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

[jbeecham]

Knowing what I now know. I would be patient and find a used dreadnought. It would probably be mahogany but possibly rosewood with a red spruce top and a 13/4 inch mod v neck.

Jerry

[Birchtop]

Originally Posted by 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.

I own both these, and even though I do love my dreadnoughts, I would be inclined to agree your choice.

This is solely based on a $500 dollar guitar of course. I know many will disagree, but I think if more beginners were actually able to start out on a 000-18 or of equal quality guitar, they would learn faster and stick with it longer, and possibly for life.

…but hey, I know most of us didn’t have that choice

[emtsteve]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

The OP stated a cap at $2,000. Of the many dozen used D-18s on Reverb, only a couple are even near that number, and those are gonna need a trip to the shop.

Look and see for yourself.

There's a newer one in the classifieds right now for $2100 so that's pretty close.

[jricc]

Under $500 Taylor Academy 12
Under $1000 Gibson G-00
Under $2000 used Gibson LG-2 American Eagle or Rainsong CH-OM

All under 25", short scale guitars, my preference for playing.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by RP

Probably a newly minted Yamaha Red Label FS/FG 3 or 5 without a pickup...

+1.

In the sub $500 range I'd get a Simony & Patrick Mini Jumbo MJ. I think they've been discontinued for a few years but I'd buy one used for half that.

[73171]

Yamaha CSF1M parlor. I own one and love it.

[Honkycat]

I wish I’d got a J45 years ago, so that.

[Bushleague]

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

My first "good" acoustic was an A&L, and I think I'd still go with that or another Godin brand equivilant. The only thing I would change now, is rather than buying a dread I would get something smaller to make for a better travel guitar, with the idea of getting a more expensive dread later on.

Thats something I'd reccomend to anyone starting out. I friggin' love dreads, but in retrospect getting a cheap smaller guitar just makes more long term sense to me.

[Tony Burns]

I never look back -the stuff I can afford today is not as good as the stuff
I could afford back then .

[6L6]

I would buy a new or used re-imagined Martin D-18.

[catdaddy]

Assuming this will be my very first guitar, I'd keep the price down at around the $500 level until I was sure I'd stick with it. The guitar I'd choose would be a Martin 000-X2E.

[Mirosh]

Maybe a Yamaha FG800 or FG820. They are similar to the FG200 I bought, slightly used, in the late 1970s for $150 - my first "real" guitar.

(Not counting the red plastic Mickey Mouse guitar I received at age 7 and never played, and the little-remembered used guitar I bought at a sidewalk sale for $8. I was 15 and it was the early Beatles era.)

[Jamolay]

Lots of Martin love here. I have yet to be able to bond with a Martin. Maybe I am too new at this, but Martins and Taylors don’t inspire me, or haven’t yet. Same with the one Gibson acoustic I tried.

I defiantly bonded with Larrivee (which I now own), and Guild. Yamaha was great, Breedlove ok, Takamine not so much. Dawina was nice as was Art and Lutherie. Teton, Alvarez and Fender, meh. Never tried a Furch or Eastman, that I recall.

Not sure what it is, maybe I have my own biases, or I wasn’t playing the higher end guitars. I will definitely try them all again when I have better skills and knowledge to have an idea of what their strengths may be.

[Oldguy64]

Knowing what I know now, and being a big guy, as crazy as it sounds, I would buy an Alvarez AJ60SC.
I’d get one with the SYS600 preamp cause it’s sounds good, an internal mic can be added, or a soundhole unit. And then be controlled from the preamp.
All for about $300 with a case.

For “higher end”…a Takamine Pro Series or a Glen Frey signature.

[YamahaGuy]

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

$500 - the same first guitar I bought 12 years ago -- Yamaha FGX730SC
$1000 - Yamaha A3R
$1500 - Yamaha FGX5
$2000 - Takamine P5DC with transducer pup

(I own all but the A3R)