Advice on £400 acoustic

[noteboom80]

I'm looking at upgrading my entry level acoustic. Paid about £120 for it from my local music shop. Its there own brand they recommend for students. Anyway i was originally looking at either a takamine gn 20 or a yamaha fs730 but I've been putting a bit of spare cash away and now looking like I'll have enough to get a new yamaha ls6. Can anyone reccomend any other options for that kind of money approx £400 here in England.

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[boombox]

I have only heard good things about Yamahas, especially those Ls6s; from personal experience of owning an electric YSG and a hybrid AEX500, I will say Yamahas are always well made and have very comfortable, if slightly lightweight necks, which are easy to play. There is also great consistency between guitars.

Other brands I've tried in your price bracket include Tanglewood (lots of different models in your budget), Vintage (played a nice Gordon Giltrap model, though it really would have benefitted from a decent set-up), Faith (who make some very nice smaller bodied models) and I also played quite a nice Sigma(though same caveat re setup applies). You might also look at Taylor 1 series, who have their fans, though I've only played a few of their £1k-£1.5K models, which were quite nice. The newer Chinese Guilds are also very good by all accounts.

Personally, if I were starting out again, I'd look immediately at Stonebridge/Furch - even their laminate models are very special - beautifully made, lightweight, easy to play and many more superlatives. I've just seen a new Stonebridge G40CM advertised for only £549. Again, if you look at second-hand too, you might be lucky enough to score higher spec'd models - the 20/21 series are very nice guitars - I had an all solid CM20, which I only sold as it couldn't compete with my Collings costing many times the price.

I'm sure if you say where you are and the sort of stuff you want to play, people will be able to chime in with more specific advice regarding models and good shops to visit, but please remember it's your ears and hands you want to please, not every other poster's! Take your time and wait till a guitar 'talks' to you.

[noteboom80]

I like to play modern / folk stuff as well as indie . Jake Bugg Richard Ashcroft Noel Gallagher etc. Also a fan of some classics like Johnny Cash and the beatles. Want something easy to play still a relative beginner just getting to grips with barre chords and feel better guitar will take me on to the next level.

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[JohnCambo]

If you look around for a used guitar, you could get an all solid wood guitar, which, IMO, is better than any laminate guitar though some would argue that point.

I would never buy any guitar other than an all solid wood.

Have a look around for an Eastman, Blueridge, Guild or a number of asian made all solid wood guitars. There are many.

The Yamaha LL16 is all solid and I've seen them for very close to your price range.

[pheezy]

Originally Posted by noteboom80

I'm looking at upgrading my entry level acoustic. Paid about £120 for it from my local music shop. Its there own brand they recommend for students. Anyway i was originally looking at either a takamine gn 20 or a yamaha fs730 but I've been putting a bit of spare cash away and now looking like I'll have enough to get a new yamaha ls6. Can anyone reccomend any other options for that kind of money approx £400 here in England.

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Tanglewood java twjfe is what I went with .absolutely brilliant guitar and
set up etc was spot on .plus they look fantastic .give them a look up on net and
YouTube .

[Musket]

I just spent £398 on a new Recording King RD126 fe2. Decent dread' all solid and looks wonderful. The action is a little high straight from the shop but this can be sorted.

£400 is a good budget and for that, I'd add Faith, Alvarez and the Yamaha LL range into consideration.

Also, don't be too put off by laminates on backs and sides. My sweetest sounding guitar is an Eastman with solid top, laminate back and sides and both my Alvarez guitars are too.

[noteboom80]

Just to add I ended up with a Faith Venus sweet sounding guitar. A little over budget at £630 but well worth it. Full solid.

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[mickthemiller]

Originally Posted by noteboom80

Just to add I ended up with a Faith Venus sweet sounding guitar. A little over budget at £630 but well worth it. Full solid.

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Good choice. Faiths are great guitars

[Nick84]

Faith are awesome guitars congrats

[SFCRetired]

I suggest you get a new FS800 series guitar and call it a day. IMO they sound better than the G series tak guitars do.

The LS6 would be another good choice. IMO

[noteboom80]

Originally Posted by SFCRetired

I suggest you get a new FS800 series guitar and call it a day. IMO they sound better than the G series tak guitars do.

The LS6 would be another good choice. IMO

Too late. See my comment above.

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