[esquire415]

I want to ask the forum what you think of the following small-bodied guitars for a starter. I do not want to spend so much maybe $250 max (the lower the better) since I'm just a beginner and don't even know how to play yet . I will be taking lessons after I've selected the one for me. I prefer a smaller guitar since I have a small body and hands but nothing smaller than a Grand Concert size. Also, is it okay to get an acoustic-electric?

Ibanez VC70 Grand Concert
Ibanez PC5NT Grand Concert
Dean Performer Electric-Acoustic
Dean Evocoustic
Dean Exotica Nomad
Copley CA-400C
Fender GC12 Acoustic
Fender GC23S Acoustic
Fender GDC-100 SCE
Cort Earth 200GC
Cort Earth 52
Washburn F-10S Grand Concert
Baby Taylor
Seagull Grand

A few of the above may cost more than my budget but one can always get them on Ebay for cheap. I will go to a local guitar store and check these babies out but meantime I'd like to hear from the forum of what they think of these guitars.

[Spyder F16]

If you have the money and want to hotwire the acoustic to an amplifier later on as you get better, you could get an Acoustic-Electric. They're like a regular acoustic, the only difference that they have components in them that'll pickup the sound and enable you to amplify it.


As far as getting guitars, I'd say to look at what it's built with, the fret sizes. If you can actually get to a music shop that has a few of these, take a test run on some to get a feeling for them. If a certain model feels good in your hands, then that's the one for you.

[esquire415]

It looks like this board is very slow. I guess not many are subscribed here and shall look for another forum. Nevertheless, thanks for your reply Spyder. Since i'm a beginner, I can forgo an electro-acoustic guitar. It's just that I see some of them at about the same price as a regular acoustic (but probably of inferior craftsmanship). I believe I can have it installed later on if I think I need it and when I know how to play. Anyway, if i go that direction, i might go for a Dean or Ovation.

I went to visit a store and this is the first time that I've seen a Grand Concert size guitar. This one is a Seagull and it looks like a slightly bigger Parlor guitar. I had the salesguy play it and I didn't like the low end sound especially after I've strummed the next size higher which is the Seagull Folk and the Simon and Patrick Folk which actually fits just right for me. I am not sure if the Grand Concert size is the same with other brands but the shape from other brands look like a slightly smaller dreadnought. I was also able to look at a Big Baby Taylor from another sotre which actually felt very nice. I may have to increase my budget a bit if I have to get one of these classy guitars. I made a bid on ebay for a mint condition BBT with gigbag and only $20 shipping but I got outbid. Final auction price was only $299! I was going for $279.

Anyway, I'm still going to look around. The Martin 00 or 000 guitars are still out of my range even if it's used. I am favoring the the Godin line (Seagull, S&P, A&L, Norman, La Patrie) and the Big Baby Taylor and am narrowing my choices to these. Price will be play an important factor in the decision.

[Terry Buddell]

Hi
AS far as a cheap guitar goes I relly dont think you can go past aBaby Taylor..........I bought one last year and play both fingerstyle with picks and also tune it to open D andG and even open C#.....it is a loud sweet and very upfront guitar and with Elixir strings is very hard to beat..........price ,well 900 AUS dollars but WHAT a guitar
Try one
Terry Buddelll

[Kirk Lorange]

Hey Terry, good to hear from you. Sounds like you're getting a lot of playing in these days. Welcome to the forum.

[allthumbs]

I have heard lots of good reviews of cort guitars on various forums.
allthumbs

[C.C]

.I have a small small bodied Cort ..The SF 1.Its great entry level guitar .An Accoustic /electric with a fishman "Classisc "pick up ..Sounds great plugged in ..Not a bad tone , a little bit quiet unplugged but I guess thats the trade off for a smaller bodied guitar ...I do like my Cort and for their price range I think they great ...



C.C

[Pete]

Cort are good value for money, but many parents are not prepared to spend more than $AUD300 on a kid who has not convinced then they will stick with guitar lessons.
In that case, I always reccomend Martinez, widely available here, where for around $AUD225 for a full size steel string with a surprisingly good neck, and a hundred bucks for the half-size version, Mum and Dad arn't worrying so much about the money they are forking out.
The strings need to go back a guage or two, but overall they are a great starting level guitar.
They make a nice (cheap) Dobro, as well.
As for a thin-bodied guitar, which seems to be the thrust of the question, it's hard to beat a Fender Slimline for around five hundred bucks.