What brand of acoustic guitar would you suggest I should buy?

high quality cheap acoustic guitars image

Ted

I'm an intermediate player and I have a cheap acoustic guitar and a fender strat and I may buy a new acoustic guitar in the future. I don't really need anything fancy, I just want to know which kind suits best for an intermediate player. I want something with sort of a bright tone and that is high quality. My thoughts are ibanez, fender, taylor, and gibson guitars but I want somebody's expert opinion

Answer
Of the ones you listed, only Taylor bears consideration. Fender acoustic guitars are awful; Ibanez are better but not nearly in a class with Taylor. Gibson charges an obscene amount of money for really mediocre acoustic guitars.

Right now the best bargains to be had in intermediate acoustic guitars are Eastman guitars. They're a little hard to find but their web site has a dealer locator.

If you can spend more, get a McPherson, Goodall, Santa Cruz, or Froggy Bottom.

How much longer do good guitar strings last?

sejad_a

Hi!

I usually get the cheapest strings I find at music store for my acoustic guitar. I've been told that they lose their fresh sound quickly, relative to higher quality strings.

My question is if I spend money on good quality strings, how long would you estimate them to keep that really sexy like-new sound?

Thanks!

Answer
Strings last about 2 months. Don't fall for those gimmicky coated strings that claim to last 3x longer or whatever. The steel stretches from the tension over time. No fancy coating can prevent that. Even if you don't play it at all, strings that are kept tuned will start to lose their brilliance after about 3 months.

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What's a good acoustic guitar for an absolute beginner?

acoustic guitar beginner tuning image

? ?

My 16th birthday is coming up and I wanted to ask for a guitar and I was wondering if there were any good and affordable suggestions for a beginner.

Also, any tips and links would be appreciated. Thanks :)

*Acoustic guitar, btw, no electric.

Answer
This probably isn't what you (or the folks paying for the guitar) want to hear, but a cheap $100 guitar isn't the best choice for a beginner. Actually, it isn't a good choice for anybody. As a beginner, you don't need a fancy guitar, or one with the sweetest tone, but you do need something that won't fight against you. All those cheap guitars at Walmart and amazon.com *look* like decent guitars for a beginner but they're difficult to play and hard to keep tuned. This actually increases the probability that you'll give up trying to learn out of frustration....making the low cost guitar a total waste of money.

If you get a slightly better guitar, you'll improve your chances of success, and have a guitar you won't outgrow in a couple of months. My first choice (balancing cost and quality) would be the Yamaha FG700S: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/yamaha-fg700s-folk-acoustic-guitar
That guitar has a solid wood top for better tone and will last you a long time.
Working downward in quality, tone, and playability, consider these or other guitars by Yamaha, Ibanez, or Epiphone:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-aj-220s-acoustic-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/ibanez-sgt120-sage-series-acoustic-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/yamaha-f335-acoustic-guitar
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/epiphone-pr-150-acoustic-guitar

I've supplied links to an online retailer, but it's best if you can buy at a local music store. That way you can see and feel the guitar before buying. You may find that one is more comfortable or easy to hold than another. I realize you can't play yet, but you can have the salesperson play then to see which sounds better to you. Best of luck to you, no matter which guitar you end up with.

What is a good brand of electronic tuner for an acoustic guitar?

Emily M

Hi

I'm a beginner to guitar and am not yet good at tuning it by ear. I would like to purchase a good quality electronic tuner for my acoustic guitar but am unsure which model/brand to go for.
I would be very appreciative of any recommendations!

Thank you :)

Answer
If you're playing acoustic, I recommend you use tuning forks or pitch pipes. It's really not very hard, and it will help develop your ear. If you can memorize those 6 pitches, you've got a great leg up on being a musician instead of just some schmoe that plays the guitar.

If you insist on being lazy, get the Boss TU-12. It's a bit pricey, but it's one of the best portable tuners on the market.

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