SarahSo44 answers:

If you’re looking for acoustic-electric, I’d suggest trying one from the Ibanez exotic wood series. They’re full-size guitars that sound as full and resonant as anything I’ve played, but they cost a fraction of what you’d pay for a Martin or Taylor. And the necks are thin, the action is low, and they’re visually stunning. I bought one a couple years ago to replace an Alvarez archtop that just didn’t have the sound output I required. When I went into Guitar Center, my intention was to buy whatever guitar met my needs, regardless of its price. After playing a few Gibsons and Martins, which sounded nice but weren’t especially comfortable to play, I wondered if I was on a futile mission. Having never tried an Ibanez acoustic, I picked up the figured ash acoustic-electric just because it looked so beautiful. Both acoustically and plugged in the sound was incredible. And it was as comfortable to play as my electrics. Even better, the price was less than half of what I’d expected to pay. The guitar would be a bargain at twice the price. Here’s a link:

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-EW20ASE-Exotic-Wood-Figured-Ash-Cutaway-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=512118

The zebra wood one is really striking, as well.

Http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-EW20ZWE-EXOTIC-WOOD-SERIES-Zebrawood-AcousticElectric-Guitar-?sku=512323

SarahSo44 answers:

You might as well charge $40 -50 at least. Or ask $75 and let people bargain you down. That way you get what you want and they think they suckered you out. :-)

Ovations (even the Applause) are pretty nice guitars. It’s not really a kiddie guitar, it’s short scale guitar. There is a big difference. The Ovation short scale is just as good as a full size Applause Ovation, it’s just smaller.

SarahSo44 answers:

Yamaha make a good range of acoustic guitars – however I would be going to a pawn shop and seeing what bargains you can pick up in the price range you are talking about – get a full size too not a 3/4…

SarahSo44 answers:

First of all, it depends on your budget, which you did not specify.Do not fall for what looks like a bargain at a big box store, or eBay. These bargains are usually just a toy that looks like a guitar.
They are often pretty unplayable and cost more than they are worth to fix, if they even can be fixed.
They tend not to sound very good, even if they are playable. I always recommend buying a guitar from an independent music store. They have to deal with service, satisfaction and return business in mind. The corporate places like Guitar Center and Sam Ash, are driven by sales and how much they can get you to spend when you walk in the door. Buying guitars online is risky and tricky at best for an experienced player, so I do not recommend it. If your demographics and transportation dictate you to make your purchase online, use musiciansfriend.com. They have a decent return policy, should you get a faulty product.

That said, I recommend you start with an acoustic guitar. Everything you learn on the acoustic guitar will transfer to electric guitar. You generally will build more finger strength and will pick up on things that you will miss.

If your budget is minimal, the only inexpensive guitar that I can recommend is the Epiphone DR-100.
At around $100, they are very playable and pleasant sounding. If you can afford more, Epiphone, Ibanez, Seagull, Takemine and Yamaha, all offer some good solid top guitars in the $200-$400 range.

Xx

SarahSo44 answers:

You could try the Gibson Les Paul Studio, which is less expensive than the more common model. It’s meant for ‘guitarists in the studio’, which basically means it’s all functional, none to little cosmetics. The average price is like $700-$900, which is a really good bargain. For example, if you wanted a good Gibson SG, you’d have to go for like $1500-$2000.

SarahSo44 answers:

Hello there,

I would suggest you get a 1×12 combo amp. Most small practice amps are 10 to 25 watts with either a 6 or 8 inch speaker. The small speaker tends to make you sound thin and tinny. Those amps do not have enough power to handle gain and distortion well; they run out of head room. There is more to the power of an amp than just how loud it is. It takes more power to handle gain and distortion than most beginners realize. I have never heard a lousy speaker in a 1×12 by Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Crate, Vox or Line 6. Each sounds slightly different, but all are good brands.

Tube amps have a great sound. But there is significant care and maintenance involved with using a tube amp. Most beginners just want to flip the switch and start playing. Therefore solid state amps are a better choice for beginners. There are many good solid state amps that have a good tube simulation in their sound. Since you have not been playing tube amps for decades, you probably will not hear the difference.

A good amp for the beginner is the Fender Mustang II. It is a 40 watt 1×12 combo modeling amp. It is versatile. It has many built in effects so you will not need to buy effects pedals for those effects. Effects pedals are not cheap. You can quickly tie up several hundred dollars in effects pedals. So the built in effects in the Mustang II is a significant feature for beginners. New it costs $200.

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOui83Gh9zs

I am a firm believer in buying used gear. Used gear normally sells for half the price of new. You can get more for your money. If you can find a used amp locally, that is best. You can hear it before you buy. However, I am not opposed to buying bargains off ebay. I have a couple excellent amps I bought used on ebay. I am a bargain shopper there. If a great amp that interests me is selling dirt cheap I will try to get it (dirt cheap). If I am planning to spend the normal price (for used amp) I would check Craigslist to see what is available. But there are bargains sometimes on ebay. I bought a Traynor 40 watt tube amp on ebay. It should have sold for $350 to $450. It was about to close with a bid of $70. I got it for $100. It is a great sounding amp. So bargains can be found on ebay if you watch.

Later,