Upgrading to a different guitar..

have u  tried defrent size srings normaly there are 10s or 11s on a acoustic so try 9s it might be easyer.and as for barr chords deppends on what music you like if you like folk use acoustic for rock electric. i dont realy like barring acoustic ther meant for open chords in my eyes others may say deffrent.you need a book or dvd on deffrent chord shapes .barring comes with practice any way when fingers get stronger youve not been playing long it comes practice so keep it up. and good luck from strate

For about half the price of the Tanglewood, you could pick up something from the Guild Acoustic Design series (GAD) from, who else?  Guild.  Here's three pages of the GAD-series guitars:

<a href="http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments/search.php?section=acoustics&cat=gadseries" target="_blank"> http://www.guildguitars.com/instruments … ?section=a coustics&cat=gadseries</a>

You could also get an -03 series Larrivee (OM-03, L-03, L-03R, D-03, etc.)  Here's the Larrivees:

<a href="http://www.larrivee.com/flash/products/products.html" target="_blank">http://www.larrivee.com/flash/products/products.html</a>

And here's a place that sells both Guilds and Larrivees and features sound samples on their site:

<a href="http://guitaradoptions.com/store/home.php?cat=257" target="_blank">http://guitaradoptions.com/store/home.php?cat=257</a>

I've been playing since 1968, and frankly, I have yet to play a Martin, Taylor, or Gibson that can touch the recent Guilds or the Larrivees.  The big names are consistently mediocre on a good day.  Try Guild or Larrivee, you won't be sorry, and you'll save a ton of money and get better tone.  Buy tone, not names on headstocks.

Now cue the Martin, Taylor, and Gibson fans with their torches and pitchforks, LOL!

Item two: Instead of giving anywhere from $50 to $110 to a guitar shop that sees your guitar as just another customer guitar, let someone who really cares about your guitar do your setups.  You.  Read this website thoroughly and listen to Frank Ford's wisdom:

<a href="http://www.frets.com" target="_blank">http://www.frets.com</a>

Or buy this book and read it:

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-Electrics/dp/0879302917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-4226993-8306451?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173471302&sr=1-2" target="_blank"> http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Rep … lectrics/d p/0879302917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-4226993-8306451?ie=UTF8&amp ;s=books&qid=1173471302&sr=1-2</a>

Need parts?  Here ya go:

<a href="http://www.stewmac.com/" target="_blank">http://www.stewmac.com/</a>

<a href="http://www.lmii.com/" target="_blank">http://www.lmii.com/</a>

Well, gotta go!  They'll be coming to burn me at the stake any minute now, LOL!

Oubaas  <img src="images/smiley_icons/icon_biggrin.gif" border=0 alt="Very Happy">

i'm using a tanglewood. the price is well worth it - seriously. i've always been complimented on what a nice sound it produces. the entire thing had just been built with such quality and care. no cut corners on a tanglewood. please let me know what you end up doing

perhaps you should go for a smaller size in their range. i use the drednaught size - my hands aren't particularly that large but i have no problem with it. you should either contact tanglewood or a guitar distributor and ask what size would be best for your hands

hey just wondering if anyone collects acoustic guitars? If so

whats in your collection? ..Badeye.

Your right alvee.It does pay to shop around.you get to play lots of guitars and you can get better prices.I look to flea markets and yard sales all the time for guitars.Hope the little lady dosent stop me for the sake of room. lol...Badeye.