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Guitar Purchase - Seeking Advice

post #1 of 27
12/27/09 at 6:32pm
Thread Starter 
I'm going to buy an acoustic guitar. I played fairly well twenty years ago, but career and personal crisis consumed my time and lured me away. I sold all of my gear. Now I'm curious to see if I can get back into it. I don't know what if anything I remember. Based on the advice of a friend I have started to look around. I've looked at Martin's but I'm liking the specs of the Taylor 400 series. That's about the price I'm looking to pay. I can't decide on shape/size. So far I have only been checking things out online. I'm kind of dreading being embarrassed at a guitar shop because I would like a decent guitar, but I'm sure that my skills have all but disappeared. Any advice?
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post #2 of 27
12/27/09 at 6:53pm
Martin and Taylor guitars are very nice, but you may end up paying for the name a bit as well. You may just be as happy buying a $100 cheapie from musicians friend until you know that you are going to get back into it, or borrow but that is the cheapo student in me talking.
A Taylor 400 series, man I can only think about buying one of those some day. It will be a gorgeous guitar and play immaculately, and the resale on those I'm sure is pretty good. Some of the smaller builders may catch your eye if you go check out a store; I have a Breedlove which I love and it was a good chunk less than a comparable Taylor, from what I remember.

I wouldn't worry about the guys at a store too much, I am sure they have a hundred guys come through and try to hack their way through "Stairway" everyday, and everyone has to start somewhere. I bet you will be surprised how resilient muscle memory really is.
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post #3 of 27
12/27/09 at 7:07pm
It's really hard to go wrong with either. I have a Martin Dreadnought and a Big Baby Taylor and they both sound gorgeous; I'd imagine the 400 series would sound even better than the Big Baby too. The Martin is deeper and richer but you do pay for it however, the Martin is the kind of guitar you buy once and don't look back. If you'd prefer something cheaper to get you back in to things, the mid-range Gibson Epiphone's are nice. Great sound, great size, and decently priced. I bought mine about ten years ago and it's been been playing perfectly since.

The best thing you can do really, is just go down to your local music store to see which you like best. The sales people will understand you're trying to start playing again so you don't have to be embarrassed about anything.
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post #4 of 27
12/27/09 at 7:35pm
In addition to Martin and Taylor I like the ones made by Larrivee. Here is a link to their site: Larrivee Guitar Company > Instruments > Acoustics
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post #5 of 27
12/27/09 at 8:29pm
A friend of mine has the entry level Taylor and its always impressed me with its tone, projection and playability. Its medium sized which makes its quite comfortable as well.
There's many brands making affordable great acoustic guitars, Guild, L'arrivee, Seagull, Takamine and Yamaha to name a few along with Martin and Taylor.
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post #6 of 27
12/28/09 at 2:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by smrtby123 View Post
Martin and Taylor guitars are very nice, but you may end up paying for the name a bit as well. You may just be as happy buying a $100 cheapie from musicians friend until you know that you are going to get back into it, or borrow but that is the cheapo student in me talking.
A Taylor 400 series, man I can only think about buying one of those some day. It will be a gorgeous guitar and play immaculately, and the resale on those I'm sure is pretty good. Some of the smaller builders may catch your eye if you go check out a store; I have a Breedlove which I love and it was a good chunk less than a comparable Taylor, from what I remember.

I wouldn't worry about the guys at a store too much, I am sure they have a hundred guys come through and try to hack their way through "Stairway" everyday, and everyone has to start somewhere. I bet you will be surprised how resilient muscle memory really is.
Thanks for the advice...I'm definitely in need of it. I didn't know about the "Musician's Friend" website. I found it and have browsed around. What is the deal with buying from them. The prices are a good deal less than I have seen elsewhere. I read their guarantee. They don't sell knock-offs or seconds or anything like that do they?
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post #7 of 27
12/28/09 at 3:26pm
You'll be safe buying from Musician's Friend, pretty much as safe as buying from Guitar Center. They do sell B-stock though, but they're clearly listed on the site.
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post #8 of 27
12/28/09 at 5:08pm
Washburn is a good buy if you dont want to spend too much. Even their guitars under $300-500 are like some companies $1000 guitars. I find Martin guitars a little dull sounding.
I like louder guitars. Taylor is nice. Guitars are such a personal preference though.
Look inside with a dental mirror and check the braces and where the nails and glue are and make sure the guitar you buy is made well, and also check the neck to see if its straight and the warranty information.
Guitar Center has temperature controlled rooms for their guitars, which is nice.
Try to get one in the box if you can, rather than one every customer has demoed off the floor.
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post #9 of 27
12/28/09 at 5:10pm
Ok i just checked out the Taylor 400 series and theyre like $1700 price range. I didnt know you were spending that much. Im sure youll be happy with anything in that range you choose.
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post #10 of 27
12/28/09 at 5:27pm
Acoustic instruments vary quite a bit between samples of the same brand and model, and for other reasons like finding the neck radius which is most agreeable to your hand, I would recommend that you get to play the guitar you want to buy in-store. When buying my classical guitar, different samples of the same Takamine I bought had different sounds and sustain character.
US shops do have nice return policies so perhaps you can still return the guitar back to online stores after a month trial period at home. You should also get the guitar setup with good strings and playable action, even the high end guitars can use a little adjustment.

On the budget side, Ibanez makes very decent guitars for little money.
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post #11 of 27
12/28/09 at 8:10pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drag0n View Post
Washburn is a good buy if you dont want to spend too much. Even their guitars under $300-500 are like some companies $1000 guitars. I find Martin guitars a little dull sounding.
I like louder guitars. Taylor is nice. Guitars are such a personal preference though.
Look inside with a dental mirror and check the braces and where the nails and glue are and make sure the guitar you buy is made well, and also check the neck to see if its straight and the warranty information.
Guitar Center has temperature controlled rooms for their guitars, which is nice.
Try to get one in the box if you can, rather than one every customer has demoed off the floor.
I plan to go to a local store to "audition" some guitars, but I am wondering if it's smart to buy from Musician's Friend" or "Guitar Center." Are they safe and ship new guitars (not used (unless designated), not returns, not B-Stock (unless designated), not chinese knock-offs etc.), I would prefer to buy online as the prices are significantly better with no tax (I would have to pay tax for Guitar Center). Have any of you done this before?
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post #12 of 27
12/28/09 at 10:26pm
I was hoping a thread like this would be started, I don't know a lot about acoustics so don't know the right questions to ask.
I was also looking for an electric, and wanted a BC Rich. Then my friend told me they aren't great, but I was more interested in the body of the guitar, but THEN I read those aren't made out of good materials either...alternatives?
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post #13 of 27
12/28/09 at 11:19pm
ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS ARCHIVE | 300,000+ Guitar Tabs, Bass Tabs, Chords and Guitar Pro Tabs!

Might help
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post #14 of 27
12/29/09 at 12:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by P4Z View Post
I was hoping a thread like this would be started, I don't know a lot about acoustics so don't know the right questions to ask.
I was also looking for an electric, and wanted a BC Rich. Then my friend told me they aren't great, but I was more interested in the body of the guitar, but THEN I read those aren't made out of good materials either...alternatives?
What kind of music do you want to play?
I'm partial to my US Fender Strat but it has its place.
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post #15 of 27
12/29/09 at 12:45am
I started to play my Stepmothers guitar in 1976. There have been many guitars in my life and many friends with guitars. First remember Taylors are better for live room playing and Martins are better for recording. The most important thing is how you feel when you play the guitar and if it feels musical. Taylors are loud and bright Martins are deep and darker. I own a Martin that I love. The most important thing is to play a lot of stuff to come to terms with what you like and want. My hands are small so I like a smaller neck. Some guitars are big and not as easy to hold on to. The tone is just like headphones, some have bass some are high pitched. All are different.
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