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Sorry this isn't exactly related to building.... does anyone have any good suggestions for someone buying a first acoustic? Probably $200-$300 range but maybe up to $400. This is for a friend and I figured if there are any gems out there I don't know about that maybe you all would.
Thanks!

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

I would look at Cort and Blueridge. They both offer $200-$400 guitars with solid tops, some with all solid woods. The Blueridge guitars tend to have a bit more flash if that matters!

Louis

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- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

I've had a chance to look at the Sigma, Washburn, Alvarez and Seagull entry level guitars about 4 years ago when buying my nephew his first guitar. The only one I didn't especially care for was the Seagull. Any of the other 3 would be acceptable for a first guitar. I played a Sigma for lots of years when I was in college and it served me well but went with an inexpensive Washburn for my nephew. To me a solid top was not really a major consideration as I've seen too many people get a guitar and give up after the new wears off. The main thing with any entry level guitar is make sure it gets a good setup.    

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Don Atwood
Arlington, VA

Blueridge, from Saga, is an excellent bargain. They have a 14 fret neck OOO (OM if you wish) that has a laminated mahogany body with a solid top. Sounds and looks great at it's price point. For a bit more, you can get it with EIR. I have obtained a half dozen over the past several years for "budding" guitarists and they all are still in play.

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Hank Mauel

The Epiphone Masterbuilt guitars are a litle more than you want to spend bit offer a good value.

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Wisdom is justified by her children

EDIT:

I have glasses, I guess I should use them

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Wisdom is justified by her children

here in canada the parent company of seagull also has a brand called 'simon and patrick.' often made with a cedar top and wild cherry back and sides, they can be a great bargain. don't know if they're available in the usa.
a few weeks ago i played a few alvarez's and was impressed by the bang for the buck.
what you need to do with all the guitars in this price range is play as many as you can. if a music store has 10, chances are that one will stand out from the crowd, most will be okay, and one or two might be real stinkers. so if there's just one or two hanging on the wall, make sure you ask if there are any more in boxes in the back, and don't feel bad about asking to play through them. when i've gone on shopping trips with young guitarists, even they can hear the difference in the good ones just by strumming the same three chords over and over on each instrument.
phil

I've got a seagull s6+.  Got it off eBay a couple of years ago.  been in the same room with my other guitars, however acts over humidified.   Others are ok.

Nees a neck reset; strings only 1/4" above the sounboard at the bridge area.  the saddle was  already low when I got it.   No only just enough to raise above the bridge shows. 

I know, I know, I need to reset the neck, but since this is a thread about cheap guitars, I'd advise to get something that's built in your type of climate.  It must have been built in the winter with no humididifer is what it acts like.

Good luch in your quest, but stay cloes to home if possible.

Dave Wilkins

Flower Mound Tx

As mentioned Cort, Alvarez & Blueridge are all good value as is the Durango, however the Durangos we've had through the store have been a bit inconsistant - had to send a few back. Another line that is new & seems to be good bang for the buck are the Revival guitars. The company that is importing them is made up of ex-Saga (Blueridge & Durango) and ex-Music Link (Johnson, AXL, Loar, Recording King) employees.
For the 3/4 size the best ones I've been able to find are Olympia, Tacoma's import line. OP2 parlor shape, OC2 nylon strung, OD2 dreadnought shape. These play in tune all the way up the neck, stay in tune & usually require minimal set up. Several adults have bought them to use as travel guitars.

If you like Taylor's tone (I do), the Big Baby is a fantastic small guitar. It's downright plain (no binding, laminated sapele back/sides, neck screwed on with visible big old screws through 15th fret), but all the ones I've tried sound great and play great.

Ibanez Artwood series seem to be a real bang for the buck. I got a dred for my son and installed a K and K for him. It was 215 two christmases ago.

Then my sister had me get one for her grdaughter. That one was an OM shape, really nice too. 235 for that one.

They have solid spruce tops, and have filled the bill. It's amazing what's coming out of China these days.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I am a fan of Cort for the price. All of the ones that I play in the music store sound better than the Martins hanging on the next wall! They play easy as well!

Shane

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Canada

Thanks for the tips everyone - I had not heard of a couple of the above mentioned guitars so this should help in the selection process. My everyday guitar is a Epiphone Masterbuilt and I really like the sound... nothing really came close to being comparable in Guitar Center for the $500 range. Before that I had an Art and Lutherie (Wild Cherry) and it was pretty good for being a $200 guitar - action was terrible and I didn't know any better for the first couple years.... still ok though.

Thanks again for the tips!

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Chris,

Art and Lutherie, Simon and Patrick and Seagull are all Godin products built in Quebec. They are decent entry level guitars but you need to find a decent one, most that I have seen have been built alright but the action really needed to be adjusted. The Cort's were just nice right out of the box! I wish I had bought one of them instead of my Alverez Artist series, but then I wouldn't have embarked down the hand built road! A reason for everything they say!

Shane

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Canada

The new A&L and S&P guitars have this nasty neck joint Godin came out with. I used to recommend them, but can't anymore. They bolt-on and glue the necks, and the joint feels like it weighs ten pounds.

My main guitar is a Blueridge, as is that of my music partner. If you play a few, you can easily find one that'll compare favorably to most Martins. Heck, it's the same guitar built 2000 miles away. I have a solid-mahogany sided OOO, his is a laminated side instrument. Funny thing: his is one of the very best production acoustics I've ever heard, a fantastic sounding and playing guitar.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

If for a older teen or adult any of the Alvarez professinal series are a good by. All solid wood fro about $350-450. A Big Baby Taylor is not a bad deal.

I've been hearing a lot of good stuff about Blueridge too. They could tone down the headstock a bit for my tastes.

The term entry-level should probably be defined. Probably depends on the old pocketbook.

I had a Seagull S6Folk with a cedar top. It was a good guitar, got it used for under $300, a guitar store trade-in. cherry lam b and sides, no pickguard. But it was somewhat of a sleeper. How can a neck joint weigh ten pounds?

Kind of reminded me of that NT neck video Bob Taylor put out. He had all the little pieces laying out and talked about the differences of the NT and previous neck joints. The devil's in the details for sure. I love Taylor's neck joint and would love to have mine set up very similar. I have dovetail's all over the shop though.....   

I dropped in on an old friend. He didn't know I even built guitars. Was doing some business in Branson and had someone up there build an LMI kit for him, a dred EIR sitka. I nearly lost my lunch looking at his guitar.

It was definitely an entry level guitar. He paid $500 for labor and the kit cost him that much as well. Oh my. The heel had 1/16 inch of air under the back of the neck join. The fretboard had a shim from the 14th to the end, oh, how unsightly. The bridge, yep 1/8th inch shim under it too. The finish, it was pore. And it was poor. It did have a nice set of Schaller's, they were very nice. So, I guess we need to define entry-level, that's my point.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

[QUOTE=Bruce Dickey] I've been hearing a lot of good stuff about Blueridge too. They could tone down the headstock a bit for my tastes.[/QUOTE]

I like to call it 'thinlay' because it's not inlay at all, it's pearl veneer that's been finished over. Take a close look next time you see one, at a bit of an angle. I'd also prefer they left it out, but I guess it sells guitars.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services