Acoustic guitar advice (buying online today vs decision paralysis)
July 15, 2015 10:21 AM Subscribe
Amazon.ca (that's Canada) has some big discounts on acoustic guitars. As an acoustic newbie, should I take the plunge, or is purchasing one without trying it first a bad idea?
I am a one-time electric guitarist who never did any acoustic. I've been thinking of buying one, but I have no idea what separates a $300 guitar from an $800 guitar. I'm also not real familiar with the variations like electro-acoustic and the ones with smaller bodies. And the thing is, if I walk into a store and try out acoustics, I know I will be overwhelmed by the options and I have a lot of trouble making decisions when there are lots of options and they involve money. Today I could force myself into an online purchase if I felt that I was getting a somewhat better than beginner guitar at an unusually good price. For any given guitar you might recommend below, is it a decent guitar at a special price (in Canadian dollars), or more of a gimmicky markup-then-markdown thing?
I do know that I would prefer a thinner body to dreadnought(?)-style, if it wasn't a big sacrifice in resonance. If I enjoy acoustic and start playing regularly, I don't want to feel stuck with absolute entry-level stuff. It's not just for chord strumming; I've been playing classical and other finger-picked stuff on my electric for too long.
Thanks very much.
Well-discounted models between $260 and $450 CAD:
* Dean Guitars E Plus CBK Exotica Plus Solid Top Acoustic-Electric, $410
* Epiphone L-00 Acoustic-Electric, $379
* Fender SA-50 Dreadnought package, $335
* Luna Muse Dreadnought, $291
* James Neligan ASY-ACE Electro-Acoustic Auditorium Guitar, $270
* Fender Starcaster(?) package = $260
I am a one-time electric guitarist who never did any acoustic. I've been thinking of buying one, but I have no idea what separates a $300 guitar from an $800 guitar. I'm also not real familiar with the variations like electro-acoustic and the ones with smaller bodies. And the thing is, if I walk into a store and try out acoustics, I know I will be overwhelmed by the options and I have a lot of trouble making decisions when there are lots of options and they involve money. Today I could force myself into an online purchase if I felt that I was getting a somewhat better than beginner guitar at an unusually good price. For any given guitar you might recommend below, is it a decent guitar at a special price (in Canadian dollars), or more of a gimmicky markup-then-markdown thing?
I do know that I would prefer a thinner body to dreadnought(?)-style, if it wasn't a big sacrifice in resonance. If I enjoy acoustic and start playing regularly, I don't want to feel stuck with absolute entry-level stuff. It's not just for chord strumming; I've been playing classical and other finger-picked stuff on my electric for too long.
Thanks very much.
Well-discounted models between $260 and $450 CAD:
* Dean Guitars E Plus CBK Exotica Plus Solid Top Acoustic-Electric, $410
* Epiphone L-00 Acoustic-Electric, $379
* Fender SA-50 Dreadnought package, $335
* Luna Muse Dreadnought, $291
* James Neligan ASY-ACE Electro-Acoustic Auditorium Guitar, $270
* Fender Starcaster(?) package = $260
Best answer: I've never been impressed with Fender acoustics. You want a solid top, not a laminate, but it appears the Dean is already sold out. I would recommend that you forgo these sales and check out guitars in a store, just to see what size you like and to get a sense of the characteristic sound and feel of each manufacturer. Note that two guitars of the same make and model may be quite different in tone and feel. Regarding size, Premier Guitar has a good overview.
It will be overwhelming at first, but take your time and don't feel pressured to buy. You won't regret taking the time to familiarize yourself with what's available.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:40 AM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
It will be overwhelming at first, but take your time and don't feel pressured to buy. You won't regret taking the time to familiarize yourself with what's available.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 10:40 AM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Nthing that it's generally better to try an instrument in person than to buy it sight unseen online; if you buy online and wind up with an instrument that's not technically broken but needs adjustments, you're stuck paying more money to a local shop/luthier to get it into playable shape anyway... and that's not even taking into account how you like the tone or the shape of the neck.
RE: Electro-acoustics, my impression is that (at the lower end, anyway) you get a functional, built-in pickup that might have a couple of bells and whistles (tone knob/tuner) but they always sound kind of thin and flat to me (as compared to an acoustic that's amplified via an external microphone.) That would be another thing to evaluate in person, and would depend on the context you'd usually be playing in; sitting in front of a mic vs moving around on a stage, etc.
For smaller bodies you could also look into 'parlor guitars' which are so much more comfortable to play than dreadnoughts! You wouldn't necessarily be sacrificing overall 'resonance' per se, although a parlor guitar probably won't be able to compete in volume or bass response in a 1:1 comparison with a dreadnought. Again... depends on context. A parlor guitar probably wouldn't be ideal in a bluegrass ensemble, but for solo picking or recording, volume isn't necessarily top priority.
posted by usonian at 11:28 AM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
RE: Electro-acoustics, my impression is that (at the lower end, anyway) you get a functional, built-in pickup that might have a couple of bells and whistles (tone knob/tuner) but they always sound kind of thin and flat to me (as compared to an acoustic that's amplified via an external microphone.) That would be another thing to evaluate in person, and would depend on the context you'd usually be playing in; sitting in front of a mic vs moving around on a stage, etc.
For smaller bodies you could also look into 'parlor guitars' which are so much more comfortable to play than dreadnoughts! You wouldn't necessarily be sacrificing overall 'resonance' per se, although a parlor guitar probably won't be able to compete in volume or bass response in a 1:1 comparison with a dreadnought. Again... depends on context. A parlor guitar probably wouldn't be ideal in a bluegrass ensemble, but for solo picking or recording, volume isn't necessarily top priority.
posted by usonian at 11:28 AM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Even the same make and model of brand new acoustic guitar can vary quite a bit in sound from instrument to instrument. I'd rather choose one in person.
posted by w0mbat at 12:17 PM on July 15, 2015
posted by w0mbat at 12:17 PM on July 15, 2015
Best answer: If you feel you'd prefer a smaller body guitar, do not buy a dreadnought. The odds are you won't play it because it feels wrong (speaking from personal experience). Look for a small body or travel guitar. Not all of them will sound small.
When I was in the market for a new guitar I went into an independently owned guitar store and told them my budget and size preference. They picked a few guitars from different manufacturers and let me try them. They did not offer anything that was not in my price range and I didn't look around myself because I knew I would gravitate to the more expensive guitars. Once I had two good choices that I enjoyed playing, I stopped looking and focused on comparing them tone-wise. I knew there were other choices, but I wasn't looking for the one true guitar. I just needed one that was fun to play and sounded good to my ear.
posted by rakaidan at 12:18 PM on July 15, 2015
When I was in the market for a new guitar I went into an independently owned guitar store and told them my budget and size preference. They picked a few guitars from different manufacturers and let me try them. They did not offer anything that was not in my price range and I didn't look around myself because I knew I would gravitate to the more expensive guitars. Once I had two good choices that I enjoyed playing, I stopped looking and focused on comparing them tone-wise. I knew there were other choices, but I wasn't looking for the one true guitar. I just needed one that was fun to play and sounded good to my ear.
posted by rakaidan at 12:18 PM on July 15, 2015
Best answer: I've bought guitars online sight unseen and have been completely satisfied with the purchases, but I obsessively researched and had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for beforehand.
I would not base your decision on what you can buy today because it is Amazon's prime day. You might feel good with the idea that you saved money on the purchase, but that will not translate into any additional enjoyment when actually playing the thing. Having a quality instrument that is set up and ready to play will.
I would take oh pollo!'s suggestion and check out the Seagull line. If $400 bucks is your range, you can't go wrong with that brand. They are solid wood and have good components. Plus they have slightly wider nut widths which some fingerstyle players prefer. They are Canadian made too, so it's likely you could find a local store to try one out.
Also regarding electric acoustic, you need to decide what volume you need first. If you're going to be playing by yourself in your study, those wires and batteries and whatnot aren't going to do anything for you.
If you're into parlors this might be an option. I know it looks a little funny but it gets amazing reviews.
posted by greasy_skillet at 12:21 PM on July 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
I would not base your decision on what you can buy today because it is Amazon's prime day. You might feel good with the idea that you saved money on the purchase, but that will not translate into any additional enjoyment when actually playing the thing. Having a quality instrument that is set up and ready to play will.
I would take oh pollo!'s suggestion and check out the Seagull line. If $400 bucks is your range, you can't go wrong with that brand. They are solid wood and have good components. Plus they have slightly wider nut widths which some fingerstyle players prefer. They are Canadian made too, so it's likely you could find a local store to try one out.
Also regarding electric acoustic, you need to decide what volume you need first. If you're going to be playing by yourself in your study, those wires and batteries and whatnot aren't going to do anything for you.
If you're into parlors this might be an option. I know it looks a little funny but it gets amazing reviews.
posted by greasy_skillet at 12:21 PM on July 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'd look on Craigslist, eBay, or at the local Goodwill. Or post on Facebook and ask if anyone has one you can borrow for a few weeks to try it out. You don't need anything fancy to get started.
posted by amaire at 1:26 PM on July 15, 2015
posted by amaire at 1:26 PM on July 15, 2015
Best answer: The guitars you listed are ... meh.
Dean, Luna, and James Nelligan are cheap Chinese guitars. Playing quality is inconsistent, so you really need to play the guitar to see if you got a good one or not.
Fender and Epiphone are one step up from those three, but still, you should play the guitar before buying it.
Oh Pollo!'s suggestion of a Seagull Slim (Canadian link) is a great idea; Canadian owned and mostly Canadian made. Good quality for $C399
posted by blob at 2:27 PM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Dean, Luna, and James Nelligan are cheap Chinese guitars. Playing quality is inconsistent, so you really need to play the guitar to see if you got a good one or not.
Fender and Epiphone are one step up from those three, but still, you should play the guitar before buying it.
Oh Pollo!'s suggestion of a Seagull Slim (Canadian link) is a great idea; Canadian owned and mostly Canadian made. Good quality for $C399
posted by blob at 2:27 PM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have no idea what separates a $300 guitar from an $800 guitar.
Materials and quality control, IMO & E.
The general consensus is that the more solid wood an acoustic is made of, the more likely it is to sound good from the beginning, plus (especially) it will sound better with age and playing. The top of the guitar is where this applies most, which is why there are a lot of guitars out there that mention "solid top." Plus there are different quality levels of wood, both for appearance and sound, and more expensive guitars will have better tuning machines, and nut & bridge materials, and maybe some fancier inlay work. (Possibly better pickups/preamps if you get one with those built in a.k.a. "acoustic/electric.")
There are lots of good guitars (acoustic and electric) under $500 being made in Asia at the moment, but the lower in price you get, the more the quality can vary among individual guitars even from the same model & manufacturer. Cheaper guitars seem to have a much wider range of "pass" on their quality control, which means that one $300 guitar will play like butter and the next will be awful. Which means I, personally, would be leery of buying one online, unless the model was getting rave reviews all over the place, and there was a generous and easy return policy.
Well-discounted models between $260 and $450 CAD:
Not one of the guitars you listed are from brands with a current established great reputation for making acoustic guitars, so none of those strike me as screaming deals where I would buy one without playing it. (Note: just because, say, Epiphone made fantastic guitars in the 1940's doesn't mean their current offerings are all that - they're definitely better-known for their electrics.)
more of a gimmicky markup-then-markdown thing?
Well, just from doing a little U.S. online comparison shopping, it looks like you might genuinely be saving $50 - $100 compared to regular prices. But again, that's still not enough of a discount for me to look at these particular guitars and want to buy one right now.
I do know that I would prefer a thinner body to dreadnought(?)-style, if it wasn't a big sacrifice in resonance. If I enjoy [. . . .]; I've been playing classical and other finger-picked stuff on my electric for too long.
Nope, that's the clincher - you've got enough experience playing and are covering too many different styles. You need to get guitars in your hands and find a particular one that you like a lot, that you can play all these different styles on and like how they play and sound.
Pass on this Amazon sale.
And the thing is, if I walk into a store and try out acoustics, I know I will be overwhelmed by the options and I have a lot of trouble making decisions when there are lots of options and they involve money.
Well, first you set a budget. Then when you're trying out guitars in person, your options are limited to the guitars actually in the store within your budget. (DON'T play guitars outside your budget, trust me on this, just don't even take 'em off the wall.) So right off the bat you've reduced your number of choices. Then play them until you find one you like a lot. If you don't love any of them, move on to the next store. Far better for you to take your time and find a guitar that you love, because then you'll actually play it.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:52 PM on July 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Materials and quality control, IMO & E.
The general consensus is that the more solid wood an acoustic is made of, the more likely it is to sound good from the beginning, plus (especially) it will sound better with age and playing. The top of the guitar is where this applies most, which is why there are a lot of guitars out there that mention "solid top." Plus there are different quality levels of wood, both for appearance and sound, and more expensive guitars will have better tuning machines, and nut & bridge materials, and maybe some fancier inlay work. (Possibly better pickups/preamps if you get one with those built in a.k.a. "acoustic/electric.")
There are lots of good guitars (acoustic and electric) under $500 being made in Asia at the moment, but the lower in price you get, the more the quality can vary among individual guitars even from the same model & manufacturer. Cheaper guitars seem to have a much wider range of "pass" on their quality control, which means that one $300 guitar will play like butter and the next will be awful. Which means I, personally, would be leery of buying one online, unless the model was getting rave reviews all over the place, and there was a generous and easy return policy.
Well-discounted models between $260 and $450 CAD:
Not one of the guitars you listed are from brands with a current established great reputation for making acoustic guitars, so none of those strike me as screaming deals where I would buy one without playing it. (Note: just because, say, Epiphone made fantastic guitars in the 1940's doesn't mean their current offerings are all that - they're definitely better-known for their electrics.)
more of a gimmicky markup-then-markdown thing?
Well, just from doing a little U.S. online comparison shopping, it looks like you might genuinely be saving $50 - $100 compared to regular prices. But again, that's still not enough of a discount for me to look at these particular guitars and want to buy one right now.
I do know that I would prefer a thinner body to dreadnought(?)-style, if it wasn't a big sacrifice in resonance. If I enjoy [. . . .]; I've been playing classical and other finger-picked stuff on my electric for too long.
Nope, that's the clincher - you've got enough experience playing and are covering too many different styles. You need to get guitars in your hands and find a particular one that you like a lot, that you can play all these different styles on and like how they play and sound.
Pass on this Amazon sale.
And the thing is, if I walk into a store and try out acoustics, I know I will be overwhelmed by the options and I have a lot of trouble making decisions when there are lots of options and they involve money.
Well, first you set a budget. Then when you're trying out guitars in person, your options are limited to the guitars actually in the store within your budget. (DON'T play guitars outside your budget, trust me on this, just don't even take 'em off the wall.) So right off the bat you've reduced your number of choices. Then play them until you find one you like a lot. If you don't love any of them, move on to the next store. Far better for you to take your time and find a guitar that you love, because then you'll actually play it.
posted by soundguy99 at 2:52 PM on July 15, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Honestly, in that price range, given you're not a beginner player and you don't want a beginner guitar, I'd be looking more at the used market than new. You definitely want to play the guitar before buying it. I'd look around the pawn shops in your area, craigslist, etc. and try at least 4 or 5 of them out. If I were buying a particular new instrument with a reliable make/model line, then I'd consider buying off of Amazon, but I definitely wouldn't in your situation.
An acoustic/electric is simply an acoustic guitar modified with pickups that can be plugged into a sound system for amplification. Acoustic/electric guitars can be played at home without an amp just like a regular acoustic guitar, but you shouldn't get an acoustic/electric if you don't want to plug it in - that would just be wasted money out of your budget.
Also, you should consider budgeting $30-40 to take whatever guitar you purchase to a luthier to set it up for you after purchase, unless you'd feel comfortable adjusting the action and cleaning it up yourself.
posted by hootenatty at 3:14 PM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
An acoustic/electric is simply an acoustic guitar modified with pickups that can be plugged into a sound system for amplification. Acoustic/electric guitars can be played at home without an amp just like a regular acoustic guitar, but you shouldn't get an acoustic/electric if you don't want to plug it in - that would just be wasted money out of your budget.
Also, you should consider budgeting $30-40 to take whatever guitar you purchase to a luthier to set it up for you after purchase, unless you'd feel comfortable adjusting the action and cleaning it up yourself.
posted by hootenatty at 3:14 PM on July 15, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Buy one in person, absolutely.
I haven't read all the responses, but I can tell you this: a good guitar buy is going to fall into one of three price points. $100-150, $450-800, or $1200+. There's really no reason to buy anything in the $200-300 range new, excepting maybe an Ovation or low-end Guild, because guitars made to suit that window are not made for experienced players and you're not getting any more for $300 than you would for $100-150. I have had some pretty wonderful $100 guitars, and now have a pretty wonderful $700 guitar, and have played everything in between. The only people who buy guitars between $150 and about $450 are people who don't know better, because you're almost always getting a $150 guitar dressed up to appeal to new players (Alvarez does this).
On your list, the only one I think is OK is the Epiphone.
Don't rush into this. Start going to guitar stores and playing stuff. Someone above recommended Seagull; they are a fantastic starter line and underpriced, if anything - a very nice product. Low-end Martins start around $700. If you're not ready to go that high, and you're completely new to acoustic, spend around $100 on a Korean-built acoustic-electric and love the hell out of it. By the time it's a few years old, you'll know your way around acoustics better and your next acoustic purchase can be aspirational, and you won't have wasted your money.
posted by Miko at 7:33 PM on July 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
I haven't read all the responses, but I can tell you this: a good guitar buy is going to fall into one of three price points. $100-150, $450-800, or $1200+. There's really no reason to buy anything in the $200-300 range new, excepting maybe an Ovation or low-end Guild, because guitars made to suit that window are not made for experienced players and you're not getting any more for $300 than you would for $100-150. I have had some pretty wonderful $100 guitars, and now have a pretty wonderful $700 guitar, and have played everything in between. The only people who buy guitars between $150 and about $450 are people who don't know better, because you're almost always getting a $150 guitar dressed up to appeal to new players (Alvarez does this).
On your list, the only one I think is OK is the Epiphone.
Don't rush into this. Start going to guitar stores and playing stuff. Someone above recommended Seagull; they are a fantastic starter line and underpriced, if anything - a very nice product. Low-end Martins start around $700. If you're not ready to go that high, and you're completely new to acoustic, spend around $100 on a Korean-built acoustic-electric and love the hell out of it. By the time it's a few years old, you'll know your way around acoustics better and your next acoustic purchase can be aspirational, and you won't have wasted your money.
posted by Miko at 7:33 PM on July 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Furthermore, they'd likely give you a warranty of sorts or at least some deal where you get free or discounted service. And should you want to trade up, they could buy your first guitar or give you credit towards another one. It's really win-win, even if you have to pay an extra $100 up front. Plus, they may have a great selection of used guitars that are tried and true.
posted by smorgasbord at 10:39 AM on July 15, 2015