma Posted November 23, 2005 Author Members Posted November 23, 2005 Thanks for all your replies, I'm going to take some time and look at all your ideas. Some more info, if it helps...my husband would be a new player, he's just always wanted to learn, and it would be for a hobby. He doesn't like standard or average looking things, and he hates cheapy products, both of which put me in the crapper with my $300. So I'm trying to make the best choice. One thing I thought of was: was about buying him the case, picks, etc., and putting a gift cert in it so we can go together? Doesn't that kind of take away from the fun of opening it though?
Members JasmineTea Posted November 23, 2005 Members Posted November 23, 2005 Click here for a look at "average-standard", get a load of the price. I recomend looking for quality rather than something that looks fancy. Lots of good suggestions on here so far.
Members WashburnGuy Posted November 23, 2005 Members Posted November 23, 2005 Originally posted by mnmamma Thanks for all your replies, I'm going to take some time and look at all your ideas.Some more info, if it helps...my husband would be a new player, he's just always wanted to learn, and it would be for a hobby. He doesn't like standard or average looking things, and he hates cheapy products, both of which put me in the crapper with my $300. So I'm trying to make the best choice.One thing I thought of was: was about buying him the case, picks, etc., and putting a gift cert in it so we can go together? Doesn't that kind of take away from the fun of opening it though? Given your statements above, the Washburn will easily satisfy the needs of the new hobbyist and, it's also the best-selling, sub-$500 available. So a complete gear setup for $300 is a pretty good deal IMO. Unfortunately, guitars in this price range are pretty "standard or average looking" but, you'll have a choice of black or natural finish. You could give him the gift certificate as you mentioned but then he'd have to wait at least another day to enjoy his Christmas present.
Members LiveMusic Posted November 23, 2005 Members Posted November 23, 2005 For $300, Asian-made are good value. But if it were me, hmmm... $300 is tough. You need to have new strings put on and maybe a setup. Because if it's hard to play, he won't like it. Know any guitar players... ask one to meet you at the store. A tuner would be nice... say, $25.Strings... $7.Setup... $35. Might not need this.Case... $40 or more. Store should likely give you the strings and install them for free.
Members braif Posted November 23, 2005 Members Posted November 23, 2005 Originally posted by LiveMusic For $300, Asian-made are good value.Case... $40 or more. The Peal obviously comes with a hardshell case! That's a plus! The only real negative about it from my perspective is that it is a shallow body. I like the look, and I have a couple of cheap asian acoustics that I love!
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