What is the best kind of acoustic guitar for a 23 year-old woman who's been playing about a year?

Question

My mom has been letting me use her Applause to play around on, but I really want a good one that I can call my own. I play mostly country music. A little rock.

Any suggestions? I'm just starting out, so nothing too fancy-shmancy.

Answer 1

On the low end price wise you can't beat Ibenez accoustics. They have a good sound, are well made and easy to play. However, that is just a starting point when being chosen by a guitar.

Sit down and play every guitar in your price range. How does the neck feel in your hand. Can you comfortably sit down and play it? Is the sound what you want?

Low end it's pretty much small brands, Ibenez and Seagull. Most of the rest of the low end guitars are junk.
With mid-range ($500-$999) Ibenez has some compitition. Several good brands. Ibenez, Alverez, Seagull, Fender, Yamaha are some. High end guitars ($1,000 or more) there are several really good brands and being chosen by a guitar is much harder and a more personal experience. I would not recomend Ibenez however. Taylor, Martin, Alverez, Ovation are some really good high end guitars.

Things in general.
You want a steel string guitar for Rock and Country. Don't even bother with the nylon string guitars.

You want low action (action being the height of the strings above the fretboard. The lower the easier it is to play)

Watch for dead spots and buzzing on certain frets. For what your doing right now you probably won't get down past the 5th or 7th fret much. So a dead spot past there is not as big a deal and with a set up you can eaisly get it where you want it. Dead spots or string buzz above the 7th fret is a problem and you should steer clear of that guitar. Yes a setup can fix that, however it will come back. If your having that problem in the music store, the first time the guitar feels a little dry or hot the problem will come back. Excess moisture will also cause the guitar to expand imperceptably to the eye but it makes a big difference in playability if the guitar is on the edge of being out of spec.

A dead spot is a fret where a cleanly fretted note is lower in volume than the adjecent frets. String buzz is that slight buzz you get when fretting that string. It sounds alot like when you do not hold a note down hard enough. It's caused by the strings being too low on the guitar (done to give the guitar better action). It can be fixed by a setup with will raise that and possibly other strings up higher thus worsening the action. You want a guitar with good action right out the door.

Check to make sure the neck isn't warped. Easiest way to do that is to sight down the neck and look for any bowing. If a neck is bowed in the store put the guitar down and look for another. Over the years a guitar's neck sometimes will warp. If that guitar has a truss rod which few accoustics do. Then it can be corrected to an extent, but most guitars become landfill fodder, children's guitars or ornamitation when the neck starts to warp.

Love playing guitar myself. Even if I never played for another person again I'd still continue to play just for me.

Answer 2

Try a Takamine 6 or 12 string, it will last u a lifetime, if u get tired of it u can sell or trade it, good guitars hold their value. Go to a music store & try out different kinds of guitars. Some people prefer an Ovation but I found the Takamine easier to play & it is 2 totally different sounds, depends on what u like & what kind of music ur going to play, Rock?, Classical?, they all require different types of guitars. Talk to as many musicians & music shops as u can. Even consult ur teacher, try as many as u can, it can be a big investment. If ur serious buy a good guitar, if not ....well u decide, remember in 5 years it will be even more expensive. After I took lessons for a year I bought a Takamine 12 string & I was glad I did because the prices kept going up & up. Just like the ukulele that my Mom bought for me in the '60's, I still play it & it has quintupled in price. I also bought a used Takamine 6 string, It was great. If u don't want to spend the money for a new one there is always used ones, especially in the pawn shops, but take a professional w/ you to make sure it hasn't been damaged & is "straight"

Answer 3

Go for something that fits your budget. With one year of experience, you're not going to notice a substantial difference in the quality of guitars because you won't know what to look for. I would suggest anything within the $150-$250 price range at Sam Ash or Guitar Center during a blowout sale. Don't pay an arm and a leg at a mom and pop shop.

Answer 4

Depends first on your budget .
Sometimes even second hand guitars in good conditions give u excellent sound.
Things to check out which buying :
Sound
Fretboard (Check out the sound u get on each and every fret .Look out of any buzzing sound
The wood
If you want to amplify the guitar during your performances , Check out of you could get a built in equaliser on it.
I personally prefer Yamaha acoustic guitars
And also what kinda of a look you prefer cause there are different shapes available in the market .

Also.See the one would be most comfortable playing with cause is in the end of the day it would be you who be using the guitar.

Hope I managed help ya

Answer 5

A BIG BABY TAYLOR IS PERFECT.it is a 3/4 so the size will suit you perfect,and is as loud as any full size ,even most $1,000 dollar models..you are at the point where you need to have very good tone that you can train your ear to.it's going to cost in the $400 range,but you may never need another one,and if you lose intrest,you can get almost what you payed.read this to an expert at a good store and you will find that i'm giving you great advice.

Answer 6

It is a feeling. What most people like or advise may not work for you. You have to go to a store where you can feel the guitar. Has to be love at first sight. Try and you will notice that there are to many different guitars.

Answer 7

A Fender Acoustic is the best. They make some of the best around in my opinion. I have owned one for almost a year, and it is absolutely perfect. They play like a Gibson for like a 12th of the price. Definately go with a fender.

Answer 8

Well it also depends on your budget. Since you're just starting out maybe you would like to get a average priced one. You can go to a shop and ask the sales assistant which is most suitable.

Answer 9

Get a friend who know guitars to go to a guitar shop with you. Know your budget, and stay within it. (Maybe figure out which one you like and then buy it online...depending on where you live it could be a lot cheaper.)

Answer 10

www.carvin.com
good stuff. good investment