Cheap and cheerful guitars?

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Rminum

I'm looking for a new guitar, but I don't have a lot of money to spend, I'd say up to about £200.
As I haven't really had a varied collection over the past few years I've been playing(I own a CBSKY electric, Elevation electric, and a home brand called Sams guitars, acoustic.)
I prefer to play accousticaly, and I'm looking for an electro-acoustic with a bright clean tone.

Any help?

- Also, I do not want an electric guitar.

- If it also helps, I plan to use the strings, D'addario EXP coated phospher bronze.
Bright and clean tone like a Crafter FFX550 if possible :)

Answer
Andertons.co.uk is an English based guitar shop. You can look there and if not there then look at thomann.de which is German based by they ship worldwide. I always buy from Thomann and always it's good.

Anyone who knows anything about guitars... Help!! Please?

Leafpool

I really want to learn to play the guitar. My grandfather has an acoustic guitar that he says I can use to learn the basics on, but I want to find out as much as I can about guitars before getting into it. I also want to know what type of guitar is right for me. I'm thinking of going for an electric one, but then you have to buy an amp and a speaker (or a combo). =S
I'm interested in getting this guitar: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROCKBURN-VINTAGE-SERIES-BLOOD-RED-ELECTRIC-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ170274383307QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item27a524e5cb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Or possibly a pink Fender Squier.
Here's a list of questions I'd like answered, please! =3 I don't mind being given URLs, either.

1.) What type of guitar should I get? (I'm interested in nearly any kind of music, but mostly rock - is there anywhere where I could hear the differences between acoustic, electro-acoustic, base and electric? Like someone playing chords on them?)

2.) Where can I buy cheap, high-quality amps, loudspeakers, and other guitar accessories?

3.) Is there a lot of effort required to look after a guitar?

4.) Is it easy to learn?

5.) Should I get one second hand or new?

6.) What's the best place to buy a a guitar?

7.) Are most guitar amplifiers combos (loudspeakers and amplifiers) or are they mostly just normal amps, and you have to buy the speaker seperately?


Thank you!
I really don't mind if you just answer one question, or all of them, or even if you just answer with a relevant URL. I'd like to know nearly everything I can about guitars, since I'm a bit of an idiot for this stuff. DX

Answer
I'll answer a few of your questions.. I don't really the answers to all of them, but I hope this still helps you out!

1. What kind of guitar should I get? - I'd recommend starting out with a Fender Squier. That's the first guitar I ever had, and it's great to learn on.

2. Where can I buy cheap accessories? - Check out Guitar Center. They sell pretty much everything musical. Check out www.guitarcenter.com.

4. Is it easy to learn? - Yes, and no. If someone is teaching you the basics, yes. If you are trying to learn by yourself, no. Once you learn the basics of playing guitar, you could teach yourself everything from there on.

5. Should I get one second hand or new? - New, for sure. Personally I just wouldn't want to have a guitar that someone else had. But that's just me.. lol.

6. Where's the best place to buy a guitar? - Guitar Center. www.guitarcenter.com. They have everything you need.

I really hope this helps!!

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How big should a guitar be for an adult?

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Q. I'm buying a cheap acoustic guitar for my boyfriend and I've looked online and all the ones that are 36 inches say they are "Children's" guitars. How big should a guitar for an adult be?
I know nothing about guitars so any help is welcome.

Answer
I don't know what stores you are looking at, but real guitars for adults are never sold in "inches".

They are sold with no labeling at all referring to size OR they may be "3/4 size" for children.

Do NOT buy a cheap guitar from a place like Wal-Mart or Target for like, $100. They will be awful to play. They are hard to play because of the cheap construction of the neck and bridge, and they cannot be tuned.
I'm not joking. They are made so imprecisely (the location and spacing of the frets on the neck), that they will always sound out of tune.

Having played guitar as a serious hobby and in a few bands for the past 30 years, let me give you some honest advice. Expect to pay about $300, for an acoustic guitar that is at least playable, meaning the strings won't be absolute agony to hold down, it will stay in tune, and will have a pleasant sound. Anything cheaper is total frustration.

If you are looking on-line, you can look at Musicians Friend or American Musical Supply (google them, they are easy to find), and look for something in the $250to $350 price range.
I have bought from both of those on-line places before, and they have always been reliable, even buying instruments through the mail. If he is serious about playing, it is much MUCH better to go to a local music store where you can try out the guitars, because there is a lot of variation in what you'll get for your 300 bucks.

(Of course, if your budget is bigger, you'll get a BIG jump in quality if you can get into the $700 guitars, and still other big jumps at the $1200, $1600, and so on, level. Yes, good guitars really do cost that much, and with good reason).

If you have a choice, TRY to get ones with a SOLID top (not laminated). Unless the description SAYS it has a solid top, it doesn't, believe me. Next up, you want solid back and sides (again, it will say if it has this). But now you are getting up into the $700 and up range.

Brands in $300 price range that make decent instruments, that I have actually tested out, are Guild, Yamaha, Ibanez, Takamine, and Epiphone (there are others). I have NOT been pleased with Fender's acoustic guitars, so I'd stay away from them, despite their well-respected name in amplifiers and electric guitars.

The really good stuff, like Martin, Taylor, Seagull (cheaper than the other two!) are $800 - $3000.

Oh, and for historical information, my first guitar was an Ovation (I don't care for them anymore, but they do still make fine guitars). It cost $200 in 1978, so today, it would be
$750. Next was a Seagull around year 2000 that cost $600, and just recently, a BEAUTIFUL Taylor that cost about $1700.

What's a good electric-acoustic guitar brand?

loveomusic

I am starting guitar lessons this summer although i already have some experience with playing but i have a really cheap acoustic guitar that i got five years ago, and so my parents are buying me a new one. i want an acoustic for sure, but was thinking of electric acoustic because i could make it louder (i have an amp and an electric guitar at home). what are some good brands for actoustic and electric acoustic guitars?

Answer
There are tons of great brands - Gibson, Epiphone, Ibanez, Takamine, Martin, Taylor, Seagull, Breedlove, etc. But since musical instruments are very personal and there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all guitar, the best thing you could do is go to a guitar store and test drive a bunch of different ones. Each brand tends to have its own feel, so the only way to know which guitar is right for you is to handle a whole bunch of them.

I'm partial to Ibanez guitars because they've got really thin necks and low action, which makes them more comfortable for me to play (I've got small hands). They're also built like rocks, sound amazing, and nicer than many guitars that cost twice as much. My gigantic-handed brother likes Martins and Gibsons, which are beautiful instruments, but have chunky necks that are too fat for my hands.

If you want to do some research before going to the store, Musician's Friend is a great resource. You can search by brand, price or customer rating. Customers also post reviews that will give you a good idea which guitars are great and which ones have "issues" that could make them difficult to play or keep in tune. Here's are links to the acoustics and acoustic-electrics:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/acoustic-guitars
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/acoustic-electric-guitars

The most important thing is to choose a guitar that feels really comfortable and natural in your hands. One person's dream guitar is another's nightmare, so trust your instincts. The more comfortable you are with your guitar, the more you'll be inclined to play and the sooner you'll become a great player. Good luck!

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