Greetings! I am needing help in buying an Acoustic guitar. I am restarting my guitar journey , yet again. In the past I have owned some inexpensive pawn shop guitars. But my last was a Taylor 214ce-Deluxe, payed $850.00 for it.
This time around, I would greatly appreciate your alls advice. I am not sure if I want to go back to a Taylor ( if so which?),right now I am looking at Martin’s D-28 or the OMJM ( Im a huge John Mayer fan). Looking at trying out the Gibson J45 as well.
Gange, I just don’t know its all too overwhelming. I do know that I want an acoustic-electric. and cant invest more than $4000.00. Do I even need to spend that much to have an exceptional guitar? Take Justin’s Acoustic, it checks all the boxes, thats what I am looking for… Your thoughts? Thank you all for your time. Cheers, D
$4000, I’m not sure you can get a starter acoustic for that ?
What?
Hey Don @Mr.Nobody, Welcome to the community! You don’t say how much guitar experience you have. I’m a beginner, playing for about 2.5 yrs. I’ve recently gone through this exercise…here’s my input. First: most $850 guitars are quite nice, especially for a learner. That said, I completely understand wanting the best guitar you can own.
You won’t know for some time what the “right” guitar is for you. I’d been playing for over a year and a half before I realized the body on my perfectly nice guitar was too big for me, and I began shopping for a new guitar. There’s a good chance this will happen to you. (The D-28 and the OMJM are two very different instruments!) Also, you may find as I did that you get the bug for an electric after some time! Does your budget take into account that eventuality? Finally, do you have an amp for your acoustic-electric? I guess what I’m saying is yes, buy a nice guitar. But don’t try to buy a “forever” guitar until you’ve spent a bit more time on your journey. And know that GAS (guitar acquisition syndrome) is a very real thing!
OK genuine advice here.
If buying a $4k martin makes you happy go for it but there are many quality acoustics under $1k that will play just as well
If you know what size,neck profile, style is rigtht for you then sure get the best guitar you can
You’re looking at 3 totally different guitar sound wise. The D28 and OMJM are rosewood back and sides the J 45 is Mahogany back and sides. D28 is a dred with no electronics, the OMJM is an OM with electronics and the J 45 is a jumbo with electronics. So you’ll have to play the all side by side to see what sound you prefer and what shape feel good in your hands.
No there are wonderful sounding and playing guitars starting around $1000 in solid wood and less if solid wood isn’t necessary.
My philosophy has always been buy the guitar you can afford that makes you happy. Play as many with in your budget and one will say take me home and it may surprise you the one you buy wasn’t on your short list.
I too am getting a new accoustic, I new nothing of sizes or anything like that. I have a 15 year old LAG dreadnaught. AS I got further into the courses adn started standing up, I realised I hated the size of the Dreadnaught. It’s just too big. And when sitting on a couch that isn’t the right height, I have noticed that when standing my placement for hands is all out of wack, and was made worse by the posture on my seat, now why I say this?
In the last few weeks I have played about 15 or so different guitars, and found a smaller size that works for me. I based my stuff or my initial research off Ed Sheeran because I noticed he had a smaller guitar. So my first suggestion might be find a size that works for you. Go to the store and play a bunch of sizes both standing and seated.
The guitar I decided on is about $1200, you certainly don’t need a $4k guitar, I personally played 5 or so Cole Clarks valued at $5k, and while they felt nice, personally I couldn’t tell what made it $5k, so I felt quite satisfied with the choice I made.
A lot of people told me this, play as many as you can before you buy, because it’s what ‘feels’ right to you.
Good luck…
It really depends what you are buying it for too
A dred is going to be louder and have more bass, its bigger, rosewood vs mahogany will have different sounds (given the same identical guitar)
One sounds better on its own, one fits into a group better
Judi, Wonderful input! Thank you! …
Thank you! Agreed, these too are things that have crossed my mind. But, its nice to hear it from someone else. 
Thank you! You guys are awesome!
I know you say you’re starting again but is that starting from zero or starting from a reasonable base albeit a bit rusty? I’d be tempted to buy an inexpensive acoustic to get the feel again and then buy the expensive guitar once I felt I could sit in a guitar shop and make an informed decision that guitar A felt better than guitar B. Once you get above $1500-2000 you’re definitely looking at mostly eye candy, because that sort of money gets you something that is made entirely from solid wood (not laminate) and made in USA.
Size is definitely a big factor with acoustic guitar. Personally I never plan on playing much beyond my own front room so there’s no need for me to try to wrestle an enormous dreadnought. I went for the smaller end of the Taylor range and am happy with that choice. I can’t say what model this translates into for Martin or Gibson.
That’s a serious guitar. You won’t get a new Froggy Bottom for less then 5 figures 
As already said though, you can tick those boxes for much more sensible money.
I missed that ! Just finding one is hard, Justins was used afik
$6500-$24k on reverb
My only concern with getting an expensive guitar at the beginning (even if $4k isn’t that much to you personally), is that my understanding of what I want in a guitar has changed over the few years playing. Therefore, so have my guitars.
I am learning what I like in sound, feel and body size/shape. Each new/used guitar feels a little closer.
So I recommend considering a bit lower in the price list. As the cost goes up, what you get for your hard earned money is more esoteric. Subtle differences in sound, playability and feel that may mean enough to you at some point, but is that point now? At the beginning of your journey?
There are magnificent guitars at very reasonable price ranges. Especially if you are comfortable getting used. I have had several used guitars in the $800-$1200 range, all great instruments and all resold by me for a price within a few dollars of what I originally paid.
I was in the same place as you recently, fairly new learner (2 years in), initially went to my local music store and they gave me a Luna dreadnought, it’s big though. I went to another local store to get something smaller and landed on the Takamine New Yorker acoustic/electric. The sound is smaller than the dreadnought and takes some getting used to, but the size is great for sitting on the couch or outside, plus sounds great plugged in, price is around $700.
As @stitch says: you have to try them out and see which one you like and which one likes you back. I play a Martin D28 and I love it but it was so not the guitar that I had in mind when I went to buy my first serious guitar. But there was just no arguing: everything I played in the shop just sounded so much better on it than on any of the other guitars I tried. The same happened to me again last year when I bought a new electric. I woke up in the morning with a resolve to buy a Gretsch. But then in the shop none of the many I tried feeled right. And in the end I bought a very different guitar that I love (despite not being a Gretsch). Point is unless you actually try them out you don’t know if they are right for you.
You can save a LOT buying second hand.
Within this price range I would check Lakewood guitars. They are exceptionally well made and sound fantastic. I’ve been using one for two years and can recommend it.
This is the sizing chart for Martin guitars. I have a dreadnought that I got for my daughter when she wanted to started playing, she did not play for long. I rescued the guitar after she left for university and have been playing it since and I what I learned from. WhenI buyy own I will buy a much smaller guitars. This dread is much too big for me. Size absolutly matters, I absolutely can not wait until I have a smaller guitar.
