Newbie needs advice. Alvarez AD60 or Yamaha FR830

[jschmitz54]

Yes I meant FG830.
The one common thread that seems prevalent here and as well from a instructor that I’ll be using is that many prefer a smaller body guitar than a dread. This is sounding like good advice but I have a few questions.
Does the smaller body on the guitar diminish sound quality? Like an Alvarez AD 60 to an AF 60.
For my first guitar I think I prefer a natural finish but looking at the Alvarez site it looks like the AF 30 comes in natural and the AF 60 in a darker finish. Is there much difference be the two models?
I do think both the Yamaha and the Alvarez are both good starter guitars but I am leaning Alvarez because of the wider neck and that bone nut.
I did look at the guitars and had sales people play them for me. They both seemed good but I completely untrained in what to listen/look for. It was a bit intimidating at Guitar Center following a customer who was looking to buy a $3200. Taylor. I heard her play and she seemed like a beginner to me. Is this a case of more money than brains so to speak. She got a lot of attention from the staff. Then I got to tell them I’m looking for a $300. guitar, oh well!
Please keep opinions and advice coming

[Jim in TC]

I would echo advice to consider guitars that are a bit smaller. As pointed out, many of us, especially as we age, prefer the comfort afforded by that.

If you are working with a storefront that has some of the other well-reviewed entry level brands, ones to consider include some models of Seagull and Recording King.

I very much concur with the advice that you add the possibility of setup cost to your budget, whatever you settle on. Price varies, so would need to ask. Many instruments come from the factory with the action that you want, but many do not (brand and quality not necessarily an issue here). Ease of play is a major benefit to the new player.

[SecondCity]

I own the FS700s (same as the 800, with some under-the-good changes). The spacing on the smaller guitar is narrower than on the dread. Particularly at the saddle. Normally string spacing at the saddle is between about 2 1/4 and 2 1/8 inched. I think the FS is at less than 2.

This is not necessarily a big deal. I got the smaller body in part because I was interested in fingerstyle and the guy at the store said smaller bodies are usually preferred for fingerstyle. That’s true, but so are wider spaced strings.

I think that with the FS, Yamaha was building a small guitar for small learners, not really a small guitar for a specific type of playing. As always, that spacing might fee fantastic for you, but I wanted to put it on your radar.

[Ed66]

Either would be an excellent choice. I'm not going to throw out other possibilities which might work as well. With Yamaha you're going to get a lower cost but pretty much unparalleled performance at the lowest price point. Alvarez Artist series are a little more expensive and for that you get fit, finish and what I believe is the best out of the box setup available, which will save you money there. Play each, see which feels better, pull the trigger and don't worry about it. No need to overthink this one.

[Gmountain]

I was playing one of the Alvarez Grateful Dead AF guitars yesterday, and I was astounded at how good it sounded, and how much volume it was kicking out. Those AF guitars are nice.

Get whichever wood appeals to you.

[grasser]

Originally Posted by Tony Burns

I understand the money situation -but for 300 bucks the quality will be lacking .
Solid wood tops would be where Id start - and at that price a guitar can be either Bad to OK -so buy in person not on line.
stuff like solid sides is prefered as well - Im not a Chinese guitar kind of guy -typically in the long run their resale value is poor.
Brands like Bluridge , Guild Gads or Eastman ( orient made guitars ) are better brands , thou their are allot of Yammies that are great.

The $200 FG-800 also has scalloped bracing. I've played several and they aren't the beginner's import cheapies we started out with. I don't know that resale matters that much when the guitar costs only $200-$300.

[grasser]

Originally Posted by jschmitz54

Yes I meant FG830.
The one common thread that seems prevalent here and as well from a instructor that I’ll be using is that many prefer a smaller body guitar than a dread. This is sounding like good advice but I have a few questions.
Does the smaller body on the guitar diminish sound quality? Like an Alvarez AD 60 to an AF 60.
For my first guitar I think I prefer a natural finish but looking at the Alvarez site it looks like the AF 30 comes in natural and the AF 60 in a darker finish. Is there much difference be the two models?
I do think both the Yamaha and the Alvarez are both good starter guitars but I am leaning Alvarez because of the wider neck and that bone nut.
I did look at the guitars and had sales people play them for me. They both seemed good but I completely untrained in what to listen/look for. It was a bit intimidating at Guitar Center following a customer who was looking to buy a $3200. Taylor. I heard her play and she seemed like a beginner to me. Is this a case of more money than brains so to speak. She got a lot of attention from the staff. Then I got to tell them I’m looking for a $300. guitar, oh well!
Please keep opinions and advice coming

I think a smaller body puts out less sound, but doesn't diminish the quality per se. That's only important if you're going to be playing unamplified in larger groups or with louder instruments, e.g. in bluegrass jams.

I say if she had $3K to spend on a guitar, more power to her. Buy the best you can afford. I'm broke so I try to spend as little as possible on gear, looking for deals when I can. The good thing is that $200 in 2018 will buy you a very nice guitar to start on. This really hasn't been the case until the past 10 years or so. The guitar I started out on was a physical challenge to play and sounded horrible. The Yamaha and Alvarez models you mention incorporate some of the main tone-producing feature of more expensive models (solid top, scalloped bracing, forward-shifted bracing on the Alvarez I think).

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

Amazes me how many folks will tell a complete newbie to play before buying...???

I strongly suggest your first guitar to be a 000 or OM model with a solid sitka top.
(Unless you happen to be a giant.)

Brand is unimportant. If you stick with this then you will know what you want in a year or so.

https://www.justinguitar.com/index.php (a great place to start)

Good luck.

You have a point but even strumming completely open strings will give you a sense of the tone of the guitar. Even better is to have someone in the store play it for you or bring along a friend who can play it.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Gmountain

I was playing one of the Alvarez Grateful Dead AF guitars yesterday, and I was astounded at how good it sounded, and how much volume it was kicking out. Those AF guitars are nice.

Get whichever wood appeals to you.

I’m on my back deck with my 50th Anniversary Artist series.
I love Alvarez guitars. I’ve been playing them for 22 years.
I still have the first one I ever bought, and four others.
If I was doing to spend $300 I’d buy another one.

I’m also into a Taylor 110e for about $350.
It has the 1 11/16” nut.
I don’t mind it. And I have clownishly large hands.

But, if you keep your eyes open, you might find an older, bit well cared for Professional series. They have solid top and back with laminate sides.
I paid a little less than half the going rate for one not too long ago.

Another option is the Seagull S6.
They are in the same ballpark and also very nice guitars.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by Oldguy64

I’m on my back deck with my 50th Anniversary Artist series.
I love Alvarez guitars. I’ve been playing them for 22 years.
I still have the first one I ever bought, and four others.
If I was doing to spend $300 I’d buy another one.

I’m also into a Taylor 110e for about $350.
It has the 1 11/16” nut.
I don’t mind it. And I have clownishly large hands.

But, if you keep your eyes open, you might find an older, bit well cared for Professional series. They have solid top and back with laminate sides.
I paid a little less than half the going rate for one not too long ago.

Another option is the Seagull S6.
They are in the same ballpark and also very nice guitars.

Some good advice here. ^^^^^

Just another thought. You might find an Alvarez Masterworks for around your budget. They have a solid top and solid back and sides and are just fantastic guitars.

[CMGibson]

If the size did not cause me shoulder pain I would still have my FG-730 the forerunner to the FG-830. It still usually sounds better to my ears than any Guitar I play at Guitar Center.

[CASD57]

I had one of those Dead-Head Alvarez's.... Now this thread has gone and made me miss it.. great guitar..

[Vol46]

As Grasser pointed out, as a beginner, you will probably play mostly at home, or perhaps once every week or two in a studio with your instructor ( a teacher is a good idea, btw). An OM or a 000 will probably be more comfortable, and in those environments, the volume/tone won’t be an issue.
I am 71, & I have a nice dread, but I split time between it and an OM. The dread is certainly not uncomfortable, but to be honest, the OM feels a bit more comfortable & although the tone is different, at home in my office/music room, both sound just fine.

[Oldguy64]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

Some good advice here. ^^^^^

Just another thought. You might find an Alvarez Masterworks for around your budget. They have a solid top and solid back and sides and are just fantastic guitars.

The MD70CE was in the House,
It is a great guitar.
A lot of people will tell you Alvarez sacrifices bass for the mid range.
Mine will kick most guitars under $2k to the curb...and then take their lunch money.
It will take about a year to open up...
Then you can tailor your tone by changing your strings.