Guitar to live in the car?

[Earl49]

Thanks for the clarification, Ted. I had a nagging hunch that what I posted was not 100% correct, but have to run off to a meeting shortly and could not research properly. I don't know if there is a Craigslist equivalent or pawn shops in France, but a series of sub-$100 cheap wood guitars might suffice at first. They just need to be considered as expendable, because they simply won't survive life in a car for very long.

Teaser alert: My new green custom Emerald X20-12 was delivered a while ago. I won't be able to open it until this afternoon, though. Expect a review in a day or two. This whole working thing gets in the way.......

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Earl49

Thanks for the clarification, Ted. I had a nagging hunch that what I posted was not 100% correct, but have to run off to a meeting shortly and could not research properly. I don't know if there is a Craigslist equivalent or pawn shops in France, but a series of sub-$100 cheap wood guitars might suffice at first. They just need to be considered as expendable, because they simply won't survive life in a car for very long.

Teaser alert: My new green custom Emerald X20-12 was delivered a while ago. I won't be able to open it until this afternoon, though. Expect a review in a day or two. This whole working thing gets in the way.......

Great news, Earl. Unless I’m mistaken, you’ve been relatively absent from here in the recent past, so it’s good to see you posting. I, for one, look forward to your assessment of your new X20-12.

I had my Ibanez for about four years. I live in a desert where the temperature will hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and down to the low 20s in the winter. The guitar was kept in a room that was not air conditioned and not heated. It held up just fine. A friend bought the guitar and has had it for about 6 years in the same climate--and the guitar is still just fine. Plywood does not split like solid wood and the glues used now-a-days are a far cry from the glues of yesteryear.

Yamaha, Cordoba, and others all make entry level instruments that are pretty sweet and inexpensive and they give you a chance to try different types of guitar without breaking the bank.

[steelvibe]

Originally Posted by Ted @ LA Guitar Sales

... you can buy a cheap laminate guitar every few years, or you can buy a CF guitar once and have it for the rest of your life.

A compact CF will sound better than a cheap laminate wood guitar as well.

[steelvibe]

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the X20-12 Earl!

[Acousticado]

If the OP opts for an inexpensive wood laminate guitar, even if it can endure harsh conditions, I hope it’s one that will be easily playable because we all know that poorly playing guitars, even with a best attempt at a set-up, can turn-off a newer player from sticking with it. I’m a believer that it’s best for novices to spend as much as possible to avoid a risk of losing interest.

[Strumalot]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

If the OP opts for an inexpensive wood laminate guitar, even if it can endure harsh conditions, I hope it’s one that will be easily playable because we all know that poorly playing guitars, even with a best attempt at a set-up, can turn-off a newer player from sticking with it. I’m a believer that it’s best for novices to spend as much as possible to avoid a risk of losing interest.

Totally agree with that. Even good acoustics can be rough on a beginner.

Also, it may be wise to not spend a ton of money on a guitar until you know ~ from experience ~ what you really want. If you have a pawn shop in your area, and know an experienced player, you might be able to get a good playing instrument very cheap. I got a newbie a guitar that plays almost as good as my GX, a case, and a strap for $75.

So, if something happens to that guitar, or interest in playing is lost, no big deal.

[HodgdonExtreme]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

If the OP opts for an inexpensive wood laminate guitar, even if it can endure harsh conditions, I hope it’s one that will be easily playable because we all know that poorly playing guitars, even with a best attempt at a set-up, can turn-off a newer player from sticking with it. I’m a believer that it’s best for novices to spend as much as possible to avoid a risk of losing interest.

Great point!

It's wise to have basically any new guitar setup nicely!

[Acousticado]

There’s a new ad in the classifieds offering a McPherson Kevin Michael Touring model for $1,450. Seems like a good deal.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=489440

[Bghd]

I will quietly take the position that a CF guitar, regardless of the starting price, can not only survive the temperature swings, but would also be worth almost as much as originally paid for it should SeekingCarbon decide not to play in the long run. Acousticado's point is very well taken, a hard to play guitar will turn off new players.
Several recent CF sales have been for $200 less than the original guitars price, which is what the poster would pay for a cheap starter guitar which may or may not make it thru a year. CF will make it, and retain value at the same time on the secondary market.

[seekingcarbon]

Wow! Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome and also for such varied and rapid replies! In the few months I’ve been reading this forum that is one of the things I’ve really appreciated: how invested in this and how passionate you guys are . I’m an IT guy by trade and frequently end up waiting weeks for forum replies to solve issues.....so these quick responses are great!

To answer some of the questions:
Unfortunately the car is parked outside, so the guitar would be exposed. In this area of France we’re looking at a temp range of -5 to 40+ for the inside-car temp over the course of a year.

There is nowhere in the building where I could practice, hence me thinking (hoping) the car might work. I appreciate that cold fingers might make life very difficult but once warmed up it should be ok?

We have family all over the place so I’m frequently using air travel and the collapsible Journey is an added bonus, even thought the standard entry-level X7 does come out cheaper.

I agree with the gym membership analogy and am very wary of investing a lot in a guitar and then not ever getting to the point of really enjoying it and using it to its full. We do have a Craigslist equivalent over here with cheapie mass-produced 2nd-hand Yamahas etc going for $100 but then, as noted, they might not be particularly enjoyable to play either. And just to add to the frustration, anything up for sale via AGF classifieds/members would have the hassle of trying to get it to France.

One more concern is that there is zero CF market in France (at least not that I’ve been able to find), so am not sure I could resell if needed.

So at this stage in my playing life, it seems like it boils down to:

• Entry-level CF (OF660 or maybe X7 for price)
• Wood acoustic that could handle car life as well as possible for a wood guitar (Martin LX, Ibanez AEG10N and Yamaha FG800 have been mentioned)
• Craigslist $100 equivalent and be prepared to throw it away next Spring if needed

The last option is the most rational on price and “commitment”, but will probably be least enjoyable to play.
Middle options will no doubt be more fun to play but likely cost up to half of an entry-level CF?
I am very tempted by the “buy once and it will last forever” logic of a CF, buuuuut just don’t know....

Hehehehe, tough decision to make, especially for a newbie, but thanks for listening to me debate with myself and for offering your advice and experience!

[kramster]

Buy a used CF... play the heck out of it...hate it sell it.. like it keep it and or upgrade.
Just sayin'.
Next question.

[bry]

You could call Ted at la guitar sales and ask him if he has any blemished journeys.

[Acousticado]

Graeme, with the further info you’ve provided, in my opinion, the OF660 or the X7 (or a used CA Cargo) would be best for you, both which you could easily sell through this forum without much loss if you wanted to. Good luck making it happen!

[jdinco]

I wouldn't waste money on a cheap guitar for a lot of reasons, if the nicer CF guitar doesn't work out...it's usually an easy sell to move it and recover some $$$.