Bang for your buck

[jklotz]

"mostly flatpicking and bluegrass" - Get a D-18. There are a lot of choices for dreads, but for what you are doing, I'd say that is as close to "industry standard" as your going to get in the world of acoustic guitars.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by AidanC

I was wondering what you think the best amount of money to spend on an acoustic guitar is. I am looking to buy a new guitar and, have had a 200 dollar Washburn for two years and am looking to upgrade. I am interested in when the law of diminishing return kicks in for a nice acoustic guitar. I am looking to spend about $2,000 and mostly flatpicking and bluegrass
Thanks!

You can buy an Alvarez MD60BG. It will handle flatpicking and bluegrass just fine.
Unfortunately, it’s gonna cost you a whopping $600.
Check the link below.

https://youtu.be/3tY0HWjrZS0

[llew]

I can't answer the diminishing return threshold as it's different for everyone.I will say the best guitar I've purchased for the least amount of money is an Eastman E2D Cedar/Sapele with satin open pore finish for $509. The Alvarez MD60BG is just under $100 more and is another great value IMO. For an American made acoustic I'd have to say Larrivee 03 models are a terrific bang for the buck. But over twice as much new. Beyond that a Martin D-18 will cover most anything you could ask of it.

[ataylor]

Yet another vote for a Martin D-18.

In case it’s helpful, here’s a link to a review I posted after I got mine: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=532977

[rwmct]

Originally Posted by jklotz

"mostly flatpicking and bluegrass" - Get a D-18. There are a lot of choices for dreads, but for what you are doing, I'd say that is as close to "industry standard" as your going to get in the world of acoustic guitars.

This is the short anser. ^

The slightly longer answer, IMO, as to bang for buck that the first tier is $750 to $1,000. That will get you one of the better all solid imports--Guild or Eastman, say.

The next tier, to me, is around $1,500 to $2,000 or so, which will get you an all solid North American made guitar from Guild, Martin, Gibson, etc. Your budget puts you right into this tier. And, as noted above, for your interests the D-18 is about as standard issue professional" as you can get. The Gibson J-15 has many fans. The Guild D-40 is another good choice, IMO.

As to diminishing returns, FWIW it seems like that line ought to be drawn at the less expensive models of the first tier of smaller shop or boutique builders such as Collings. That should lead to more money towards craftsmanship, less for bling. That ought to give you a lot of what the more expensive models from the builders offer for less cost.

[Lamenramen]

$2000 is a good place to safely say that if you shop carefully and play head to head with the really expensive models, you can prove to yourself that you aren’t leaving much tone on the table.

Especially If you buy a used guitar that’s 10 years old that has opened up.

Eastman guitars seems to be this forum’s bang for the buck leader. They are handmade (don’t quote me on that) in China. This may or may not be acceptable to you. I have played a few and I was astounded at the bang for the buck. But I am told that they upped their game within the last 3-4 years.

[Lamenramen]

$2000 is a good place to safely say that if you shop carefully and play head to head with the really expensive models, you can prove to yourself that you aren’t leaving much tone on the table.

Especially If you buy a used guitar that’s 10 years old that has opened up.

Eastman guitars seems to be this forum’s bang for the buck leader. They are handmade (don’t quote me on that) in China. This may or may not be acceptable to you. I have played a few and I was astounded at the bang for the buck. But I am told that they upped their game within the last 3-4 years.

A beginner should get a guitar that makes him want to play and practice but not so great that there’s nothing to upgrade to in the future. If your first car is a Lamborghini it’s hard to appreciate say even a nice Lexus. $2000 will get you a nice Lexus but not a Lamborghini.

[musicman1951]

I'd look for a used D-28 for $2,000 and mostly flatpicking and bluegrass. You might have to come up a little for one that looks like new.

[whvick]

The biggest bang for buck may be in a good set up.

[wguitar]

IMHO, diminishing returns kicks in at around $3,000 (this will get you a used Bourgeois, for example). That being said, you can find any number of amazing guitars under $2,500 (and even under $2,000). This would include quality used Martins (in Excellent condition), many Taylor guitars, and Larrivee (which I believe are the best value -- awesome quality at a decent price (often $1,500 or under). As has been stated a number of times already, only YOU can decide what's right for YOU, but many on AGF have found their FOREVER guitar in the (under $3,000) range (with many lower than that). Watch the AGF "For Sale" guitars and you'll quickly get a good idea what guitars are selling for. Same with Reverb.

This AGF & Reverb & Ebay "Guitars for Sale" app was created not so long ago by an AGF member and I have found it to be a very useful search tool for guitars.

http://agf.herokuapp.com/

ENJOY your search and play a lot of guitars until you find the one(s) you like. Only then can YOU decide if a particular guitar is worth $1,000 or $2,000 or whatever to you. More expensive is not necessarily better !

Good luck!

[David Rance]

1.5 to 2K will get you a pearl of an instrument. 2 to 3K will get you exactly the instrument you want as your music develops. 3+K will buy you bling, poverty and beauty!

More problematic is how to research all these instruments in the middle of a CV epidemic. You really must play prior to purchase. Nobody minds. Sellers expect it in fact. Find out early on if you find playing a dreadnought sized instrument comfortable. Many acoustic players own a dreadnought plus a smaller instrument for a little more comfort. Acquaint yourself with the Martin definitions of size OOO/OM/dreadnought etc. because these tend to be a guide to all constructors products. Most makers will have an "OM sized" and a dreadnought model but they may not be called that. All this is easily discernible by a little www research.

Make sure you find what you buy comfortable and you will need to develop the ability to spot if that's related to easily correctable set up issues. Many guitars, even Martins, ship with setups which are a little on the high side.

After all that go on sound. You'll be playing the guitar. Don't believe all the bull. Most of it's well intentioned and true but some of it isn't. Use your own judgement. Your ears, perception of sound, musical taste and whether you like the look and feel of a particular guitar are unique to you.

Then post purchase you'll be experimenting with strings, picks etc. to find what you like. The options for all of the things mentioned are probably greater now than they've ever been.

Have fun.

[Sacdubro]

+1 on the Martin D-18, D-28. Another one to consider is the D-35 it has a character that can cover a lot of ground.

[otis66]

Check out the Larrivee D-40 Legacy series. The mahogany and rosewood are in your price range with enough money left over to install a LRBaggs Lyric.
There will be a big sale coming up soon too.
I just had a LRBaggs Lyric installed on my Larrivee om 40
Also keep an eye out for other guitars
I just missed a Taylor 410e rosewood from Musicians friend a couple of weeks ago for $1655.00. It was a new old stock and had the expression 2 electronics.

[otis66]

There are some Martin Custom D Classic guitars on the Musicians Friend web site you might want to check out between $849 -950.
The Martin Classic D Custom is a Martin D15 with a spruce top.
It comes with a Martin hard case too.