Acoustic guitar recommendations please

[gixasix]

A friend is looking for an acoustic or electro acoustic guitar for her son. Budget is around £200 maybe slightly more if needed she's open to new or 2nd hand as he's about to start lessons at school.

 

He's 13 so I'm guessing she'll be looking for a full size rather than 3/4. She asked 

me for suggestions but I really don't have a clue so thought I'd see if anyone on here had some brands or specific models they would recommend we'd really appreciate it.

 

[Skinnyman]

Adam Black punch well above their weight.

 

https://www.guitar.co.uk/adam-black-s-5-natural-acoustic-guitar?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD_amzVk378lRbw81uwWhPnzKI5uC&gclid=CjwKCAjw1NK4BhAwEiwAVUHPUBDnHxsMM3BWVj9vZhpk5i2xy-m6FnISjlKs75CamR1lJl73NN7KaRoCFiMQAvD_BwE

 

In that category there’s also Tanglewood which are also decent. 

[gixasix]

Thank you we'll have a look!

[lemmywinks]

Used Art et Lutherie. Handmade in Canada in the same place that Godin, Seagull and Simon & Patrick are made, they're a cheaper sister brand of the latter. Don't be put off by the coloured finishes, they use quality wood that isn't cosmetically suitable for the more expensive models but is otherwise excellent, I had a cedar topped dreadnought which was a beautiful guitar.

 

Leave the "et" part out when searching for them btw!

 

One here for £35. I repeat - £35 for a Canadian built acoustic using quality woods:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/509954142060401/

[Crusoe]

I agree about Adam Black. I haven't tried the full size guitars, but my daughter has the travel guitar and it's a cracking wee instrument for the money. Its hard to go wrong with a Yamah F-310

[PaulThePlug]

Harley Benton Strat Acoustic... £125 cmon' how smart does that look?

https://www.thomann.co.uk/harley_benton_st_acoustic_black.htm

or Bowl Back... from £75

https://www.thomann.co.uk/harley_benton_hbo600nt.htm

Edited October 20, 2024 by PaulThePlug

[JohnH89]

Yamaha everytime . You won't go wrong

[Man.about.Tyne]

There’s a reason why Yamaha have sold a bazzilion F310 models.

 

Also it has a slightly shorter scale length than usual and a slim neck.  Oh, yeah, it’s only £120

[Geek99]

Yamaha f310 looks pretty good. My child found the slim neck made a huge difference to getting started

Edited October 21, 2024 by Geek99

[Nice Guy Rich]

YAMAHA all day long for me, I recently picked up an APX600 for a little over £200.

 

[pete.young]

I've had a Vintage V300 for many years and I can't fault it. Solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck. It's gone up a bit since I bought mine but they can still be found for under 200 quid, for example PMT. https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/vintage-v300n-guitar-outfit-natural

[tauzero]

I've had a Crafter DE6 for nearly 20 years - I tried it out in PMT and it compared favourably with guitars three or four times its price.

[Mykesbass]

22 minutes ago, tauzero said:

I've had a Crafter DE6 for nearly 20 years - I tried it out in PMT and it compared favourably with guitars three or four times its price.

Word of warning on Crafter - yes they are great guitars. I used to stock them when I had a shop. But they are (or at least were) shipped with high action. The distributor and reps were aware of this and it was done by choice on the basis that it was quite easy to reduce the bridge height, but not so easy to raise it. If the shop doesn't do basic setup work then you'll need to find someone to tweak it for you.

[Geek99]

On 20/10/2024 at 21:04, gixasix said:

A friend is looking for an acoustic or electro acoustic guitar for her son. Budget is around £200 maybe slightly more if needed she's open to new or 2nd hand as he's about to start lessons at school.

 

He's 13 so I'm guessing she'll be looking for a full size rather than 3/4. She asked 

me for suggestions but I really don't have a clue so thought I'd see if anyone on here had some brands or specific models they would recommend we'd really appreciate it.

 

Check if he has small hands or short fingers relative to his peers 

[tauzero]

17 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Word of warning on Crafter - yes they are great guitars. I used to stock them when I had a shop. But they are (or at least were) shipped with high action. The distributor and reps were aware of this and it was done by choice on the basis that it was quite easy to reduce the bridge height, but not so easy to raise it. If the shop doesn't do basic setup work then you'll need to find someone to tweak it for you.

 

Mine was fine - I did buy it from PMT Birmingham and they did have an in-house guitar tech so it's possible it had been adjusted.

[pete.young]

@gixasix you don't state your location, but if you're anywhere near Colchester Peach Guitars would be well worth a visit. Their selection is vast.

[Skybone]

On 21/10/2024 at 10:45, pete.young said:

I've had a Vintage V300 for many years and I can't fault it. Solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides and neck. It's gone up a bit since I bought mine but they can still be found for under 200 quid, for example PMT. https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/vintage-v300n-guitar-outfit-natural

Another vote for the Vintage, a surprisingly versatile guitar for the money (cost me less than £100 new when I bought it!).

 

It's now been claimed by my son, but it gets regular use.

 

Best bit of advice with the cheaper, laminate back acoustics, is buy a decent set of wooden pegs. Swapped the plastic ones that the Vintage came with for a set of Rosewood ones. Also, make sure you get one with a solid wood top.

[gixasix]

Thanks for all the replies we really appreciate the help.

 

We went with him to a couple of shops today. After looking around and sitting holding a few he preferred the slimmer body electro acoustics particularly the single cutaway ones, the Yamaha APX600 was his absolute favourite but it's £299 so a fair bit over budget unless we can find one used.

 

Shame he's so set on that style as there's loads of Yamaha F310 on Facebook marketplace for £50 🤣

 

So far the search to get the style he wants at a price his mum agrees with has so far turned up a Tanglewood TW4 Winterleaf, an Ibanez AEG50, an Ibanez AEW32 and a Cort (not sure of the model number) all used or the Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-16SCE BK which is new. 

 

Has anybody any opinions on these options or any other suggestions for a slim bodied single cut electro acoustic.

 

 

[Geek99]

I had one of those tanglewiods as a 12 string, totally adequate though I recall the action being a bit high. So I put a compensated bridge that was sanded down slightly and all was well 

[gixasix]

13 hours ago, Geek99 said:

I had one of those tanglewiods as a 12 string, totally adequate though I recall the action being a bit high. So I put a compensated bridge that was sanded down slightly and all was well 

 

Thanks we're going to have a look at it tomorrow as it seems to be the closest one that he likes the look of.  

[Geek99]

Compensated bridge came from AliExpress 

[Obrienp]

A compensated bridge saddle will help with the intonation and there are masses on fleaBay. Just make sure you get one that is close enough to the width and thickness of the OEM, otherwise it’s a lot of work with sandpaper to get it to fit. It needs to be snug in the slot to improve transfer of vibrations to the top. If it is an electro acoustic, with an under saddle piezo pickup, a loose saddle can cause uneven string balance amplified and it needs to be flat on the bottom to exert an even pressure on the pickup. Material wise bone or Tusq will provide better tone than the cheaper plastic ones. It’s worth the extra, especially if you change the bridge pins. Go for harder wood (rosewood or ebony), or bone/Tusq pins for the improved tone. Some people rate brass but it sounds a bit harsh to my ears.