best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500?

[PallarAndersVisa]

sadly, after many years of playing guitar, ive never owned an acoustic guitar. I think its about time for me to get one, as I've been wanting to write some "camp-fire" type songs.

having said that, i dont know much about what brands are good, ect ect. Im looking to spend around $500 US dollars, give or take 100 bucks. around that range. there was this Larrivee guitar at the shop for 499, but i dont really want a tiny acoustic, i want a full sized one. no pickups either.

so what brands are generally the best bang for the buck out there? Martin? Fender? Ibanez?lol If theres really nothing that interests me in the $500 range, im gonna just step it up to around $900, save up for another month and get a full sized Larrivee. I played one not too long ago and fell in love.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Right here.

http://www.godinguitars.com/

Good ol' Canadian brands under the Godin umbrella. Norman is also another bang-for-the-buck Canadian brand.

There's also a Yamaha and a Takamine in every price range. I used to own a Tak EF385C-12 12-string dreadnought with Takamine preamp that had unreal tone and playability. I sold that guitar for a bargain price to a fellow JCFer a few months ago.

For $500, you're probably just barely breaching into the all-solid-woods category. Many inexpensive acoustics will use laminated wood. There are advantages and disadvantages between a solid wood acoustic and a laminated wood acoustic, but if you're not an acoustic tone junky, you probably may not notice. Hell, my first two acoustics were laminated and I got by.

Solid wood = Purist attitude, claiming the BEST tone can only be achieved with solid woods.

Laminated wood = Supposedly not "true" acoustic tone, but laminated wood acoustics are WAY less susceptible to environmental conditions and are very strong due to the various layers of grain running in different directions. I'm not afraid to take laminated wood acoustics to the lake and bang around with it.

Here's a forum I regularly visit. It's the JCF of the acoustic world. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com (formerly called the Taylor Guitar Forum). Myself and at least one other JCFer is there (PowerTube). I bought my first Taylor from a member there and PowerTube probably got his first acoustic guitar based on stuff he researched on that forum.

Best of luck to you... acoustic guitars are an absolute joy (and good chick magnet), given that I started learning guitar on an acoustic before I had an electric.

EDIT: Chuckracer is selling an Ovation in the Classifieds section. Given his description, you can bang it around the campfire without worries.

[Robotechnology]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Seagull is another Canadian brand that makes great acoustics for reasonable money. My vocalist has one.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Seagull falls under Godin. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Crusher]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

I recently picked up an Alvarez AD60S acoustic with hardshell case for under $300. It looks and sounds fantastic and has a SOLID spruce top. Here's a pic....

[data187]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

the washburns are pretty nice, i own a sub $400 12 string, solid top, sounds and plays great.

[donf]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

I've own several acoustics. My Martin is nice but out of that range. A Fender acoustic....garbage as far as I'm concerned. I have several Yamahas, classical, 12 string and regular 6, which are nice, but for the money, my daughter bought an Ibanez AEL-20D for around $350.00 and it really sounded great. I never dealt with an Ibanez anything, but they did a nice job with these. It'll be my next acoustic purchase for 'campfire' type settings.

[hammer84]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Bought my Dad a seagull a few years back for less than $500. It is an all solid wood guitar. Play nice sounds very good with the right strings. Came with a hard shell case. Great value for the money !!!!

[electrico777]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

I really like that Alvares there.

[mudkicker]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

If you don't mind used, Chuckracer is selling an old Ovation. At the price he is asking it's a steal for a real Ovation.

[wodka]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Breedlove has an import series now - Atlas - and they are excellent. Sound very close to their American line.

[npacheco]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

I hear Carvin makes some killer stuff on par with Taylor for less $$$. They range in price from $320 (acoustic) -$800 (acoustic/electric).

[Jacksonite]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

i would try and save and by a rainsong(?)

the graphite guitars. it doesnt matter about temp and humidity... and they sound awesome

[DTP]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

I have a Seagull, so I'll second that.

It plays and sounds pretty good for what I paid for it.

Jason

[SEEGERMANY]

Re: best acoustic guitar/most reputable brand~$500

Alvarez, Takamine, Seagull, Norman, all have good guitars in your price range. I bought my neice a Norman a few years ago and it rivals damn near any acoustic I've ever owned as far as tone and workmanship. If I remember correctly, they are made in Canada.