Some Help Buying My First Guitar

Derogan · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

Good Day.

I would like to learn how to play the guitar and when I went to buy 2 were recommended to me:

1. Yamaha FX335 (Acoustic/Electric with a Laminate Top and Laminate Back and Side)

2. Mitchell MD100CE (Acoustic/Electric with a Solid Spruce Top and Mahogany Composite Back and Side)

Does anyone have any comments on either one of these or a suggestion for another model?

Thanks.

glw · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 11:18 pm Post subject:

You'll probably get a better sound from a solid spruce top than with the laminated jobbie. If you're lucky it could also well mature over the years, i.e. keep sounding better and better.

I dunno, what does everyone else think?

Derogan · Joined: 08 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

Thanks for your response. A co-worker overheard me talking about guitars and suggested I throw a "Takamine" into the mix...

Basically I am looking to get a entry level guitar that has the best sound and longevity for now. Then when I mature as a musician I can look at upgrading.

lee_UK · Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2005 3:39 pm Post subject:

glw wrote:

You'll probably get a better sound from a solid spruce top than with the laminated jobbie. If you're lucky it could also well mature over the years, i.e. keep sounding better and better.

I dunno, what does everyone else think?

Laminated tops are supposed to give a better sound when plugged into an amp, Solid tops also tend to feed back earlier than laminated tops, but as you say solid tops do sound better accousticaly, and they do age better.

teachur · Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2

Hiya

You alos need to hold these guitars to see how they feel. I still play my cheapo £150 Washburn D10-IM with Martin SP strings on - sounds coll - FEELS good, nice designed neck, solid tone.

I also have a Tanglewood Electo Acoustic. Now, this needs some serious set-up work doing to it, the strings are floating a little too high for myu liking at the mo, but otherwise the neck is beautiful - a smooth glss-free wood feel, contoured like an electic guitar neck. The guitar has a warm sound, impressive for a smaller bodied, round-back guitar, but due to it all being WOOD...none of that cheapo Applause fibreglass rubbish!

So, if you want a good priced guitar to start off with go into a shop, preferably with a mate who plays guitar, set yourself a budget of £150-200, and HOLD the guitars. A guitar with good sound but crap playability is of no use to you.

I would trust many guitars made by Yamaha, Takamine, Washburn, Tanglewood...and Martin...but the latter falls just a weeeee bit out or my prcie range!!!

mrblanche · Jammin' Hot Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 117

Depends a lot on what you expect to do, how you expect to treat it, etc. My favorite guitar to just practice with is a First Act (Wal-Mart) I got for $11 on e-bay.

You can get a lot of decent starter guitars for $200 or less. SX and Jay Tursers come to mind.

But if you want a quality guitar that will last and will still be worth something 5 years from now, find the cheapest American-made Fender Strat. They almost never go under $500, no matter how long you keep them.

lee_UK · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 12:29 am Post subject:

Crafter make excellent guitars for the money, but if you are from the states then i dont think you have a distributer.
Have a check, but like all guitars you need to play one.

bobhoulston · Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2006 2:10 am Post subject:

teachur wrote:

WOOD...none of that cheapo Applause fibreglass rubbish!

It would appear that the AE28 guitar whilst popular in USA is being withdrawn from the UK market. This is posssibly due to the conservative taste of most guitarists in UK where the unconventional AE28 styling may be admired but not often purchased. Buy now before they become a sought after collectors' item! Wink

Read my full review via this URL:
http://www.houlston.freeserve.co.uk/more-options.htm#ae28

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