Acoustic Guitar Recommendation

[pessimist]

Hi guys. I am selling my classical to make way for an acoustic. My current budget is $350 or below. Looking for an acoustic-electric with cutaway. I tested out 1 Jack&Danny guitar with cutaway, solid cedar top and fishman preamp. Forgot to see the model number. But it sounds very good.

But I seldom hear people mention J&D when it comes to reliable acoustic guitar brands. So any suggestions? Throw me any brand names and model number that falls into my price range. Best if it is bang for buck.

 

[User X]

If you like the sound and feel, just buy it. Dont bother bout the brand, you dont need to have a Taylor to sound good. J&D's pretty safe and shouldnt fall apart in a few years time. Even I got a Symphony acoustic guitar ($250) as a first guitar and its still sounding good even after 5 years.

 

[pessimist]

i agree. but that was the first few guitars that I have tested out. Want to open myself to more choices just in case I make the wrong decision. Plus, I have heard of the poor QC of J&D. Can this be fixed by sending the guitar for maintenance, such as adjusting action of the guitar etc etc.?

 

[heavynoize]

or u can always try like more reputable brands if u're afraid of QC problems. like cort, maestro's a good start, takamine, or perhaps.. hmm lemme see, yamaha haha i's using one, first guitar=) good luck! just remember it's all about the feeling!

 

[chocolatefriend]

Crafter guitars are really good! Price range is not too high too

 

[pessimist]

where can i find crafter guitars?

 

[User X]

You can find crafter guitars @ shops like guitar-connection Penisular shopping centre or ranking music and sports @ brash barsah complex

 

[User X]

i agree. but that was the first few guitars that I have tested out. Want to open myself to more choices just in case I make the wrong decision. Plus, I have heard of the poor QC of J&D. Can this be fixed by sending the guitar for maintenance, such as adjusting action of the guitar etc etc.?

Maestro, Sinamex have thier own guitar hospitals for acoustic guitars. Like someone said, try Yamaha(Yamaha stores), Takamine(Davis Guitar), Maestro(Maestro store)[Made in Singapire FTW], Crafter(Ranking Sports & Music), Recording King(Ranking Sports & Music), Samick, Ibanez(I think sweelee still has an offer for one model)

 

[EugeneSmasher]

Actually I've come across some good reviews of Jack and Danny guitars, particularly the DG-108. But in my opinion, with regards to quality control, always check the guitar thoroughly before buying because there can be poor pieces especially for lower-price brands like Jack and Danny. The DG-108 I tried was awesome though!

Another lower-price brand that appears to have a very good reputation is Custom Acoustic, you can try some of them at City Music. Just that some of the lower-priced pieces have this greenish sheen on their spruce tops that I find repulsive. But the sheen is quite obvious so avoiding them won't likely be a problem. Check the other parts too.

Jack and Danny and Custom Acoustic have really bang-for-buck models, you can actually get a solid-top guitar for below $300, whereas for much bigger brands, that price probably would get you a laminate-top. So I'd recommend you to try those two brands and find a good piece.

But if you want to play it safe for now, you can't really go wrong with Yamaha. They make really nice-sounding guitars for the money (particularly the F, FS, FX and FG series). I'm using quite an old, beaten one but it's still going strong after all these years. And it sounds fabulous.

 

[Ex14]

SV brought swing guitars too...it looks solid .

 

[pessimist]

What do I check for in an acoustic guitar to determine the quality? So, I'm gonna try brands like Maestro, Takamine, Jack&Danny, Custom Acoustics and Crafter. Any other brands?

 

[EugeneSmasher]

1. Check if guitar suits you
- Play some open chords (e.g. G, E, etc) to assess the general sound of the guitar
- Run your hand over the neck and determine if the neck feels comfortable to you

2. Check for flaws in its contruction
- Inconsistent finishing
- Uneven frets / frets popping out
- Glue residue lying around
- Rough, inconsistently sanded neck

3. Check the condition of the guitar
- Look down the neck from the headstock to check that it is straight and not curved (warped)*
- Check that string height over the frets (action) is low and slowly increases down from the nut to the bridge, and not increasing to drastically*
- Check for cracks, bumps, etc. Holding the guitar's surface against a light source helps to expose bumps.
- Check that the bridge is not coming off.
- Check for uneven string heights at nut and saddle.*

'*' refers to issues that can be quickly rectified by a good setup upon confirmation of purchase.

Hope this helps!

 

[pessimist]

thanks for the detailed explanation!

also, are fishman preamps good? i saw it installed in the J&D guitar that i tried. the person also told me for that price, u get a laminate top takamine guitar with a lousier preamp.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

thanks for the detailed explanation!

also, are fishman preamps good? i saw it installed in the J&D guitar that i tried. the person also told me for that price, u get a laminate top takamine guitar with a lousier preamp.

It's probably the Fishman Ion. I've tried one and I wouldn't say it's a great-sounding preamp, but it is decent and good for the price that's for sure.

 

[pessimist]

oh ok thanks again.

btw, if I find flaws in the guitar, do guitar shops normally have extra stock in their storeroom?

also, are there any low end martin or taylor electric-acoustic guitars within price range?

how about washburn? are washburn electric-acoustic guitars good and nice-sounding?

 

[User X]

oh ok thanks again.

btw, if I find flaws in the guitar, do guitar shops normally have extra stock in their storeroom?
Yes, they do. Just remember to try out the one fresh from the store as well. Also note that you will most likely need to set it up.

also, are there any low end martin or taylor electric-acoustic guitars within price range?
Sorry to say, but no. Not even second-hand. The low ends of such brands costs around 1k at least

how about washburn? are washburn electric-acoustic guitars good and nice-sounding?
They do sound ok to me. Try them out for yourself and see if it calls out to you.

Answered the following.

 

[theGroovyMusic]

yeah dude look at the Custom Acoustics, Fina, Cort and even the lower end Takamines. Custom Acoustic are bang-for-bucks man, you could get a full-solid as compared to a solid top Maestro, however i must say that QC for Maestro has improved over the years. Take a walk down Peninsula and BB, you probably can find good deals, dont go for the brands dude, go for the tone! I wouldn't really recommend the lower end Takamines, you're better off with CA and probably the J&D 108, tried one before! But be sure to check thoroughly, some bad lemons may lay around!

 

[greybackshadow]

i recommend Taylor, Gibson, Epiphone and Chort. (i think i spelt them wrongly, sorry)

 

[pessimist]

i think i'm pretty much set on Maestro. But I will go down to Custom Acoustics to give it a sound test! I tested a Maestro guitar(i believe it is SA-1EC) and it is the loudest and brightest guitar i've heard. suits what i'm finding for! Taylor, Gibson, and Epiphone are outta my price range. As for Cort, i'm not sure about the price.

 

[EugeneSmasher]

i recommend Taylor, Gibson, Epiphone and Chort. (i think i spelt them wrongly, sorry)

He already stated his budget as $350, and you probably know that Taylors and Gibsons cost in the thousands. Way out of his budget.

The Cort Earth 70E has Fishman electronics. I've tried it and it sounds pretty good. The top just looked a bit low-grade. It costs around $300 I believe, so it is within your budget. You could give this model a try too... But I personally also like Maestros and I find that they sound and play nicely for the price. I'd recommend Maestro too.