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Post subject: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 7:51 am
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Hi. Sorry for the off-topic post (i.e., non-Fender), but my 12-y-o daughter want an acoustic guitar to add to the electric Squier she's been playing for a few years. It's been ages since I've bought or priced an acoustic.
Any recommendations for companies making decent acoustics for under $200?
Thank you, really appreciate it. Just want to get her something she'll be happy with.
SB


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 8:27 am
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Steel string or nylon string (classical)?

In the lower price ranges, I would say that Yamaha (for steel) and Ibanez (for nylon) give you a lot of guitar for the money.

And check out used ones too. Being 12, she probably doesn't want anything with scratches, but you can find some pretty pristine used guitars too, "used" by people who never played it.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:24 am
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+1 on the used acoustic. You can get a more expensive i.e. better guitar for your 200 dollars. For new the Fender CD-60 with case is a decent starter guitar and Yamaha has some good ones also in the 200 or less price range


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 11:56 am
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Ditto on every thing above, don't forget to think about size as well. You should be able to pick up a Yamaha on ebay w/ case around $100-150, it may need a little adjustment sanding at the bridge to lower the string height/action. They all seem to be pretty high stock.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:43 pm
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Gretsch Jim Dandy. GC has them listed for $169. The GC in Arlington Heights had one on sale for $129. A basic parlor guitar. I played the one at GC and it plays, lol.

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 4:57 pm
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Yep and yep on the previous suggestions. Try to compare your choice amongst several of the same guitar. They are sure to play and sound differently even if minor, and it's a personal vibe even if mass produced.

I too would keep an open opinion on a good used acoustic. Sometimes you'll find a gem. What to have? A new good looking less than satisfactory guitar or a good playing and good sounding one without the new price tag? You'll find plenty of great examples throughout this Forum. Although not in the exact same priceline category, I would not turn down Willie's Trigger with the worn down hole that accompanies it. Besides, you can't see a blemished guitar in a recording, but you sure can hear it whether on the recording or on stage. For a minor blem a simple cool sticker with character may suffice or . . . Still new is fine if it fits the bill. In the end it comes down to how it fits your playing style and your ears. IMHO :wink:
Enjoy your search. There's an acoustic out there looking for a good home.

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 5:05 pm
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My nephew has one of these and I've played it - very decent!
Maybe you can find a used model for less?

https://www.amazon.com/Fender-Classical ... +classical

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sat Jul 30, 2016 5:31 pm
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Solid Body Love Songs wrote:
Gretsch Jim Dandy. GC has them listed for $169. The GC in Arlington Heights had one on sale for $129. A basic parlor guitar. I played the one at GC and it plays, lol.

I forgot about those, would be a jim dandy choice! Pun intended. At that price I might go get one myself.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2016 7:07 am
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Jim Dandy to the rescue
Go Jim Dandy
Go Jim Dandy

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 10:22 am
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Like everyone will tell you, Yamaha just knows how to make great sounding guitars at whatever price point, probably can't go wrong. I've played Yamahas that cost more or around $200 and I'd be happy enough with.

That said, last year GC was having a great sale on the Ibanez Artwood series guitars. I got the Grand Concert body one which was still a little more than $200 on sale, but I love it. They also make a dreadnought body that sells everywhere for $199. Both have solid mahogany tops and mahogany ply sides and back. I think they sound really nice for a low end guitar.

Regarding the new crop of sub-$200 parlor guitars, they're cute and cool and kind of fun, but I wouldn't give one as someone's only acoustic... just me... and I'm a real enthusiast! While I was debating whether to get the Jim Dandy or the Recording King, my girlfriend bought me a beat to crap old Stella for $20 and I got it playing... I guess what I'm trying to say is that a crappy guitar can be lots of fun and be made to make good music, but it's always going to be a crappy guitar. If someone doesn't get into the challenge of making music from a crappy guitar, a generally better quality low end guitar will be more flexible.

All guitars bring happiness! :)

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2016 11:04 pm
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You can do worse than a Yamaha, Alvarez, Ibanez or Fender. None of these brands are the same guitars as the ones their reputations were built upon but still pretty good. Every single one of them have changed contracting sources numerous times for their starter class acoustics and the shops building them now know they have to deliver a good value or they will lose the contract to another shop. Any of those brands would be a safe buy in the starter area right now. I might consider a little extra money for a step up to at least an acoustic electric because if she keeps progressing eventually she will probably want one and you will just have to do the same thing over again. An acoustic electric is frequently easier to sell used and brings more since it is more versatile and more in demand today. I would take her to a big guitar super store and have her play every acoustic in there and let her pick someone in the price range. Buying a guitar for someone else without their input is like buying shoes for them without letting them try the shoes on.

Specific models I am familiar with include the Yamaha FG800 Folk Acoustic which comes in three color choices. As pointed out Yamaha has been making very decent low priced acoustic guitars for nearly 60 years, but now so do others like Alvarez which has been doing well at the under $200 price point for nearly as long, Ibanez as mentioned by others and Fender which is more late to the party but is now making some surprisingly easy to play decent acoustics in the intro level.

Let's face it at this price point you are not getting something that sounds as sweet as a vintage Martin or as loud as a Gibson Hummingbird but the sub $200 Yamaha, Alvarez, Ibanez and Fender acoustics seem to hold up due laminate construction and few complain that they are hard to play. Being harder to play is the most frequent complaint about an acoustic when switching from electric to acoustic, so you will absolutely want an easy playing acoustic.

The Alvarez line is often completely overlooked when novices go shopping because the general non-playing public has either not heard of Alvarez, or even worse they confuse Alvarez with Ibanez. However Alvarez with nearly no marketing whatsoever has steadily been gaining ground with professional players for their entire fifty plus year history. Joe Bonamassa, Johnny Cash, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jerry Garcia, Sir Paul McCartney, Josh Turner, Monte Montgomery, Carlos Santana, Bob Weir and even current Fender VP Bono have at one time or another been known to favor one or more Alvarez brand acoustics. That is a very diverse group of pickers! At a Grateful Dead show frequently the only acoustics you saw were Alvarez acoustics. So be sure to also check out the Alvarez Regent Series Dreadnought Cutaway Acoustic-Electric Guitar which is in your price range at just under $200. I would never hesitate to recommend today's Fender, Yamaha or Alvarez acoustics. Ibanez also is recommended if you can find something in the Artwood series she likes as those are often sub $200.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 3:42 am
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all good points added. lots of very playable good sounding guitars for around 200 bucks these days.

I would re-state to look used if you can be patient.

you can find yourself a pretty killer deal since often times people are offing for half of what they paid.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 8:15 am
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Also, since this is for a 12 year old, consider how hard it will be to play.
If she is going to primarily play chords with a pick, a steel string with a narrower and rounded fingerboard will be easier.
If she is going to primarily play solo and finger style, nylon strings are far less hard on young fingers. It can still hurt plenty, but not the way that only a steel string acoustic can.

I'd even consider a 3/4 size guitar to get the scale down, and the pain factor lowered.


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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2016 1:16 pm
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Regarding playability, I've notice that pretty much all the entry level guitars come with really high action -- maybe to ensure there is not fret buzz? Sanding down the bottom of the bridge is really a piece of cake to better setup your new guitar and make it easier to play. Can make a world of difference!

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Post subject: Re: Acoustics for under $200?
Posted: Wed Aug 03, 2016 8:41 am
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mh2000 wrote:
Regarding playability, I've notice that pretty much all the entry level guitars come with really high action -- maybe to ensure there is not fret buzz? Sanding down the bottom of the bridge is really a piece of cake to better setup your new guitar and make it easier to play. Can make a world of difference!


I think the action is generally high because you can always file down the bridge and nut to get lower action, but raising the action takes more effort. Starting with a low action might mean fewer sales to those who want a high action.

And yes, filing down the bridge can be good, but care has to be taken that it matches the slot. For an older guitar, the slot might be slightly warped, and then you have to match the warp. For a new guitar, it's likely straight, but then you need to file the bottom completely straight too. Use a vise with a flat top, and sand down to the top of the vise. If doing it by hand, it's easy to get a slight dip on each end, which can ruin the tone for the outer strings.
For a few acoustics, there are bridge height adjustment screws, so you don't even have to do it. My old Aria had those, hidden behind plugs.

And the nut should be filed down accordingly - having high action at the nut and low at the bridge doesn't make playing very fun. A wound uncoated string can be used as a makeshift file - just be very gentle, slow and maintain the angle. A fraction of a millimeter can make a lot of difference.

If in doubt, a good guitar tech can do a bridge/nut lowering, string change, machine lubing and full acoustic setup for less than $100, all included. And I'd rather play a $100 guitar with a $100 setup than a $200 guitar with no setup.


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