Which guitar???

[danidesjardins]

Hey,
I'm interested in learning to play the guitar, however, I'm not sure where to start looking. What to look for??? How much to pay??? Learning the guitar is something I have wanted to do for a while and is something I'd like to continue to do. If you could give me information on what brand to buy and how much to spend that would be great. Thanks

[GuitaristZ]

Well it depends largely on your budget. How much are you willing to spend?

I have heard GREAT things about the companies owned by Godin...
like Art and Lutherie, Seagull, and Simon and Patrick. All of those you can get for like 400-500$ I think...maybe less.

Great guitars though...I like Art and Lutherie :)

[danidesjardins]

What about this brand (Ibanez PF Acoustic Guitar) for 250$ comes with stand, Strap and Hard Case??? What is the quality of the sound of this one???

[GuitaristZ]

is this the one?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-PF15ECE-Performance-Series-AcousticElectric-Cutaway-Guitar?sku=512477

or this one?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-PF5ECE-Performance-Series-AcousticElectric-Cutaway-Guitar?sku=512478

The more expensive one seems to get some decent reviews on that site. Oh, by the way...do not trust the reviews on harmony central.com Absolute rubbish..mainly a bunch of kids that have no idea what constitutes good gear.


Anyway, for some ideas, go here:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/navigation/6-string-acoustic-electric-guitars?N=100001+304308

and on the left hand side navigation bar, there is a column where you can limit the guitars by price. So, select a price range, and then, on the right hand side near the top, you can sort those guitars by rating or price or whatever. It should be able to give you a good idea of what are some good guitars in the price range. Don't buy online though unless you ABSOLUTELY have to.

If I were you, get some opinions here on what to look for and what to avoid, (It would be even better if you could get an experienced guitarist to go with you to the store and try some guitars out in your price range). but yeah, go to a store and try some out.

I see your signature says "God Bless" so I am assuming you are a Christian lol...I am too anyway...

so I am thinking you might be using this guitar for church?

If so, does your chuch use a PA system (sound system) to amplify your guitar? If so, you will probably want an acoustic guitar with a pickup built into it. This also will be a consideration as some guitars sound great unplugged, but sound crappy pluged in, and vice verse with some guitars sounding quite bad unplugged, but very good amplified through a sound system.

You may also want to look for ads on used guitars, but make sure you check out the guitar well before you buy. some websites to look for ads are:

http://edmonton.craigslist.ca/msg/

http://www.buysell.com/classifieds/Results/Musical_Instruments/Edmonton/809/1003/1/false/cname+sbName+r+class+subclass+1_Pg+rw/Guitars_Banjos.html

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/f-buy-and-sell-musical-instruments-W0QQCatIdZ17



Just some ideas for ya. If I were you, go to www.thegearpage.net/Board
and ask some of the people there about good acoustics in that price range that are available in Canada in your area.

Get lots of opinions, but yeah DO NOT CHOOSE JUST BASED ON WHAT A SALESPERSON TELLS YOU. :)

And also...DO NOT BE HASTY!!!

Make sure you are getting the best price you can...haggle a bit because a lot of stores will go down quite a bit on their marked price!

Long and Mcquade is a good store by the way...might want to check there?

Im in Calgary, and the one here is very good for service, so yeah the one in Edmonton should be pretty good I would think too.

[Duster]

I'm certainly no expert, but I've done a bit of shopping recently for an acoustic guitar. I've had a Simon and Patrick for a bunch of years but only started learning to play a year ago. I bought my girlfriend a Yamaha FG730 about six months ago. They're both good guitars in the $350-$500 range. I would say the Simon and Patrick is much better bang for the buck though. I also have a friend with an Art & Lutherie which he likes.

I guess the only advice I feel fit to offer would be to get something with a solid top. It will play better and last longer and just generally be a better instrument. When you're comparing guitars, compare the woods that are being used and get the best woods you can, as it will make for a better sounding guitar. When you're new you won't care much, but if you're a bit picky you can make your first guitar an instrument that you can play for years to come instead of something that you won't want after a bit of experience.

--- D