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My daughter has been hounding (OK, asking) me about getting an acoustic guitar. She has some background in piano, good student, and I think it's a request that I'll give in to (she is 15).

So. . . any suggestions as to brand, model, etc.?

Can I get something fairly decent for around $300?

I'm open to any and all suggestions, what to look for, what to avoid, new or used (ebay?).

rvaga:
I only dabble in guitar, and certainly am not current on pricing.

I don't know where Washburn's different lines are these days, but they are fairly well constructed guitars (at least they were when I got mine).

Taylor and Martin are two that I love the sound of, but they can be pretty pricey.

Someone else might have some info on used prices of these models, but they're great guitars.

KlavierBauer

It depends what style she wants to play. Steel string (folk, country, blues) or nylon string (classical.
I agree Washburn steel strings are excellent guitars for the price. So too are Epiphones, Hohner and Yamaha guitars. One of the best for under 700 CAD is Seagull (some pros liken it to a lower end Martin). A word of advice- avoid any steel string guitar where the reinforcing rod in the neck can be accessed through the head stock. That's fine for electrics, Nationals and resonators in general, but NOT regular acoustic guitars. My luthier friends tell me it is sure sign of a really poorly constructed acoustic instrument. Confirm the guitar's intonation at the tenth fret rather than the twelfth (octave) which most non guitarists assume would determine intonation and set up.

As for nylon string instruments there are plenty to choose from- many of the Spanish made instruments are fine for a beginner. Let your ear be the judge.

In the less expensive steel string, I like Yamaha and Washburn. Up in price are Taylors and Martins. Mine is a Larrivee, made in Vancouver, but out of your price range.

Nylon string, again a large price range. I have an Alvarez Yairi that's far from top of the line. It was about $500 when I bought it 25 years ago.

Play them AND have someone else play them because the sound is different from behind and in front of the soundhole. Guitars do break in so one with some hours on it sounds and projects differently from a brand new one.

Check out the Baby Taylor, it is near your budget.
I have one.
It does not have the bass, volume, or projection of a full size guitar but it is worth a look anyway.
If she sticks with it and gets a dreadnought some day the Baby makes a groovy 2nd guitar for throwing in the trunk.

I am not up on guitars.

Why has no one recommended a Gibson?

Steve,

Gibsons start at about 1K street price, and go up. Their captive division Epiphone, makes some pretty decent Gibson copies in Korea, I believe.

My .02 cents:

My son plays a Yamaha, and it's OK for the money. The solid topped Washburn has made every "Best Acoustic under $500" list of Acoustic Guitars they've publised. The Seagull mentioned(the S6) is also on everyone's favorite list. The Baby Taylor is also a nice guitar for the money, and the local music store sells out as soon as it gets a few. Simon&Patrick, affiliated with Seagull, also makes some more conventional appearing acoustics (some folks don't care for the Seagull headstock), but I think they run a smidgen more than the Seagull S6.

If you want to move up the ladder a bit, Martin makes a nice mahogany guitar for 5-6 hundred, and since you are out on the West Coast, don't neglect looking at the Tacoma DM-9, a great value.

Like pianos, price isn't everything. A good guitar shop can set up the guitar with a nice, low, even action, and keep out the buzz factor. When my son started out, he was very fond of Elixir strings on the Yamaha, but as his fingers toughened up, he swapped to Martin strings because he liked the sound better.

Good question. As I understand it from others muich more knowledgable than myself. One either loves or detests Gibson acoustics. For one, they are not cheap- actually the Epiphone is the low end Gibson. Gibson acoustics also have a notorious reputation for good years and bad years- a bit like wine. It seems that unlike their arch rival Martin, Gibson never really came up with a consistent internal construction. During lean years they would cut corners on bracing and other aspects of the instrument. One luthier said that a person ought to consult a History of Gibson book before buying any Gibson to check the date of manufacture. Having said this Gibson electrics, mandolins and banjos are quite a different story- they are consistent in high quality.

Nevertheless in the last 10 years Gibson has become a very large aggressive producer of consumer instruments. Forum members are well (painfully) aware of this fact. One definitely pays for the name Gibson. There many other top quality acoustic guitars out there such as Martin, Taylor, Larivee. Often it is a style preference and image. A serious Bluegrass picker will ONLY play a Martin D-28 (although as of late Collings [REALLY EXPENSIVE- 5k CAD]out of Tx is getting some attention). To get an idea pick up a copy the magazine "Acoustic Guitar". In some of the back issues there will be precisely the type of information you are looking for.

If you're looking for a classical guitar I recommend Alvarez Yairi. They have several models, though. I can't remember which one mine is, but it's great. The one I have is above your $500 price even used, though. It's about as good sound-wise as my teacher's $3K guitar (but not his $10K guitar!)

For steel string, you might consider Sigma which is Martin's cheapie brand. Here's two D-sized guitars. The second one is fancier and $150 more, but they are both under $500.

http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/DR1ST.htm
http://www.elderly.com/new_instruments/items/DR41.htm

You can also get a real Martin like the 000X1 for under $500, but I've never played one. Takamine makes a wide range of guitars below and above your price range as well. A guy at my church has one. Someone above mentioned Tacoma but I don't think you can get a new one under $500, and most models are in the $1K - $3K retail range.

Edit: oops, I see you said $300, not $500. The first Sigma fits your price, $320.

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice!

Wow!!

I now know what people looking for a piano are going through, especially those that don't play but want to. There are so many different guitars, it's mind-boggling.
On the links that gryphon suggested, I was looking around at a zillion different guitars. There are a couple that have a price tag of $20,000. Right. . .

I'm going to keep browsing and looking (the Internet is so handy!), and I'll be back with some hopefully intelligent questions regarding different features. But if anyone wants to contribute questions I should be asking, please do so.