need help fast - brother about to spend $500 whats the best bang for buck?.....

[TRIODEROB]

need help fast - brother about to spend $500 what best bang for buck acoustic. he is a total beginner.


this will be his first guitar.

he wants to buy one asap

thanks for the help guys!

 

[JohnSS]

In my opinon, the Guild GAD series is the best bang for the buck. Yamaha, Alvarez, Seagull and Takamine all have very good models as well in that range. New guitar companies like Parkwood are also excellent.

 

[jazzandmetal?]

There is a really nice highway one strat on ebay for 500.00 BIN

 

[catdaddy]

Lots of good guitars in that price range. I like the Seagull S6 Cedar and Epiphone Masterbilt AJ500M. Seagull is shortscale chunky neck. Epi is long scale with a slimmer neck profile. Both come in under 5 Franklin's new.

 

[TheOneOff]

Seagulls are fantastic guitars for the money and are in that price range.

 

[KCWM]

There is a really nice highway one strat on ebay for 500.00 BIN

He did say acoustic, just as an FYI.

I have an early 80s Takamine F360S, which is a solid-topped version of the Martin D-28 (which got Takamine sued by Martin for the design). It's the 2nd one that I've owned (the previous was stolen), and when I A/B'd it with some of the $2000 guitars at Guitar Center, it definitely had a sound that was comparable to, but obviously not on the same level as, those guitars.

They typically run under the $500 mark, which will allow him to get a hard shell case and the other things that allow one to care for and maintain an acoustic, depending on where they live.

 

[jazzandmetal?]

He did say acoustic, just as an FYI.

I have an early 80s Takamine F360S, which is a solid-topped version of the Martin D-28 (which got Takamine sued by Martin for the design). It's the 2nd one that I've owned (the previous was stolen), and when I A/B'd it with some of the $2000 guitars at Guitar Center, it definitely had a sound that was comparable to, but obviously not on the same level as, those guitars.

They typically run under the $500 mark, which will allow him to get a hard shell case and the other things that allow one to care for and maintain an acoustic, depending on where they live.

Oops.

 

[Popdevil]

I found this list on another guitar fourm.

1) Seagull S6 is considered as a very good guitar to start, even to continue, or performing.
2) Yamaha F-310
3) Takamine G-240, discontinued I saw, but high rated by customers and instrument for the serious student or hobbyist. There is still another Takamine (in fact there are a lot) a G-320 $289.00
4) Fender DG-7, also discontinued, but I think that the DG-8, is very close to it: $199.95 and list: $349.99
5) Epiphone DR-100 List Price: $165.00
6)Washburn D10S List Price: $429.90, and a comment that this is probably the best selling acoustic
7) Blueridge BR-40 List Price: $595.00 and can't be a bad guitar, you read more and more about BLUERIDGE
8)Ibanez AC100NT
9) Baby Taylor List Price: $398.00
10)Martin LXM List Price: $399.00

 

[TRIODEROB]

Seagulls are fantastic guitars for the money and are in that price range.

I told my brother about the SEAGULL and he may buy one here in a few days. thanks for the info guys.

:BEER

 

[kwaves99]

The Epiphone Masterbuilt guitars are incredible guitars for the $. If you have a GC nearby go and play one...you will not be disappointed.

 

[westchesterdave]

+1 Guild GAD series and +1 Epiphone Masterbuilt.

 

[aquadog]

Oh yeah on the seagull

 

[johneeeveee]

The Epiphone Masterbuilt guitars are incredible guitars for the $. If you have a GC nearby go and play one...you will not be disappointed.

I agree, and you can find a used one very inexpensively. Those Epi's are surprisingly good

For $500-$600 you can get a used Martin 00-15 that will always be a good guitar no matter how much you grow. Great guitars that I see a lot of touring pros using.

All the Canadian guitars in the Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, etc. lines can be pretty good, and great bargains.

Good luck - jv

 

[GuiltySpark]

All the Canadian guitars in the Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, etc. lines can be pretty good, and great bargains.

This has been my experience as well. I've probably owned about 10 different sub $500 guitars and I'm *mostly* content with my Simon & Patrick. It was $275 + electronics. My tech dude put a L.R. Baggs element in it that he just pulled off a Taylor, did a complete setup, tossed in a case and I was out the door for about $475. I often get compliments on tone, and I can't find anything in the store I would rather have under $2,000.

*-I said mostly content with my S&P, cause it doesn't say Taylor on it and have pretty binding

If I was looking to spend $500... I would spend $400 on a guitar and immediatly take it to a good luthier for a setup. Don't trust that Guitar Center actually took the time to do it, and most factory setups sub $1,000 are shameful. It will make all the difference in playablility and fun when starting out. He shouldn't have to fight a bad setup when learning!

 

[jzilla]

the blueridges are really nice. awesome value...

 

[brett s]

Just picked up a new Guild GAD25 yesterday, after trying a bunch of others in that same ~$500 price range. Great bang for the buck for me, I happen to like the sound of all mahogany...

Didn't care for any of the Epi Masterbilt's as much, the only others that came close were a couple of Alvarez Professional series - they also weren't all solid wood like the GAD & had plastic nuts/saddles, compared to the Guild's bone. The only place they went cheap is the bridge pins, which are plastic.