Need acoustic guitar gift advice for a buddy...

[Diesel Kilgore]

My jam buddy has a birthday coming up in March. He plays it all. Piano. Drums. Guitar. Bass. His main instrument is guitar and I am his bassist when we play together.

Alot of our songs or covers he will play his acoustic. He has a nice Samick acoustic electric. But its starting to fall apart.

I thought it would be cool to get him a new acoustic for his birthday. Nothing really expensive. I thought maybe $100-150. He is not a gear snob so brands really dont matter. Just something that sounds good and is usable.
I dont know jack about what makes a nice acoustic guitar other then laminated or solid tops. I think a solid top would be out of the price range. But thats okay.

I think something black, dark or a sunburst finish would be something he would like.

I am a Fender guy so the FA100 acoustic caught my eye for $100. But I dont know if it comes in any other finishes.

Maybe you guys can give me some advice to make a good purchase in my price range.

Thanks in advance.

[MD]

^^^
Gift certificate. Let him choose, or add to it for something a little better.

[jaxom]

I have a cheaper Epiphone, But I always keep in tuned to "D". because it is much easier on the fingers....

[The Owl]

Hard to go wrong with Yamaha acoustics, very reasonably priced and good quality for the money.

[VitalSigns]

I got a Fender DG-60 for Christmas. It's a great guitar. You can get them for about $150 or $160.

[Diesel Kilgore]

Originally Posted by VitalSigns

I got a Fender DG-60 for Christmas. It's a great guitar. You can get them for about $150 or $160.

I was just looking at those in black. They seem like a nice guitar. MF has them for $130.

[Floyd Eye]

I don't know but I don't think I'd want someone else picking out a guitar for me.

[Diesel Kilgore]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

I don't know but I don't think I'd want someone else picking out a guitar for me.

I hear ya. If it was an electric guitar or a bass I wouldn't be doing this. He is a good friend and I know he will appreciate the gesture.

[VitalSigns]

Originally Posted by Diesel Kilgore

I was just looking at those in black. They seem like a nice guitar. MF has them for $130.

I really love mine. I play it almost every day. It's very comfortable and feels nice to play. It sounds pretty good. I don't have a lot of experience with acoustic guitars, so I can't say if it sounds the best, but it definitely sounds good to my ear.

[Floyd Eye]

I hope you can find something decent in your price range. I went hunting for a cheap beater acoustic a few years ago. I went to GC and played every single acoustic and hollow/semi hollow body they had. My budget was $300, but I would have went higher for the right guitar. I played $2000 Martins and I played $150 Fenders. Only one guitar spoke to me that day. It was an Ibanez AEG10. I gave $250 for it and it is the best playing acoustic I have ever had. The same identical guitar that was on a hanger next to it played like shiite though.

I know, no help at all, but my point is go to music stores and play them all. If you are lucky you will find a real nice player in your price range.

[zachoff]

^^ I got my daughter that same Ibanez and it's great. sounds better than my $450 Yamaha CPX but the Ibby doesn't have a pickup so it doesn't get much love in a live setting. My dad's Art & Lutherie ($300 new) sounds pretty amazing. Better than both of those, but A&Ls are a little harder to find. Seagull makes a heck of a nice acoustic too. S6 is what my old guitar player had.

[Stilettoprefer]

Look at epiphone acoustics. I got the $100 one as my first acoustic and after replacing the tuners it was a real nice guitar. Not nearly as good as what I replaced it with, but for $100 it was really nice.

If you want to spring for something more expensive, I suggest checking out Norman brand acoustics. Mine sounds great and feels very sturdy. The overtones really sing with mine, and the guy at my church who plays a Taylor likes the sound of it more than his Taylor. No electronics on the lower priced ones, though.

[Floyd Eye]

Originally Posted by zachoff

^^ I got my daughter that same Ibanez and it's great. sounds better than my $450 Yamaha CPX but the Ibby doesn't have a pickup so it doesn't get much love in a live setting. My dad's Art & Lutherie ($300 new) sounds pretty amazing. Better than both of those, but A&Ls are a little harder to find. Seagull makes a heck of a nice acoustic too. S6 is what my old guitar player had.

It has a Fishman preamp and a DI built into it. It sounds great plugged straight into the board with an XLR.

[zachoff]

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

It has a Fishman preamp and a DI built into it. It sounds great plugged straight into the board with an XLR.

Yeah, I just looked... My daughter's is an SGT-520. Figured it was the same because it was also $250.

[throughthefire]

Originally Posted by Stilettoprefer

If you want to spring for something more expensive, I suggest checking out Norman brand acoustics. Mine sounds great and feels very sturdy. The overtones really sing with mine, and the guy at my church who plays a Taylor likes the sound of it more than his Taylor. No electronics on the lower priced ones, though.

Art & Lutherie, Seagull, Norman and Simon & Patrick are all brands made by the same company (http://www.godinguitars.com/) in Canada.

My wife uses my Simon & Patrick now (I'm a bass player!), and although she's tried lots of Martins, Taylors, Ovations, Gibsons, she keeps coming back to the S&P.

Downside: *very* fragile finish, as in non-existant varnish. I think that's what helps it sound so good.
Also, no electronics. I fixed that by installing a Fishman Prefix.

Price? About $250 secondhand. If you can find anything by Godin secondhand, I think you'd be happy.

Pete.

[RxFunk]

Originally Posted by The Owl

Hard to go wrong with Yamaha acoustics, very reasonably priced and good quality for the money.

+1 The Yamaha FG700S is a solid top guitar and its only$200 new if you wanted to spring for the extra $50. It also comes in a really cool sunburst color

[Stilettoprefer]

Originally Posted by throughthefire

Downside: *very* fragile finish, as in non-existant varnish. I think that's what helps it sound so good.
Also, no electronics. I fixed that by installing a Fishman Prefix.

Pete.

Yeah, mine has a bunch of scratches and gouges from picks. Very thin finish, but I don't really mind. Less dampening of the vibration of the top!

these guitars also have a kind of arched top design that is really unique. Not sure what it does sonically, but I can see how the strength would improve from it.

[MarkMgibson]

Epiphone PR5-E - really nice guitars for the money. Since they're smaller than a Dreadnought, they sound good with light strings, and they sound better plugged in than guitars that cost 10x as much.