If you were buying your first guitar today, what would you get?

[Gdjjr]

My Martin 00015M without question, in the more than 1000 category

in the 500 dollar range my Art and Lutherie Tennessee Red

[emtsteve]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

It’s self-explanatory. What acoustic guitar would be your first if you had a $500 budget?

How about $1000?

$1500?

$2000?

Just curious.

Wade Hampton Miller

Knowing what I know now:
$500 - Taylor Academy
$1000 - used Martin 15
$1500 - used Gibson J-15, 35, 45
$2000 - Martin D-18 or 000-18 (or D28/000-28 if you prefer rosewood)

Any of those, well set up, would be excellent to learn on and then be a forever guitar too. I own a J-35 and a Martin 00-15 and those are for sure keepers. This is after having quite a few guitars through my hands.

[DBW]

If I had it to do over again and wasn’t into collecting guitars I’d get a Yamaha 820 to begin with and save up for a Martin 000-18 and leave it at that.

[phydaux]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

It’s self-explanatory. What acoustic guitar would be your first if you had a $500 budget?

Eastman E1 OM Spruce & Sapele

How about $1000?

Eastman AC322CE Sitka & mahogany

$1500?

Eastman E10 SS /v Adirondack & mahogany, slope shouldered 00 body size, Violin Red varnish finish.

$2000?

Eastman E40 OM Adirondack & rosewood

[Ed66]

Here it goes:

500 Seagull S6. I've still got mine and its just a great guitar. No bling, all tone.

1,000 Either an Alvarez Masterworks or Seagull Artist model. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

1,500 Possibly a Furch or one of the higher level Eastman's, you can get a lot from either of these guitar makers at this price point.

2,000 I've become enamored with the Made in USA Breedloves; at this price point its where I'd start to look, Although I'd also keep an eye out for a J-45; the right one can be magical.

[MarvinLee]

The amazingly inexpensive Fender FA-125 CE is a really decent uber cheap (less than $300) guitar. Good action, Fishman Electronics, cutaway, spruce top and comfortable neck. Bought one to gig with while my main guitar went back to the mothership for repairs. Pleasantly surprised how well it worked, given the disdain for Fender acoustics expressed by most. It was recommended by an old guitar buddy at the music store when I ask for a "beater for Florida deck gigs". Did not disappoint. Just put it up for sale. It should make a good guitar for someones Christmas.

[Knollhaven]

Great thread! I’m taking the liberty of assuming that the price ranges are not absolutely literal and inflexible, but a guideline. “B”stock discounts help.

$500 - Martin DJR or Taylor Academy - both have 1.75” nut :-)

$1000 - Eastman E series; also 1.75” nut. I personally prefer sitka top for tone and price.

$2000 - Martin 15 series with high quality pro setup, and perhaps lessons?

Honorable mention: I recently picked up a used 2013 Gibson J-35 Reissue with a great setup and a few minor upgrades (bone nut/saddle) around the $1500 mark. It is light, like the 15 series Martins, plays like a dream, and has the go-anywhere quality that I appreciate. Plus the Firestripe pickguard.

[singlechange]

For $500 and even $250 or so, I would search for a vintage Yamaha from the 1970s to early 1980s in good condition. Here in the U.S.A. the market is full of used Yamahas. I found an used 1979 Yamaha Jumbo FG750S (new MSRP $275 in 1978 or worth $1,000 in 2021) for total purchase price of about $300 and had a local luthier do a set up, add bone saddle and strap button and install an used Waverly open back tuners all for $200 and then found an used Brookwood guitar strap. All that for about $500 or so. The Yamaha is my practice guitar and sits cradled in Konig & Meyer guitar stand out in the living room where I can grab it any time.

[mawmow]

The question is honestly difficult to answer...
Which guitar would I buy if I had no knowledge about guitars ?
Honestly, I cannot say for sure.

In the 500$ range, some crappy laminate no real name guitar...
Or, I would be lucky and buy my Alavrez AP66 in a pawn shop !
No kidding ! I was actually looking for an Alvarez AP when I found mine in a pawn shop !

In the 1000$ range, I would probably save a few bucks and get the Seagull Performer CW :
I was looking for a really affordable acoustic to study scales up the neck.

By 1500$ ? My used Taylor 412ce, maybe.

For two grans ? Guild F-30 or Basic Taylor 322.

I do now own these guitars.
But on my way, I did get many nice ones that were finally not for me :
The main reason was the nut width narrower than 1 3/4".
So, without that knowledge, I would probably do the same mistakes again...

[packmule]

Not sure about the 500 range - maybe the best second hand Yamaha I could get for that money?

In the 1000-1500 definitely a second hand Martin 000-15

In the 2000 range probably a second hand Martin D18

[KevinH]

Originally Posted by nbs2005

If I were buying for the first time, I would save until I could afford a Larrivee. Used models can be found for $1300 CAD/$1000 USD, sometimes less. Jean makes wonderful guitars and I've never played a bad one.

Exactly what I was thinking....

[M19]

I’d add the last two amounts and get an OM-28

[Jim Comeaux]

In my case it is what I did buy, not what would have Bought. I’m not sure what it was that inspired me, but I truly believe that I made four correct decisions in my guitar selection. Check out the inventory below. In case you haven’t guessed already, my music is almost exclusively old style bluegrass, Appalachian folk music and early country, so that’s why they are all dreadnoughts. Yes, the LL-16 is a dread, even though Yamaha calls it a jumbo.

[Bob from Brooklyn]

You can't go wrong with any of the $500 Eastmans. They should last you long enough to skip the next couple of tiers and jump into the $2K market for your next one.

[stevecuss]

Love this question, especially since my two sons (soon to be 21 and 18) are hankering for their own guitars and we're looking in this price range. Also, because they've played my guitars, they have expensive taste, so we're shopping carefully.

In the $500ish range, I think it is Yamaha, Alvarez, Eastman and Recording King.

In the $1000ish range, I own the Eastman OM10TC that I think is hard to beat at any price.

But then, I have a friend who is a mad skilled player, owns an Irish Avalon and his favorite guitar is his wife's Taylor Academy. Taylor's playability and consistency is really hard to beat.

Honestly Wade, I feel fortunate that we're living in times with such choice in these price ranges.