vlad
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Post by vlad on Dec 29, 2015 19:55:04 GMT
Hi! I am from Bulgaria and I have played the guitar for over 40 years. My problem is that all my live I played rubbish guitars from the soc era in Bulgaria and never owned a good instrument. After many years I have revived my hobby and decided to buy a proper guitar. Can you advise me on the best model in the £500 bracket, please! Thanks!
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007
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My main instrument is: 1965 Hagstrom H45E
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Post by 007 on Dec 29, 2015 20:53:02 GMT
Would it be right to assume that most major guitar brands are available in Bulgaria and are you going to buy online
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Dec 29, 2015 22:26:22 GMT
vlad, I see from your first post that you now live in UK, so at this stage I think it would be good to visit as many guitar shops as you can, and play as many guitars in your price range as you can. That should help you get an idea of what is available, what you like, and what you don't like. There is no "best" guitar in any price range, as it depends so much on what you want from the instrument and the sort of sound and feel that appeals to you. Most of us here could suggest particular makes and models you might like to try, but that might seem restrictive rather than helpful. Whatever you do end up buying, don't stress abiut it - whatever you may think now, it almost certainly won't be your "forever" guitar, but you'll learn a lot about what your tastes really are from it. What area are you in? Maybe we can suggest some interesting shops for you to visit? Keith
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Martin
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Post by Martin on Dec 29, 2015 22:37:44 GMT
While not wishing to go against Keith's excellent advice (above) to try as many guitars as you can, I'd like to make one suggestion so you can have an idea of what to try at least. If I was looking in the £500 range right now, other than buying used, I'd be trying out the Martin Dreadnought Junior at £599. It has excellent reviews and seems to be wonderful value. Anyway, good luck in your search and have fun trying out those guitars.
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doc
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Post by doc on Dec 30, 2015 0:15:20 GMT
Good advice above. Definitely go and try out as many guitars as you can. Used guitars have the advantage of being a bit less expensive and being a bit older the wood has opened out a bit. I recently bought a Freshman Apollo 3dc for £500 new and am pretty happy with it. Trying them out is at least half the fun.
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Post by andyhowell on Dec 30, 2015 8:22:02 GMT
This is quite a competitive market segment. As well as the suggestions above look at Faith and the Mexican Martins (might be worth saving up a little longer). If you can find a Walden try them.
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vlad
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Post by vlad on Dec 30, 2015 11:47:49 GMT
Thanks for the great advice guys! I have visited a local guitar shop in Staurport on Severn and tried a dozen different guitars. One of them sounded drastically superior to the rest. It was something like "Heart of wild cherry". This is the best guitar I have tried so far. It sales for £600-700. Has anyone tried this particular model and how it compares to the models mentioned above? Thanks!
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vlad
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Post by vlad on Dec 30, 2015 17:25:12 GMT
Went to Guitarguitar shop in Birmingham and tried the Martin junior dreadnought and another 15 guitars. The one that stole my heart was Martin D-18 for £1779. I am putting up my car for sale, I love that guitar!
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missclarktree
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Post by missclarktree on Dec 30, 2015 21:39:52 GMT
I was chuckling to myself when I saw that your price bracket kept increasing at every post, then I saw the last one in which it has gone up to £1799! Still, if you've found a guitar that you really like, I'm sure it will be worth selling your car for. Who needs a car? There's too many of them on the roads anyway.
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minorkey
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Need help
Dec 30, 2015 23:19:43 GMT
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Post by minorkey on Dec 30, 2015 23:19:43 GMT
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doc
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Post by doc on Dec 31, 2015 1:35:09 GMT
I have a Martin d18. I should have advised you not to try one out. Now you need to sell your car.
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Post by vikingblues on Dec 31, 2015 7:29:37 GMT
Wow - 16 guitars tried in one go - I find it difficult to keep track of a half that number in one go! It's often the case that one particular guitar will stand out for the crowd. The danger of trying out expensive guitars is that it could be one of them! But when you think of how many years you might play it for it's maybe not so bad a cost to pay. Mark
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Post by andyhowell on Dec 31, 2015 9:11:37 GMT
Went to Guitarguitar shop in Birmingham and tried the Martin junior dreadnought and another 15 guitars. The one that stole my heart was Martin D-18 for £1779. I am putting up my car for sale, I love that guitar! I had a suspicion that might happen :-) Who needs a car anyway. Go with the Martin !
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vlad
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Post by vlad on Dec 31, 2015 9:20:40 GMT
Selling my car was a joke, of course. I just will have to save longer. I realized how individual the good guitar thing is. In my case there is the factor that my fingers are a bit short and how easy to play a particular guitar has become a very important factor. I found that the Martin junior dreadnought was the easiest to play but the sound of the D18 was astonishing. It was superior to the sound of the other good guitars especially in the bass strings. In general I found the Martin guitars much easier to play.They felt really comfy in my left hand. I have never tried a Martin guitar before yesterday. There was also another factor. I checked how the tone of each string deviates from the tune at the 12th fret with an electronic tuner. The D18 was the best in that. There was only one guitar that showed no deviation at the 12th fret and it was a Seagull S6 dreadnought guitar. Thank you for your invaluable help guys! I found my dream guitar.
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Post by jonnymosco on Dec 31, 2015 12:04:21 GMT
Hi Vlad - I had a good browse on the GuitarGuitar site and spotted a used Tacoma - a jumbo, actually I've played a friend's similar model in the States (big sound and a full bass). A fantastic guitar, well within your budget, but up in Newcastle. Tacoma ceased production in 2008, such a shame, great value and reminded me of my old Lowden. I didn't realise they were so affordable. www.guitarguitar.co.uk/preowned_guitars_detail.asp?stock=PX151107290571003I know it's a spanner, but if you like the D18, you're likely to like the sound of other large guitars and I think you shouldn't rush into spending a huge amount on a Martin. Larger bodied guitars will offer a lot of bass, but it's just physics that dictates that the trebles are sacrificed. Now to contradict myself... don't just go on sound, comfort is also really important - large guitars are awkward to play and unless you are tall, long arms etc. I wouldn't advise it. Also the nut size is important for ease of finger placement. The D18, 44.45mm, the Tacoma is c.43... Seagulls (as you mentioned them) are one of the few companies that offer a wider nut. The hunt is the best bit - good luck. Jonny
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