Newbie here. New to acoustics. Help!!

[Perchman]

Follow the "play until you find the one" advice. Amazing knowledge here on this site. There are certain brands that bring a level of quality that are respected so start with those [Martin, Taylor, Larivee, Guild, etc]. But don't limit yourself to only those brands. Another great piece of advice is to definitely consider pre-owned. With your desire to stay smaller than dred but maintain big sound, a used Larivee L series will satisfy you I guarantee it. I do not own one but I will.

[Jim Owen]

Welcome to the forum, Jimmy.

You have the advantage of knowing about electrics, so buy used. Don't be overly concerned about electronics, as these can be retro-fitted. That technology has improved considerably over the past decade.

Play a bunch. Buy one you like. I wouldn't sweat the choice--because it won't be your last. The thing is that once you've played acoustic for a while, you'll have a better idea of what works for you. Your tastes (and ears) will change.

[Jimmyohio75]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I plan to hit a few of my local guitar shops and play a bunch. I can use the advice provided here to point me in the right direction. It always helps to be armed with information when looking to buy a new guitar. Looking forward to delving into the world of acoustics.

[TheRedPony]

I can attest to Eastman's being outstanding instruments too! I just bought a AC508ce brand new for around £1200 and it has a Fishman Matrix VT pickup in it! Just a very loud and bassy unplugged sound and a really quality plugged in tone with none of the "quack" associated with cheap electronics.

You could probably get an even better deal secondhand and for a handmade, all solid wood acoustic you're not going to find a better deal

[Jimmyohio75]

Well this is crazy. I went to GC on my lunch break today and played about 20 different guitars. I played a few Martin, Taylor, Breedlove, Epiphone, Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Alvarez and Washburns. My favorite guitar of all the ones I played was the Taylor 414ce. No surprise there but unfortunately out of my price range. Great guitar all the way around. Loved it!
This is where things got kinda shocking. My second favorite was the Yamaha FG830. Priced at $299. What? How can this cheap *** guitar play and sound better (to me) than all of these Martins, Breedloves and Gibsons? The Yamaha had big, clear sound with plenty of bass. The Rosewood sides and back were gorgeous. The only thing I would need to change were the strings. I almost pulled the trigger but I want to make sure that this was not a fluke. I decided that I will go back this weekend and make sure that I still feel the same way as I did today. One thing for sure. This is a very nice guitar for little money.

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by Jimmyohio75

Well this is crazy. I went to GC on my lunch break today and played about 20 different guitars. I played a few Martin, Taylor, Breedlove, Epiphone, Gibson, Fender, Yamaha, Alvarez and Washburns. My favorite guitar of all the ones I played was the Taylor 414ce. No surprise there but unfortunately out of my price range. Great guitar all the way around. Loved it!
This is where things got kinda shocking. My second favorite was the Yamaha FG830. Priced at $299. What? How can this cheap *** guitar play and sound better (to me) than all of these Martins, Breedloves and Gibsons? The Yamaha had big, clear sound with plenty of bass. The Rosewood sides and back were gorgeous. The only thing I would need to change were the strings. I almost pulled the trigger but I want to make sure that this was not a fluke. I decided that I will go back this weekend and make sure that I still feel the same way as I did today. One thing for sure. This is a very nice guitar for little money.

If you liked the FG830 my suggestion is to buy it. Guitar Center has a very flexible return policy. Since you liked the 414ce so much you may want to put the strings that come stock on the 414 on the FG830 (Elixir Nanoweb - Phosphor Bronze Light).

Yamaha's are highly regarded around here. They do a lot of things right in their build and QA process. The things that seperate the Taylor 414ce from the FG830 are:

414ce has:
* Solid wood back and sides
* Taylor's patented designed joint, forward shifted bracing and relief route
* Taylor's limited lifetime warranty
* Taylor's brand reputation

Bullet point #4 can't be overstated when it comes to the retail price. That doesn't always equate to better quality, but there is the perception of it. Big builders all have their long list of pro players who endorce their guitars and help them sell at the prices they do.... But I'm not sure how much cheaper the American builders can go. The little attention to detail put into the 414ce ends up costing a lot more.

Average cost of an American factory worker is $23/hour (good companies pay more than that) in China it's $1.36/hour. The difference begin there, the quality of hardware (tuners, electronics, etc..) how the wood is sourced and stored, there's a lot that goes into all of it.