Acoustic Guitar Help!?

Question:I'm about to go into my local music store and purchase an acoustic guitar. I want a nice one but not a godly good one, just a normal one that has a fair price. I want to spend only around $200-ish. Can anyone recommend a brand and type? Something that has a good tone, a good brand and is still a good price.

Thanks! (Also I live in Federal Way, Washington if anyone happens to live around here)

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm about to go into my local music store and purchase an acoustic guitar. I want a nice one but not a godly good one, just a normal one that has a fair price. I want to spend only around $200-ish. Can anyone recommend a brand and type? Something that has a good tone, a good brand and is still a good price.

Thanks! (Also I live in Federal Way, Washington if anyone happens to live around here)

Here's what you should do:

First, do you have any friends or relatives who are knowledgeable about guitars--I mean they REALLY know a lot about them, not just how to play one? If so, set up a shopping day and take them with you to local pawnshops and used instrument stores. Let them check out any instrument and reject it if it needs repairs or is too cheaply constructed.

If no such friend or relative exists, then only shop at stores that sell new or used instruments with warranties. You'll rely on the warranty to save you from any repair costs.

Acoustic guitars vary--two guitars of the same brand and model will not sound identical, a lot depends on the luck of the wood grain and how the glue dried on the day it was made. I think the brand that's least variable is Ovation, since they use so many high-tech plastic parts in their manufacture.

But given variability, what you want to do is pick a specific guitar, not any one of a certain brand or model. Get the sales clerk to show you what they have in your price range. Hold each guitar and try playing it a little; guage if the guitar FEELS good to you. If not, put it back and try others. Keep going until you have several that feel good.

Then get your friend/relative or one of the sales clerks to play each of your feel-good guitars while you avert your eyes. Probably best if they play the same tunes on each guitar. This is where you judge which one sounds best to you--and, having found one that feels good and sounds best, you know which to pay for.

Note: an acoustic-electric might be a good choice--if you ever want to amplify, plugging in is so much more convenient than holding stiff with a microphone pointed at the sound-hole.

One other thing--as a beginner, you should get lessons from a good teacher (ask at the best music store in town, or advertise for one on a bulletin board at any local college music department that offers a guitar major--most do). About three month's worth of lessons, minimum, so that you can be consistently corrected when you make mistakes in finger or wrist position. Forming proper habits with fingers and wrists at the outset is essential, if you don't you could wind up with carpal tunnel or some similar painful condition later. After about a dozen lessons, you can discontinue them if you want and learn from friends and books and videos instead.

And one last tip--for a beginner, short practices several times daily will yield more progress than one longer practice. When you get more advanced, you'll want to build stamina by practicing for an hour or so at a time, but right now, try four or six 10-minute sessions per day.

I'm not sure you will get a very good guitar for $200. You might be better getting a used one. As for which one is better.....it's just a matter of taste. Pick them up and play them. Whichever one feels the best and is easy to play, and sounds good to you, is the one you should buy.

I just got a Baby Taylor, for $279, it was the best I could find in my price range. Plus I have small hands, and it being on the 3/4-scale I figured that would help.

You can get a decent guitar in your price range.
I got a decent electric accoustic under what you are wanting to spend, recently, at a pawnshop. You need to make sure you know what to look for. And it is more than just which one feels good and sounds good, although that is very important. Especially the tone. You need to look straight down the neck to make sure it is straight and not warped or twisted at all. You need to play the thing hard for a little while, try to see if you can knock it out of tune by playing it, if you can, don't buy it. Look at the action, make sure it is the same distance from the strings to the neck all the way down. Check for fret buzz. Also look at the machine heads, they should have little screws so you can adjust them. And look at the fretwires and make sure they aren't worn down or uneven.
Good Luck!

Months ago I bought just what your looking for, it was a Yamaha acoustic, for $200.00, (and even less on sale, or ask for a deal, their very good with reducing the price) Yamaha has come a long way with their sound....I play and teach classical and went into the Guitar Center and bought an acoustic...I really loved the sound of this Yamaha....make sure that you play them all (the Yamaha's) as they all have all different sound and action...as you'll see when you play them...make sure that the strings are easy to press down...and that there are no buzz's...go up and down the fret board and play the notes just to make sure...when your done and have decided on which one you want get one of the clerks to play it for you so that you can tell if your sure that you like the sound....good luck to you, bye !!!!!!!!