[bpape]

My son has decided he'd like to learn to play the guitar.  I'm looking to get him an acoustic for his upcoming birthday.  Not looking for anything silly expensive but want something decent that is easy to play.  Not being a guitar player, I have no idea what it should 'feel' like but my understanding is that some are easier to play than others. 

Open to suggestions.  Am I off base in thinking I can get something reasonable in the $500 range?

Thanks.

Bryan

[Scott F.]

Hiya Bryan,

I did the same thing not long ago. My oldest wanted to learn guitar and I ended up calling Mike D and asking his opinion. He told me of a guitar that was dirt cheap, well made and more importantly stayed in tune up and down the neck. He said it actually sounded pretty decent too. I've got a call into my daughter to find out make and model but if memory serves it was a Washburn Dreadnought. It was about $200 with the soft case. As soon as she and her mother get back from spending money at the mall I'll post the correct make and model.

Washburns at Musicians Friend

[cryoparts]

As I go by "guitarplayer" on most every site but this one, I figure I'll chime in.

My favorite inexpensive guitars are:

Martin D-1 (discontinued)
Martin DX1--there are a few different variations of this model.
Taylor 110 or 210
Epiphone Hummingbird (really nice for $300, or so)
And...any Garrison you can find in your price range.

Here's a link to Harmony Central's review section.  You can spend hours there:

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar

There are as many opinions among guitar players as to what is "good" as there are among audiophiles about the relative merits of their gear.  So...the best advice I can give you is to make sure that your son plays a bunch of different brands to see what he likes.  He may hate all of the above brands (although I doubt it) and want something totally different.

Hope the info helps.

Peace,

Lee

My son has decided he'd like to learn to play the guitar.  I'm looking to get him an acoustic for his upcoming birthday.  Not looking for anything silly expensive but want something decent that is easy to play.  Not being a guitar player, I have no idea what it should 'feel' like but my understanding is that some are easier to play than others. 

Open to suggestions.  Am I off base in thinking I can get something reasonable in the $500 range?

Thanks.

Bryan

[mihilli]

There's a wealth of guitars in that price range which will suit a beginner.  The Koreans are building pretty nice guitars now, SX, Cort (alot of "American companies are having their instruments built in Korea now, Epiphone for example) or if that doesn't cut it as far as snob appeal, Art Lutherie are really nice Canadian made guitars, excellent quality.

Then there's always the ole' standbys, Yamaha or Takamine.  Both excellent quality instruments and they have a wide range from $200 to a few thousand dollars.

Having been there and done that with my daughter, I wouldn't spend too much until you see some commitment.  Don't buy garbage because that will discourage them but you probably don't need to spend $500 to get a good playable guitar.

My $.02, fyi I've been playing for 30+ years and own 13 guitars, 10 of them acoustics.

[nodiak]

Hi Brian, $250-300 is plenty for a nice playable first guitar. Along with those mentioned another good company is Alvarez. Look for a solid spruce top in their Artist or Regent series (ex. - RD20S, AD60/70S dreadnaughts, and AF60S Folk model).
A big issue is the body size. Dreadnaughts are big and can be a challenge to hold comfortably or to clearly see the fretboard which matters for a beginner. They do have better bass (so no sub is needed, but might cause room issues  ) The Grand Concert/Folk size is smaller and is more comfortable to hold and easier to see what your fingers are doing on the fretboard. Neck width and circumference matters too, small hands can cramp on bigger necks and v.v. Neck dimensions/shapes are generally standardized for intro models, but can be a different standard from company to company (often why people choose a favorite company). So getting a guitar to ~ match your son's physic will help him learn comfortably. 
I had nice guitars when I played alot but recently bought a used Alvarez Regent and was surprised at it's comfortable neck, nice tone and good finish.
Good luck!
Don   

[bpape]

Thanks for all the good suggestions guys.  I appreciate the input.  Guess we'll just have to take him out and let him play a few and see what he's comfortable with.

Keep 'em coming.

Bryan

[Marbles]

Bryan, I've just been through this with both of my boys (age 17 and 16).  About 7 years ago I bought them a 3/4 size Yamaha acoustic.  It didn't get played much.

Two years ago, my younger son decided he wanted an Electric for his birthday.  My wife and I went shopping and the guitar store recommended a BC Rich Warlock (in red)..it looked cool too!!

Turns out this is not a great starter electric.  A few months later I happened on a Japanese made Strat (sunburst) for a GREAT deal..$200.  My son loves this guitar.

About 3 months ago my oldest decided he wanted guitar lessons, so we let him use the Warlock to see what kind of commitment he had.  After a few lessons his instructor mentioned that he should probably get a better guitar to learn on.  I found a used Line 6 that I thought was way cool, but the instructor thought he would always be fiddling with knobs..that it might be too complicated and recommended a used Epiphone Les Paul Custom (G-400 custom)  It looked like new..it's an ivory colored reissue of the Gibson '61 Les Paul.  3 pickups.  It came with a fitted hard case.  Got everything for $300.

Anyway, I would A:buy used if you can find something he likes, and B: don't hesitate to go electric if he has that desire.

I have heard that it is easier to learn on an electric, but I don't play...

[bpape]

Thanks.

Actually, he's been a musician since he was about 6.  He's 20 (21 in 2 weeks) now.  He plays pretty much all the brass instruments and wants to learn to play guitar now.  I asked him if he wanted acoustic or electric and he said acoustic so I think we'll go that way. 

Most likely, I'll take him out and let him play a few different ones and see what he prefers.  I agree I don't want to get silly but want to get something that sounds good and is 'easy' to play so he doesn't get discouraged.  If he was younger, I'd do the cheaper thing to make sure but he's pretty strong minded when he makes up his mind he wants to do something (NO idea where he got that from...  ).  He's getting engaged this summer and I think he wants to be able to play and sing at their wedding so he has some motiviation to make this happen.

Bryan

[PhishPhan]

Check out Seagull. http://www.seagullguitars.com/intro.htm

They make a very nice guitar and several models can be had within your price range.

I have an M6 Cedar model and it has a beautiful, deep tone.