Which of these guitars is a better choice?

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Cheese

http://altomusic.com/shop/Takamine-EG444CVV-NEX-Acoustic-Electric-Guitar-in-Vintage-Violin_pid121193.am
http://altomusic.com/shop/Ibanez-V-Series-V70CE-Dreadnought-Cutaway-Acoustic-Electric-Guit_pid104633.am

They're both electric acoustic. altomusic is the only place that has the Takamine this cheap, It's $250 on one and over $400 on most other sites. Ibanez is the same everywhere though. Is buying the Takamine a better deal, or is something wrong with this one? I'm leaning towards it because it looks great and the supposed savings. I have some basic knowledge, I'm a beginner so knowing nothing about guitars, I'm asking which should I get?

Answer
Neither. They're both all-plywood guitars (if it doesn't say SOLID wood, it isn't. The wood used for the top layer makes no difference to the sound - plywood is plywood), with electronic capabilities that a beginner doesn't need. An acoustic-electric guitar is meant for performers who frequently need to amplify the instrument and want the convenience of being able to plug it in directly. Electronics are sometimes included on entry-level guitars as a selling point, but serve little useful purpose. By the time you reach the stage of giving frequent public performances, you will have outgrown a plywood guitar.

You can buy a guitar with a solid spruce top, which is far superior to plywood, for $200 - check out the highly regarded Yamaha FG-700S and FS-700S.

Buy your guitar in person at a guitar store if at all possible, after making sure it feels comfortable in your hands and is easy to play.

Is Bridecraft a good brand for acoustic guitar?

I am shopping for a guitar online, and it says the brand is Bridgecraft - is that a good brand?

Answer
Bridgecraft is a make known for being low-end, which means cheap. Not only price, perhaps, but also the way they are made and put together. I wouldn't give them time of day, not a bit.

If you are starting out or not, don't you agree that it's best to go for a guitar that is reliable and is well made? Sure you do.

Me? I could never see a time when i would buy a guitar on line unless it was a known good make from a known good supplier, or a collector's model, vintage guitar. We need to know what we're getting up front, and trust the information.

By known good make, I mean Gibson, Fender, Martin, and more.


It also depends how much you want to pay. I wouldn't recommend paying less than a few hundred even for a starter guitar. Acoustic or electric, I regard "cheap" as, say, $300 and under. So, preferably more than that.

Best thing: go to a music store. Try out the cheapest guitars. Then go to the expensive ones ($1700 and up). See the difference and find out what you're prepared to go with.

Some good guitars are around $500-700. Try second hand models if you can't go that high, but get someone who knows guitars to go with you. They will know what to watch for (bad frets, chinese slipper necks, loose bits, missing bits, etc.) and you'll get some knowledge from them.

Try to find a store where they treat you as they should a new player. Where they will set the guitar up for you cheap or free, because most of the time, even a new $3000 guitar needs setting up. If they don't do that, walk out the door and go where they do.

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Would a fender standard strat be good for a beginner player?

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Jcassanova

I have an acoustic guitar that i have learned a little bit on, and im looking to get an electric guitar, should i get a cheap starter pack or get the standard?

Answer
Hello there,

It depends on how long you expect to keep your guitar and what you plan to do with it. If you want to see if you like the electric guitar after switching from acoustic, I would not recommend getting too expensive an electric. Something like a Squier Bullet or Affinity. Those are decent quality guitars for beginners. If you decide you want to stick with the electric, you will probably want to upgrade down the road sometime. Perhaps, you are sure you want to play the electric. In that case, you would probably skip over those entry level guitars. If you want a decent guitar to use to play at home or jam with friends, I would suggest one of the upper end Squier Strats. Those are the Squier Standard, the Classic Vibe and there is one other similarly price Squier that I cannot recall off hand. These guitars are a step down from the Fender Standard, but very close in quality. These are pretty darn good guitars in very way. Actually, I think the Classic Vibe may have a more pure vintage Fender sound than the Fender Standard MIM. The Classic Vibe has pickups that use Alinco magnets the same as Fender Americans do. The Standard MIM has ceramic magnets in the pickups. However, if you plan to gig with this guitar, you should go with the Fender Standard MIM or one of the other Fender Strat models MIM. That is because gigging takes a tole on gear. The Fender Standard will stand up better over time to the beating your guitar will get gigging.

The cost between the upper end Squier Strats and the lower end Fender Strats is not a lot of money. Those guitars are surprisingly close in quality.

There are several models of Fender Strats made at the Mexico plant. The Standard, the Standard HSS, Lone Star and so on. Which model you should get is a matter of personal preference. There is some tonal differences. All great guitars, but each has its own unique tones to fit various niches in playing.

Under no circumstances would I reccomend a starter pack for anyone over the age of 10. The amps are not very good. Moving from the acousitc, you may not realize how important the amp and speakers will be in how you sound. You only sound as good as your speakers, no matter what guitar you are playing. The small speakers in the little practice amps (10 to 25 watts) tend to make you sound thin and tinny. Those amps do not handle gain and distortion all that well (run out of headroom). For those reasons, I suggest a 1x12 combo amp. 1x12 means it has one 12 inch speaker. (If you plan to gig you might want a 2x12). The larger speaker will give you a richer fuller sound. Because the amp is more powerful (30 watts and up) it will handle gain and distortion better. 1x12s are not that expensive. The great thing about them is there are always some used ones on the market. A used 1x12 normally sells for about the price of a new small practice amp. The 1x12 is going to sound a lot better.

Later,

What should I get my best friend for Christmas?

Q. Okay, here's the deal. My bestfriend and I have been bestfriends for 3 years now, so I really want to get something that means a lot, ya know? Here's a few things about her. She's 17 years old. She's into photography, and she likes going to local music shows, she plays acoustic guitar, and she likes to dress real cute! So hey, any ideas would be great! Please and thank you! I'm in need of serious help, considering Christmas is what, 5 days away? Crap!

Answer
If she's into vintage stuff, which she might if she plays guitar, why not give her some vinyl records? You can find them in the back of music stores, and they're generally cheap (most stores have dollar-shelves.) I know, not everyone has a record player, but her parents probably do and if they don't, records are really cool to look at. Speaking of which, you could also get her a record frame ($15-$20).

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What is the difference between the mid-priced and super-expensive guitars?

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B.J.

Would a $1,999 Gibson acoustic guitar sound a lot better than a $199 Ibanez acoustic guitar and $699 Taylor acoustic guitar, or are you just paying for the design and nice finish? If you can be specific, please do.

Answer
A guitar under 200 bucks is, well, no damn good.

200-500 is a GOOD amateur-class guitar.

700-1000 is generally entry-level pro quality.

1000 dollars and up is 'custom' quality. That is, best of everything put together. The highest end guitars can run around 3K. More, and your paying for vintage, usually.

Making that spread a little more complex, some brands are known for having strengths and weaknesses. For example, in the upper end, an Epiphone Les Paul is the real deal, a serious musicians guitar. At the lower end, Epiphone makes junk. Ibanez guitars are famous cost/value guitars... they make cheap guitars of notable quality for the price. Some guitar makers are famous for one model and everything else they do is junk. Some make great acoustics, lousy electrics. Some the other way.

The differences are in woods (although, in guitar woods, it is usually good vs cheap) hardware (chrome is cheap and wears fast, plastic loses finish and eventually breaks, while graphite and steel last forever) electronics (cheap components and wiring over quality) and craftsmanship (a guitar made by human hands will cost more than a manufactured one... usually any guitar under 500 bucks is mass-produced). Finish depends in intended material/look. Some finishes are soooo deep that scratches don't make it far and never show, and are easily filled and buffed.

Rounding out the price factor will be options: passive vs active pickups, locking bridges and tuners, one way or two way trem bars...

So yes... there is a real quality difference between a 199 guitar and a 1999 guitar.

It is generally accepted that NO ONE should buy the cheapest guitars. Novices should start in the 200-300 range. After a year or three, move up to the best guitar you can afford, especially if you intend to play in front of people for money. If you never intend to leave your room no matter how good you get, you can get buy with guitars between 300 and 800 bucks, depending. A novice usually can't appreciate a GREAT guitar. As soon as you play well enough to know the difference, one should start to seriously begin trying as many guitars as possible, to learn your preferences.

As far as cost, you are paying for a guitar that will sound better, physically play better, and require less fanatical care (although you really should be a fanatic anyway) to remain in good condition. TO keep a cheap guitar going, you have to replace some of the hardware every five or so years, depending on use. A 1000 dollar and up guitar is usually configured JUST as you want it, and will never require repairs if you care for it well.

EDIT: Kab's analogy is very good... most of us have 700 dollar guitars that will 'get us there.' And Mikey's right about Gibson acoustics. They are an example of a manufacturer that has a few pet beauties, and their acoustics ride on that reputation without living up to it.

Is a silvertone Vintage Acoustic guitar good for a beginner?

Mayb i can

I found one for sale for $25. Seems to be in good condition. I wanted to try to pick up playing guitar so I know next to nothing. I'm not looking for something to go start a band with, just to learn on and that sounds good and won't break.

Answer
ye they are fine, any guitar is perfect for starting to learn on especially one that is cheap and works properly. Just make sure to check for any major damage that would mean it doesnt work properly such as: holes in the cab ( apart from the big one its supposed to have :D ) or any evidence the neck has been badly damaged and repaired. hope this helps


my music:

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