Cheaper Acoustics

[NoodleFace]

Hey guys. I've never owned an acoustic guitar (playing 25 years). Recently my kids have been enjoying some songs but playing them acoustically on my electrics is not great. I'm looking for a cheaper acoustic of decent quality just to play around the house. Never going to record or play live with it, but would like something that plays alright after I set it up.

One that caught my eye was the Yamaha FG800, only $229 through Amazon. Thoughts on this?

Anything else I should consider in the 200-400 range?

 

[TedEH]

If it's new, you might be ok, but if you're getting something second-hand, I wouldn't risk it sight-unseen.

I'm always a bit paranoid about "cheap" acoustics because when they go wrong - they go very wrong. A beat up old strat copy can be re-setup and made workable by any amateur/enthusiast, but the kinds of things that go wrong on cheap acoustics would need a luthier and probably cost more than the value of the instrument to fix - like if the soundboards warp etc., then they end up piling up in pawn shops etc. with action high enough you could build a small village between the neck and the strings.

 

[tedtan]

The Yamahas are great budget instruments. The only downside is that the neck is epoxied on, so its almost impossible to do a neck reset if it needs one years (decades) down the line.

I can also recommend the Seagull S6 but they will cost a bot more so you would have to find a Black Friday deal to hit your price point.

 

[NoodleFace]

The Yamahas are great budget instruments. The only downside is that the neck is epoxied on, so its almost impossible to do a neck reset if it needs one years (decades) down the line.

I can also recommend the Seagull S6 but they will cost a bot more so you would have to find a Black Friday deal to hit your price point.

Interesting about the epoxy. At 229 if it breaks over time it's whatever.

 

[tedtan]

That’s the thing - its cheaper to buy a new guitar than to do the repair, but they’re solid guitars otherwise and tough to beat at the price point.

 

[budda]

Taylor gs mini used? Martin 000 mexi model?

 

[NoodleFace]

Taylor gs mini used? Martin 000 mexi model?

I'll check them out

 

[dr_game0ver]

My pick: Go to your local guitar store, play as much guitars as you want/can, get the one you like.
Note, you will have to change the strings and do a complete set-up if you buy new.
I personally have a "cheap" 400€ Takamine from 12-15 years ago, it has been perfectly fine all theses years.

 

[KnightBrolaire]

I second going to your local guitar store and trying a bunch of them. Godin, Seagull, Washburns are all solid for the price point.

 

[SilentStrummer]

Yamaha FGs are great instruments. Worst case scenario, you use it as your camp and beach guitar.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

My pick: Go to your local guitar store, play as much guitars as you want/can, get the one you like.
Note, you will have to change the strings and do a complete set-up if you buy new.
I personally have a "cheap" 400€ Takamine from 12-15 years ago, it has been perfectly fine all theses years.

3rd

The best advice.

Try everything, buy what you gel with regardless of pretty much everything.

That said, I've been very impressed by the cheapo stuff Fender has been making. Just about every example under $500 I've had my hands on in the last three or four years has been surprisingly good.

 

[littlebadboy]

It seems you don't need a performance level acoustic. Take a look at GC's in house brand, Mitchell. They have cheap options.

I am not much of an acoustic player, but I am happy with my Ovation I got on sale at Sweetwater years ago for just some living room noodling. The bowl shaped back is a bigger when sitting down.

 

[Crungy]

Another vote for the FG800, or almost any Yamaha. My wife bought one for me that I really like and other 800's I've played have felt nice as well. Hard to go wrong with one of these.

Another one that surprised me is the old Johnson blue acoustic guitars. My wife found one at a thrift store that I restrung and it's really good... Less brightness than the FG800 but it plays very well and sounds great for being super cheap.

 

[NoodleFace]

Ended up with the FG800.. the kids "bought it for me" for Christmas, hence the cheap acoustic recommendations. Only played it for a few minutes to make sure it wasn't damaged or anything major wrong but it actually played much nicer than I expected a $250 guitar to play. It's wrapped up under the tree now.

The good thing to is if one of my kids becomes interested in guitar, it's cheap enough I wouldn't mind letting them just use it to fuck around with,

Thanks bros.

 

[Drew]

Was going to chime in, but there's no need now.

Yamaha is definitely pretty reliable in that price point. I've had good luck with Alvarez there too.

 

[NoodleFace]

Was going to chime in, but there's no need now.

Yamaha is definitely pretty reliable in that price point. I've had good luck with Alvarez there too.

Thanks man, hope all is well.

I'm taking stock of the other brands too. Really hoping one of the kids gets into it..

 

[Andromalia]

I'm taking stock of the other brands too. Really hoping one of the kids gets into it..

Next stage is "Dad,Mum, I want a IIC+ and an ESP" so maaaybe you don't want your wish to come true.

 

[NoodleFace]

Next stage is "Dad,Mum, I want a IIC+ and an ESP" so maaaybe you don't want your wish to come true.

Funny story ..

My dad had me start when I was 12. He gave me chord diagrams and I borrowed his guitar. It was boring and I quit.

A year later I REALLY wanted to play again, was begging them nonstop. We were poor, but my dad had some nice guitars. He gave me his 75 LP Custom to shut me up, probably thinking I'd quit.

26 years later it's still mine. Haha

I do pretty alright now, so I'd help my kids in any way even if they wanted to copy John Petruccis rig.

 

[Drew]

Thanks man, hope all is well.

I'm taking stock of the other brands too. Really hoping one of the kids gets into it..

Well enough. Had a health scare this summer (DVT/pulmonary embolism) that I'm still working through the last of the "ruling out the REALLY bad possible explanations for", and while I had the best of intentions of using the time off my road bike to finish another EP (get it? PE EP? I'll show myself out...) work just got too fucking busy. Still, one of these days...

Hope you're well!

 

[CTID]

obviously you've already gotten it, but i guess for reference for someone else who reads this thread at some point: from the experience i had working at a music store, in the $150-~400ish range, Yamaha is REALLY difficult to beat out. i would constantly try to steer customers away from buying a fender acoustic unless they were really deadset on it, because ime low-end Fender acoustics are hot dogshit until you hit $350+. Yamaha and Alvarez and maybe a couple other brands i'm forgetting wipe the floor with Fender, but Fender has the brand recognition.

another little fun thing is the Yamaha Trans-Acoustics have plate reverb and chorus built in that work acoustically, and are super sick