Choosing a guitar

[LaurenceOnSynth]

I'm looking for a new guitar at the moment.

Can't quite decide on what I want though as I am very indecisive.
I have an idea of what I'm looking at though: Semi-acoustic, hollow body electric or a full acoustic guitar.

I like the look and sound of the Gretsch electromatic hollow-body and I've tried an Epiphone Casino which plays really nicely.

Apart from going out and trying out a variety of guitars has anyone got any recommendations?

Edited for spelling.

Edited by LaurenceOnSynth on Friday 14th August 16:18

[Evangelion]

Epiphone Casino is excellent, I've had a couple.

Perhaps the best of the lot is the Gibson 335 - don't fall into the trap of thinking it's out of your price range, as there is an Epiphone version.

Easy one to overlook is the Telecaster Thinline.

[shirt]

the epi casino is much better than the dot [335 copy]. there's also the riviera with humbuckers but it weighs a lot compared to the casino.

i had this choice last year and went with the gretsch 5124. lovely guitar, great build quality and a lot more versatile than people make out. also sounded good acoustically [and looks the nuts].

[Dai Capp]

If you're looking at a mellow jazzy sound then the Epiphone Emporer Joe Pass or Peerless New York are great guitars.

If you're after something that'll give a wider tonal range then the Epiphone Dot or Casino are hard to ignore for their price range. Ibanez also do some good semi's at a reasonable price so they could be worth a look too.

Best bet is to try as many as possible and find the one that fits the best...

Cheers

DC

[LaurenceOnSynth]

shirt]the epi casino is much better than the dot [335 copy said:

. there's also the riviera with humbuckers but it weighs a lot compared to the casino.

i had this choice last year and went with the gretsch 5124. lovely guitar, great build quality and a lot more versatile than people make out. also sounded good acoustically [and looks the nuts].

I really like the gretsch, it does everything i want, but how much abuse can the bigsby take?
Can you give it a bit of aggression or does it need a subtle touch?

[shirt]

the bigsby is made under licence in [i think] china. its perfectly serviceable but its really stiff on the stock spring so feels like you'll do damage. however you can buy a 1" US made spring for about a tenner which transforms it completely.

not sure if PH rules allow linking to other forums, but i'll risk it. head over to the discussion board at:

http://gretschpages.com/

some very knowledgable people over there.

[Sim89]

Hey there, another Gretsch fan here so would naturally recommend one



Bigsby is great, I try not to be too rough with it. Can't decide if I prefer a Floyd Rose!

Sim

[AdeTuono]

Sim89 said:

Hey there, another Gretsch fan here so would naturally recommend one



Bigsby is great, I try not to be too rough with it. Can't decide if I prefer a Floyd Rose!

Sim

Love to see that with a Floyd Rose. Go on!

[LaurenceOnSynth]

Sim89 said:

Hey there, another Gretsch fan here so would naturally recommend one



Bigsby is great, I try not to be too rough with it. Can't decide if I prefer a Floyd Rose!

Sim

I must admit I'm jealous of that little guitar collection


What about acoustics? Price range is about 200-500 quid.
Any in particular I should look at?

[stompboxx]

At the top end of your budget you can get an Epi Sheraton...nice guitar and will always have good resale value.

At that price I'd go second hand (in fact, at any price, don't buy a new guitar). Actually if you're interested I have a nice custom made Atlas guitar, made to a Paul Reed Smith Single Cut spec...beautiful guitar but not my cup of tea, i'm a double cut guy. Let me know if you're interested.

[LaurenceOnSynth]

stompboxx said:

At the top end of your budget you can get an Epi Sheraton...nice guitar and will always have good resale value.

At that price I'd go second hand (in fact, at any price, don't buy a new guitar). Actually if you're interested I have a nice custom made Atlas guitar, made to a Paul Reed Smith Single Cut spec...beautiful guitar but not my cup of tea, i'm a double cut guy. Let me know if you're interested.

Sounds interesting! What are its specs?

[Dai Capp]

LaurenceOnSynth said:

What about acoustics? Price range is about 200-500 quid.
Any in particular I should look at?

There's loads of acounstics in that price range. Some entry level Martins, Simon and Patrick, Takamine - I'd always say look at makers who only make acoustics as it's quite a different process...

Having said that I have a 1972 Fender acoustic that does the trick...

Cheers

DC

[Airbag]

At this price point, it's also important to play a lot of different guitars, even a few of the same model if possible. All is not equal.

You should also try to narrow it down a bit more before you buy, you're a bit all over the place.

[LaurenceOnSynth]

Airbag said:

At this price point, it's also important to play a lot of different guitars, even a few of the same model if possible. All is not equal.

You should also try to narrow it down a bit more before you buy, you're a bit all over the place.

I know, I have a knack for being indecisive.

However, I have narrowed it down to acoustic. At even further to second hand acoustic (I think), which hopefully means I can get a really nice guitar at a discount.

[Airbag]

LaurenceOnSynth said:

Airbag said:

At this price point, it's also important to play a lot of different guitars, even a few of the same model if possible. All is not equal.

You should also try to narrow it down a bit more before you buy, you're a bit all over the place.

I know, I have a knack for being indecisive.

However, I have narrowed it down to acoustic. At even further to second hand acoustic (I think), which hopefully means I can get a really nice guitar at a discount.

So, a flat top acoustic guitar?

Have you decided on a body style yet? (I like 000s over a Jumbo or Dreadnaught personally.)

How about cutaway or full body?

With or without electronics?

Sorry to sound like the inquisition here, but I worked in a guitar store for eight years and would hate to see people buying totally the wrong guitar on a whim. Time invested in finding the right one is time well spent, if you look after it, it will outlast you!

[LaurenceOnSynth]

Airbag said:

LaurenceOnSynth said:

Airbag said:

At this price point, it's also important to play a lot of different guitars, even a few of the same model if possible. All is not equal.

You should also try to narrow it down a bit more before you buy, you're a bit all over the place.

I know, I have a knack for being indecisive.

However, I have narrowed it down to acoustic. At even further to second hand acoustic (I think), which hopefully means I can get a really nice guitar at a discount.

So, a flat top acoustic guitar?

Have you decided on a body style yet? (I like 000s over a Jumbo or Dreadnaught personally.)

How about cutaway or full body?

With or without electronics?

Sorry to sound like the inquisition here, but I worked in a guitar store for eight years and would hate to see people buying totally the wrong guitar on a whim. Time invested in finding the right one is time well spent, if you look after it, it will outlast you!

My preferences for an acoustic would be a jumbo or dreadnaught, I'm not fussed about a cut away but it would be useful to access the high frets.

An electro acoustic would be handy, but again it's not a necessity. It's more about a good quality guitar that suits my playing and sounds beautiful.

Edited by LaurenceOnSynth on Monday 17th August 22:10

[gingerpaul]

Make sure you try some Yamahas. They're very good at the price range you're looking at. Also watch out for the bottom of the range Martins. I don't know what they make them out of but it isn't very good (to my ears at least).

[Airbag]

LaurenceOnSynth said:

Airbag said:

LaurenceOnSynth said:

Airbag said:

At this price point, it's also important to play a lot of different guitars, even a few of the same model if possible. All is not equal.

You should also try to narrow it down a bit more before you buy, you're a bit all over the place.

I know, I have a knack for being indecisive.

However, I have narrowed it down to acoustic. At even further to second hand acoustic (I think), which hopefully means I can get a really nice guitar at a discount.

So, a flat top acoustic guitar?

Have you decided on a body style yet? (I like 000s over a Jumbo or Dreadnaught personally.)

How about cutaway or full body?

With or without electronics?

Sorry to sound like the inquisition here, but I worked in a guitar store for eight years and would hate to see people buying totally the wrong guitar on a whim. Time invested in finding the right one is time well spent, if you look after it, it will outlast you!

My preferences for an acoustic would be a jumbo or dreadnaught, I'm not fussed about a cut away but it would be useful to access the high frets.

An electro acoustic would be handy, but again it's not a necessity. It's more about a good quality guitar that suits my playing and sounds beautiful.

Edited by LaurenceOnSynth on Monday 17th August 22:10

Make sure what you get has at least a solid top, preferably solid top and back. If you can live without a cutaway or electronics, avoid them, they'll compromise the acoustic tone and the feel of the instrument. It's not an enormous difference in most cases, but some guitars are entirely differently braced when they include electronics to minimize feedback and make the guitars more roadworthy.

[LaurenceOnSynth]

Tried some out today

Nicest one was a 12-string Fender acoustic, the 6 strings played really nicely aswell.
I like the necks as they are quite similar to the Fender electric necks, which suit me perfectly.

[Dai Capp]

LaurenceOnSynth said:

Tried some out today

Nicest one was a 12-string Fender acoustic, the 6 strings played really nicely aswell.
I like the necks as they are quite similar to the Fender electric necks, which suit me perfectly.

I love Fenders - I have a 1983 USA hardback strat, a 1973 acoustic, a 50's reissue telecaster and a 57 American Vintage reissue strat. You won't go far wrong with one and if it suits your playing go for it!

Cheers

DC