[Jambrains]

OK, I give up! I finally realised that I really need to get me an acoustic.
This is a new world for me and I'm lost. What I'm looking for would be an entry level guitar that will mainly be heard within a mix. No onboard mic needed. Max 300 Euro or thereabout. Looks like what I can find locally in that price range would be Ibanez, Yamaha or Cort. However there are tons and tons of models, different woods etc. Not sure how much different woods would do on an entry level guitar, maybe other factors would be more important?
Any suggestions on models to look for and/or things to consider when choosing?

[James Nighthawk]

Huge topic, but for what it is worth, I bought a Yamaha solid top for about £250 when was in school (a number of years ago) and it is still a fantastic guitar to this day. Granted I play it less as I have a Martin and a Gibson now, but for what I paid for it, it is a blinder.

At college my teachers had permanent borrow status on it for tracking in the studio. As a dreadnaught it had full body, but cut at the top end too.

Yammys give amazing bang-per-buck. I'd avoid big names like Gibson/fender at this price range. You are paying for a name on a lesser instrument at this level. For the most part...

Try and get a solid top. Get something with solid tuning pegs that are responsive. Sound over looks. And it has to FEEL right... you have to play it after all!

Avoid electro acoustics at this price range. You can add electronics afterwards (I put fishman pickup in my Martin last year and it sings!!!) An electro acoustic at this range will be an average guitar with average (if that) innards.

Hope this helps

[tone]

Great advice from James there, I don't think anyone offers quality for the price the way Yamaha do.

Having said that, these are factory guitars, and you can't safely assume two 'identical' guitars will really be just that. Tiny variations in the wood grain, glue, finish etc can change the sound and feel more than you think. There really is no substitute for going to the shop and playing as many as you need to in order to find the one that's right for you. And you'll know when you find it.

Good luck, and have fun!

[Jambrains]

Try and get a solid top. Get something with solid tuning pegs that are responsive. Sound over looks. And it has to FEEL right... you have to play it after all!

Thanks James, some good advice there. Will have big problems with the last one though since I find all acoustics very uncomfortable. Not neck, strings etc but these big, thick bodies without arm/belly cut they come with. Guess I've been an electric player for too long.   I'll doubt I'll every find any joy playing an acoustic, more of a necessary evil to get what the song needs.

[Jambrains]

Great advice from James there, I don't think anyone offers quality for the price the way Yamaha do.

Having said that, these are factory guitars, and you can't safely assume two 'identical' guitars will really be just that. Tiny variations in the wood grain, glue, finish etc can change the sound and feel more than you think. There really is no substitute for going to the shop and playing as many as you need to in order to find the one that's right for you. And you'll know when you find it.

Good luck, and have fun!

Thanks, yeah I'll definitely will try-before-you-buy but that will also limit the options a bit. Been through my fair share of electrics that can vary a lot from instrument too instrument and I guess this is even more accentuated on acoustics.

[James Nighthawk]

Try and get a solid top. Get something with solid tuning pegs that are responsive. Sound over looks. And it has to FEEL right... you have to play it after all!

Thanks James, some good advice there. Will have big problems with the last one though since I find all acoustics very uncomfortable. Not neck, strings etc but these big, thick bodies without arm/belly cut they come with. Guess I've been an electric player for too long.   I'll doubt I'll every find any joy playing an acoustic, more of a necessary evil to get what the song needs.

I play acoustic - dreadnaughts at that - so much that when I strap on an electric, it feels like a toy!

Granted, I am 6'3, which might factor in 

[Jambrains]

Try and get a solid top. Get something with solid tuning pegs that are responsive. Sound over looks. And it has to FEEL right... you have to play it after all!

Thanks James, some good advice there. Will have big problems with the last one though since I find all acoustics very uncomfortable. Not neck, strings etc but these big, thick bodies without arm/belly cut they come with. Guess I've been an electric player for too long.   I'll doubt I'll every find any joy playing an acoustic, more of a necessary evil to get what the song needs.

I play acoustic - dreadnaughts at that - so much that when I strap on an electric, it feels like a toy!

Granted, I am 6'3, which might factor in 

Ha! Imagine 190+ cm JB with a Les Paul. Now, that looks really silly so good for me I am studio only guy 

[Neil C]

James but the Les Paul weighs a tonne, some you'll soon be only 6'2" 

Johan, check out the width of the neck too, if you got fat fingers, although I think yours'll be skinny dexterous ones, you will fin considerable differences. I'd compare size, dread ve parlour, mahogany verse spruce, v different sounds. Seagull and Sigma offer great value..
Enjoy the campfires

Neil

[nooms]

i have a seagull acoustic, called an S6. 
bought it new about 20 years ago and wouldnt swap it.
you wont know till you try whatever you go for but the seagulls well worth a look

http://www.seagullguitars.com/seagull_s6_original.html

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/acoustic_guitars.asp?brandname=Seagull

[Boydie]

Some great advice so far, all of which I completely agree with

A big +1 to playing every acoustic in the shop - I am sure you will find one that you connect with and hopefully it will be in your budget 

Ignore brands and just keep playing different guitars

Don't pay too much attention to what the different woods "should" sound like - just play them and see which one you like, striking the right balance between sound and playability - there is no point having a great sounding guitar you hate playing (it will affect the performance) and you don't want a crap sounding guitar that plays like a dream - at this price point there is likely to be a little compromise

However, in this day and age I doubt you will find anything that sounds dreadful and a good guitar tech can do a set up that will make most guitars play well so any compromise should not be too big

My biggest piece of advice for someone going from electric to acoustic relates to the strings

Most acoustic strings (and probably all that you play in the shop) will have strings with "hex cores" - ie the core of the wound strings is a hexagonal shape to help the windings bind to the core

This can give them a "grippy" feel when playing

As an experienced electric player you may want to consider "round core" strings such as the handmade DR Sunbeams ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/DR-Handmade-Sunbeam-Phosphor-Acoustic/dp/B001AX06KK ) which I think will help your transition to acoustic

Good luck in your quest and let us know what you go for

[shadowfax]

I bought a 2nd hand Furch parabolic 12 stringer for 300 quid..awesome...a quality guitar..

[Annoying Twit]

One option is to buy a second hand Yamaha F310 for about £40 or so, I imagine they will be available for similar in Sweden. Play it for a year, and then with the greater knowledge of experience and the guitars you've tried in shops etc. in the meantime, you'd have a much better idea of what to spend your proper money on.

I'm not a skilled guitarist, but I have played one of the Seagull guitars. And it felt really nice.

[MartiMedia]

Hey JB, I have been playing on a steel string classic 'EKO' for years, but it fell and that cracked the body. The sound was gone.
This year I bought the Fender CE60 all mahogany (with cutaway) for just 230 euro's and the first song I recorded with it was 'Dreams' for the summer comp of this forum. I like the playability of the guitar (I also play electric, but you noticed that already haha) and love the sound. I have the version with piezo acoustics implemented and I recorded dreams by using that signal and the sound of the guitar close miced with the rode nt1a in a 50:50 mix. Agree with James I may have wasted money for the brand on an entry level ac guitar but just love how this guitar sounds and plays... Just a thought and of course that's really personal.. MM