Re: Acoustic ?
By: Heliarc to Nightfox on Sat Jun 07 2014 05:00 am
Re: Acoustic ?
By: Nightfox to Heliarc on Fri Jun 06 2014 06:44 pm
:) Sometimes I feel bad for doing that, but sometimes you just have
to play one. I've never seen a musical instrument salesperson get
mad about that anyway.. Even if you are in the market for one,
sometimes it can take a while to find the one that suits you best.
Yea, I feel bad about it too. That's one of the reasons I stopped doing it. I also gave up the idea there was something out there for less money with the same sound and feel as a Martin. It's not going to happen. I recently saw a documentary on PBS on Martin quitars. With the way they are made it's impossible to duplicate them for less. The guitars are all hand made.
There are all sorts of guitars out there, don't be too shy about getting an older one, that's where to be on the look out. Don't get me wrong, Martins are great guitars, but I play a Simon and Patrick with a Solid Spruce Top I've had since the mid 90's which cost about 300 bucks at a very good deal new then (I worked in a guitar store in high school and got it there). Simon and Patricks are made in Canada, and there are actually a few guitar makers up there that give you more bang for your buck.
300 dollars has always seemed like a good budget for a decent acoustic guitar if you don't care about gizmos like electronics (can be added later if you really care) and are willing to keep a lookout and know a few things even if you can't really play it that well.
#1 - it should be a solid top guitar, meaning not laminate (plywood top). the cheapest guitars for sale will usually always be laminate. google on how to identify solid top acoustic or whatever for more info. solid top guitars age well, whereas bargain basemenet guitars get crappier and crappier sounding because they turn into dried glue.
#2 - check it out to see if it's severely busted - if it looks like it's got damage where the neck meets the body you should be worried about any weakness in the neck. if the strings look warped to the neck you should check the status of the truss rod, and as to whether it has one or what the state is. actually, you should look at the truss rod regardless. if the part of the bridge assembly that should be glued to the guitar is severly damaged, that guitar is probably a lost cause. always look inside a guitar to check it's model, but you can also shine a flashlight there and look at the braces, see if any are missing and are there any cracks. you should also check the headstock to see where guitars are made. tuners can be replaced but can be expensive, and if the headstock is damaged by the nut, i'd also be extremely wary of that guitar. anything that looks like it has been held down by a clamp and glued after it came out of the factory, as in it has been repaired that way reminds me of trouble... beware of this where the neck meets the body as well.
# 3 - hopefully it's not too busted, but most guitars you can get a deal on are busted or just out of the public eye. I got a Yamaha solid top guitar with the bag and what not brand new for 200 bucks at guitar center, and all I really had to do was sit down and play it to know it wasn't going to get better at the price at least to me. It also played nice, which makes it real easy. But here's some things to look for as far as maybe objectifying it more:
- Tone Balance : Try hitting the high E(treble) and the low E(bass) at the same time and noting the blend between the two notes. If you go from guitar to guitar doing this it is a nice way of comparing tones. This is an intrinsic quality of an acoustic guitar and comes from a variety of factors.
- Intonation / Setup / Playability : Don't just sit down at a guitar and play the songs you know how to play. Have a set of criteria and a way of checking the intonation of a guitar. If you know the notes on a guitar you can refer to them. Hopefully you have some what of an ear to notice when things are out of tune. Try different shapes of chords up and down the neck. Slide your hand down the back of the neck. Are the frets worn out? A lot of these things can be fixed, but if you have to fix a lot of them, maybe there's still a better guitar out there.
Anyhow, that's my guide to buying a good cheap acoustic guitar. I don't think it's that hard, but not as easy as buying a bad slightly cheaper acoustic guitar. Whenever I haggle at these places I know that I can't usually get less than half off of the retail price whatever it is. Don't be scared of guitars near 600 dollars, they can be had for less often times.
I don't know why I spent time writing this guide for like 10 people (tops). enjoy... i guess i needed a distraction, but whee, this was a diversion
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