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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Cheap Acoustic Guitars - What Choices

By Steve Murray

The main reason why many musical instruments are so expensive to purchase is the material which is used to make them. Certainly as you will soon discover those guitars that use materials such as wood as far more expensive than those that aren't. But along with guitars being made from wood they are also made from graphite and plastic as well. But the problem with these kinds of cheap acoustic guitars is that they do not have the same sound quality as the wooden ones.

As you will soon discover those guitars which are not made from wood will not have such a full and round sound as you would have expected. Because of this you may find yourself becoming frustrated and choose to give up learning how to play the guitar altogether. So if you can afford to and have sufficient funds you should invest in a wooden one rather than one of the much cheaper types. Yes you can save money on a cheap one but you will find that you will not enjoy playing it as much.

When you start looking for a cheap acoustic guitar, go for one that has a solid wood top rather than one made from plywood. You will find that the solid wood top give a much richer and fuller tone to the sound it makes. Plus if you can afford to then buy a guitar which not only has a solid wood top but a solid wood back and sides as well.

There are plenty of such guitars available and one that should be high on your list to consider is the Seagull S6. Although not cheap it is certainly value for money as you are unlikely to want to buy another acoustic guitar once you have this one. This particular guitar has a solid cedar top and the sides are made from solid mahogany and which is why it makes such a beautiful sound when played. The fact is that this guitar is of such high quality then many professional musicians will keep this guitar even though they may have several more expensive ones as well.

You can expect to pay around $400 to $500 for this guitar, but if you are really serious about learning to play the guitar then it is wise to invest a little extra in the instrument you buy. However, if you search online you may well find that you are actually able to get some really great deals on this guitar if you spend time looking for it.

As well as the Seagull S6 acoustic guitar there are other ones which you may want to consider such as the Yamaha F310. This guitar is cheaper because of the material used to make it. The top is made from spruce rather than cedar and sides and back are made using mahogany as the Seagull S6 is. Because of the difference in the top wood used one can expect to pay about $150 to $200 for this acoustic guitar. It is the price of this guitar which is why those just learning to play the guitar will buy one.

Along with the Yamaha F310 there is also the Epiphone DR-100 which costs slightly less and prices range from $120 to $150 for this particular model. But although it costs less than the Yamaha F310 it is actually made from the same kinds of wood, spruce for the top of the guitar and mahogany for both the back and sides. Of the three guitars we have mentioned this is the ideal one to purchase if you are still unsure as to whether this is the right musical instrument for you or not. But if you do purchase to learn to play the guitar then at some point in the future you will find that you need to upgrade to a better one.

Although there are lots of different guitars available which can be purchased for less than $100 these are not the type that you should be buying when learning to play the guitar. The reason being is that you will find that the sound they produce is terrible because of the materials they have been made from. Which as many others have found results in them finding it difficult to play and so decide to give up learning how to play them altogether.

Therefore if you are serious about getting a cheap acoustic guitar for either yourself or someone else then you can not go far wrong with the ones mentioned above. However, if you find that you are still restricted by your budget then take a look at your local guitar or music store to see what second hand ones they have available. The great thing about doing this is that you will be able to try several out in order to find the one that you feel comfortable with.

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