New acoustic guitar for a beginner

monkaiboy · February 2016

A colleague has asked me for advice for a new acoustic guitar to replace his dodgy ebay purchase he has been using up to now.

He is just learning, but as he puts it, we doesn't want the guitar to hold him back, he wants to hold the guitar back.

Budget-wise he says up to around £500 but less if possible. Just something which is nice to play and good to learn on.

All suggestions welcome.

stimpsonslostson · February 2016

For £500 he should be able to get something EXCELLENT!

The obvious suggestion is the ever popular Taylor GS Mini. Brilliant to play and they sound good too- simply superb guitars.

It's also worth checking out Sigma guitars- they seem to do Martin clones & mighty nice they are too.

Faith have a lot of guitars in that price range.

There's a comprehensive list here:

http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/32-of-the-best-budget-acoustic-guitars-in-the-world-today-582331

Obviously it's worth bearing mind what kind of music he'll want to play- finger style? Strummed chords? Horses for courses and all that.

monkaiboy · February 2016

Thanks very much. Yeah, I pointed out to him he could probably spend way less than that and get something he would be happy with.

(I've had my £500 Landola for 23 years and it's still going strong)

BigLicks67 · February 2016

Sigma Dr28, Yamaha LL6 or LS6 - all under budget, or the all solid LL16M which is bang on budget.

Gru · February 2016

I played a well set up Sigma OMM-ST at the weekend. For £189 it was brilliant. Solid Spruce top. The slightly more bling OMM-4 with bound neck was also very nice for £279.

I once owned a 000-15M, which I couldn't fault either about £240 new.

I've played a few sigmas now and not one has disappointed.

richardhomer · February 2016

The GS Mini is superb from a playability point of view.

I have mine on a stand behind the sofa - it gets played more than any other guitar I own (including a Martin D28 which I've owned for over 20 years).

daveww · February 2016

Vintage V300 are amazing for the money especially after a bit of a setup.

musicman100 · February 2016

richardhomer said:

The GS Mini is superb from a playability point of view.

I have mine on a stand behind the sofa - it gets played more than any other guitar I own (including a Martin D28 which I've owned for over 20 years).

The neck let's the gs mini down in my opinion

richardhomer · February 2016

musicman100;987922" said:
The neck let's the gs mini down in my opinion

Really?

I'm assuming you've either played a bad example (which is pretty rare with Taylor's quality control) or that there's something specific about it that doesn't suit you?

musicman100 · February 2016

It was just the feel n the finish on the neck that I don't like. I just think it let's the guitar down. Other than that i was a nice little guitar.

Gru · March 2016

richardhomer;983894" said:
The GS Mini is superb from a playability point of view.

I have mine on a stand behind the sofa - it gets played more than any other guitar I own (including a Martin D28 which I've owned for over 20 years).

The Rosewood one I owned was lovely especially for the way that I play. I was the only guitar I had since last September.

Superb sofa guitar. My only slight issue was the string spacing at the nut and the low end drop once past the 7th/8th fret, which is why I switched to an OM. Still not 100% sure it was the right choice? I can certainly see why the GS mini is so so popular and I would certainly buy another Taylor in the future, outstanding fit and finish. They are not cheap, but they are very very good.

richardhomer · March 2016

Gru;989912" said:
Superb sofa guitar. My only slight issue was the string spacing at the nut and the low end drop once past the 7th/8th fret, which is why I switched to an OM. Still not 100% sure it was the right choice? I can certainly see why the GS mini is so so popular and I would certainly buy another Taylor in the future, outstanding fit and finish. They are not cheap, but they are very very good.

I think that's a very fair assessment - the neck is a bit narrow (which is probably good for someone who's just starting out) and they don't have the bass extension/fullness of a 'full size' guitar. But they do have enough to sound bigger than they actually are.

I suppose what I mean is they give enough of the favour of a much more high-end guitar, without the cost. If you can afford one as an 'extra', they're a great companion to have around.

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New acoustic guitar for a beginner

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