Choosing An Instrument: Acoustic Guitars
Chris Kuklis
Welcome to the second installment of Brooklyn Guitar Lessons' Choosing An Instrument series!
While there are a wide array of factors to consider when selecting your first guitar, my aim is to present a few easy recommendations which I feel are the best balance of playability, quality construction, and affordability.
In this post, I'll be discussing a few choices for a great starter acoustic guitar.
The Myth Of The $100 Guitar
Before we delve into specific recommendations, I'd like to take a second to talk about the tempting, but ultimately unwise, ultra-extreme-mega-cheap "bargain" acoustic guitar.
If you walk into any guitar store, especially the larger chain stores, you'll surely find several acoustic guitars or acoustic guitar starter packages priced right around $100. It's easy to see them and think "Gee, I've always wanted to play guitar but I'm not sure I'll like it. This seems like a great/inexpensive way to try it!"
And at first, it might seem like a great deal...
Then you'll notice that it seems like playing guitar is really hard, or the strings are really tough to push down, or it just doesn't sound quite right. And notes will buzz against the tops of the frets here & there. And as time passes, the buzzing will worsen. The neck, made as quickly & cheaply as possible, will start to warp & twist. The strings will get even further from the fretboard, and thus harder to push down. The top, most likely made of low-grade plywood, might even develop an ever-widening crack.
After about a year or so, the guitar will have degraded to the point where it's no longer fun (or even possible) to play, doomed to live out the rest of it's life stuffed in a closet or collecting dust in the corner.
You Get What You Pay For
(But It Doesn't Have To Break The Bank)
The $100 guitar described above doesn't sound like such a bargain anymore, does it...?
But fear not! If you're willing to invest a little bit more, you can get yourself a quality instrument that will give you countless hours of enjoyment and beautiful sound for years to come.
What we're looking for are: quality materials, solid construction, and a high degree of playability off the rack. For acoustic guitars in particular, all three of these factors are very important.
Unlike an electric guitar, whose sound travels through pickups and wires and circuits and speakers, all of the sound of an acoustic guitar comes directly from the wood itself. If you want a nice sound, the guitar needs to be made of carefully selected wood that has just the right resonant characteristics. Also, certain elements of an acoustic guitar (bridge, neck angle) are permanently set, and if it's not done well you can end up with all sorts of structural problems down the road.
So? What are some good affordable options for a first guitar? I'm glad you asked!
The Yamaha FG700s, a fantastic guitar for beginners!
The Entry-Level: At an average price of $199, the Yamaha FG700s is a very solid deal. Yamaha's acoustic guitars are well-regarded, especially in the entry level realm, and this particular model is popular for a reason. It hits all three qualifications mentioned above (quality materials, solid construction, high degree of playability), and does so at a remarkably low price.
Several of my students have purchased this particular model, and each has ended up with a solid instrument that set the stage for their six-string adventures.
The Seagull S6, a Brooklyn Guitar Lessons favorite!
The Mid-Range: If you have a little more to invest, I highly recommend the Seagull S6. At an average price of $429, it's more than double the price of the Yamaha described above, but it's a rich beautiful sounding guitar that you may never outgrow. The neck has a satin finish that's nice and smooth, and the solid cedar top is particularly resonant. The tuners are really sturdy, and they tend to hold tuning very well.
I've played quite a few of these over the years, and am always impressed by the build quality, playability, and tone. In fact, some of my pro-guitarist friends even use these as their main acoustic guitar!
Taylor's BT-1, the "Baby Taylor"
The Mini-Guitar: If you travel regularly, have smaller hands, or just want something portable, it's also worth taking a look at the Taylor BT-1, commonly known as the "Baby Taylor." It's a 3/4-size guitar, which means it's 25% smaller than the full-size guitars above. At an average price of a little over $300, it occupies an interesting middle ground between the Yamaha & Seagull.
It's highly playable off the rack, has a shorter neck/scale-length (which means lower string tension & easier note fretting), and is built to the same exacting standards as Taylor's full-sized models. They also sound very nice for their size, and make fantastic starter instruments for kids.
So there you have it! A little bit of knowledge, and three great options for your first acoustic guitar.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment on this post or message me directly via the Brooklyn Music Lessons contact page.
Thanks for reading, and happy shredding!
- Chris
ProTip: If you're looking to save a little more dough on any of these, it's worth it to take a look at used instruments. Finding one on Craigslist could save you $100 or more.