Need help in choosing an acoustic guitar please!

DarkShadow

DarkShadow

DarkShadow

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I've read through the sticky and I've done fair bit of research around the web.

I was unsure if I wanted an electric or acoustic, so I weighed out the differences and I've come to the conclusion that I want the acoustic a lot more. Who knows, if I enjoy and master this I'll most likely get an electric too!

Now with it being my first guitar I don't want to spend too much, just to get the ball rolling i.e so I can practice to a stage where I'd want to upgrade. I'm looking to spend around the £100 mark. However some go slightly over that. The key is bang per buck here!

Here's my short list that I've researched about:

Washburn D10SB - £117 Delivered
Amongst a favourite at the moment. I've read many positive reviews and it was awarded the best guitar in up to $500 in an American magazine. It also looks the business in black!
*Image*

Vintage V300/V400 - £85/89 Delivered
The award winning V300 which was voted a best buy under £1,000 by guitar magazine. This is the cheapest I've found it for delivered and it's definitely the most tempting at its price! It's available in black for the V400 model! I spoke to a chap over at Regents (Guitars.co.uk) and he personally recommend this over all of my short-list.

Edit: I found the blue V400 online for a whopping £77 delivered! So that's even better! :eek:
*Image*

Yamaha FG720S - £155 Delivered
The most expensive one out of the bunch, but is it really worth it?
*Image*

There are a couple of Ibanez' & Fender's that have also decent reviews but these stood out.

Now the question is, do I go for the Vintage which apparently the best value for money? All 3 in my short-list come in black which look pretty damn nice but the Value is far more important.

I'd appreciate any advice/comments from the experts as I have VERY limited knowledge.

Thanks :)
 
I've not had any experience with any of those guitars.

If you are serious about a guitar, I'd certainly go along to a shop and see if they have any, you won't know if the guitar is any good till you play it.

The cheaper option will be the best option though, seems a good price, but you can't go far wrong with a first guitar at all, aslong as it sounds reasonable and has an OK action it will be ok.

It's a much better idea than to start expensive,
 
I have a Yamaha FGX20SC which I think is along similar lines but with a cutaway and electrics (retails for around £240 iirc) The build quality is absolutely astonishing for the price, and it has a very full sound. If you want a decent beginners guitar that doesn't feel or sound cheap then Yamaha would be my first recommendation.

I've also owned a Vintage in the past and it was ok for the price but sounded tinny and quiet in comparison, not sure the model number sorry.
 
Today after my exam, I went to Sound Control (soundcontrol.co.uk) and I spent a solid 60-90 mins in there just sitting and strumming guitars. I tried the Washburn D10SB, Yamaha FG720S and a few high end models such as Taylor as a yardstick for comparison.

I instantly fell in the love with the sound of the Yamaha. The sound was about on par with models that were 2-3 times the price! I did find the Yamaha rather large though, infact it was rather overwhelming after a while. I'm assuming I'll adjust to this over time, I may have just been holding it incorrectly :o

The chap in the store told me if I were to buy one, I should purchase the one off the shelf. I told him I'd much prefer the black version. I spoke to one of the exp's in-house and he said that whilst the sound difference maybe negligible it won't be much different as they agreed to set it up for me. They wanted £230 for the black model which is £75 more than GAK! Anyhow I got them to lower it to £160 which is worth it imo as less the delivery cost, it isn't much . . . As they're willing to set it up for me :)

Now after a bit of research I see the FG730S is a further £25. It has the back and sides made from Rosewood as opposed to Nato in the 720. Also the 730 has a better neck binding along with a tortoise shell scratch plate. Now the problem is SC don't stock it but I'll be seeing them tomorrow to see if they can get one from their suppliers, if so that's great. The only other niggle I have is the FG 720S looks stunning in black, the 730's only have sunburst and natural. Am I just being superficial?

I've seem to gone over my budget by a bit but it makes sense.

Would appreciate any further advice :)
 
dark_shadow said:
Am I just being superficial?
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Yes and no :)

There are a lot of guitars out there that simply aren't worth the extra money based purely on technical specs alone, however it's important that you buy an instrument that you look forward to playing.

By way of an example, I want one of these

http://www.guitarampkeyboard.com/en/fender-stratocaster/975

and would happily pay the £80 for the 3 colour sunburst knowing that it would sound exactly the same :) of course my wife would have something to say about me spending that much in the first place :(

Glad you like the Yamaha, the sound can't be beaten for the price IMO, that said, some Tanglewoods out there are very nice :)

Actually, sod that, I'd just buy it from here:

http://www.imuso.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?StockCode=EG00385

But you get the idea :D ...Dammit man, you got me browsing!
 
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Get the wife occupied on GW and sneak it past her. Result all round :D

I went in again today and asked for the FG730S I was told that I'd have to wait 5 weeks due to a shortage and when he called Yamaha there were only a couple left at Yamaha or something :confused:

The guy there said it was rather strange and it maybe possible that a new range may be due. Are there any rumours regarding this?

I also had a good play with the Epiphone and the fret buzz on that was nasty! The sound wasn't even near the Yamaha :( That said I might try another SC shop to try their EJ200 as the black one looks quality albeit being laminate.

Is it worth the wait for the FG730S?

Waiting 5 weeks is rather steep, so I may just go for the FG720G as it feels right. Have you guys managed to have any freebies thrown in?
 
Seen the F370 for £95 delivered. I think the FG720S would be a keeper though, it's something I can see myself keeping for a while, definitely longer than a an F3xx. I thought about it thoroughly and it makes sense to spend a little extra.

Tomorrow morning I'm placing an order in store around 9am (just before work). I'm set to buy the black FG720S if they price match the new price I've found. Once tuned properly with the same strings as the display model, they should sound similar . . . right? I'm not expecting the exact same but similar.

I'm going to have one last play with everything though :)

I'm also taking a friend but I'll definitely go with whatever my heart is set on :D
 
If you (or whoever) is a beginner, just go and buy one of the first you see, anything that can make a sound basically that won't break the bank but nothing below £100 generally as they tend to be too poor to bother with. Then learn/play, it's not going to matter too much what you learn on, you can always upgrade when you've learnt to know the sound of something good.
 
I've been in and placed my order :cool:

I found a place that had for £136 inc google checkouts only in natural colour but the manager of store couldn't authorise that price. They said that they would have to contact the area manager and get authorisation. He then told me straight up, he said with buying off the web would be hassle which is true if anything was to go wrong, he carried on talking about how I've been in 3 times to get advice and sit and play as opposed to the web I'd be stuck with whatever I buy. I was also told I could pop in any time to get if I had any problems, I would be guaranteed a fresh product from Yamaha that will be checked by the store and tuned for whilst I'm there and I will also receive after service should anything go wrong. I felt a little embarrassed as he was right. I whipped out my debit card and placed an order for £155 :)

Roll on black Yamaha FG720S :D

What extras should I pickup? Any recommended strings (Do I even need to consider strings?) also how often should they be changed? Size of Picks? Type of stand? etc

Cheers :)
 
Congrats :)

It's possible that when the guitar arrives the strings might be a bit cacky (or more likely a little dull sounding, some people like this) especially if the guitar has been sitting around in a warehouse for a long time, but for the time being it should't need any new strings, as you won't be that picky (yet).

Try and buy a selection of different picks, it's generally thought that thinner picks are easier for heavy strumming - as there's less resistance on the strings, whereas thicker picks are easier for playing single notes - as there's less flex then you get a more immediate sound from the string.

There are specific stands for acoustic guitars, as they obviously usually have a larger body, just buy the most expensive you can realistically justify, as a cheapo stand can send you lovely new guitar straight to dink-city if you happen to bump into it one day.

Make sure you get a guitar tuner too, as no matter how well you play, if you're not in tune, you'll sound like ass. :D Are you teaching yourself?
 
Agreed on everything Andelusion says, but I'd stress that thin picks are your friend for accoustic guitar, especially if you're new to the instrument. It took me ages before I was comfortable using heavy picks, even on my electrics.


As for strings, D'Addario are generally a good brand who you can't go wrong with. You'll probably want to experiment with different brands and gauges as time passes, since they all affect your playing (more your technique than the tone, I'd say, but of course your technique in turn changes your tone). I use D'Addario Phosphor Bronze gauge 10 strings on my accoustic, but I've got tendonitis, so I use lighter than average strings (adding that in before the 'you're not a man if you don't use 12s' brigade comes in). Guage 12 tend to be 'standard', I think; lighter gauges are easier to play, whereas the heavier ones are conventionally thought of as giving you a better tone. It's important to remember though that tone isn't worth anything if you can't fret the notes, so I'd be inclined to stick with 11s or 12s. Just experiment, find what works for you. :)



Either way, good luck, have fun, and go play some kickass music. :p





Oh, and before I forget, strings need to be changed whenever they become dull (both in sound and appearance) and look like they're corroding. That can take anywhere from a few hours to a few months, but most people change their strings every couple of months. Mine has had the same strings for an embarassingly long time, something like 6 months plus. :o
 
On the subject of strings, I'd seriously recommend you raid your mum's cleany up cupboard (if she'll let you near it, women etc etc :D ) to steal a duster.

After you play, rub the strings from top to bottom with the duster, this'll get all the grease, sweat and crud off the strings (well the top of them anyway, I actually hold each string and run it top to bottom so that the underneath is cleaner, but be careful not to snap your strings doing this, and you may have to retune later) I guarantee this'll keep your strings feeling new for a hell of a lot longer.
 
Mr Spew said:
If you (or whoever) is a beginner, just go and buy one of the first you see, anything that can make a sound basically that won't break the bank but nothing below £100 generally as they tend to be too poor to bother with. Then learn/play, it's not going to matter too much what you learn on, you can always upgrade when you've learnt to know the sound of something good.
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That's an awful idea, you should always get the greatest sounding and easiest playing guitar no matter how much it costs, otherwise you are just wasting your money.

Those Yamahas are decent guitars, as for strings D'Addarios are good, if want to play happy music Elixirs are good as well, got a really bright sound.
 
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Mr Spew said:
it's not going to matter too much what you learn on, you can always upgrade when you've learnt to know the sound of something good.
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I'd say it's pretty vital to get something decent to learn on, after all learning guitar can be daunting to anyone new and a dodgy guitar will only ever make matters worse, the most important thing to consider with a learner guitar is how comfortable the neck feels to you IMO.
 
Great advice guys.

Yes I'll be teaching myself but I'll be round to some mates to play together and be taught every other week. It should be a nice balanced mix :)

The guy at the store also recommended some D'Addario strings. Regarding the tuners available for £10/15 which model should I go for? I have absolutely no idea!

I'll be ordering from strings direct online and visiting SC again, so a cheap budget based tuner from these links would be rather useful:

1) http://www.stringsdirect.co.uk/Catalogue/default.aspx?categoryId=65

2) http://www.soundcontrol.co.uk/mod_1/pages/mod_1.12/pages/mod_1.12.1//pages/index.php

I've also heard there's software available online that just uses a mic, anyone care to shed more light?

I'll be buying a range of different picks and an 'A' Stand made by either Stagg or Warwick.

Andelusion, I 've sent you a couple of msn offline messages and an email, had no reply you nub :mad: :(
 
Around that price, tuners (in my limited experience) are all much of a muchness tbh. Just get a chromatic one with a nice bright display (oh, and an internal mic, very important!), and you'll be all right. :)
 
For tuners I have a Seiko SAT100, cost me a tenner and it's alright, I can't see what more expensive tuners are going to be better for when you are home.

It has a mic, 1/4" input and output and it does bass as well so its all good. :)
 
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Hello there.. Not to hijack your thread but I am looking to pick up the same guitar and I was wondering if you could suggest a place in London where I could pick it up? thank you :)
 
Had a call today and collected it earlier. Words cannot describe how much I'm in love with it. It looks and sounds bloody awesome.

The guys at SC are brilliant! The chap in store took off an A stand off display and gave it me free. Also gave me different Jim Dunlop plecs to get started, I picked some more after buying a Boss tuner for £15. I'm really chuffed :cool:

Pics to follow tomorrow :)

Has anyone got any recommendations for website resources for complete new learners or recommended books?

Tornado, check out Sound controls website for a local store. I'm seriously impressed with their service. Don't forget to ask for a price match!
 
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