• From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Topic: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

Hey Y'all!  Have been playing for few months now and looking to upgrade from my current embarrassingly rubbish 'Falcon' guitar that I bought when I first started to something a bit better ("Not hard!" I hear you cry!)  My question is two-fold.  1) I'm trying to play some fingerstyle and lead blues and thus need access to the higher frets, but can't find a decent acoustic cut-away; do you know of any!? 2)Failing the above, I have a budget of about £250(ish), would appreciate any guidance on best guitar to get (acoustic or semi)!  Any suggestions would be gratefully received! What have you got and why!?

  • dada
  • dada
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Michigan
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 43

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

hello there. Take a look at the Ibanez line. I bought the tcy-10 last year for about 200.00 {u.s.). The electronics aren't great, but you get good access to the end of the fretboard, 19,20 frets. good luck


dada

Go WINGS..and Tigers,Lions and Reading F.C...C'mon Royals
  • From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

Thanks buddy, will take a look!  I'm not overly fussed about the electrics to be honest, no real desire to play with an amp ... its just that the better cut-aways are all semi acoustic.  In my limited search, I have found that the pure acoustic cut-aways are all pretty crap!  Please correct me if I'm wrong guys!

  • Registered: 2006-07-09
  • Posts: 47

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

hey hey!

I have an Oscar Scmidt washburn cutaway it's one of the finest i've ever played. Gave 169.00$ for it used in a music store. also had an alvarez acoustic-electric had a fair tone but was clunky to play i traded it for some other gear at the same store.

the alvarez was around 125.00 used.

peace... slim.

  • Kahuna
  • Kahuna
  • Senior Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-07-12
  • Posts: 290

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

I was very surprised at the quality and sound of the Applause line by Ovation.  This guitar is both acoustic and electric, and although it's made in Korea, the sound is still pretty nice.  I recently bought a more expensive Ovation and had a chance to compare the two guitars.  And, the Applause's action was pretty comparable to my new Ovation.  Not a smooth, but still pretty nice.  I remember paying about $150 for it brand new.

  • Registered: 2006-06-21
  • Posts: 3

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

The Morgan Monroe Serenade is a very nice cutaway electric-acoustic.  It is OK not plugged in but IMO, awesome plugged in both flatpicking and fingerpicking.  I got one for a steal on E-Bay.  Sometimes you get lucky.

  • From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

Thanks a lot guys, some great suggestions there!  What about the more well-known acoustics/cut-aways like Fender, Yamaha etc?  Thinking of getting one of these, but not sure whether its just the name you pay for or if they are in fact all they are cracked up to be?  BTW it's looking more like Christmas before I eventually sort myself out now! Doh! hehe!

  • Registered: 2006-07-09
  • Posts: 47

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

hey hey!

  first, i'm no expert, but as a working musician...

bass in a bar band, instructor( mostly beginners ),

and on call drummer for a couple local studios...

i am buying/selling/trading musical gear weekly, sometimes dayly.

  when i'm looking to aquire something different, what name is on the instrument is of the least importance.

i'm concerned with.. does it fret true, stay in tune up the neck, have a good low end punch, have a sweet tone in the upper register, the right reach for me ( i have small hands) or my student, and does it fall in the right price range. with acoustics i lean toward the lower end of price ranges, for several reasons:

  1) i'm poor

  2) if it's for a student, most of them( or their parents) are also poor

  3)  if it gets stolen, dropped, kicked, abused or busted by my 4 teenagers, i'm not out a ton of money

  4)  the less i spend on music stuff, the more i have for other important things( schnapps, beer, weed, etc.)

  5) the type of songs i write require a flashy, acid country, punk folk, cheap white trash twang

  6) i'm poor

  the main thing is play everthing you can get your hands on.. the right instrument will pick you.

 

  peace, slim.

  • Registered: 2006-08-21
  • Posts: 1

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

The wiser investment would be to spend your budget on a better straight acoustic & upgrade with a pickup later { you cant go wrong with a Martin }

  • From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

That's not a bad idea, cheers.  I've always been a bit dubious about pick-ups that are put in at a later date ... have heard a couple of bad things about em, although I obviously have no idea!  A Martin eh?  Have you got one that I could have for a couple of hundred quid!?

  • Registered: 2006-07-21
  • Posts: 25

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

A Maton EC300 is almost equal to the best Martins and much better than the cheaper ones and come factory fitted with a martin thinline powered pick up that is absolutely devastating.I bought one on E bay in mint condition for 200 bucks

  • From: Cardiff
  • Registered: 2006-04-26
  • Posts: 66

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

Cheers. I haven't been able to find anything on the web for that tho ...

  • Registered: 2006-07-21
  • Posts: 25

Re: The Great "Acoustic - Electric Acoustic" Debate

They are made in Melbourne Aust.since 1930