Best guitar for under $600

[mandapants]

I'm looking to buy a guitar. I'm looking to spend around $600. I need to find a good guitar for the price.

[tdowe99]

A guitar with a solid top is in your price range.
Just go to the store and play them all and pick the one that sounds best to you.

[John18142]

i got a nice used gibson les paul for under 1000. great deal

[mandapants]

Yeah i was aiming for an acoustic guitar. What brands are good for the prices?

[crashintonickdm]

spend an extra 100 dollars and get a taylor 214 or 210 :thumbsup

[Drumminpaul]

I got an alvarez elec. acoustic for 500

Sounds great, plays nicely.

[Kmarti26]

I have a Garrison G-35 CE and love it! It sounds and looks amazing..

[chr35919]

takamine G series:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Takamine-G-Series-EG360SC-Dreadnought-Cutaway-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=512208&src=3SOSWXXA

[4jimi1]

My Breedlove AD200SM! Look it up in this forum!

[maya]

Dean make a nice acoustic guitar. It ain't nothing special, but its got a lovely sound and i got mine down to $350 when i bought it.

[pkpro1]

i'm a big fan of epiphone and takamine. you could find those for that price range.

[TSilk]

Washburn D10S or any Takamine

[crashintonickdm]

stay away from epiphones :BANG

[Drumminpaul]

seriously, take a look at alvarez.

[DerekDenman]

Ibanez makes a great guitar. If you buy a guitar from a store like guitar center make sure you haggle them. I have bought 4 guitars and I have always gotten around $100 off or $100 worth of strings and stuff.

[Robby~C]

takamine G series:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Takamine-G-Series-EG360SC-Dreadnought-Cutaway-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=512208&src=3SOSWXXA

:thumbsup :hump


I have 2 from these series...and I love them.


I even (accidentally) banged a hole into the side of one of my guitars and it didn't affect the sound at all, still plays like a champ.

[dmbyeahh]

takamine G series:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Takamine-G-Series-EG360SC-Dreadnought-Cutaway-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=512208&src=3SOSWXXA
Agreed!

[trippinbilli40]

stay away from epiphones :BANG

:thumbsdow i have a beautiful epiphone masterbilt acoustic and an epiphone casino acoustic/electric..i wouldnt trade em in for anything.

whats your beef with epiphones?

[chr35919]

:thumbsdow i have a beautiful epiphone masterbilt acoustic and an epiphone casino acoustic/electric..i wouldnt trade em in for anything.

whats your beef with epiphones?because why not save up for a gibson?:hump

[crashintonickdm]

:thumbsdow i have a beautiful epiphone masterbilt acoustic and an epiphone casino acoustic/electric..i wouldnt trade em in for anything.

whats your beef with epiphones?

i cant find my tone with any of them. if you want a good acoustic, get a taylor or a martin.

[lestat1600]

I'm looking to buy a guitar. I'm looking to spend around $600. I need to find a good guitar for the price.
for around 600 you got alot offered to you. its gonna come down to what sounds good/feels good to you. one thing for sure make sure its a solid top. as far as brands all is available to you, gibson, epiphone, taylor, martin, etc..new, used. i would say shop around though, ask questions, you may come across a used one for an awesome price or a new one on sell.
for high end such as gibson , taylor, martin that price is mid - grade. all make some awesome mid guitars. its gonna come down to again what sound sounds good to you:D

[chr35919]

i cant find my tone with any of them. if you want a good acoustic, get a taylor or a martin.there are tons of other great brands too.:thumbsup

[bennettr]

Yeah i was aiming for an acoustic guitar. What brands are good for the prices?

Try playing some seagulls. They are great hand-crafted guitars. They are really cheap too, because they are made in Canada and the wood used to make the guitars comes from fallen trees. Since they don't have to pay for the wood, it makes it all less expensive. Plus you get a guitar that is individually made, not mass produced. Otherwise get a taylor, those are awesome.

[tdowe99]

I have a Taylor 614ce on order from the factory. Pricey, but worth it. :)

[HolyCow]

Seagull makes the absolute best bargain guitar.

[Munford]

Seagull makes the absolute best bargain guitar.

i agree seagull S6 ...great guitar, then you can save for a Taylor.

[Screbin]

yea id suggest just buying a 214 series taylor. they are sweet C:

[mandapants]

Thanks everyone for your input. I bought a breedlove AD-25SM. It is an awesome guitar. It sounds amazing.

[TheMakerDMB17]

i like washburns and i also like ovations a lot.. check them out

[Mattstl1]

Well after looking around for a while and gathering some opinions here I finally purchased my first guitar. It's a yamaha FG720S. It was the only guitar in my price range that featured a solid top (which I was excited about) and also felt a bit more comfortable than some of the others I was looking at. I have smaller hands which I'm worried could be a problem for stretches but this guitar has a slightly smaller fretboard(widthwise) so I'm hoping that plays to my advantage. Well just wanted to share this and see what some thoughts were on this guitar or the FG series if anybody is familiar with it.

[trippinbilli40]

i cant find my tone with any of them. if you want a good acoustic, get a taylor or a martin.

no, ive played martins and taylors and gibsons and i dont think any of them sound better than my epiphone. ill keep mine, thanks.

[aiistar21]

i have a Taylor 110. Paid $500 for it. I think it sounds great and it was exactly what i was looking for.

[AFurth]

Go used.

Got a $1200 Alvarez for $480. It won't last me more than another 2 or 3 years (making its life 10 years) because of the wear and tear on it, but it was SOOOO worth it. It sounds awesome and it plays like a dream.

[Munford]

no, ive played martins and taylors and gibsons and i dont think any of them sound better than my epiphone. ill keep mine, thanks.

you're the only one.

[trippinbilli40]

you're the only one.

i could care less what guitar other people think sounds good. my epiphone matches my voice beautifully and i didnt have to pay out the ass. spend 2000 on a guitar if you want, mine is just fine.

[Carbon Copy]

i agree seagull S6 ...great guitar, then you can save for a Taylor.

that would be my suggestion as well

[VanHorneDog]

my first guitar was a D28... why buy anything less?

[Munford]

i could care less what guitar other people think sounds good. my epiphone matches my voice beautifully and i didnt have to pay out the ass. spend 2000 on a guitar if you want, mine is just fine.

well your right, if it sounds good to you then keep on pickin'

[jk333]

for around 600 you got alot offered to you. its gonna come down to what sounds good/feels good to you. one thing for sure make sure its a solid top. as far as brands all is available to you, gibson, epiphone, taylor, martin, etc..new, used. i would say shop around though, ask questions, you may come across a used one for an awesome price or a new one on sell.
for high end such as gibson , taylor, martin that price is mid - grade. all make some awesome mid guitars. its gonna come down to again what sound sounds good to you:D

this kid is full of shit.

1) No acoustic gibsons are available at the 600 dollar amount. NONE. They start at 1000 and go up from there.
2) No martins that a guitar player would consider decent are available at the 600 dollar amount. FACT: for 600 bucks, you can't even get a martin with solid wood.
3)For 600 bucks you can get the taylor 110, considered a piece of shit by many a guitar player.

[CrazyCaptain34]

Martin 000xc1-e

[jk333]

that martin has laminate sides, its not all solid. also, i can confirm for you that, that guitar sounds like dirty asshole. it also plays like a martin, which, while nice, is not ideal.

[Mattstl1]

Well after looking around for a while and gathering some opinions here I finally purchased my first guitar. It's a yamaha FG720S. It was the only guitar in my price range that featured a solid top (which I was excited about) and also felt a bit more comfortable than some of the others I was looking at. I have smaller hands which I'm worried could be a problem for stretches but this guitar has a slightly smaller fretboard(widthwise) so I'm hoping that plays to my advantage. Well just wanted to share this and see what some thoughts were on this guitar or the FG series if anybody is familiar with it.

Hoping to get some feedback on this from you guys. And also how long did it take some of you to get your fingers use to hitting the right places? Are there any exercises you use, I'm having real problems stretching my fingers and holding the right spots when progressing to the next notes. Is it something your fingers just get use to after a while?

[PIG36]

Seagull... or steal a martin and spend 600 on something else:lol

[Munford]

Hoping to get some feedback on this from you guys. And also how long did it take some of you to get your fingers use to hitting the right places? Are there any exercises you use, I'm having real problems stretching my fingers and holding the right spots when progressing to the next notes. Is it something your fingers just get use to after a while?

It just takes practice. You'll get it though.:thumbsup

[lestat1600]

this kid is full of shit.

1) No acoustic gibsons are available at the 600 dollar amount. NONE. They start at 1000 and go up from there.
2) No martins that a guitar player would consider decent are available at the 600 dollar amount. FACT: for 600 bucks, you can't even get a martin with solid wood.
3)For 600 bucks you can get the taylor 110, considered a piece of shit by many a guitar player.
no my man. guitar center here has martins for 500 to 600 soild wood, brand new, same with taylor, gibson. you gotta be in a small town, on crack or something. been playing for years and i prefer the high end martins, taylor, etc.. but the ones ive played in the 600 range are decent any guitar player with half a brain will say they are decent. will they prefer them? probably not. :haha

[jk333]

no my man. guitar center here has martins for 500 to 600 soild wood, brand new, same with taylor, gibson. you gotta be in a small town, on crack or something. been playing for years and i prefer the high end martins, taylor, etc.. but the ones ive played in the 600 range are decent any guitar player with half a brain will say they are decent. will they prefer them? probably not. :haha

No.

''

[jk333]

PS, i'm in boston. you know, right near berklee college of music?

[tdowe99]

Daddy's Junky Music will have a good selection, jk333.

[DMBRyan10]

PS, i'm in boston. you know, right near berklee college of music?

1. The Guitar Center on the B-Line out in front of BU Central? Picked up a brand new Taylor 214 for $600, the same amount I paid for my Taylor 110. They had four of them they were selling at that price. You can haggle them down to about a grand for a 310 if you work with them and keep going back in. Get to know them. They're good shit.

2. It is well known that same Guitar Center will drop down solid top Martins from time to time down to the same $600-$700 price range. I personally don't care for the sound of them, but to each their own.

3. And this is more of a personal suggestion: please don't be the Berklee asshole who thinks they are holier than the rest of us. I know people who love their Taylor 110s for all their worth, and then others who will only play on D-28s. Hell, I like playing on a T5 a lot more than any Martin, and probably anything above the 314 in the Taylor line.

(Those are on clearance too. If somebody buys that flat black one going for $1000 before next weekend, they're dead.)

Guitars are a matter of preference for each and every one of us. Yes, there are some obvious ones, like "Don't buy Fender acoustic," but otherwise, just play and find something YOU like, not what somebody else says is better.

[tdowe99]

Hmmm, T5 for a grand, eh? ;)

As for not buying a Fender acoustic, I once had a DG-16-12 12-string, and it was great.
I guess it all comes down to finding the guitar that sounds perfect to you.

[DMBRyan10]

Yep. The entire range is on clearance from 1000-1850, depending on the model. The black one just felt like magic in my hands, and it happened to be the cheapest.

[jk333]

i've never seen the guitars you are saying for the prices you are claiming.

maybe you have been successful haggling with them; i haven't tried (i've typically gone to music emporium in lexington, where they sell it for what they ask (ie, larrivee d03-749, maybe the haggling is why taylor all seem overpriced to me; 600, seems about right for a 214, but they sell for 750-800, thus me thinking they're HORRIBLY overpriced, i'd pay ~ 450 for a 110)... the cheapest I have EVER seen a 310 for is 799 and thats barebones, no electronics at all. I've seen martin dg-16's for 750, again MINIMUM. I've seen a D-15 for 750 fairly regularly, 650 on clearance, but honestly, that guitar is TERRIBLE. I'd rather play a laminate dxm.

And I've never seen a gibson in the vicinity of 600. 1000 starts them up, and they go WAY up from there. I mean, there's no way you can haggle them from 1299 to past like 999.

[jk333]

my point is you can not get all solid martin and taylor of 600 bucks. you can get them for like 750, more like 800. and thats the lowest end. Gibsons are more like 950-1100 for the low end.

all the martins that were being cited as going for 600 are NOT all solid wood. they are solid tops.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Taylor-214-Grand-Auditorium-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=514965

and yes, you probably can get a 214 for 600 but its the exception, big time, not the rule. its stupid to tell someone to look for that. and gibsons for 600 is beyond a joke.

SO to review:

1) Martins- the dg-16 is ~750 and it is the cheapest all solid wood martin. FACT. (now lets compare, is 750 less than 600)
2) Taylors- the 214 is ~750 regularly. apparently you can occasionally get it down to 600, which most people will concede is rare. (so rare in fact the g-center sends people to scout small guitar stores to ensure they are listing the martin/taylors for below what taylor/ martin ask UNLESS it is on clearance)
3)Gibsons- cheapest> http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-J180EC-Special-AcousticElectric-Guitar?sku=517175X

[VanHorneDog]

that martin has laminate sides, its not all solid. also, i can confirm for you that, that guitar sounds like dirty asshole. it also plays like a martin, which, while nice, is not ideal.

i dunno, i have definatly played 1500 dollar guitars that sound worse than that martin.

i think they sound great in general, although due to the wood on it i could understand running into a bad lot of them.

[DMBRyan10]

i've never seen the guitars you are saying for the prices you are claiming.

maybe you have been successful haggling with them; i haven't tried (i've typically gone to music emporium in lexington, where they sell it for what they ask (ie, larrivee d03-749, maybe the haggling is why taylor all seem overpriced to me; 600, seems about right for a 214, but they sell for 750-800, thus me thinking they're HORRIBLY overpriced, i'd pay ~ 450 for a 110)... the cheapest I have EVER seen a 310 for is 799 and thats barebones, no electronics at all. I've seen martin dg-16's for 750, again MINIMUM. I've seen a D-15 for 750 fairly regularly, 650 on clearance, but honestly, that guitar is TERRIBLE. I'd rather play a laminate dxm.

And I've never seen a gibson in the vicinity of 600. 1000 starts them up, and they go WAY up from there. I mean, there's no way you can haggle them from 1299 to past like 999.

No, I definitely get what you are saying here. It does take a little effort in talking them down to a more agreeable price, but the Taylors are almost always discounted these days at Guitar Center. The 214e went on sale to 600 on March 20th there, exactly one day after my 30 day return period expired on my 110. Being the Taylor whore that I am, I now own both. The 110 may go back, though, as a trade-in for the T5 currently on sale for a grand.

It's all about catching prices at the right time. I'm pretty sure the entire Taylor line was re-voiced for this model year, which would probably explain the drop in prices.

Again, though, just find something you personally like. At $600, regular price, no questions asked, I'm still taking the 110.

[PhishFleck41]

no my man. guitar center here has martins for 500 to 600 soild wood, brand new, same with taylor, gibson. you gotta be in a small town, on crack or something. been playing for years and i prefer the high end martins, taylor, etc.. but the ones ive played in the 600 range are decent any guitar player with half a brain will say they are decent. will they prefer them? probably not. :haha

You have no idea what you are talking about.

[DIDriveOut2SPAC]

Seagull, is my suggestion as well.

[nakedguydmb]

PS, i'm in boston. you know, right near berklee college of music?
:lol :lol

why the fuck would anyone care about that?

[jk333]

:lol :lol

why the fuck would anyone care about that?

because there are like 5 music stores within 5 miles of that place. daddy's, and guitar center are both under 2 miles away (and daddys is basically at it).

IE- the point is, i'm not in the hicks, i've been to PLENTY of music stores. the music emporium in lexington has one of the largest acoustic selections in new england, and all the guitars are actually in good condition (hello guitar center)

[jk333]

this all in response to the original post that claimed all solid wood martin, taylor, AND gibsons can be regularly found for the 600 dollars that the OP had. the poster then claimed that the prices I had were high because I lived in the hicks... which, clearly, is not the case.

obviously the berklee addition was meant to be a bit flip. whatever.

[nakedguydmb]

are you going to berklee? because it was just the right amount of snooty that one expects from a berklee student.

[jammer]

are you going to berklee? because it was just the right amount of snooty that one expects from a berklee student.

:lol :lol