Want to buy an acoustic under 1k
- Thread starter Daibouk
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Icel3m0nt3a
New member
Some brands to look out for, the usual yamaha, takamine, taylor, maestro, custom. The places that have these brands are plaza singapura yamaha, citymusic at peace centre, and bras basah complex.
I recently bought a 20-year old yamaha acoustic guitar fg-320A from a fellow softie for $100, and I do say it plays and sounds good. Many recommend Swing acoustic guitars that are stocked in SV. I know these are the lower end of your budget, but do try all acoustic guitars you come across and get the one you like best.
I recently bought a 20-year old yamaha acoustic guitar fg-320A from a fellow softie for $100, and I do say it plays and sounds good. Many recommend Swing acoustic guitars that are stocked in SV. I know these are the lower end of your budget, but do try all acoustic guitars you come across and get the one you like best.
Firstly i wouldnt actually recommend any of the 1k range Martins/ Taylors ( the X series for martins and 100/200 series for taylor), cause the price isnt really worth for the specs, unless you buy it 2nd hand from others. Im not saying they aint good, in fact i use a martin DX-1E and it sounds awesome and i got it 2nd hand from another softie!
I would actually advise you to check out Takamines ( G series) at Davis, for 1k you can get a pretty decent one made in Korea/ Japan. The lower end ones cost $300-$600 are mostly made in China. For 1k you can get a FULL solid guitar, top and back all solid wood, by Custom Acoustic, really worth it and they come with mostly B-Band pickups.
Remember not to buy for the sake of the brand. You can consider Seagulls, Tanglewood, Cort and Maestro( 1 series) as well, you can afford some of the lower end ones full solid. Oh ya and Alvarez @ luthermusic! Yamaha i would recommend LL16/LJ16, LL6/LJ6.
Specs of guitars aside, you must like the feel and the sound of the guitar. Many ppl have different taste and preferences, and laminated back and sides might not sound bad, some laminated back/sides guitars i tried sound better than a full solid one. Sizes of guitar and wood combination plays a significant role in the sound of the guitar! If you like the feel and sound of a $500 guitar compared to a 1k one, though the specs are lower, go with the $500 guitar. Follow your ears brudder! That's my advice!
I would actually advise you to check out Takamines ( G series) at Davis, for 1k you can get a pretty decent one made in Korea/ Japan. The lower end ones cost $300-$600 are mostly made in China. For 1k you can get a FULL solid guitar, top and back all solid wood, by Custom Acoustic, really worth it and they come with mostly B-Band pickups.
Remember not to buy for the sake of the brand. You can consider Seagulls, Tanglewood, Cort and Maestro( 1 series) as well, you can afford some of the lower end ones full solid. Oh ya and Alvarez @ luthermusic! Yamaha i would recommend LL16/LJ16, LL6/LJ6.
Specs of guitars aside, you must like the feel and the sound of the guitar. Many ppl have different taste and preferences, and laminated back and sides might not sound bad, some laminated back/sides guitars i tried sound better than a full solid one.
Sizes of guitar and wood combination plays a significant role in the sound of the guitar! If you like the feel and sound of a $500 guitar compared to a 1k one, though the specs are lower, go with the $500 guitar. Follow your ears brudder! That's my advice!
i will definitely recommend Maestro ! They have good guitars there. The good ones cost about from $400 to $600. Give it a try !
Hi all,
Thanks so much for taking time to help a newbie. Really appreciate it!
I will definitely take time to go down to the shops and try OUT all these recommendations. I understand that price does not necessarily equate tone/quality, but I hope to max out my 1k budget as much as possible if that means I can get a good guitar.
Can I just source for a few more opinions please:
Custom - Have heard some bad reviews about its construction. All its models are made in China? How are its higher-end guitars, e.g. MR68?
Maestro - Is there a price list available online, or do I have to go down to the shop to see? With a 1k budget, what series should be looking at? There is a model recommended above - ED-2. Is this the best I can get with my budget, or are there other choices?
Alvarez - MD60, 70, 80 etc. What is the main difference? From what I can see online, it appears to be wood choice. Is there anything I should take note of?
Yamaha - LL6/LJ6 seems good, like the case with it too. Anything I should take note about it?
Takamine - How do I tell whether the model is made in Korea, Japan or China?
Thanks for all your help again - just trying to do my homework before committing to the first big (for me!) guitar purchase.
Thanks so much for taking time to help a newbie. Really appreciate it!
I will definitely take time to go down to the shops and try OUT all these recommendations. I understand that price does not necessarily equate tone/quality, but I hope to max out my 1k budget as much as possible if that means I can get a good guitar.
Can I just source for a few more opinions please:
Custom - Have heard some bad reviews about its construction. All its models are made in China? How are its higher-end guitars, e.g. MR68?
Maestro - Is there a price list available online, or do I have to go down to the shop to see? With a 1k budget, what series should be looking at? There is a model recommended above - ED-2. Is this the best I can get with my budget, or are there other choices?
Alvarez - MD60, 70, 80 etc. What is the main difference? From what I can see online, it appears to be wood choice. Is there anything I should take note of?
Yamaha - LL6/LJ6 seems good, like the case with it too. Anything I should take note about it?
Takamine - How do I tell whether the model is made in Korea, Japan or China?
Thanks for all your help again - just trying to do my homework before committing to the first big (for me!) guitar purchase.
For Custom Acoustic, i would say it's value for money. Never tried the higher end MR68, but I have tried the FG27E, it sounds okay to me for its price. But i would recommend Takamines and Maestro to Custom. Better to go down to see for yourself.
For Taks, you can ask the staff or see the insides of the guitar, it is stated there. Usually in Davis, the >$500 are made in Japan/Korea, those on the higher shelves. Those lower shelves are usually the lower end ones.
Generally, just take note of the feel of the guitar and the sound, and also the playability which includes how smooth the neck is and the action of the strings. Give the yamahas i mentioned a shot, they are pretty good. Alvarez wise, they aint too bad either. You can look for Raymond at luthermusic, he will gladly assist you with your queries!
For Taks, you can ask the staff or see the insides of the guitar, it is stated there. Usually in Davis, the >$500 are made in Japan/Korea, those on the higher shelves. Those lower shelves are usually the lower end ones.
Generally, just take note of the feel of the guitar and the sound, and also the playability which includes how smooth the neck is and the action of the strings. Give the yamahas i mentioned a shot, they are pretty good. Alvarez wise, they aint too bad either. You can look for Raymond at luthermusic, he will gladly assist you with your queries!
do place the alvarez and yamaha l series high on your list. Having went through numerous acoustics within the sub 1k range i really find the yamaha and alvarez to be most outstanding in terms of tone and workmanship.
anyway, every considered 2nd hand. you get alot more value out of the money you have on hand with a sustainable resale value as well. just a thought
anyway, every considered 2nd hand. you get alot more value out of the money you have on hand with a sustainable resale value as well. just a thought
EugeneSmasher
New member
Agreed. Chanced upon a mid-range one which had intonation issues, even after being setup. Also tried a lower-end full-laminate one and while it sounded very nice, it had glue stains all over. So yeah. A bit inconsistent I guess, but there are definitely very, very good ones which I've tried before too.
Godspeed64
Active member
Just try out what you can and bring home the best one. A brand left out by people here is Blueridge available at Maestro. Great guitars too!
You have to treat each individual guitar as a separate piece, regardless of model or brand. The model or brands only give you a vague idea of where to start, but even then, say you're fixed on like a Maestro ED-2 or something, try A FEW ED-2s and pick the best unit. I handpicked my Gibson SG out of like 7 SGs in shops/second hand tryouts etc. It's not about buying a good instrument, but the right one for you!
You have to treat each individual guitar as a separate piece, regardless of model or brand. The model or brands only give you a vague idea of where to start, but even then, say you're fixed on like a Maestro ED-2 or something, try A FEW ED-2s and pick the best unit. I handpicked my Gibson SG out of like 7 SGs in shops/second hand tryouts etc. It's not about buying a good instrument, but the right one for you!
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