Starter budget acoustic guitar recommendations please

Sneaky Peaky · 5 Dec 2013 at 20:27

Had a quick search and some useful advice on here but wondered if anyone had any experience of the basic fender range? Was looking to spend about £100-£130 and at that price the CD-60 looks like good value and write up seems ok. Or any alternatives at that price?

It's for my daughters birthday, she's 21 but quite petite so also wondered if she might be better off with a 'folk' model or even a parlor type?

Thanks for any input..

daz.rathbone · 6 Dec 2013 at 12:13

The Fender entry models are ok - around the £100-150 mark it's all much of a muchness.

If your daughter is on the petite side as you say, what about an Ovation Applause like this: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/ovation-applause-ae128-natural/17943 - the shallow body helps (so says my daughter)

daz.rathbone · 6 Dec 2013 at 12:20

Sorry, one I posted is probably over budget - this might be too, but a superb sound for under £180: http://www.gak.co.uk/en/ovation-applause-ae27-5-black/54761

Jingo... · 7 Dec 2013 at 09:47

One thing worth considering would be alternative brands - with a big name, the budget end models are not of as high a quality as similar budget guitars from other companies.

I personally rate the quality of Freshman guitars very highly, and you'll find you get much greater bang for your buck on their lower end models than you will from the Fender entry level models.

I have enjoyed a Freshman FA1S for about 6 years, and so many of my guitar playing friends have commented on how enjoyable it is to play and what a rich and lovely sound you can get from it; it's a solid top and so is far greater quality than laminates which you will inevitably looking at at your price range.

It is slightly over your budget @ ~£175, but as it is a less well known brand, you might be able to wangle some great deals like I did (free hardcase/packs of strings/picks/tuner etc).

I have played many other guitars up to and around the £400 mark and hardly any match the quality and ease of this previously hidden gem.

/mytwopence

gort · 7 Dec 2013 at 11:11

Does she play guitar at all or will this be the first time she has ever used one?
Maybe take her into a muic shop and let her get the feel of a number of different shapes and sizes then go from there.

Don't know if this a suprise for her birthday but ideally she should try them out in person first before parting with the cash.

Jingo... · 7 Dec 2013 at 11:29

gort said:
Maybe take her into a muic shop and let her get the feel of a number of different shapes and sizes then go from there.

Great advice if possible - as clichéd as it sounds, some guitars just 'feel right'

Sneaky Peaky · 9 Dec 2013 at 17:31

Thanks for all the advice chaps, it''s a surprise for her birthday so can't really take her into the shop with me unfortunately, she has played a bit before on a beat up old thing that someone gave her so thought it would be nice to get her a new one..

That Freshman sounds a great option but I went with the Fender in the end as it was only £99 delivered and included a padded gig bag. See how she gets on with it and if she really enjoys it then not too much wasted to upgrade later..

Decided on not going for a smaller one as everyone saying not really worth it and she should be able to manage a full size guitar..

Thanks again.

McBain · 10 Dec 2013 at 19:54

Yamaha F310!

SexyGreyFox · 10 Dec 2013 at 20:04

Sneaky Peaky said:
Thanks for all the advice chaps, it''s a surprise for her birthday so can't really take her into the shop with me unfortunately,

Well do that on her birthday then.
Tell her she has a budget of x amount and she can try any guitar in the shop under that price.
Choosing a guitar for somebody else is a no no.

My Dad gave me my first guitar in 1970 which was one of his but 2 years later he took me to a guitar shop for my birthday and I chose a Hayman 3030.