Epiphone hummingbird Pro vs alvarez ad 60

[Jimmybt]

I guess a little background about me would help. I'm a big guy (6"8) so I pretty much draw most guitars lol. What I have now is a concert shaped fender fa-130. I also have a epi g400 pro sg 66 Ltd ed reissue that is in the case that I want to eventually learn to play. Yes I know electric is different but it was given to me so I'll learn on acoustic first. The fender kind of sucks, it was part of a learn to play package with amp and all that. I've narrowed it down to the Epi, because I love the look of it and so many good reviews. I played my teachers taylor 814ce and was like WOW. Of course I can't budget for $3k. I did some research and to me it seems like all the higher quality guitar is price wise have a 1.75 nut or larger. That is why when I discovered the Alvarez ad60 and it's wide nut and bone I was like hmm. So that is why I narrowed it down.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

The OP has only been playing about a month. He bought a package Fender. He is looking at two approximately $300 guitars. All of this screams "limited means." Why do you "headstock snobs" tell him to wait until he has $800-1000-or even $1200 before he upgrades? There are those of us that love to play that will likely never have that kind of money to spend on a guitar. Rent, bills, groceries and all that. Martin, Taylor and Gibson are all great guitars (not to mention the higher end stuff) but lots of us just can't get there from here.

Just sayin'.

Because 1st of all, throwing $300 away is never a good idea.

and 2, you have to get off your butt and work to make things better for yourself, not cry about it on a guitar forum. Do you think we were all born rich? Not me, working fulltime since I was 18 (61 now).

And I was recommending Blueridge and Seagull, hardly the land of headstock snobbery.

[Jimmybt]

I don't want to get in this headstock war, but I really don't have a grand to sink in something. What I do have is money to step up to a better instrument than what I have.

[Scootch]

Look at used stock. You can do much better.

[bluesfreek]

If you have big hands I wouldn't get the Hummingbird. I owned one years back and just couldn't bond with it but that could be just me. It also wasn't that great of a guitar build wise. For $100 less you can get a really nice and better built Yamaha. The Alvarez looks pretty nice and I think it's probably a better guitar than the Epi. Look at what you can afford.

[Jimmybt]

I've heard good things about the Yamaha but don't know much about them. Which is best in that $ range?

[wayfaring]

the Yamaha LL6 or LL16 have the wider nuts which may suit you better, I have a FG850 which has the standard 1 11/16" nut but I put a 1 3/4" nut on it and took a little off each side so to benefit a little extra string spacing. The LL6 and LL16 series guitars are high quality and have passive electrics, if you go to Reverb.com and do a search for anything likely it's there, I got my Alvarez MD60 there at $220 which is as low as I ever saw an all solid wood guitar. I doubt you would be sorry for buying any of the newer FG800 or LL series guitars

[D-utim]

After a month of playing and staying within a budget, I would try a used Seagull.

[bluesfreek]

Originally Posted by Jimmybt

I've heard good things about the Yamaha but don't know much about them. Which is best in that $ range?

In the $300-$600 range would be the FG800 series or the LL6
If you could find a used Yamaha LL6 you'd have something much better than your current Fender or the Epi Hummingbird or Alvarez.

The Yamaha LL6 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LL6RHC

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Jimmybt

I don't want to get in this headstock war, but I really don't have a grand to sink in something. What I do have is money to step up to a better instrument than what I have.

Right, so ignore the advice of people with 60+ living experience and listen to those who tell you what you want to hear, lol.

[Jimmybt]

Or continue to try to play my junky fender and give up and stop playing altogether because it held me back....

[jdto]

You can get a solid wood Seagull SWS in the $400 USD range, I believe. With big hands, the 1.8" nut on Seagulls can give a touch of extra space (I like them). I've found I like the sound of Seagulls more than the Epi HB, but that's a very subjective thing. Simon & Patrick (made by the same company that makes Seagull) have a more common nut size at 1.72.

Anyway, I won't say the Epi Hummingbird is a bad guitar, but I will say I like other guitars better in that price range.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Jimmybt

Or continue to try to play my junky fender and give up and stop playing altogether because it held me back....

Ok, your call.

[InTune]

Originally Posted by Nyghthawk

Lots of nice options out there for the money you are talking about. Any reason it is between these two? The Yamaha FS or FG820 (the FS is approximately an 000 size with a short scale and the FG is approximately Dread size) would both be good choices. Neither has electronics if that is what you are looking for. If you buy the Epiphone then try before you buy would be good advice. I have heard that there can be large differences between individual instruments so far as quality is concerned.

I agree with this. The 800 series of Yamaha are awesome instruments. I had the epi you're talking about too. I was good. Short scale,I believe. I sold it. Still have my Yamaha fg720s and recently bought the 820 and I'll most likely never sell it either. The Yamaha is affordable but not cheap by any means when it comes to what you use a guitar for... Plays awesome and sounds awesome!

[InTune]

Originally Posted by TBman

Right, so ignore the advice of people with 60+ living experience and listen to those who tell you what you want to hear, lol.

Not to be disrespectful or anything but, how old were you when you bought your first guitar over 800 dollars?